Frequently Asked Questions

Summit Maids House Cleaning of Columbus is open for cleaning appointments from 8am to 10pm Eastern Time, Monday through Friday and by appointment on weekends. We are typically closed on federal holidays so that our hard working teams can rest and recharge with family and friends to better serve you at your next house cleaning appointment. If you have a special request, please contact us and we may be able to accommodate if we have a team member available.

We service the entire greater Columbus, Ohio region for house cleaning services so that you can go from zero to clean without lifting a finger. We happily cover the entire metro area and do not charge any additional travel time.

Any type of residential unit is within our powers to make totally spotless! From studio apartments to turn of the century Victorian mansions, or even entire apartment buildings and college dormitories, we have an experienced team who can handle it all. If you are interested in commercial cleaning services, please consider using our sister company, Cleaning Unlimited or Clean Facility, who would be happy to help!

You know it! We want each and every one of our clients to feel totally safe and secure with anyone that you welcome into your home. To that end, before any potential team member is hired we put them through a rigorous screening process that includes several rounds of interviews and in-person trial cleans, a full criminal background check, and signing a strict code of conduct for how they will behave around clients.

Furthermore, we also require all house cleaners to have several years of experience with verifiable references before they are even considered as a candidate. Finally, both Summit Maids and each individual cleaner are fully insured so that, should the worst happen, you can rest assured that you will be completely taken care of (But, of course, we will do everything we can to avoid that scenario!).

Not at all! With how connected the world is now a days, we can facilitate the entire booking process online or by phone without ever requiring any in-person visits. Our online booking form will collect all the pertinent details that we will need and give you an instant online quote for house cleaning. Over the years, we have learned how to accurately estimate a house cleaning by description and we know when we need to ask for more information. Now, should our team arrive and the situation is a bit….. different…. from what was described to us, we may need to adjust the quote or discuss rescheduling so that our team will be prepared to give you the best house cleaning in Columbus.

When your Summit maid arrives, they will either knock on the door or gain access to your home per your provided instructions if you are not going to be there. At that point, they will do a complete walkthrough of your home to assess the current condition of things as well as note any areas of concern.

During this walkthrough, they may take some photos to document the ‘before’ condition of any problem areas – but don’t worry, these will never be shared with anyone and are only temporarily stored on our company servers. 

If you are present, they will also ask you if there are any important areas that you would like addressed while they are there; as well as some basic logistical questions, such as where the trash is located or where to place soiled laundry. From here, they will begin cleaning your home according to your scheduled service using detailed checklists that we provide. 

While the cleaning is going on, they will move from room to room, tidying and cleaning your home as if it were their own. They may go out to their vehicle to retrieve additional supplies, take out the trash, or otherwise enter and exit your home a few times. While cleaning, your maid may listen to music or podcasts to help the time pass – but don’t worry, they are still being just as attentive as ever! 

Finally, when the job is complete, your house cleaner will do a final walkthrough of your home to make sure that they didn’t miss anything, that your home is spotless, and to collect any last supplies they may have brought into the house. They may also take a few ‘after’ photos to document their work or note any problems that may have arisen to add to your customer file.

Once complete, they will lock up and leave the property spick and span and dirt-free. They will log their time and services completed, then head off to their next appointment.

Following your cleaning appointment, you will receive an email from us asking you about how happy you were with your cleaner. This is a very important email for our cleaners as they earn bonuses based on your response, so please don’t ignore it!

It all depends on the job and level of cleanliness that the home is currently in. For most residential house cleanings that we do, a one person team will be sufficient to clean your home in a timely manner without cutting corners.

For larger jobs, we of course will send teams of two, three, or more! We are always looking to balance speed and quality so that your house cleaning service is the absolute best that we can offer.

Generally, yes! We always try to schedule the same house cleaner for each and every appointment when you set up a regular schedule. We can also take requests if you have a specific house cleaner that you’d like to have come by.

But that said, from time to time we may need to send someone else in the event that your normal cleaner is unavailable or out sick. In those instances, we will reach out to you ahead of time and ask your preference for keeping your normal schedule with a different cleaner or if you would prefer to reschedule with your normal person.

Just like the Kool-aid man says: “Ohhhh yeahhhhh!”. We take ourselves and our professionalism very seriously which means that we carry a TON of insurance in the form of commercial liability insurance, general umbrella insurance, and commercial auto insurance… among a few others. We want to be proud of our business if someone recognizes us on the street and part of that is just making sure that all the I’s are dotted and T’s crossed to be a respectable and professional Columbus house cleaning business. We also require all of our cleaners to carry their own insurance policies just in case.

Since life can be a bit unpredictable (Columbus traffic, anyone?!), we typically allow for a one-hour window of time that your cleaner will arrive starting at the specific time that you booked. Our scheduling system will notify you when your cleaner is on their way from their previous appointment so that you will have a much better idea of when to expect them.

If, for some reason, your cleaner has not arrived within one hour of the scheduled time and they have not contacted you to notify you of any delays, please reach out and we’ll either get you rescheduled or otherwise make you whole by way of our No-Call/No-Show policy.

We love our furry family members. Just be sure to let us know about your pets and how to best interact with them (Do they like attention? Will they be locked in a particular room? etc.) on the booking page so that we know what to expect when arriving. (Please note that excessive pet hair removal beyond a regular vacuuming is a separate service from the standard cleaning service. Also, please see our Services page for a list of things that we do not handle, including animal waste of any kind.)

Drop us a line from our contact page, via email, phone, or the online chat widget in the lower corner of your screen and we’ll be more than happy to help!

We will do everything within our power to avoid this situation, but we are – after all – only human and sometimes things happen. In the event that you are at all unhappy with your cleaning service or an accident happens, please reach out and we’ll do everything in our power to make it right.

We typically book our cleaners out a couple of days in advance so that they can plan their schedules accordingly. This means that we usually cannot accommodate same-day bookings. That said, we do keep a wait list for any same-day cancellations that we receive and you are always welcome to reach out to us and inquire about any last-minute availability or get on the waitlist.

Not at all! We exist to make your life easier, not harder. As part of that peace of mind service, we want to free you up to go out a live your life while we take care of the dirty stuff. In the event that you will not be home for your house cleaning appointment, just make a note on your booking form or get in touch with access instructions such as door codes, key lock boxes, security systems, etc and we’ll take care of everything.

It varies a lot from home to home, but typically our long-term clients schedule a deep clean for their initial appointment and then our signature standard cleaning for weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly cleans thereafter. We typically recommend a deep clean around twice per year with those regular cleanings in between to keep your home looking it’s best at all times.

Ahead of your appointment, your card will be pre-authorized for your house cleaning. This is not a charge – just an authorization to make sure your card is valid. Again, this is not a charge and will be removed once the service has been completed.

Your credit card on file will actually be charged after the house cleaning is complete and you have had a chance to review our work. Typically, you will see the inital charge pending about 24-48 hours after your appointment and the final charge to clear your account within 3-5 business days after your scheduled cleaning.

Nope! Sometimes you just need a little help cleaning up before guests come over and we’re here to help. While many other cleaning companies in Columbus like to charge one rate for long term contracts and a different rate for one-time appointments, we treat all of our clients the same and are proud to break you free from long term commitments.

You cheeky bugger, you! Go on, then! Use the code EASTEREGG when booking online and we’ll give you a little something.

We have come up with a flat-rate pricing model based on several years of appointment data.

We do it this way because so many house cleaning companies are known to be terrible at estimating their pricing and we wanted to come up with an honest and transparent method of pricing our services that lets us pay our team well, while also letting you plan accordingly for the expense.

We aren’t a bargain-basement service, and our results speak for themselves. When quality matters, we’re the house cleaning service to turn to.

You can head over to our booking page for a complete list of pricing for each service we offer as well as available add-on services.

You can get a quote from us online in 60 seconds or less by heading over to our online Booking page and filling in the requested information. If you’d like to talk to someone first, just reach out to us or use the chat feature on the bottom of this page.

Our cleaners are professionals and as such we bill for the results, not the time it takes to get the results. Would you ask your dentist to give you a discount because they removed a tooth faster?

We are proud of the team that we have built here and this model of pricing ensures that we are able to hire the best team members and provide you the best service possible.

Summit Maids prides ourselves on paying our team extremely well, so tipping is not mandatory or required in any way. That said, this is hard work and your house cleaner will definitely appreciate it if you do choose to leave a tip. You can either include this with your online payment by sending us a quick email and asking for this to be added, or as cash/check on the day of service. You can rest assured that 100% of this tip goes straight to your cleaner and not a single cent is withheld.

We accept all major credit cards and do not take cash or personal checks. Our online payments are processed by Stripe which has been audited by a PCI-certified auditor and is certified to PCI Service Provider Level 1. This is the most stringent level of certification available in the payments industry. Booking through Summit Maids is completely safe and secure – guaranteed.

At Summit Maids, we’re obsessed with trying to be the top house cleaning and maid service in the Greater Columbus, OH area. In order to achieve this, we have streamlined our offerings to five core services:

•Standard Cleaning
•Deep Clean
•Move In/Move Out Clean
•Short Term Rental/Airbnb Turnover
•Post-Construction Cleans

And five add-on services:
•Inside the Fridge
•Inside the Oven
•Inside Windows/Blinds
•Inside Cabinets
•Load of Laundry (No-Fold)

You may read up on all of these residential house cleaning offerings on our services page.

Head over to our Services page for a detailed breakdown of what is included in each service we offer, but in general you can think of the Standard Cleaning as the kind of things that you probably already do weekly or monthly on your own – vacuuming and mopping the floors, wiping down all surfaces, taking out the trash, organizing anything that may be laying around, making the bed, scrubbing the toilet and shower, and cleaning/sanitizing the bathroom and kitchen. This service is best for a regular, recurring, schedule to keep your home clean and tidy on a regular basis.

A Deep Clean service hits all the same points, but goes a little more in-depth. Think of this as what you usually do right before you’re about to have a house guest that you want to impress or when your parents are coming over for the first holiday you’re hosting yourself. We’ll make sure that all your bathrooms pass your mother’s (or mother-in-law’s) keen sense of cleanliness, the kitchen is ready to host a dinner party fit for the Queen, and your bedroom will feel like you just walked into a hotel.

Book your house cleaning service from the top bar of our website, or by going here.

I think that most of us can agree that moving kind of stinks (take it from a person who has moved more than 16 times and counting!). Between all the boxes that need to be packed, furniture to be protectively padded, and actually coordinating your life around it all – moving can be stressful on a good day.

Our move in/move out house cleanings are designed to prepare a home for a new tenant, whip it into shape for an open house, or, if you’re the tenant, help you get your security deposit back from a picky landlord. 

Our signature Move In/Move Out cleaning includes everything from the Deep Clean service, as well as cleaning inside of the oven, inside of the cabinets, dusting baseboards, and inside of the refrigerator. It does not include cleaning closets, basements, interior windows, or interior walls, all of which are available at a reasonably priced additional cost. In order to successfully complete this service, the home must already be vacated.

Book a Move In/Move Out cleaning here.

We know as frequent users of STR units ourselves, that everything about the guest experience begins and ends with a clean and sanitary rental unit. Our crack team of airbnb cleaners in Columbus will provide all the basic services of our Signature Standard house cleaning, plus we will restock any snacks that you provide, reset the room according to your preferences, and fully sanitize all surfaces. If your short term rental unit has any special amenities such as hot tubs or pools that will need to be addressed, we’ll be happy to help out. Please reach out directly to get set up in our scheduling system and arrange your cleaning today.

What are we, MAIDS?! Of course! We’re more than happy to add on any special requirements that you might have. This is another benefit of our pricing model which allows us to be more flexible than companies that only charge based on a flat rate.

Some typical add-ons that clients might request include:
•Inside the Fridge
•Inside the Oven
•Inside Windows
•Inside Cabinets
•Run a Load of Laundry (No-Fold)
•Basements

If you have something else in mind, just reach out and ask!

Generally, yes! Not all of our cleaners are trained in green cleaning techniques, so this just depends on the availability of cleaners who are familiar with the use of non-toxic or biodegradable cleaning solutions. If we are able to accommodate this request, we’ll be happy to include this at no additional charge. Just let us know at the time of booking that you would like this service and we’ll do our best to make it happen!

Our brand of post-construction cleans are designed for homeowners, contractors, real estate agents, and property managers to clean a newly built or renovated home once construction is complete.

This service includes all the items listed for a deep cleaning service, but with particular attention paid to areas such as counters, windows, and floors that often need a little extra love once a construction project is complete. We will also do a top-down dusting of the whole home and mop all floors to ensure that the home is ready to show off. 

In order to provide the best service to our house cleaning clients, we also require that all contractors be done with work and off-site when our team cleans your home. We’re happy to reschedule or work with tight timelines if necessary to meet your goals.

Please note that our cleaning teams tend to have regular residential cleaning equipment – not commercial grade equipment. This means that we are not able to handle heavy-duty trash-outs or extremely large messes. For commercial cleaning in the Columbus area, please reach out to our sister company, Cleaning Unlimited.

You bet! All of our cleaning estimates and rates include the cost of all cleaning supplies. Your cleaner will bring everything that they will need with them to the appointment. Typically, they will have a portable vacuum, a swiffer-style wet/dry mop, and all associated standard cleaning supplies.

If you have specific cleaning supplies that you would like us to use, or you prefer that we use your own mop/vacuum instead, just let us know and we’ll be more than happy to use your supplies.

A short list of things that we do not handle include:
•Feces of any kind
•Blood or chemicals
•Homes with bugs, pests, or rodents
•Walls
•Dishes, pots, pans (We may load them into a dishwasher if you request)
•Folding Laundry
•Rust removal / Rust cleaning
•Industrial cleaning
•Grout
•Moving furniture or appliances
•Surfaces above arms reach
•Blinds
•Mold or rotten food
•Exteriors
•Attics
•High ceiling fans

Please note for homes with high ceilings, our insurance company has instructed our cleaners not to reach for anything that cannot be easily reached with a small step ladder. This sometimes means that ceiling fans or high cabinet tops cannot be cleaned by our team. We sincerely hope you understand.

Once you’ve made a residential house cleaning appointment with Summit Maids in the greater Columbus area we will have reserved that appointment time exclusively and respectively for you.

At Summit Maids, we take great care in planning and coordinating our team’s schedules to ensure timely, reliable service—and to guarantee our cleaners are paid fairly for the workdays we’ve committed to them.

Because of the effort and resources involved in securing your booking, we kindly ask that any changes be made with adequate notice.

Our policy is as follows:
Reschedules made within 24 hours of your appointment will incur a $50 rescheduling fee.
Cancellations made within 24 hours of your scheduled booking will be charged 50% of the total service amount.
Same-day cancellations or reschedules, or if our cleaner is unable to access the property on arrival (Lock-Out), will be charged 100% of the total service amount.

This policy helps us compensate our cleaners for time lost and ensures the continued quality and reliability of our service.

We appreciate your understanding and cooperation.

Summit Maids is proud to have some of the most satisfied house cleaning clients and we put our money where our mouth is by offering a complete 200% satisfaction guarantee.

If, for any reason at all, you are unhappy with your home cleaning appointment just let us know and we will send out another cleaner or team to make things right. If, in the event that you still aren’t happy with our services after this second clean, we will refund your full amount – no questions asked. We’re here to make your life easier, not harder. That’s the level of our commitment to your satisfaction.

Request for the 200% Guarantee must be made in writing or by phone no later than seven (7) calendar days after the date of service. Requests after this date will be considered new appointments and not subject to the guarantee.

We’ve been there. Waiting for a service provider who doesn’t show up on time stinks. Meanwhile your life isn’t just waiting around for you to let this person (who is supposed to be working for you, after all!) into your home. That’s why we decided to implement our No-Call, No-Show Guarantee. 

We typically allow for some wiggle room when estimating arrival time to allow for traffic and other unforeseen circumstances, but in the event that your cleaner doesn’t show up and you are not notified, we will refund you for the missed service and give you your next cleaning for free.

We sincerely hope this doesn’t happen to you, and we will do everything we can to ensure that your house cleaner arrives on time and ready to give you an outstanding service. Sometimes, however, life happens and a cleaner may not be able to make their assigned appointment.

When this happens, someone will get in touch with you about finding a suitable time to reschedule your cleaning. In the very unlikely event that your cleaner doesn’t show up and you aren’t notified, see our No-Call, No-Show Guarantee above.