The Cleaning Authority
About us
Owner operated.
Business highlights
22 years of experience
Services we offer
Tri-weekly cleaning, apartment cleaning, detail-clean rotation system, green cleaning products, green seal certified housecleaning chemicals, house/residential & commercial/industrial cleaning, microfiber mops & pumice stone., move in/move out clean
Amenities
Free Estimates
Yes
Accepted Payment Methods
- CreditCard
Reviews
4.134 Reviews
| Number of Stars | Image of Distribution | Number of Ratings |
|---|---|---|
| 56% | ||
| 18% | ||
| 9% | ||
| 12% | ||
| 6% |
Showing 1-25 of 34 reviews
Shawna T.
Feb 2024
I do not recommend this company.
Hunter L.
Sep 2017
I liked them, but they would send different teams out. One team would be fantastic, and then the next team, not so much. It just depended on who you got. I really was happy with them, but I was looking for something like not a franchise thing, something more personal. I found cheaper but now I've used cheaper..... They were coming while I was still working. They would come before 4:00. I never really interacted with them. They did better than the last lady I used. I was looking to get out of that. I would recommend them to somebody if that's what they were looking for.
Sylvia R.
Oct 2015
We are retired, no children at home, 1 dog who is boarded on cleaning days. Our house is cleaned once a month. This last cleaning was outstanding after several months of barely acceptable cleans, so it varies by which team does your cleaning. Teams usually consist of 2 people, though there are sometimes 3 if they are training a new person. You can request a certain team, but company can't promise that you will always get the one you request due to several valid variables. We have used The Cleaning Authority every month for the past 5 years, and while some cleaning teams are far better than others, over all this company cleans much better than any other we have used and that includes one other company who uses 2-person teams, and 2 different individuals.
The Cleaning Authority bends over backward to accommodate your schedule and your requests. All employees I have dealt with have been pleasant and helpful and we intend to continue using them in the future and would recommend them to anyone looking for a reliable cleaning company.
The Cleaning Authority bends over backward to accommodate your schedule and your requests. All employees I have dealt with have been pleasant and helpful and we intend to continue using them in the future and would recommend them to anyone looking for a reliable cleaning company.
Debbie S.
May 2015
I've been using them for a long time. They come every 2 weeks.
Lillian T.
Apr 2015
.
Ann L.
Apr 2015
unknown
John P.
Mar 2015
To sum it up, their "cleaning" and communication skills fell way short. It seemed that it was always something with this company.
1. Small inadequate vacuum cleaner.I asked that only my vacuum cleaner be used and not the tiny portable they used in other homes. Mine has a HEPPA filter. They insisted on using the portable in certain areas.
2. Not cleaning under furniture. After several months I discovered that the ladies were not cleaning or mopping the tile floor under my bar stools, behind and under my couch (5" off the floor), and two chairs (8" off the floor), as well as end tables. Strange, because they had to pull out the couch and chairs to clean the blinds! Other cleaning ladies cleaned under these things without my asking.
3. Windex on wood furniture! When my wood furniture starting looking dull, I found it was because Windex and other cleaners were being used. I asked that only Pledge be sprayed on the wood furniture surfaces - their response was that it would constitute "polishing" and they only "clean" by spraying their clothes and wiping around objects on the tables.
4. Dusted blinds half way up. One helper was dusting the blinds only as far as her arm would reach and not to the top. Others would use my step stool to reach the top.
5. Not shaking bath rugs.I was puzzled as to how the bath throw rugs were being cleaned or fluffed up because they were not shaking them outside! Unless I asked each time, they would not shake the rugs.
6. Their mop left floor dirty. The day after the last cleaning I wiped up water from my kitchen tile floor, and the wet paper towel came up dark gray. The tile floor was still dirty. I did the same in other areas of the house and found more dirty floors. They possibly were not rinsing the mop often enough.
7. Missed their call from "unknown" number. The last time they were due to clean they said I wasn't home and tried to call twice. I was at home and had my phone in my pocket. I checked my phone and saw one call with unknown number, preventing me from calling back. The answering service could not give me the number of the cleaning person, he could not reach them, and getting no answer from the main office, he had to leave a voicemail message with the main office.
1. Small inadequate vacuum cleaner.I asked that only my vacuum cleaner be used and not the tiny portable they used in other homes. Mine has a HEPPA filter. They insisted on using the portable in certain areas.
2. Not cleaning under furniture. After several months I discovered that the ladies were not cleaning or mopping the tile floor under my bar stools, behind and under my couch (5" off the floor), and two chairs (8" off the floor), as well as end tables. Strange, because they had to pull out the couch and chairs to clean the blinds! Other cleaning ladies cleaned under these things without my asking.
3. Windex on wood furniture! When my wood furniture starting looking dull, I found it was because Windex and other cleaners were being used. I asked that only Pledge be sprayed on the wood furniture surfaces - their response was that it would constitute "polishing" and they only "clean" by spraying their clothes and wiping around objects on the tables.
4. Dusted blinds half way up. One helper was dusting the blinds only as far as her arm would reach and not to the top. Others would use my step stool to reach the top.
5. Not shaking bath rugs.I was puzzled as to how the bath throw rugs were being cleaned or fluffed up because they were not shaking them outside! Unless I asked each time, they would not shake the rugs.
6. Their mop left floor dirty. The day after the last cleaning I wiped up water from my kitchen tile floor, and the wet paper towel came up dark gray. The tile floor was still dirty. I did the same in other areas of the house and found more dirty floors. They possibly were not rinsing the mop often enough.
7. Missed their call from "unknown" number. The last time they were due to clean they said I wasn't home and tried to call twice. I was at home and had my phone in my pocket. I checked my phone and saw one call with unknown number, preventing me from calling back. The answering service could not give me the number of the cleaning person, he could not reach them, and getting no answer from the main office, he had to leave a voicemail message with the main office.
Beverly F.
Dec 2014
unknown
Robert A.
Sep 2014
The office staff are the best. Hollie and Becky return emails almost as quick as they get them. They are very flexible and work with all sorts of types of situation.
The cleaning crews vary from week to week. But I do think consideration is given to sending a particular team as much as possible. The teams detail specific areas on a rotating basis. My sofa has never been so clean! The overall clean is good. They promise at least one English speaker on each team. I have used TCA for several years now, and only once or twice have I found that not to be the case. Not so with other agencies I have used.
I love the fact that they are bonded and insured. Though I have had no issues with that. In fact, one week I had lost a diamond ring and very shortly after starting, they came and found me to show me what they had come across. Yep, the ring. Needless to say, I was very appreciative.
Yes, I highly recommend this office of The Cleaning Authority.
Lillian T.
Mar 2014
They come every Wednesday. They are very fast. There are always two people that come out and sometimes even three. It is almost like a commercial. They just come in and it is amazing because it does not take a lot of time. Usually, they are through in about an hour and a half but you add up the people because if you try to do all of that yourself, it would take a lot longer. The advantage with going with a company for housecleaning is that nobody calls at the last minute saying, "I have car trouble." People have legitimate reasons for not being able to come but when you just use a company, you do not have to worry about that.
Donald O.
Feb 2014
.
Marvin B.
Sep 2013
when they had a certain lead young lady everything went well, when the young lady was absent (she recently quit) the other staff did a less than adequate job. They usually did an ok cleaning job but failed to set the alarm 3 out of the last 4 times at my home. set the garbage in the garage instead of placing it in the receptacle after we had discussed. there management staff did not follow thru with talking with the folks and making sure they were doing what they were supposed to do. I blame the management
Julie M.
Aug 2013
I've been using the Cleaning Authority for over a year now and have been very happy with the service. I have them come and do a monthly clean and I really like the rotational detail clean that they provide. Occasionally we've had to change our scheduled time due to personal events and the office has been great to work with. Special requests can be accommodated if enough advance notice is provided. The only reason I'm not giving them an A rating, is we don't always get the same team doing the clean. This means they don't get used to the house and how we like things arranged. Usually after the team leaves we have to put things back because everything has to be moved to be cleaned on the countertops and such plus they don't always turn off lights and ceiling fans back on after they are done cleaning. This is a minor thing but what prevents them from providing excellent service.
Response from The Cleaning Authority
"Thank you for your review! The teams should definitely be turning off the lights and fans before they leave your home. When it comes to the items dusted in your home, we try to train our staff to put everything back where they found it, as the owner, I'm happy to know they are moving items to dust. I have to straighten a few picture frames, etc. myself but I'm thrilled to know they were picked up. We strive to send a consistent team to your home for each clean but our quarter weekly customers might have different teams because we're looking for a larger block of time less frequently. However, I'm happy to report that our turnover is very low! In fact, I have employees that often want to come back after working elsewhere. We have too many employees to count that have been with us for over 4 years! We look forward to continuing and improving your house cleaning service! Sincerely, Katie H. Rowe"
William L.
Apr 2013
Started with this company 4 years ago, stopped service in February. After changing owners and losing a few very exceptional maids, the quality of service went from an A plus to a D-.
Response from The Cleaning Authority
"I've worked with Angie's List to have this review removed from my profile. This is not MY office of The Cleaning Authority. It is a review for the Humble/Kingwood office. My office is the Spring, TX office and our physical office is in Tomball. We serve Spring, Tomball, The Woodlands, Cypress, Magnolia and North Houston. We've been in business for 10 years and have never changed ownership! Thank you, Katie H. Rowe, Owner"
Mark M.
Aug 2012
Our experience started out well with the Cleaning Authority. They use only natural cleaning products which was important because I have allergies and am sensitive to chemicals. They also promise that you will have a consistent cleaning crew from visit to visit and that at least one person will speak fluent English. The first few cleanings went as planned and then we began to notice new faces at each cleaning and often no one spoke English which made it very difficult to communicate specific cleaning needs. There were two times I needed to cancel/reschedule our cleanings for another day and called in advance and spoke with a representative. Despite this, the cleaning crew showed up anyway. On both occasions I called, spoke with a representative, and was told the manager would call me back. Unfortunately, this did not occur. One another occasion I arrived home to find that my home smelled strongly of bleach and another cleaner (pine scented ammonia I think). I was very surprised since this had not occurred in the past and unfortunately, became so sick I had to leave my home for the weekend until air cleared. When I reported this incident the manager she apologized and said this was a big deal to them since they specialize in cleaning with natural products only and have many other clients who cannot tolerate chemicals. There was no offer to make up for the fact that I could not use my home.
Finally, I contacted the office the schedule a move-out cleaning prior to selling our home. It took several calls before I received a return call and was initially told that they could not do the cleaning. Then a few hours later another person called me and said they could and that it could take up to five hours and cost $500+. Given the relatively clean state of our empty house, I asked her to limit it to three hours unless they felt I really needed more. The cleaning took place on a Friday afternoon. That evening when I went over to inspect the job, I was surprised to find that our master shower and tub had not been cleaned, the counter tops in the kitchen and bathroom had not been wiped down, drawer and inner cabinet surfaces needed cleaning. and the slate floor needed to be swept and cleaned. The only thing that appeared to be complete was vacuuming. The funny part about the vacuuming was that my husband had thoroughly vacuumed the house the day before. I immediately called the office and spoke to a representative, explained the situation and that we were closing on Monday. She stated that she would leave messages for the owner and the manager and was sure that someone would call me back to arrange "an emergency crew" to ensure my house was ready for closing. After not receiving a call, I called again on Saturday and the person answering the phone was very surprised that no one had called me and said she would try again. Needless to say, no one called and there was no attempt by the Cleaning Authority to correct the situation prior to closing. I finally received a call mid-morning that Monday from the manager who told me that I should have called her to schedule the cleaning instead of the main number. This made no sense since I was never told this by anyone I spoke to about the cleaning. She then stated that I should have given them more time to do the clean and it was not their fault. I explained that I asked for someone to contact me if more time was needed and that given the state of my home it was hard to believe that they cleaned anything in the house. After a bit of back and forth she told me she was sorry I was disappointed but there was nothing she could do but she would leave a message for the owner.
Almost a week later I was contacted by the owner and explained the situation. Initially she was unwilling to do anything and made many excuses for her staff and the individuals that spoke with me the Friday after the cleaning stating that they should not have made promises that someone would call me back to remedy the situation. She does not work on the weekends and does not check her messages. After quite a bit of back and forth she decided that she would issue me a partial refund and did offer to clean our new home one time for free. After the drama around the final cleaning and prior incidents we were not comfortable having the Cleaning Authority in our home and declined to have them clean again. I again requested a full refund and was declined. In reviewing my information packet provided by the Cleaning Authority they have a satisfaction guarantee. It seems that guarantee is an empty promise and I would not recommend them to anyone looking for a cleaning service. As a matter of fact, I actively tell everyone I know NOT to use them and would advise you do the same.
Finally, I contacted the office the schedule a move-out cleaning prior to selling our home. It took several calls before I received a return call and was initially told that they could not do the cleaning. Then a few hours later another person called me and said they could and that it could take up to five hours and cost $500+. Given the relatively clean state of our empty house, I asked her to limit it to three hours unless they felt I really needed more. The cleaning took place on a Friday afternoon. That evening when I went over to inspect the job, I was surprised to find that our master shower and tub had not been cleaned, the counter tops in the kitchen and bathroom had not been wiped down, drawer and inner cabinet surfaces needed cleaning. and the slate floor needed to be swept and cleaned. The only thing that appeared to be complete was vacuuming. The funny part about the vacuuming was that my husband had thoroughly vacuumed the house the day before. I immediately called the office and spoke to a representative, explained the situation and that we were closing on Monday. She stated that she would leave messages for the owner and the manager and was sure that someone would call me back to arrange "an emergency crew" to ensure my house was ready for closing. After not receiving a call, I called again on Saturday and the person answering the phone was very surprised that no one had called me and said she would try again. Needless to say, no one called and there was no attempt by the Cleaning Authority to correct the situation prior to closing. I finally received a call mid-morning that Monday from the manager who told me that I should have called her to schedule the cleaning instead of the main number. This made no sense since I was never told this by anyone I spoke to about the cleaning. She then stated that I should have given them more time to do the clean and it was not their fault. I explained that I asked for someone to contact me if more time was needed and that given the state of my home it was hard to believe that they cleaned anything in the house. After a bit of back and forth she told me she was sorry I was disappointed but there was nothing she could do but she would leave a message for the owner.
Almost a week later I was contacted by the owner and explained the situation. Initially she was unwilling to do anything and made many excuses for her staff and the individuals that spoke with me the Friday after the cleaning stating that they should not have made promises that someone would call me back to remedy the situation. She does not work on the weekends and does not check her messages. After quite a bit of back and forth she decided that she would issue me a partial refund and did offer to clean our new home one time for free. After the drama around the final cleaning and prior incidents we were not comfortable having the Cleaning Authority in our home and declined to have them clean again. I again requested a full refund and was declined. In reviewing my information packet provided by the Cleaning Authority they have a satisfaction guarantee. It seems that guarantee is an empty promise and I would not recommend them to anyone looking for a cleaning service. As a matter of fact, I actively tell everyone I know NOT to use them and would advise you do the same.
Response from The Cleaning Authority
"I always trust that Angie's List members can read through all of my reviews and determine what kind of company that I run. I have been in business for over 9 years and stand by our excellence in both quality and customer service. What the Member's label as "excuses" for the purposes of their review were actually my attempts at explaining and apologizing. From the customer's own email to me: "While I do appreciate you explaining why I had a poor experience and the way things should have gone..." So yes, I did indeed try to explain. Also, the quote on a move-out clean is always $70 per hour for a team of two cleaners. So, even if the clean had lasted 5 hours, the total cost would have been $378 and that INCLUDES the required sales tax. No one at the office would have told the customer that it could cost over $500. The phone call the customer was speaking of was made at 7:30 PM on a Friday, and yes, our office does close. There is no such thing as an "emergency crew" so there was unfortunately no resolution late on a Friday. For 9 years, we've never cleaned on the weekends, though we do open a few Saturdays for cleaning during and around the holidays. We do not guarantee that at least one cleaner will speak English, though we do strive for this goal. It's South Texas after all! :-) I myself am continually brushing up on my Spanish. Also, my turnover is extremely low and while new faces might occasionally appear, we have steady consistent teams. I understood and fully acknowleded that a Monday morning solution would be of little to no good in this particular case. I apologized and offered fair alternatives. Any items that were left "undone" were simply a result of miscommunication. The team that cleaned for those 3 hours does excellent work. My manager who booked the clean noted that the team was to spend ONLY 3 hours on the home because that was the customer budget, so the team stopped at 3 hours. Simply put, it was a mistake...one that I did try to explain and resolve to the best of my ability. I offered to take $0 profit and simply pay my cleaners for their work. I did also offer a free clean. It was not an ideal situation, and for that, I did and will again apologize. It upsets me when someone accuses me or my company of being something that (as I sit here typing) I clearly know that I am not. I am an ethical, customer-centered, employee focused committed owner of this business. Quality house cleaning and excellent customer service is something we pride ourselves on daily. I look forward to continuing to serve my wonderful customers. Please check me out on Google and here on Angie's List. Thank you, Katie H. Rowe, Owner"
Laura C.
May 2012
If I needed to have them again, I would use them. I initially contacted them because I had major surgery.
Response from The Cleaning Authority
"We'd love to have you back! Thanks for your review. Sincerely, Katie Rowe, Owner"
Mischelle P.
Apr 2012
I like everything about them. Most importantly, they found a very sentimental necklace when changing the sheets, and I had been looking for the necklace for quite some time.
Response from The Cleaning Authority
"Reading this report just made my day! We look forward to continuing to provide quality cleaning and excellent customer service. Regards, Katie Rowe, Owner"
Mrs. U.
Mar 2012
I live in Houston and rec. an advertisement for The Cleaning Authority. In their advertisement, they deem themselves as "the best cleaning program with the best customer service". I beg to differ. As with many companies, this one refuses to take blame for their faults. From the day they came to my home to view it and give me a bid, I let Hollie Stanton know right away that I had to be home during the cleaning and that I would not be able to leave a key for anyone AND I also let them know I needed a time frame other than 8am- to 5pm for arrival. That does not fit my family schedule. Hollie Stanton established that they don't generally do that but would do it for me. (as though she is doing me a very special favor?!) We established an arrival of 10 am - noon. Departure by 2:00 pm. Some of this was worked out in emails other verbally on the first day. They arrived at my house one day 1 1/2-2 hours early and wanted to come into clean! In order for it to be properly done you must have the home ready for them. This is listed on the back of their service agreement. The cleaning lady thought that Holly Stanton had contacted me about a cancellation of their first client. She was surprised when I said that Hollie had in fact not contacted me with any information of the kind. I have 3 kids, cat, dog etc. and we needed to prepare our home so that I could get what I was paying for. It is reasonable that I turned them away. It doesn't take a brain surgeon to know that cleaning people can't do their job around you and your "stuff". They do not do dishes and will leave your sink filthy if you do not clean and put them away. Once Hollie finally called me back, I was appalled that I as the client was taking the blame for her inadequacy. Why do companies do this to customers? She had "forgotten" about our conversation of the 10-12 arrival that we established from the beginning, not an 8:30 am arrival without prior notice? Who does that? She let me know that she sent the lady out to clean b/c she "ASSUMED" that she had a key. What did Hollie not understand on day one about that? She never called her crew to see if they had a key to my home. Hollie then admitted to me that she has a lot of customers and that she can't remember everything about all of them. This is something that is pretty important to remember and document in my opinion. If they had done a great job each time they came then I would have possibly overlooked this but that was not the case and the final straw for me. The first four cleanings there was always a problem and I finally got tired of emailing or calling them back and then having my next day disturbed by their presence. I started just doing what they missed (and what I paid for) on my own. It was easier. I'm distraught over how Hollie's ASSUMPTION became my problem. I'm tired of business like this putting their faults on the customer and getting away with it. Please do not use this company. It is not worth it. They pride themselves in their advertising that they have great customer service. That is a false statement.
Maria T.
Feb 2012
They provided a good service overall.
Cari S.
Feb 2012
They are wonderful people. The cleaning is good. The communication is great. They follow up on a regular basis.
WALLACE F.
Feb 2012
They are very punctual, they work fast, and they do good work. I have had no problems.
Marvin B.
Feb 2012
unknown
Evelyn A.
Feb 2012
They do a good job.
Anthony B.
Sep 2011
N/A
Response from The Cleaning Authority
"Hi there~I'm a little confused about the punctuality issue. As soon as you mentioned via email that you needed a more concise time, I believe we gave you a time constraint. Also, any quality issues are something that we address immediately. I've just been looking through our email and your customer record and there are no quality complaints on record. I expect excellence from my professional cleaners, but they are human and can make mistakes. We have Inspectors in the field that inspect approximately 30% of our cleans daily, but sometimes we need to hear from customers to resolve issues. We can't fix anything we don't know about. Your home has been inspected six times since you began service. We welcome you research and try the competition! We'd love to win your business back after you've tried someone else. Regards, Katie Rowe, Owner"
Britt C.
Sep 2011
I have contracted them to clean my apartment for a year. They do an exceptional job. I am hoping that this is the beginning of a great long term contract. I have had bad cleaners in the past which is why I hired a cleaning service instead of individuals.
Response from The Cleaning Authority
"Thanks very much Member! Katie"
Licensing
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FAQ
The Cleaning Authority is currently rated 4.1 overall out of 5.
The Cleaning Authority accepts the following forms of payment: CreditCard
Yes, The Cleaning Authority offers free project estimates.
No, The Cleaning Authority does not offer eco-friendly accreditations.
No, The Cleaning Authority does not offer a senior discount.
No, The Cleaning Authority does not offer emergency services.
No, The Cleaning Authority does not offer warranties.