DIRT DOCTORS CLEANING SERVICES

Throughout the five years we used this company, there were some red flags regarding the business practice of this company: 1) There were 4 times when Tim (owner) contacted me weeks after a cleaning to ask if I had left a check for certain day because it had gone "missing". The check was always somehow found, but it was puzzling to me how this could happen more than once. 2) There were 3 times that I was contacted because someone had forgotten to bring the key to get in our house, and cleaning times had to be modified. Two additional times, cleanings had to be rescheduled completely. 3) Our thermostats automatically turn the AC off when we are out of the house. I got a request from Tim that the house was too hot for cleaning, and I told him that I would set the AC to stay on for days that they were there because I agree that cleaning a hot house is not fun. I kept it at 72 which is where we keep it for us. Despite doing this, the employees would turn the thermostat down even further (to 70) without asking on days they cleaned. We have a nest thermostat and can monitor the temperature settings when out of the house. Over the last 2 years, we saw a significant decline in the quality of cleaning services. I was sweeping large amounts of dirt, food, and hair off of the floors immediately after having them cleaned. When I very politely emailed Tim and expressed my concerns, he agreed that one of his long-time employees wasn't working as hard as she used to, but he said "she won't quit and I'm having a hard time letting her go after 17 years" (direct quote). I thought this was an odd and unprofessional response, but he assured me that the cleanings would improve, and they did slightly. The next month, a bucket full of dirty water was spilled on a wool rug into dining room. When I returned home, I was able to sop 2 towels worth of water out of the rug. Within a day, my entire house began to smell like mold from the spill. When I (again very politely) requested that they cover a professional cleaning of the rug, Tim arranged a steam cleaner to come out the next day, but seemed annoyed and defensive about the request. The following month, I received an email stating that they were rearranging the cleaning schedule, and "will no longer have a spot to put me in" (direct quote). So, basically, I was fired as a client for asking for improvements on poor cleaning services and requesting repair of property damaged by the company. When reviewing security camera footage to investigate what was going on with the thermostat changes, I overheard the cleaners venting about how Tim doesn't give a crap about his employees and that all he cared about was having bodies to do the work for him so that he doesn't need to clean houses himself. I was in the process of finding a new company anyway, so I'm not at all upset that I was "fired". I would rather give my money to someone who is honest, knows know to run a business, and treats their employees well. (Pictures are examples of the dirty floors immediately after recent cleanings and the rug damaged by Dirt Doctors)

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The girl that cleans for me is very good. I can leave her alone and she does a great job. She takes her time and knows exactly what to do. I feel very comfortable with her. I even feel safe leaving the house when she's there.

The initial cleaning that they did was phenomenal. They arrived on time and did a wonderful job. They even straightened up our clutter (inevitable with 2 dogs and and a child under 2). The maintenance cleanings following the initial began to deteriorate. They didn't clean behind the toilet and stopped doing the high dusting. The ceiling fans had visible debris on them. I complained to the owner who said he would talk to the cleaning crew. They did do a better job on the floor but then left some work to be desired on the toilet cleaning itself. I'm continuing to use them until I find a competitive bid on the work. Overall they're still a big help but I think for the money you could probably find someone better.

We have used Dirt Doctors several times now. The quality of cleaning was acceptable during the first few visits, but deteriorated *significantly* since then. The cleaning ladies generally do a rush job cleaning the house, and seem more preoccupied with leaving as fast as possible, than doing a good job. In other words, they do a "surface" cleaning and often leave visible dust b**** under beds and do not dust under things. I have also repeatedly asked them to mop the wood floors. They prefer to rush around with a vacuum cleaner, in order to leave early. The reason I decided to stay with the service initially, is that they consistently show up on the days they are scheduled (albeit often late) and we needed help keeping the house clean with a new baby. We previously had problems with another service which did not show up. The attitude of the cleaning ladies and the owner, Tim Maloney, leaves A LOT to be desired. We have complained to Tim repeatedly about lateness and attitude and he never apologized and simply made excuses for them. Look, we just want a cleaning service which is prompt, cleans well, and doesn't scowl every time they show up. Is that too much to ask? Today, they showed up an hour and a half late! No phone call, nothing -- you're just supposed to wait around for them until they show up. We contacted Tim, to find out what had happened, and he was rude in reply. I strongly recommend you do not use this cleaning service. They are rude to their customers and Tim cannot take constructive criticism.