By: Cathy Green
On a regular basis I write articles warning consumers not to allow “cleaning ladies” into their residence or business establishment. The reasons are listed below:
a. They are working “under the table” and not paying a dime in taxes. That’s illegal
b. They have no authority figure over them, which means they can do whatever they want to do in your home and you have no recourse
c. They are not bonded or insured, which means that if they steal or break something, your chances of ever receiving relief or reimbursement is close to zero—especially if the “cleaning lady” disappears into the wind
d. They do not have Worker’s Comp insurance which means that if they get hurt while in your home, they can (and will) sue you and you will be liable
e. Believe it or not, when you hire a “cleaning lady” from off the street, you are considered that person’s employer and you will be in trouble with the IRS regarding the tax issue if it is ever discovered that the person is working for you under the table.
I saw the following ad in a local online advertising site:
reliable and dependable cleaning. over ten years exp. great references. federall hill/ canton/ surrounding areas. call michelle
I will translate that ad for you:
a. This is obviously a sole worker, under no one’s authority
b. This person is not registered with any state or local body to indicate that she is in business and therefore is not legally in business
c. This person is carrying no insurance whatsoever
d. This person does not pay any taxes, as I guarantee you she is a “cash only” worker
e. The “over ten years exp.” line means that for over ten years, she has gotten away with working under the table without getting caught
f. “Great references” means that she has several happy clients—happy that they have this “cheap” service. Let’s be clear here. The cleaning ladies are much cheaper than are the legitmate house cleaning services. They have no overhead and carry no insurance so they can afford to be cheaper.
…And we won’t even get into the fact that she spelled “federal” incorrectly
Is cheaper better? No. I don’t believe there is a cleaning lady alive who can deep clean, detail and offer the type of outstanding service that trained, professional cleaning services offer.
Are you in search of a cleaning service? Give UpperCrust Maids, LLC a call. We are in business for real. Our employees have been trained for real. We pay our taxes for real. Our cleaning techs are amongst the best in the business for real.
Will you pay more to hire a real cleaning company? Of course you will. But in the long run, you get what you pay for!
301-322-7112
