Before you hire a house cleaner, ask five things. Are the cleaners background-checked and insured? What happens if something is missed? Do I need to be home? How is the price set, and when do I see it? Who is my contact once it’s booked? A company that can’t answer all five plainly is telling you something.

Below is how we answer each one, and a sixth question worth asking too.

Are the cleaners background-checked and insured?

This one comes first because it’s the one you can’t fix after the fact.

At Tina’s, yes on both. Tina’s coordinates cleanings with vetted, background-checked, insured cleaning professionals.

Here’s the part worth knowing. The cleaning professionals Tina’s works with carry their own coverage, and Tina’s verifies it at intake, before anyone takes a job. Tina’s then carries its own coverage in addition to theirs.

When you ask another company this question, listen for who holds the insurance and who checks it. “We’re insured” can mean a lot of different things.

What happens if something is missed?

Tell us as soon as you can. A return visit to correct the work comes first, before any other resolution, and Tina’s arranges it.

We’d rather put it right in your home than argue about it on the phone. That’s why the return visit comes first.

Do I need to be home?

No. Entry, alarm, parking, pet and lock-up instructions can be provided in advance, so the cleaning can happen while you’re at work or away.

It helps to know when to expect the knock, even if you won’t be there to hear it. Plan for a 2 hour arrival window. Earlier homes can take more or less time than expected, so an exact minute is not something anyone can honestly give you.

“I live out of state and had to help with selling my parents’ house from afar. It was nerve-wracking to hire cleaners, knowing I couldn’t actually be there to check up on the cleaning myself. They answered questions quickly leading up to the cleaning, and they also asked for my feedback afterward. My realtor’s report is that they did a perfect job getting the house ready for listing!”

D’orazia Airone, Google review

How is the price set, and when do I see it?

Here’s how it works at Tina’s. Price is based on home size, cleaning type, current condition, frequency, selected add-ons, and reserved time where it applies. The booking form calculates your price from your details before you submit. You see the number first, then decide.

The awkward part: condition matters. If the home needs more time, you get options before extra work is added. Nothing is added without your approval.

The only fixed prices Tina’s publishes are the fixed-hour Specials: 2 hours with two cleaners for $198, 3 hours for $298, 4 hours for $398.

Who is my contact once it’s booked?

Tina’s. Tina’s remains your central contact for booking, communication, payment and customer support.

It’s worth being straight about how that works. Tina’s operates as a contracted network: Tina’s is the service provider of record, and the cleaning itself is performed by independent cleaning professionals Tina’s subcontracts. Your agreement, your payment and your support all run through Tina’s, so if anything is wrong, you come back to us.

Also know what “booked” means. Submitting the form sends a booking request. The appointment is confirmed after the details are reviewed and an available cleaning professional is matched. Confirmation and schedule updates are sent by email and text.

Will I get the same cleaner every time?

The honest answer: we try to keep continuity when schedules allow, but the same cleaner is not promised for every visit.

Any company that promises you the same person forever is promising something it can’t control. People get sick, go on vacation and change schedules. We’d rather tell you now than have you find out on cleaning day.

Asking these in Collingswood or Haddonfield

Tina’s serves South Jersey and Central Jersey, and that includes Collingswood and Haddonfield.

Tina’s has been serving South Jersey since 1998.

If you’re getting the house ready for a fall weekend, the Collingswood Book Festival and the Haddonfield Fall Festival both land on Saturday, October 3 this year.

Which cleaning to book

If it has been a while since the last professional clean, start with Deep Cleaning, PureRenewal, and move to Standard House Cleaning, RoutineCare, after. If the home is already kept up, Standard House Cleaning is the place to start.

Not sure which fits? Call or text and we’ll tell you which one we’d book.