Why We Have a Terms of Service

💸 Tipping

Tipping is never required, but it’s always appreciated by our team! The standard tip amount is typically 10%–20% of the cost of service.

We understand that many of our clients aren’t home during their cleanings, but please know—our technicians take great pride in making sure your space is peaceful, refreshed, and cared for.

If you’d like to send a little “Thank You” their way, you’ll receive a Feedback & Tip Form via text/email after each visit. It’s a quick and easy way to share your experience and include a tip of your choice, if you’d like.

Your kind words (and generosity!) go a long way in encouraging our team.

👷 Cleaning Technician Assignment and Consistency

“Will I always have the same cleaner?”

We understand how important consistency is, and we do our best to keep the same technician assigned to your home whenever possible. However, our scheduling is also built with efficiency in mind—grouping homes by location to reduce drive time and fuel usage for our team. There may be times when a different technician is assigned due to scheduling conflicts, illness, emergencies, or team rotations. These occasional adjustments help support our staff’s well-being and ensure we can serve all clients reliably.

A few important things to note:

• All of our technicians receive the same high-quality training to provide consistent service, no matter who is assigned to your home.
• We may occasionally change technicians without prior notice to avoid cancellations or rescheduling, especially in cases of illness or sudden staffing changes.
• Clients are prohibited from directly contacting our cleaning technicians, regardless of the issue or concern. For your safety and privacy, we kindly ask that all communication go through our office. Direct contact with technicians is not permitted. Our team is always here to help and will make sure any questions, feedback, or concerns are relayed to the appropriate technician promptly.

🔐 Entrance/Lockout Policy

To ensure a smooth service experience, Cleaning by Design requires access to the property at the appointed service time; otherwise, the deposit will NOT be refunded. This access requirement includes entry to the home, driveway, and walkway. In cases where a recurring client declines our services at the doorstep, a 100% charge will be applied , providing fair compensation to our staff for their time and effort.

Under our lockout policy, there exists a 15-minute grace period during which we will patiently await the client’s entry. If access to the premises is not secured within this 15-minute interval, a lockout fee equal to 100% of the total service cost will be implemented.

🛡️ Client-Technician Safety and Privacy Policy

Clients are NOT permitted to be in the same room with our technicians while they are performing their duties. This policy is designed to ensure the safety and efficiency of our cleaning or service tasks and to maintain a respectful and professional atmosphere.

This policy is in place for the following reasons:

1. Safety: Having clients present in the same room during cleaning or service procedures can create potential safety hazards for both the client and the technician. It can lead to accidents, distractions, and misunderstandings.

2. Privacy: Clients may feel uncomfortable or intruded upon when a technician is working close to them. The client’s privacy and personal space are essential for a positive service experience.

⏰ Cancellation/Skip Visits/Late Fee

A 50% fee applies for skipping or cancellations made with less than 48 business hours notice. Failure to grant access upon arrival or refusing service at the door results in a full-rate charge. In the event of our cancellation, alternative dates/times will be promptly provided.

If a recurring appointment is skipped and not rescheduled within 5 days, your next cleaning will reflect that change, and you will be charged accordingly. For example, biweekly clients who skip their cleaning will be charged for a monthly cleaning on their next scheduled cleaning. If the client skips two cleanings in a row, the rate will be adjusted according to our General Cleaning rates.

First-Time Fee Forgiveness Policy:

This policy has been implemented to ensure transparency and fairness in our business practices. We understand that unexpected circumstances can arise, and as a gesture of goodwill, we offer a one-time fee waiver to address such situations. This policy allows us to accommodate our clients’ needs and maintain a positive working relationship.

However, it is essential to emphasize that this fee waiver is granted on a one-time basis only. If similar situations occur in the future, we want to be transparent about our approach – additional charges will be applicable. We prioritize the well-being of both our establishment and our employees, striving to uphold living wage principles. The presence of skips in our schedule results in financial deductions from our employees’ paychecks due to our inability to accommodate last-minute cleaning assignments. Our primary aim is to continue providing exceptional service while ensuring a fair and equitable relationship with all our clients and employees. Alternatively, rather than skipping your cleaning appointment, we recommend utilizing our online rescheduling form : https://cleaningbydesignswla.com/schedule-change/ This form allows you to specify your preferred rescheduled date and time, along with any associated charges, ensuring complete transparency regarding adjustments to your cleaning schedule. If you require assistance with the rescheduling process or have any questions, please feel free to contact us.

Repeated Skipping Policy: Clients skipping ½ of scheduled cleanings within 60 days will be notified and automatically moved to a biweekly/monthly visit with a new biweekly/monthly quoted price.

⏸️ What if I need to pause services?

We know life can throw curve balls, so we make it as easy as we can for you. In the event that you need to pause services we will send an email with the effective paused date, as well as the adjusted price for your potential upcoming visit to begin services again.

NOTE: Services paused from 60-120 days will require an extended Maintenance Clean. Any services paused more than 120 days will require a full or partial Top to Bottom deep clean. This is to ensure your home stays in the BEST 5-Star expectations you’ve come to know and expect from us.

In the event of renovations or construction, please contact us for a custom quote to resume services.

🤒 Sickness/COVID Policy

We adhere to CDC guidelines regarding sickness and COVID-19. Cancellations due to illness or COVID-19 exposure are exempt from charges and will be waived.

🐶 Pet Policy

Cleaning by Design loves our furry friends, so please feel free to leave your friendly pets in the house. However, please secure any pet who may get overanxious, stressed, or threatened. Please know that we can not clean up after sick pets or any pet accidents.

👶 Children Policy

Children should be away from areas we clean due to potential hazards from equipment and products.

🐛 Insect/Rodent Policy

We reserve the right to refuse service if the home has a visible infestation and may require professional pest control services. In such a case, Cleaning by Design will consider this a cancellation and follow the standard procedure of the cancellation policy of a 50% charge for services. This is to compensate our staff for the loss of time and work.

📝 Change of Service/Work Order Policy

All details of what to expect for every routine visit will have been discussed during your consultation prior to beginning services, however we know that life happens and sometimes changes need to be made. Maybe certain rooms are being painted, plumbing fixed, out of town guests, etc. Please notify the office if any changes need to be made to your routine cleaning visits. Changes must be made at least 24 hours before your scheduled visit, or they may not be able to be completed. This gives us the necessary time to update the work order, as well as notify the cleaning technician of these changes.

🗑️ Trash Policy

We will put all trash in a large bag and place it in an “animal safe” area (For example Inside the garage or the trash can if it is near the home and is accessible.) We DO NOT take the trash with us in our vehicles.

📈 Rate Increase

We may adjust rates with advance notice to clients.

🧹 Vacuum Policy

For quality control and hygiene purposes, clients are required to provide their own vacuum for all cleaning appointments. Using the client’s vacuum helps ensure consistency in service, protects against cross-contamination between homes, and allows for the most effective cleaning based on the specific needs of your space. Please ensure your vacuum is in working condition and easily accessible to the cleaning technician at the time of service. If a vacuum is not available, we may be unable to complete the full scope of your cleaning, and additional fees or rescheduling may apply.

🏠 Make Ready/Vacant Property Policy

All utilities must be on for safe cleaning, and properties must be vacant.

🔐 Commercial Cleaning Property Access Policy

Lockbox Preferred, Key Handling & Unsecured Access Notice: At Cleaning by Design, your property’s security is our top priority. To ensure timely and consistent service—especially with rotating technician schedules at commercial sites—we’ve established the following access policy:

Preferred Access Method: We recommend clients install a secure on-site lockbox and share the code with us in advance. This allows for smooth access across all scheduled visits without interruption.

If a physical key is provided instead: To maintain reliability and flexibility in scheduling, Cleaning by Design may create a duplicate key for internal use. This allows any assigned technician to access the site as scheduled without delays. By providing a key, the client grants Cleaning by Design permission to securely duplicate it solely for service purposes. All key copies will be returned upon termination of services. Cleaning by Design will not be responsible for any rekeying expenses or issues arising from access arrangements. Clients are responsible for any concerns related to providing physical keys.

Unsecured Access Disclaimer: If a client chooses to leave the door unlocked, place the key under a mat, or use any other unsecured method for our team to gain entry, the client releases Cleaning by Design from all liability related to damage, theft, or loss occurring before or after our scheduled service window. The client understands they will be fully responsible for any incidents that occur outside of our service timeframe.

Key Loss Disclaimer: In the rare event that a key provided by the client is misplaced, Cleaning by Design will make every reasonable effort to notify the client immediately and assist in resolving the issue. However, Cleaning by Design is not responsible for any costs associated with rekeying, lock changes, or security upgrades. Clients who provide a physical key accept this risk and acknowledge that alternate access methods (such as a lockbox) are preferred to prevent such concerns.

🪟 Scratched Glass and Window Covering Waiver

Cleaning by Design is released from any liability regarding potential scratches on tempered and plate glass, including broken blinds, during the cleaning process. Due to the manufacturing methods of tempered and plate glass, Cleaning by Design cannot be held responsible for scratches on glass surfaces. ALL parties involved understand that the proper use of razor blades and scrapers is a standard practice in window cleaning, effectively removing limited debris like drywall, paint, texture, tape, stickers, frog poop, hard water stains, etc., without damaging the quality glass. These tools are used only as necessary during window cleaning.

If customers prefer not to use razor blades or scrapers, Cleaning by Design will make every effort to remove debris without them, although complete removal cannot be guaranteed. Additionally, clients are requested to raise all blinds before window washing and lower them afterward to prevent any rare mechanical failures during the service.

🧼 Spot Cleaning Walls Waiver

By signing this waiver, the client acknowledges that spot-cleaning results are not guaranteed, and certain marks, scuffs, and stains may not be completely removed. Additionally, the cleaning process or products used may cause fading, staining, discoloration, or removal of paint. Cleaning by Design holds no responsibility for any damage or liability arising from the spot cleaning process. If the home has been smoked in we advise that you do not use this service, as the entire wall may require washing.

💳 Payment Processing Policy

All payments are processed by credit or debit card only ; we do not accept cash or checks. Recurring clients must have a valid card on file prior to the start of services unless previously arranged. It is the client’s responsibility to ensure that payment information is current so charges can be processed following each visit.

🎄 Holiday Schedules

We are closed for all services on these holidays:

• New Year’s Day (January 1)
• Labor Day
• Thanksgiving Day
• Christmas Eve (December 24)
• Christmas Day (December 25)

🛠️ Breakage/Damage Policy

Accidents happen, and each situation is different, so we conduct a thorough investigation after any incident. If there are valuable, exceptionally fragile, or unsteady items like pictures not hung securely, top-heavy objects, or items prone to tipping, please inform us before cleaning so we can avoid them. We cannot be held accountable for such items. Items valued above $25 must be verified. In certain instances, we might arrange for the repair of broken or damaged items through a professional restoration company.

🕒 Arrival Window

Cleanings are scheduled between 8:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., with a one-hour arrival window. Technicians make efforts to be on time but may adjust due to unforeseen circumstances. If we are running behind or ahead of schedule, our office staff will contact you with an updated arrival time.

🌡️ House Temperature

The home must be left at a safe and comfortable temperature for the team member(s) to clean. The team member will adjust the thermostat to a reasonable temperature while cleaning it and return it to its original setting upon leaving.

🚪 Right to Terminate/Refuse Services

Both the client and Cleaning by Design have the freedom to terminate services at any point. Cleaning by Design retains the right to end services if they determine that the client and CBD are no longer compatible due to the following reasons:

• The home has become unsanitary.
• Client expectations exceed what our company can provide.
• Cleaning technicians feel unsafe on the property.
• The client consistently misses appointments, leading to scheduling inconsistencies.
• Illegal substances, including drugs, are found on the property.
• Attempts to poach our staff by offering them private cleaning jobs.

🧽 How can I prepare for my cleaning appointment?

• We kindly request that you ensure all dishes are removed from the kitchen sink before our arrival, allowing us to thoroughly scrub and disinfect your sink.
• Please have a well-maintained vacuum readily accessible in your home when we arrive for the scheduled service. If you currently do not possess a fully functional upright vacuum, feel free to reach out to us, and we can offer some excellent recommendations!
• We also appreciate your efforts in tidying up as much as possible, enabling us to focus on the more intricate cleaning tasks.
• We understand that life can get hectic, so if there’s additional tidying you require, please inform us in advance, and we can include it as an extra service.
• For your peace of mind, kindly store away any important documents or valuable items, and let us know in advance about any precious belongings we might encounter during our cleaning process.