BidMyCleaning.com Banter

House Cleaning Hit List

Posted by Candice on May 17, 2010 at 20:52 pm

When it comes to outsourcing your house cleaning there are a few key requirements that most customers have when selecting a cleaning provider. What is on your hit list when selecting a house cleaning service?

1. A clean home - a good cleaning service will clean your home better than you would do yourself. If you come home to find that there is still dust on surfaces or dirt on your floors you will be disappointed. However, an important part of receiving the service you want is to communicate clear expectations to the service. In the event that you are not 100% satisfied with the cleaning any good cleaning service would want you to let them know and give them an opportunity to improve on the cleaning. Again, it is important to communicate clearly exactly what did not meet your standards and what is required to get there. Most cleaning companies understand that wowing the customer will lead to repeat business and favorable word of mouth. At Bidmycleaning.com we have a built in review service to ensure that cleaners who do a good job can be rewarded for that with a positive customer review but also that services that do not deliver can be called out for poor service.

2. Reliability – a service that arrives on the appointed day and the appointed time is important. House cleaners that show up as expected are more likely to be invited back for further cleanings or even be put on a regular schedule. At Bidmycleaning.com you select that date and time segment for your cleaning and then our service automatically sends out reminders prior to the appointment.

3. Safety - you want to know that the person or team that will be working in your home have been checked out. Background checks are a standard part of the application process for a service provider to be listed in the Bidmycleaning.com house cleaning service marketplace. Hiring someone from Craigslist or from a flyer posted on your mailbox does not guarantee you that they have been screened. In addition, at Bidmycleaning.com you can choose to only view bids from providers that are insured and bonded.

4. A fair price – you want to pay a price for your maid service that gets you the best service for your budget. At Bidmycleaning.com we make it easy to find out what maid service in your local neighborhood will cost because, based on your requirements, you can can view instant bids from various companies to compare pricing. You definitely don’t want to pay too much but in some cases you probably don’t want to pay too little either. If price is the only factor in your decision you can choose a provider that is not necessarily insured & bonded and may therefore be able to charge a little less. However, if for whatever reason you need or want a provider that is insured & bonded that option is available to you.

Mother's Day Is Almost Here! Last Minute Gift Tips!

Posted by Candice on May 2, 2010 at 22:39 pm

A greeting card with flowers, candy or something from The Body Shot – these are the things most Mother’s receive on the one day a year designated to celebrating all that Mother’s do for us. The lucky Moms get brunch with the family thrown in too. However, if we stop to consider for a moment what would best serve Mom on her ‘special’ day then flowers that wilt or candy that will likely result in some diet-busting guilt are probably not the best bang for your buck. What Moms really need is a break from all things they do which is probably why we need to thank them in the first place:

1. A break from cooking! How about a nice dinner out or if you’re on a smaller budget offer to cook dinner a few nights this week.
2. A break from cleaning! How about a gift certificate for maid service so time that would be spent scrubbing and sweeping can be spent on some relaxing reading or a movie.
3. A break from the laundry! This week offer to do the laundry for your mom or send it out to a laundry service.
4. A break from carpooling! Get Dad to step in and help out with the pick up and drops offs for a few days!

There are probably many more chores that you can come up with which would give your Mom a lovely break if you took over for a few days. With the time she will have to herself give her a gift card for a local spa, one for her favorite restaurant so she can have dinner out with a friend or perhaps one from the local cinema so she can take in a movie. If there are budget constraints give her some special ‘me’ time at home by running a nice warm bubble bath and placing candles and a bottle of wine in the bathroom and sending her there for a nice soak.

This week you can buy a gift card for maid service at Bidmycleaning.com and receive a 15% discount off the price. Your Mom will really appreciate the extra help around the house and a nice break from the cleaning she usually does to keep your home comfortable for you.

Bidmycleaning’s Eco-Friendly Web Find: Earthday.net & Earthday.org

Posted by Candice on April 16, 2010 at 16:31 pm

Earth Day 2010 is coming up soon – on April 22nd to be precise. In preparation we looked for some resources for Earth Day information. The Earth Day Network (Earthday.net) is ground central for Earth Day – their mission is to power the environmental movement and ensure a healthy and sustainable planet for all of us. They do this by helping to mobilize communities, implement environmental education programs and support Earth Day events and actions around the world. Their aim is to galvanize millions to make personal commitments to sustainability.

The Earth Day Action Center (Earthday.org) is where you can go to find out about Earth Day events and to create your own action campaign or have a look at what others have committed to doing. Some examples are the 100 Miles Food Challenge and the Walk For Water.

Other ways to get involved are by creating a petition or making a pledge. Your pledge could be as simple as opting to use eco-friendly and green cleaning products in your home or to support a local green cleaning company if you hire a regular maid service – use our Green Cleaning Calculator to get bids from a local house cleaning provider if you don’t already have one. Each small undertaking is a contribution to a wider drive to improve our world.

If you’re unsure about where to get involved you can browse the ‘Core Issues’ section of the site. These include Climate Change, Conservation & Biodiversity, Energy, Recycling & Waste Reduction and Sustainable Development. Stop by the Action Center today to see how you can make a difference.

Last year we blogged about Earth Day 2009.

Announcing Winner of $150 Gift Certificate

Posted by Candice on March 3, 2010 at 10:26 am

February was twitter month at Bidmycleaning.com. To be in the running to win a $150 gift certificate for maid service was to follow @bidmycleaning – what could be easier than that. The winner of the gift certificate Lisa from Westchester, NY who twitters as @LisaCollierCool.

When you need a gift idea for a girlfriend, an expectant mother or a working mother, a gift certificate for maid service is a wonderful way to give the gift of some Me-time. Getting a few hours off from house cleaning is something anyone will appreciate.

It’s really easy to buy a gift certificate and you can choose to print it to give in person or if you prefer you can choose to email it directly to the recipient. The recipient can then schedule their maid service at their convenience. When they visit the site they can get bids, read reviews on the cleaning providers and schedule their service. They then use the unique coupon code to complete the payment.

Visit the Bidmycleaning.com Gift Certificate center now – http://www.bidmycleaning.com/Gift-Certificate

House Cleaning Services for Realtors

Posted by Candice on January 19, 2010 at 01:02 am

Recent reports on the state of the US Housing Market probably bear some good news for realtors. It appears that Americans are buying more existing homes, but fewer new homes. With the buyer’s market we currently have it is easier to get a good deal on an older home than on a new one. The market is also full of foreclosures and struggling homeowners will drop their prices to entice interested buyers. The number of foreclosed properties is increasing.

What this means for realtors is that older homes might need more work to make them ready for a sale. Foreclosed homes are often left standing empty for months on end or if not may have been occupied by owners who no longer maintained the home or even worse trashed it. Cleaning services including carpet cleanings, window cleanings and maid service are an important part of every Realtor’s toolkit. Deep cleaning should be the first step in staging a home for sale.

When it comes to finding and scheduling one or all of the house cleaning services, the Bidmycleaning.com marketplace is the easiest and most convenient source. With an extensive database of pre-screened cleaning providers and online scheduling a single cleaning service on multiple services at one or more locations can be scheduled within minutes. From a single account a realtor can manage all their cleanings for all their properties; adding new services, rescheduling or canceling. In addition, with green becoming more mainstream the filter which identifies only green cleaners or those who can use green products if requested is a key feature.

With so many other items on the to-do list like assessing and advising on curb appeal, helping homeowners cut clutter and staging the home for show, saving time on getting houses cleaned should be an attractive proposition for any realtor. Visit Bidmycleaning.com today.

National Organize Your Home Day

Posted by Candice on January 15, 2010 at 00:41 am

January 14th each year is earmarked for National Organize Your Home Day. There are many, many wonderful blogs and resources online to help you get started on organizing – her are a few of my favorites:

I’m An Organizing Junkie
Organized With Style
Organizing With Sandy

For some inspiration it’s always great to look at Before & After pics and here are some great ones from Miss Organized.

Once you get organized it’s a good opportunity to put systems in place so you can keep everything neat and tidy without too much effort. Designate a place for everything. Get some attractive baskets or boxes and place them strategically around your home so that you have a place to store all the items which usually lead to clutter when they are left lying around.

Another thing to consider once you are all organized is a good deep cleaning. If you don’t have the time to complete a more thorough cleaning that your usual cleaning, it can be beneficial to hire a maid service.

Bidmycleaning on Facebook – Win a Free Cleaning Service

Posted by Candice on January 14, 2010 at 12:45 pm

Join our Facebook Fan-anza and win a FREE House Cleaning Service. Our Facebook Fan Page is now live and ready for you to join us. Just click on the ‘Become A Fan’ link and you will be entered into the draw for a FREE cleaning http://www.facebook.com/bidmycleaning

The winner will be selected by a random draw from all fans listed at 12pm on January 31st 2010 and announced on February 1st.

If you win the free maid service, just think of what you can do with the time you won’t have to spend cleaning – maybe take in a movie, spend a few hours at the local park with your kids or just enjoy having nothing to do!

You can keep up with our blog posts, get news about special discounts and giveaways and chat with us and other Bidmycleaning friends and fans.

There are just two weeks left to enter so pop over there now – http://www.facebook.com/bidmycleaning

New Year, New Look for Bidmycleaning

Posted by Candice on January 5, 2010 at 01:04 am

The team here at Bidmycleaning.com are happy and proud to announce the new, improved Bidmycleaning Online Marketplace. At first glance you will see the clean new look of the website but the improvements extend beyond the new look. Improvements ‘under the hood’ will make the site faster to load, updated navigation will make it easier to find what you are looking for and the cleaning calculator has been updated to simplify the bidding and online scheduling.

Bidmycleaning is still the only online marketplace for house cleaning services. It is the only one-stop-shop where you can get instant bids on maid service, window cleaning and carpet cleaning from local providers in your neighborhood who have been pre-screened and reviewed by other customers. Immediate online scheduling allows you to set up a cleaning appointment with your chosen provider in just a few easy steps.

If you are specifically interested in green cleaning services our search makes it easy to filter the results to show only providers who exclusively use green cleaning products or who will use them by request. Achieving your eco-friendly cleaning goals for the new year has never been easier.

Visit the new website today and let us know what you think – we value your opinion!

Thanksgiving Deep Cleaning Special: Save 20%

Posted by Candice on November 18, 2009 at 14:53 pm

Turkey Day is on it’s way and will be here before you know it. For many of us this means out-of-town visitors coming to stay or entertaining friends and family. If your home is Turkey Day central you will most likely want to have it looking fresh and clean – a task not always that easy to achieve while whipping up a feast delicious turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes and whipped cream-laden pumpkin pie.

We are offering a 20% discount coupon that will give you a break from cleaning so you can focus on the feast and fun of the holiday.

This Bidmycleaning coupon can be shared with anyone so if you have a friend or family member who has been mentioning they need some help around the house don’t forget to forward it to them. This coupon is only valid to 30th November so … Click Here to Use Your 20% Savings Coupon now or enter GIVETHANKS20 at checkout.

Where House Cleaning Services Fail

Posted by Candice on November 5, 2009 at 23:22 pm

Does your house cleaner make you want to tear you hair out? A recent survey of CHECKBOOK.org subscribers revealed the various complaints people have with house cleaning services. Consumers’ CHECKBOOK is an independent, nonprofit consumer organization founded in 1974 with the purpose of providing information to help consumers get high quality services and products at the best possible prices.

The top gripes customers have with their cleaning service were identified.

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