Your house cleaner gets to know almost everything about you over time.  A lot has been discussed about security, or how safe the belongs in the house are. People want to know who is coming into the home. A big question is if the same people will be doing the cleaning each time. Another question is about back ground checks.

Last week at a networking event the host asked me about any dirt I might have on one of our clients. He was joking, but there was a marked pause in the meeting, where people really wanted to hear something, some gossip. It is kind of a common passing comment.

My response, as always, is to praise our clients for the impeccable way they manage their lives. This particular client is extremely successful, and he makes a list each morning of the tasks he wants to accomplish, then checks them off during the day. The note book he carries is common knowledge, he has carried for the past twenty years.

Over these many years that we have been in the cleaning business I have learned that refusing to respond makes you sound like you are hiding something. Anything negative you say will of course be wrong. We have found that we do have an incredible set of clients who are remarkable, and sharing the success of their lives is something every one responds to favorably.

I never lie, or make something up, because that has negative consequences. It’s best to be forthcoming with some obvious virtues which leaves the questioner with no where to go.

For about forty years my main business has been cleaning.

Cleaning is one of those things that is it’s own reward. When you start with a mess and finish with that feel of accomplishment it adds to a job that is hard physically. It’s one of those things every one says they can do. We have found that there is a talent to cleaning.

There are several examples, but the most vivid for me was a call I got on a Saturday afternoon from a family in our neighborhood. I was available so I went to take a look. The house was clean, most things were in place, and the guy was frantic. His wife was due home from a business trip. He said the house needed something, so I worked with him for about an hour.

We hire people based on ability. Some people last a very short time and other stay with us for years. People who work with us tell me that it is a pleasure to work with someone who appreciates their job. Some people make it look easy, others struggle with the simple details. It is a skill that can be taught and hopefully you will learn some tricks from this site.

I have been blogging for about two years about Real Estate and economic theory. The cleaning business is one of those things that is greatly misunderstood. Everybody thinks the work is beneath them, which is great for us. There is always a customer base no matter what goes on with the economy. The business itself is more of a challenge because of the customer inter action. The theory here is that the blogging will help.

This should be a resource for you to learn the tricks and get referrals to other like minded businesses. In these economic times cleaning is your most cost effective home improvement. It also helps to maintain your property. In future posts I will talk about things you can do around the house to help keep it fresh.