Freaky Perfect

NOTE: Comments have been closed. A winner will be announced soon!

Back when I worked full time outside of the home, I had a regular housekeeping service. But once I started working from home, and my pay went down, I cut back on what I considered a luxury. I didn’t want to spend the money, and I figured since I’d be home more, I could do just as good a job of cleaning myself.

But let’s face it — just because someone decides to work from home doesn’t mean that person suddenly becomes un-busy, with loads of free time on her hands.

Nor does it mean that she suddenly develops a passion or skill for housekeeping.

I’ll be honest — my house only gets cleaned well on three occasions. The first is when people are coming over. The second is when the bathroom starts to smell. The third is when the kids start to stick to the floors.

So when Molly Maid of Greater Little Rock contacted  me and asked if they could clean my home in exchange for a review, it took me about half a second to scream “YES!!!!!!!!” down the phone.

Before they came, I checked them out on Facebook. I liked what I saw. A lot. I saw a brand that engaged with it’s fans. A brand that posted worthwhile information, and wasn’t just trying to sell stuff. They shared information on everything from how to clean up after a party to how to organize your closet to how to fold a fitted sheet. I also saw they were very civic minded, in that they make donations to charitable organizations suggested by their Facebook fans.

I was eager to find out who was behind my local Molly Maid franchise. Imagine my surprise to find out it’s a 19-year-old guy. Seriously. Michael Silva-Nash and his family have been in this business quite a while. I asked him how he got started. He said “I was basically forced into it — really. I was 13 when my parents bought it and it was part of our “chores” to help at the business somehow. I fell in love with it and here I am at 19 years of age, as a sophomore at UALR, doing what I love.”

That’s Michael. Isn’t he a cutie?

He truly does seem to have a passion for this, and it comes across in his employees’ performance. I have to say, their attention to detail while cleaning my house blew me away. I was in and out during the day as they cleaned, but once, I spied them cleaning my blinds slat by slat. Every single one. Separately. My word. They also saved the floors for last, which is important. They moved things to clean underneath, but then put them back exactly where I had them.

Here’s something awesome: The day after they cleaned, the boys locked Nick and I out of our bedroom. They were inside giggling and being sneaky. So Nick reached above the door sill to find the hex key he uses for lock-outs. It wasn’t on the end where it usually was, and had been moved a little. That’s because the housekeepers had cleaned the top of our doors. Who does that? That’s crazy cleaning! I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone take such pride in their work. After they were done, my house sparkled and smelled amazing. I wanted to cry.

I only had one complaint about the whole experience, but it was a minor one. There was a language barrier between the housekeepers and me. I needed to give them some instructions, and I wasn’t sure if I was getting my message across. We made it work, though, and they did everything just as I had requested.

I asked Michael a few questions about using a housekeeping service.

OK, be honest — do the housekeepers talk about how messy we are behind our backs?
Honestly, we do. We have to know how to prepare for the day (supplies, estimated time, etc.) and we do it to better manage what is going out and in of the supply closet. On top of that it makes a great identifier! Such as, the lady in Little Rock that has the three dogs, 2 cats, and a parrot. “Ohhhhh…that house! Yeah, we are going to need more rags!”

What types of services do you offer?
Our main broad focus is housecleaning. However, when we say housecleaning we don’t just mean making the beds and a quick vacuum — we mean the baseboards, the ceiling fans, the cobwebs, the vacuuming, mopping, thorough dusting, taking the trash out, bathroom. Everything top to bottom, left to right. It’s that deep spring cleaning every time — guaranteed. We can do weekly, every two weeks, or every four weeks. We also do occasional, move in/out, and one time cleanings. We strive to provide same-day service. We also do gift certificates.

What should someone look for when choosing a housekeeping service?
There are a few things that you MUST look for when hiring a service that are VITAL to your security.
1. You want to make sure that the company’s employees are adequately bonded, insured, and trained. We do thorough background checks on all of our employees and verify that there is no criminal history.
2. You want to make sure that they have proper and sufficient liability insurance. If they break something can they pay for it and can you track them down?
3. Do they carry worker’s compensation insurance? When you hire someone (especially an independent) they essentially become an employee of yours. If they break a foot at your home, guess who is footing the bill? Yup, you, because you are their employer.
4. After a certain amount you have to pay payroll taxes for them — make sure they have an Employer ID number with which to pay employment taxes.
5. Last but not least, a guarantee. This isn’t something you can buy and return it to the store because you are not satisfied with it. Make sure they guarantee your satisfaction.
(Note: Molly Maid takes care of all of these for you! There is nothing you need to worry about.)

Tell me a little bit about your charitable giving.
We LOVE to give back. Our charitable arm, the Ms. Molly Foundation, is a non-profit set up to assist domestic violence victims across the country. We have raised over $1.2 million since our inception. Plus, a portion of EVERY cleaning EVERY day is given straight to the Dorcas House of Little Rock, a domestic violence shelter. We are also giving back to our local community.

Having a clean house has left a smile on my face the past few days. And I’ve realized that it’s easier to maintain that cleanliness after having the Molly Maid team come in and do a deep clean. So even if you think you can’t afford a regular house cleaning, call Michael and his team to discuss their (lower than you probably think) prices and service options. You should consider having it done at least seasonally or before a party or other special occasion. If you can afford it, have them come weekly. When you don’t have to worry about basic housekeeping tasks, it’s amazing how your quality of life improves, and how much time you free up to do other, more important things.

Want to experience a great clean from the Little Rock Molly Maid team? Well you’re in luck. Michael has generously offered a $100 gift certificate to one of my readers! You’ve GOT to jump on this opportunity. Just follow the easy entry instructions below, and I’ll randomly select a winner next Monday morning.

To enter, just leave a comment below telling me either a housekeeping hint or your deep, dark messy housekeeping secret (you know you shove stuff under the bed). You can get an additional entry for subscribing to my blog via RSS or email. Just make sure you leave a separate comment letting me know you subscribe. But remember — this giveaway is only for those in the greater Little Rock service area. And while it’s not an entry requirement, I encourage you to Like Molly Maid’s Facebook page. No matter where you’re located, it’s a font of useful information.