Residential Cleaning Hours
Monday - Friday
8 am to 5 pm
Saturday - Closed
Sunday - Closed
Closed - All Major Holidays
Servicing Tennessee
in the following cities:
Kingsport
Fall Branch
Sulpher Springs
Gray
Johnson City
Jonesborough
Blountville
Piney Flats
Call for a FREE estimate TODAY
(423) 276-5506
Courteous, Friendly &
Professional Crew
Licensed, Insured & Bonded
Professional Efficient
Detailed
Proudly servicing customers since 2006
Policies & Procedures
We reserve the right to update or revise at any time.
What Customers Supply
In order to keep your home as sanitary as possible, we use these things at your home:
Vacuum
Toilet brush (or disposable toilet wants)
Supplies
We bring our own supplies and tools for the first initial cleaning, one time cleaning, move-out cleanings and new construction/remodel cleanings.
DUE TO THE PANDEMIC situation, Customers supply the cleaning supplies. This eliminates transporting products from house to house. We want to keep your home as safe and secure as possible.
Also, Since many customers have a specific cleaning they prefer, we use the customers cleaning supplies.
Ladders
Our Cleaning Technicians come with a 3-step ladder. We are unable to use client ladders or climb higher three steps. Higher items will be dusted with an extension duster to the best of our ability. We can't reach higher ceiling fans, ceilings, lights, etc.
Blinds
We do offer slat by slat blind cleaning. Blinds must be at least 2”, we do not service mini blinds (plastic or metal). Blinds may need to be vacuumed before they are wiped; this will require additional time. Please allow for some dust resettlement after we leave, we try to limit the dust in the air but cannot prevent this entirely. We cannot be held liable for blinds/shutters that have dry rot, sun damage and/or are not installed properly.
Moving Furniture
We will move “light” furniture but we do not move refrigerators, stoves, washers, dryers, etc for regular housecleaning. We will try to move appliances in rental homes unless they are stuck to the floor or moving them would risk tearing or scratching flooring.
Pets
Your pets are members of your family and we respect that. However, if your pet is afraid of vacuums, may bite strangers, territorial or overly friendly and will not allow us to do our work, we suggest that they be placed in areas that we are not working in. Our technicians are not trained to clean pet excrement, this includes cleaning of litter boxes and dog kennels.
Fire Arms
For our protection and yours, if you have firearms, we ask that all they be stored and locked away prior to our cleaning your home. We will not clean any rooms in which a firearm is visibly present. Please do not leave firearms under pillows or mattresses as they pose a danger when we are changing linens on beds.
Insects
Insect infestation can be a problem and may prevent us from cleaning your home. If an infestation of ants, termites, roaches, fleas, bed bugs, etc. is encountered, we will not clean until the problem has been rectified. Please do not expect us to clean up dead insects that you’ve sprayed (i.e. ants, etc.). We will leave you a note or call you regarding the problem.
Alarm System
If your home has a security system, please inform us how you want to handle it. Security and safety of your home is a major concern and our staff is sensitive to security and access procedures. Our policy is to lock the door while we are cleaning and to not allow access to unknown persons. Please do not rely on us to let in workmen during the time we are in your home unless pre-approved by the office.
Please note that it is not necessary for you to have to disarm your alarm systems the day of our cleaning. If you contact your alarm company they can assist you in programming a code that is unique to our company. It is common for clients with alarms to give us our own code. Our technicians are trained on how to disarm and re-arm alarms.
Safety
The safety of our employees is extremely important. To decrease the risk of injury to employees we are unable to move heavy objects, flip mattresses, etc. We are unable to clean up vomit, blood, urine or excrement. If an employee feels that their personal safety is in danger, and the employee must leave the job site, the client is still responsible for the full cost of the job.
Key Control Policy
Some clients provide us with keys to their home. Rest assured we take the utmost care in protecting both your key and your home. Keys are number coded and have no names or street addresses attached to them. All keys are immediately returned upon cessation of service.
If you decide not to issue a key, and no one will be home during the cleaning, you may choose to leave a door unlocked or place a spare key in a secured place for the technicians to gain access to your home. In this case, you release Skelton's Cleaning Service of any liability that may arise from damages or theft to your home as we cannot guarantee that we are the only ones who will have access to your home that day.
Injuries in Your Home
Our staff members are full time employees and not “independent contractors.” All employees are covered by our Workers’ Compensation Insurance. This covers the employee’s injuries and protects you.
Distractions
It is important for us to have access to every area of your home that we will be cleaning. In doing so, we need to work freely and without distractions. Excessive talking (beyond cleaning instructions) prevents us from being 100% focused.
Every effort is made to work safely and cautiously and we cannot assume liability for injury to others. We kindly ask that you, your children and pets remain out of the rooms that we are cleaning in order to prevent safety hazards (contact with cleaning products, tripping over buckets, caddies, vacuum cords, etc.).
Payment
Payment is due the day of your cleaning. Please leave your payment on your kitchen counter in the payment envelopes that have been provided for you. If you forget to leave your payment out the day of your cleaning, you can make your PayPal payment before 11:00 pm the same day of service. If payment is not received by 11:00 pm on the day of service a $20 late fee will be added to your account and must be paid prior to your next cleaning date.
If we have customers that consistently forget their payments, we can take payment via PayPal. You can text me and I will forward the link to your phone.
In the unfortunate event that we are unable to collect on past due payments from the previous cleaning, we will not send cleaners back to the home to clean until payments are brought current.
PayPal is also available for those customers who prefer to pay that way.
Also, Credit Card payments are currently available via Quickbooks. There will be an additional 3% added to your cleaning cost to cover the processing fee, should you select this option.
Tipping
Tips are always appreciated but not required. Feel free to leave your cash tip in a separate envelope labeled "CLEANING TIP". Personal checks are not accepted for tips.
Scheduling
When we schedule your appointment we reserve a day and time for you and you alone. The "exact" time of day the cleaning crew will arrive may not be known due to unforeseen circumstances such as wrecks on roadways, sick employees, and other unknown situations that may occur during the work day.
Cancellation Fee
We require cancellations to be communicated to us 48 hrs (2 full working days) in advance to avoid charges. We have held your spot and turned down business so as not to interrupt your service.
Cancellations communicated less than 48 hrs (2 full working days) prior to appointment but more than 24 hours (1 full working day) will be charged 50% of your regular cleaning rate.
Cancellations communicated less than 24 hours (1 full working day) will be charged the full price for your scheduled cleaning.
Lock Out/Turned Away Fee
If we arrive on our scheduled cleaning day and are turned away at the door or cannot get in, we will charge full price for your scheduled cleaning.
Skipped or Missed Cleaning Visits
Our charges are based on the type of visit you schedule. Weekly rates are for weekly cleanings. Biweekly rates are for biweekly cleanings. If you skip a cleaning, please understand that it may take additional time for your home to be cleaned on the next regular cleaning day. Please understand that there will be an additional charge on the next frequency of service if it takes additional time to complete your cleaning.
Notify the Office
All cancellations must be made by phoning the office.Please leave a message if your call is not answered.
Solicitation of Staff
By using our services, you agree NOT to solicit for hire any staff member introduced to you by Skelton's Cleaning Service for any home-related service.
Damages
Accidents do happen. If we are responsible for damages to your home or items in your home, we will leave a note for you the day of the cleaning. We make every attempt to repair, replace or pay for any items that we have damaged.
We will not assume liability for pre-existing damages, scratches, dings in windows, paint, furniture, floors, walls, etc. or items not secured in a proper manner (e.g. heavy pictures hanging from thumb tacks, not anchored properly to walls). Items of monetary or sentimental value should be put away on the day of cleaning and/or cleaned by home owner.
All surfaces (e.g. marble, granite, hardwood floors, etc.) are assumed to be sealed and ready to be cleaned without causing harm/damage when common cleaners are used.
Wear and Tear
The longer we live in our homes, the more wear and tear builds up in it. Baseboards, bottom of showers and tubs, mold/mildew, excessive water spots and soap scum on glass shower doors, worn flooring, grout, window tracks, etc. are all areas where wear and tear will impact results. These areas may take more than one cleaning to improve in appearance or may not come clean at all.
Holidays and Closings
Our office is closed and there will be no cleanings scheduled on the following holidays:
New Year’s Day
Memorial Day
Independence Day
Labor Day
Thanksgiving Day (Thursday & Friday)
Christmas Day (2 days off)
Snow Schedule Changes
We do not work on days when the county schools are closed in your county. Please understand that if your school system is open on a delay, we may be able to work the schedule, depending if any of the cleaners can/cannot find babysitters for their children since that would be a short notice for them to hurry and find a sitter. If we can work, please also understand that the first cleanings may be skipped due to the schedule for the day. We will make every effort to try to work the cleaning back into the same weekdays, however, if that is not possible, we will service you on your next scheduled cleaning. Of course, snow/ice/sleet weather.
Arrival Time/Hours
Our hours of operation are from 8 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Our technicians arrive at our first house between 8:15 and 8:30, and the last house by 4:00 p.m. Unless you are our first cleaning of the day, we are unable to guarantee an exact arrival time. However, we can provide you with a either a 8 am -noon time frame or 1-5 pm time frame. We will strive to meet your requested arrival time but we cannot guarantee it.
If you want to wait for us to arrive, please be home during the estimated window of time to let the cleaner(s) into your home. If no one is home or we are turned away for any reason a cancellation fee will be charged (see Cancellation Policy.)
