The Cleaning Authority - Fairfax

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I am about to move and I am not intending to use them again when I move. The actual cleaning quality is not as good as I would have expected, also the responsiveness. Like when I call in to change the appointment, when you call in you get like a generic receptionist, you don’t get like the local office. So, then they have to recheck the local office and that can take multiple calls for me to actually get ahold of someone. I have had issues with just the communication and responsiveness.

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They are efficient. There are usually two to three people here doing the work. Scheduling an appointment is pretty easy.

This is just my first time using The Cleaning Authority, but I'm very happy with the first visit. I finally broke down when I realized I wasn't going to deep clean my house myself, and with two cats (one with really long fur) I needed it cleaned. They actually came early and I walked around after to make sure little things like cobwebs at the ceiling corners were cleaned, and they were. The two women who came were very nice. My only complaint would be that they didn't put a lot of things back where I had them. I don't expect them to put things back perfectly, but somethings were very different from how they found them. I didn't find that to be a huge deal since it showed that they did move the things and clean under and around them, but I mention it since it probably would matter to many people.

We have been extremely unhappy with their services, especially over the past 3-4 months. While their fee is very reasonable, and for most of their cleanings, quality has been adequate, we have noted a number of issues with this contractor over the past month:
* Some small electronics in our master bedroom went missing during one of their cleaning sessions. Even though they indicated they would reimburse us for the charges three weeks ago, they have yet to do so.
* They have left areas in our bathroom shower and kitchen uncleaned/not wiped for over a year, resulting in mildew and mold growth in those areas. When they attempted to clean the shower with bleach (which is technically not one of their approved eco-friendly cleaners on the list), they left irreparable stains in the bathmat next to the shower, damaging that rug. To their credit, they bought another bathmat to replace the damaged one, though it was not an exact match to the older bathmat
* The staff has on occasion left their cleaning supplies or other items at our home post-cleaning.
* Though I was informed by management (after the fact) that the staff does not empty out diaper disposal containers, they continue to empty out the one in the nursery, but not the one in the living room.
* Lastly (and most alarmingly), my ten-month old son was crawling on the carpet near our bed in the master bedroom, and found a prescription medicine pill that had not been vacuumed from the area. He then proceeded to put this pill in his mouth. It was by sheer luck that I caught him doing so, and was able to remove the pill from his mouth before he swallowed it. As I discontinued that medication over seven months ago, it was clear that the area near our bed had not been well vacuumed, as this pill should have been cleared away a long time ago.
UPDATE - Jul 2013: After several emails back and forth, the general manager reimbursed us for the charges and switched our team to another cleaning team. So far, this team has done a far more thorough job cleaning our home, though one of our diaper dekors is broken (not clear whether that's attributed to the cleaning team though). Also, this team empties out both diaper dekors now. As such, I updated some of the ratings to an average C+ rating (instead of D).

Really dependable service. The same 2 women come each time unless you reschedule for a different day of the week. They call the day before to confirm the time they are coming. They will add services if you ask. For example i don't have them clean my basement but i can add just the bathroom for $12. I can add a guest bedroom that I told them to exclude for $5. They have been coming for several years now. They have never broken or stolen anything that I am aware of. I feel comfortable leaving them alone in the house. They do a good job. I would recommend them. They are less expensive than the individual I used in the past.

I have used them 4 times by now. As this is the first cleaning company I have hired, I do not have any other experience to compare with, but I think they are doing a good job.

they have been providing housecleaning services every two weeks since approximately last March. The same two people usually come. Initially they came and did a walk-through of the areas I wanted cleaned and provided an estimate based on that. I am not home when they come and I have provided a key to them. The one time they broke a small vase they left me a note about it with instructions as to how to report it to their boss. On a couple of occasions I have asked them to alter the schedule and they have always accommodated my needs. We also have two dogs and it has been especially important to me that they have been willing to work with the dogs in the house and have been careful not to let them out.

The workers are plesant and show up on time - so far they have come twice. Their work is as was mentioned in their brochure. The first two cleanings are more costly than the on going service. ($140 each first two weeks.) After the first two cleanings the cost will be reduced in half. So far no complaints.

This was my first experience with a cleaning service. I found the manager and cleaning crew to be courteous and pleasant. I also thought the price - $135 for the initial deep clean, then $85 per bi-weekly service - was very reasonable. After the initial deep clean I was ecstatic. The house looked amazing. However, things slowly went downhill from there. I understand that these people do not live in my house, and I don't expect them to remember where everything goes exactly. However, I did find it annoying that they would frequently leave furniture in the middle of the room instead of pushing it back against the wall. Then things started to break. First it was my hand-made, one-of-a-kind wedding cake topper, then a figurine. Again, I understand that sometimes these things happen. When the first item broke, they left me a note. I immediately called the office and was credited an amount we both agreed would reasonably cover replacement value. Then I started noticing areas that hadn't been cleaned, and a figurine that was broken without a note. One day I came home from work to find two round holes in the wall in our stairwell. Although they continuously denied having anything to do with the holes in the wall (they weren't there when I left the maids alone in the house, where else could they have come from?) they were polite and willing to repair the damage. They sent someone out to patch and spackle. Shortly after this incident, the maids let all three of my dogs out when they arrived in the morning, as was our agreement, but only brought two of them back in before they left. Apparently one of my dogs had escaped the yard. This was not their fault, however, they could (and should) have called me to let me know my dog was out. Instead, 5 hours later, I got a call from animal control! That was pretty much all we could take. I found the Cleaning Authority to be overall pleasant and reasonable. However, the fact that they did not immediately own up to their most egregious mistakes, that I had to call them to report things like giant holes in my wall, and the simple fact that these things just kept happening spoke to a deficit of professionalism. I wouldn't say they lacked professionalism all together, as they did fix my wall and attempt to compensate me for the damages they caused. Their cleaning was decent, although the quality of the clean declined substantially over the course of our servicing. Cancellation was easy, with no unnecessary charges. The service simply wasn't worth the hassle (and damages).

Overall, the experience was good. I think they're very flexible; if I need to reschedule, they're very quick at figuring out another time. The girls that come have been very nice, pleasant, and do a good job. They've been reliable and give you a range of time they'll be there. They always check with you first. Their price is fairly reasonable and they've been charging me the same rate for awhile.

They do a good job. I like that they use green cleaning supplies.

I found The Cleaning Authority after two unsuccessful service visits from another company. I polled my friends and came up with The Cleaning Authority from a friend who I highly respect. If The Cleaning Authority was good enough for her, surely I would give them a try. I am glad I did.

More attention to detail is given than I saw previously and the house actually appears cleaned (as opposed to just a surface cleaning I felt I was getting before). On a 4-week schedule, it is a little difficult for me to tell which areas are emphasized for the visit, even though a note is left indicating the services performed (with The Cleaning Authority, the entire house is cleaned, but areas are rotated for a deeper clean). I have been pleasantly surprised after each clean, as I purposefully walk the house looking for areas that weren't addressed. I rarely find anything to complain much about. It is nice to note that The Cleaning Authority, depending on your recurring schedule, assigns the same team to your home.

I can confidently recommend The Cleaning Authority to others. Give them a try--I think you will find their level of service and their price point better than their competitors.

We provide the keys and because the time they come doesn't matter as long as it is not too early, they come in the afternoons as their schedule allows but always on a specific day.

They did a great job. I spend $80 on each visit. They are really good. They do a good job cleaning. The reason I switched to them was because they were ok cleaning the house with my dog around. They are careful while cleaning. They do not break stuff when they are cleaning. They are not very good about putting things back after they are done.

I used to use them every two weeks. They are really good in terms of doing some basics in my house like mopping the floors, vacuuming and cleaning the bathrooms, but I don't think it is their forte when it comes to nitty-gritty things; they would walk by a cobweb and leave it there because it wasn't on the list of things to be done. I pay over $100, so I stopped using them regularly and now use them when I have somebody come in and I need the house to be a little cleaner.

Service sends out a team of 2 to clean my home, keeping to the time I requested. I asked that the same team come to my home each visit and that usually happens. As I lived alone until recently and do not dirty the place, my house must have been a breeze job. Then I got a cat and a puppy. Since then, I have noticed a deterioration in quality of cleaning. Now that they have to work harder to dust, clean hardwood floors and vacuum rugs, I've noticed that corners are cut. When only surface cleaning is performed, it shows. From a customer perspective, cleaning quality appears to be secondary to cleaning speed as a company goal.

The good news, however, is that the company manager whom I work with, Eddie, is extremely responsive to all communications and honors special requests. They have never missed a cleaning session in 4 years; they are reliable and dependable and that's worth something. And (knock on wood), nothing has been broken or stolen by this company's workers. Overall, I am content to stick with this company as it is consistent, reliable, and honest.

We've been using them for four or five years. We are on a contract with them and we can cancel the contract any time. I guess we are not unhappy or else they'd be gone. They are pretty reliable. They come at the same time. There are some specific things we want done or not done in our house. They follow the rules. We have the same team every week. We are happy. They clean the dust; it takes them a couple of hours and they are gone. They are deserving people in the business. If we didn't like what they were doing, we could have easily moved. I don't have any comparison for price. I don't think they are cheap neither I think they are the most expensive. So I don't know. I would use their services again in the future.

They do an adequate job and are less expensive than other companies. Erica is the coordinator and she is very helpful and accomodating.

They always call a day before to tell me the estimated time of the team's arrival and I appreciate that. They dust, clean the bathrooms, kitchen, and vacuum, hand wipe baseboards, doors, and window sills, and scrub the tile grouting, .

We have used this company for about four years now, and we are happy with their services. We do have them come every other week and they set a specific time. They excel in being flexible with your schedule. If you go away on vacation, or something like that, they are great about working around that. They pretty much keep the same people from visit to visit, so there is not brand new people coming each time. That really helps.