If there’s an item in your home or office that carries significant value—whether financial or sentimental—and would be difficult or impossible to replace, we ask that it be omitted from your cleaning or simply put away on cleaning day. These are the kinds of things that, if damaged, could truly break your heart, and it’s best for all involved that we are not responsible for them. No one wants to make that phone call or receive it! Protecting your most precious items helps us focus on delivering a great clean with peace of mind for everyone.
While we make it a habit to practice the utmost care and concern when cleaning, accidents do happen. A full-time cleaner can touch thousands of items in a week, so the likelihood that we will eventually be the ones to break or damage something is an unfortunate reality. That said, we do our very best to minimize these incidents. In the rare event that something is broken or damaged during your cleaning, we will work with you to remedy the situation appropriately.
Here’s what you can expect:
- The cleaners will inform you about what happened.
- They will notify the office, including details and photos.
- We ask that you fill out our Client Request Form to start the reimbursement process. If it’s important to you, it’s important to us!
If something is broken or damaged during a cleaning, our team takes it seriously and feels genuine disappointment. That said, Clean Bees cannot take financial responsibility for every item—some things are simply too fragile, worn, or prone to damage through normal use.
While unfortunate, Clean Bees cannot accept financial responsibility when the correct product, tool, or technique is used and damage is still the result. For example:
- Brittle or sun-damaged blinds crumble apart when cleaned with normal effort.
- The vacuum pulls an existing snag in a rug and makes the problem worse.
- A photo, shelf, set of blinds, or other wall décor comes crashing down but was not hung securely.
- A shower cleaner that we’ve used in thousands of homes happens to damage your fixture.
- We wash your sheets and your washing machine tears them.
Clean Bees will accept appropriate financial responsibility when true accidents occur, or when an incorrect product, tool, or technique is used and damage results. Examples include:
- We drop and break a figurine, spoon rest, or other household item.
- A cleaner spills bleach on a bathroom rug.
- A Brillo pad is mistakenly used on hardwood and removes the finish.
So, what does “accept appropriate financial responsibility” mean? It means that if an item can be repaired, we will obtain a quote and issue you a check in that amount so you can hire your preferred vendor. If repair is not an option, we will consider the age, condition, and current market value of the item for a fair reimbursement paid to you by check, so you can choose the best replacement moving forward.
Real-life examples of how we’ve handled damage:
- A cleaner stood on a glass cooktop and it shattered. The cooktop was from 2005; we researched a comparable make, model, and age, and reimbursed the client the fair market cost, which they applied toward a new cooktop.
- A bottle containing bleach spilled on carpet. The client obtained a quick quote for carpet dyeing and reimbursed the client, leaving them free to choose repair or replacement.
- We broke a collectible figurine that had increased in value. They located a direct replacement, purchased it at current market value, and we reimbursed them.
- We dropped a stove grate on a newly installed stovetop, causing irreparable damage. We reimbursed the cost of replacing the stovetop with a brand-new one, which was located & purchased by the client.
By signing up for service, you acknowledge and agree to this policy.
But really, if there’s an item in your home or office that carries significant value—whether financial or sentimental—and would be difficult or impossible to replace, we ask that it be omitted from your cleaning or simply put away on cleaning day. These are the kinds of things that, if damaged, could truly break your heart, and it’s best for all involved that we are not responsible for them. No one wants to make that phone call or receive it! Protecting your most precious items helps us focus on delivering a great clean with peace of mind for everyone.
