Frequently Asked Questions

Sophia’s Cleaning Service is fully licensed, bonded, and insured. Over the last 39+ years, we’ve made it a top priority to protect your home and our professional house cleaners in any circumstance. 

Getting your home ready for a cleaning helps us deliver the best results! Here’s how homeowners can prepare:

1. Declutter: Clear toys, clothes, and any stray items so we can clean all surfaces thoroughly.
2. Secure Items: Store valuables and delicate items in a safe spot.
3. Pets: Secure your pets to keep them comfortable and our team focused.
4. Special Requests: Text us if there’s any specific area you’d like us to focus on.

With these simple steps, you’ll set the stage for a spotless and stress-free cleaning experience!

What’s Your Cancellation Policy?

We schedule our cleaning technicians in advance, so last-minute changes can affect their earnings. Here’s our policy:

1. Less than 48 Hours: A $100 fee applies if you cancel or reschedule.
2. Within 24 Hours: The full cleaning fee will be charged.

Thanks for your understanding and helping us support our hardworking team!

We provide all cleaning supplies in the service.

If you wish for us to use any specific cleaning products, we kindly ask you to leave them out for the cleaners with instructions if needed.

Currently, we do not book cleanings for dormitories, fraternity/sorority homes, post-party clean-ups, or medical-grade sanitation services for homes, daycares, or doctor/dentist/vet offices.

The following items cannot be completed by our providers: cleaning of chandeliers and other delicate items, wet wiping of light bulbs, bio-hazardous materials (heavy mold, human and animal waste/bodily fluids), junk removal and hoarding, heavy scrubbing of walls, steaming/shampooing carpets, hard to reach areas higher than a two-step ladder, putting away dishes (provider can load dishwasher), and washing exterior surfaces (windows, patios, garages, etc.).

If you have any questions regarding your services, please feel free to contact us by phone at (708) 485-8100 or by email at contact@sophiascleaning.com.

Sophia’s Cleaning Service offers the following professional cleaning services to homeowners, landlords, and commercial businesses across Chicago, IL, and Chicagoland’s western suburbs:

• Residential House Cleaning
• Deep Cleanings
• One-Off Cleanings
• Pre-Party/Holiday Preparation
• Office and Commercial Cleaning (One-Off or Recurring Janitorial Services)
• Recurring Cleanings: Monthly, Bi-weekly, Weekly, or Daily
• Housekeeping and Maid Services
• Move-In and Move-Out Cleaning Services
• Heavy-Duty Cleanings Before Real Estate Listing Photos
• Post-Renovation/ Post-Construction Cleaning
• Next-Day or Last-Minute Cleanings
• Senior Cleaning Help
• Green Cleaning (Eco-Friendly)

Tipping is not a requirement and is optional, but when asked, we recommend 15-20% of the cleaning service (for the team as a whole, not per individual).

No, it is not a requirement and many of our regular clients are not home during cleanings. We please ask that you include instructions on gaining entry to the home when scheduling. You may also provide a key, lockbox or code with instructions.

However, in the case of initial or first-time cleanings, we highly recommend that you are home for the first 5 minutes to do a quick walk-through with your cleaner.

This ensures the best result and allows you to share any last-minute notes in regarding your preferences. We also highly recommend taking a walk-through at the end of the service to check that the areas are done to your satisfaction.

We also ask that you please provide parking instructions if necessary to avoid any tickets (park on the street, park in the driveway, etc.)

At Sophia’s Cleaning Service, we’re committed to providing a thorough and reliable cleaning experience tailored to your needs.

Here’s what’s included in our standard cleaning service for each area of your home:

Kitchen Cleaning

• Countertops: Wipe and sanitize surfaces.
• Sink: Scrub and disinfect.
• Stovetop: Clean surfaces and spot-clean the exterior of the oven hood (reachable areas).
• Microwave: Wipe down inside and outside.
• Cabinet Exteriors: Spot clean doors and handles.
• Appliances: Wipe the exterior of the fridge, oven, dishwasher, and small appliances.
• Trash: Empty trash bins, replace liners, and clean the exterior of the trash can if needed.
• Floors: Sweep and mop.

Living and Common Areas

• Dusting: Dust reachable surfaces.
• Glass Surfaces: Clean mirrors and glass-top tables.
• Furniture: Vacuum or wipe down furniture, including under cushions if applicable.
• Trash: Empty bins and replace liners if needed.
• Floors: Vacuum carpets and rugs; sweep and mop hard floors.

Bathroom Cleaning

• Sink and Countertops: Scrub and sanitize.
• Toilet: Scrub the bowl, clean the exterior, and disinfect the handle.
• Shower/Tub: Clean and scrub walls, tub, and shower doors or curtains.
• Mirror: Clean and polish glass.
• Cabinet Exteriors: Wipe down cabinet doors and handles.
• Trash: Empty trash bins and replace liners if needed.
• Floors: Sweep and mop.

Bedroom Cleaning

• Dusting: Dust reachable surfaces.
• Mirrors/Glass Surfaces: Clean mirrors and other glass surfaces.
• Bed: Make the bed and replace sheets if fresh linens are provided.
• Trash: Empty trash bins and replace liners if needed.
• Floors: Vacuum carpets and rugs; sweep and mop hard floors.

For additional details on optional add-ons or deep cleaning services, feel free to contact us or visit our Services Page. 

We accept most major credit cards and debit cards including Visa, MasterCard, AMEX, and Discover. We require a credit card to secure the booking. This will not be charged until the day of the cleaning. Unfortunately, we no longer accept cash or check.

We also accept all major credit cards over the phone (we must have the information before your cleaning date). Please feel free to call us if you have any additional questions in regards to accepted payments.

Yes, our budget for these rooms is similar to a standard bedroom. For the most accurate quote, please count any home offices and dens as an additional bedroom on our cleaning quote form.

Absolutely! It is perfectly okay to have pets in the house while we clean.

We know that your pets are important members of your family. Please provide any information regarding your pets that would be helpful for us to know. Although not a requirement, we find it best that they are restricted from the areas we clean. This way, not only will the cleaning be more effective, your pets will feel safer in an undisturbed setting.

If your dog/cat is aggressive in any way, we suggest leaving your pet outside or in a gated area to ensure the safety of our team.

In case you are not home during our clean, we ask that you note how to handle the pet so the team is clear when entering the home.

Every home is different and each visit may be different depending on the extra options requested which is why we typically charge an hourly rate.

We try to be as efficient and effective with our time in your home as possible, but if you have any time restrictions you would need us to accommodate, please do not hesitate to ask. A discount is applied for weekly, biweekly and monthly service after the initial cleaning and has a 4 hour minimum (only 2 hour minimum with a team of two).

Deeper cleanings may take a few hours longer as our cleaners will be covering less maintained areas like baseboards and under furniture. These less frequent cleaning tasks invariably take longer and will require additional hours. If that is the case, we notify you immediately of any changes to the original budget for your approval before charging additional hours.

Absolutely, we are happy to help you give the gift of a clean home to a friend or a loved one. Please visit our cleaning service gift certificates page to purchase a gift card.

You can also email us at contact@sophiascleaning.com or call (708) 485-8100 to chat with our team and order a gift card in minutes.

We 100% guarantee our work and will re-clean any areas of concern at no additional cost. Please notify us within 24 hours of the cleaning if any issues do occur and we will be happy to take care of any areas that may have been missed.