The Cleaning Authority Review

Having a clean home that’s spick-and-span at a moment’s notice is everyone’s goal—and just a dream, for many. Caring for a home can require a lot of time, energy, and hard work, from scrubbing floors to hand-wiping countertops and dusting furniture.

If you’re trying to maintain a clean home but just don’t have the time, you’re in luck. There are many house cleaning services that can clean your home either one time or regularly, depending on your needs. We have created an in-depth review of The Cleaning Authority’s house cleaning service to help you determine if the company is the best fit for you.

Our Take

The Cleaning Authority offers extensive cleaning services across 45 states, using eco-friendly products. Its highly detailed website is a solid resource, and its customer service representatives were very knowledgeable and helpful over the phone during the different calls we made.

Because The Cleaning Authority has over 220 locations that are all locally owned, customers can enjoy a more personalized experience. However, this also means that services, mobile app features, and other policies can differ from location to location. These are downsides, as it indicates quality and care might not be standardized.

Pros & Cons

Compare the advantages and disadvantages of The Cleaning Authority.

Cleaning Services

The Cleaning Authority offers routine residential cleaning service, using eco-friendly products approved by the Environmental Protection Agency. The company’s website is highly detailed, so you know exactly what you’re getting during each service.

The Cleaning Authority does its best to send the cleaning specialists to your home so that you have consistent cleaning and your specialists can grow familiar with your home and your needs. However, this is not always possible. A customer representative told us that some offices are better about arranging this than others, largely due to capacity constraints.

A customer representative shared that the company is pet-friendly. You can secure your pet in a crate or even out of a crate in a separate room while your cleaning specialist cleans your home.

House Cleaning & Sanitizing

The Cleaning Authority practices a Detail-Clean Rotation System. Certain areas get specific treatments during every clean, while other treatments happen per-room on a rotating basis.

On the first clean, your house cleaning specialist will detail-clean your kitchen and bathrooms, and they will clean the rest of your home. On the second clean, your house cleaning specialist will detail-clean your living areas and sleeping areas, and clean your kitchen and any bathrooms, as well.

Every Appointment

Bathrooms

• Bathtubs, and showers cleaned and sanitized
• Shower doors cleaned and sanitized
• Vanity and sink cleaned and sanitized
• Mirrors and chrome fixtures cleaned and shined
• Floors cleaned/carpets vacuumed
• Toilets thoroughly cleaned
• Window sills, ledges, and blinds dusted
• Cobwebs removed
• Doors and door frames spot cleaned
• General dusting

Living Areas

• Flat areas hand wiped and sanitized
• Doors and door frames spot cleaned
• Cobwebs removed
• Picture frames dusted
• Ceiling fans dusted
• Lampshades dusted
• Intricate items dusted
• Heavy knickknack areas dusted
• Window sills, ledges, and blinds dusted
• Clean hardwood floors: vacuumed and damp mopped
• Stairs vacuumed
• Empty closet floors vacuumed
• All readily accessible floors vacuumed

Sleeping Areas

• Flat areas hand wiped and sanitized
• Doors and door frames spot cleaned
• Cobwebs removed
• Picture frames dusted
• Ceiling fans dusted
• Lampshades dusted
• Intricate items dusted
• Heavy knickknack areas dusted
• Window sills, ledges, and blinds dusted
• Clean hardwood floors: vacuumed and damp mopped
• Stairs vacuumed
• Empty closet floors vacuumed
• All readily accessible floors vacuumed

Kitchens

• Countertops cleaned and sanitized
• Outside of range hood cleaned and sanitized
• Top and front of the range cleaned
• Drip pans or glass top surfaces wiped
• Sinks cleaned and sanitized and chrome shined
• Fronts of all appliances cleaned
• Floors vacuumed and damp mopped
• Window sills, ledges, and blinds dusted
• Cobwebs removed
• Microwave wiped out
• Doors and door frames spot cleaned
• General dusting

On a Rotating Basis

Bathrooms

• Tile grouting scrubbed
• Shower door given extra attention
• Doors and door frames hand wiped
• Knickknacks individually cleaned
• Fronts of cabinets hand wiped
• Baseboards and window sills hand wiped
• Floors given extra attention
• Faucets, sinks, and drains cleaned with a toothbrush

Living Areas

• Doors and door frames hand wiped
• Window sills and ledges hand wiped
• Knickknacks individually cleaned
• Furniture surfaces hand wiped
• Baseboards hand wiped
• Furniture and upholstery vacuumed
• Carpet edges vacuumed
• Floors given extra attention
• Accessible areas under furniture vacuumed

Sleeping Areas

• Doors and door frames hand wiped
• Window sills and ledges hand wiped
• Knickknacks individually cleaned
• Furniture surfaces hand wiped
• Baseboards hand wiped
• Furniture and upholstery vacuumed
• Carpet edges vacuumed
• Floors given extra attention
• Accessible areas under furniture vacuumed

Kitchens

• Inside of range hood cleaned
• Drip pans or glass top surfaces cleaned
• Doors and door frames hand wiped
• Appliances cleaned and shined
• Knickknack areas cleaned
• Fronts of cabinets hand wiped
• Baseboards and window sills hand wiped
• Floors given extra attention
• All kitchen furniture hand wiped

Apartment Cleaning & Sanitization

The Cleaning Authority will clean your small space thoroughly throughout the first two cleans. On the first clean, your apartment cleaner will clean and sanitize the apartment, paying special attention to your kitchen and bathrooms.

On the second apartment clean, your apartment cleaner will clean your entire apartment, including detail-cleaning your sleeping and living areas. After this, The Cleaning Authority specialist will carry out deep cleaning services on a rotating basis.

Bathrooms 

• Cobwebs removed
• Dusting
• Floors cleaned
• Toilets cleaned
• Mirrors/chrome fixtures cleaned
• Shower doors cleaned
• Bathtub/showers cleaned

Sleeping Areas

• Surfaces hand wiped
• Floors cleaned
• General dusting
• Cobwebs removed
• Doors and door frames spot cleaned

Living Areas

• Surfaces hand wiped,
• Cobwebs removed
• Doors and door frames spot cleaned
• General dusting
• Floors cleaned

Kitchen

• Countertops cleaned
• Outside of range hood cleaned, top and front of range cleaned
• Drip pans / glass top surfaces wiped
• Sinks cleaned and chrome shined
• Fronts of all appliances cleaned
• General dusting
• Cobwebs removed
• Microwave wiped out
• Doors and door frames spot cleaned

Move-In/Move-Out Cleaning

The specifics of the move-in/move-out cleaning service will depend on your individual needs. Some customers require a deep clean, while others need sanitization. Others need more basic services.

One-Time Cleaning

For its intensive, one-time cleaning, The Cleaning Authority covers the kitchen, any bathrooms and bedrooms, and living areas.

Kitchen 

• Countertops cleaned
• Fronts of cabinets wiped
• Floors cleaned
• Backsplashes cleaned
• Appliances dishwasher
• Refrigerator exterior cleaned
• Stove cleaned
• Oven exterior cleaned
• Faucets, sinks, and more.

Bathrooms

• Clean basins
• Sinks cleaned
• Bathtubs scrubbed
• Tile cleaning
• Faucets, counters, and mirrors cleaned
• Towel racks, cabinets, and floors cleaned

Bedrooms

• Make or change bedsheets
• Clean tables, lamps, furniture, and more

Living areas

• Clean all furniture
• Vacuum, sweep, and dust

Availability

The Cleaning Authority serves cities in all U.S. states except for Alaska, Hawaii, Montana, Wyoming, and West Virginia. The company also has seven locations in Canada.

How Much Does The Cleaning Authority Cost?

The Cleaning Authority offers a convenient online quote tool. Prospective customers enter their address and basic home information, including square footage and the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, and a quote pops up within 10 seconds. You can also call your local office to request a quote.

These initial quotes are just estimates. Before service, a house cleaning specialist will survey your home during a walk-through to find out more information about how often you use each room to give you an accurate, final quote. Walk-throughs typically take between 20-30 minutes but might take longer if you own a large home.

A customer representative gave us the following quotes for a single-family, one-story, 2,200-square-foot home in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Customers do not sign contracts with The Cleaning Authority. You can pay either through autodraft, putting a card on file, or paying with cash or personal check. Tips can be left in cash or through the mobile app.

Scheduling

You can schedule your cleanings from The Cleaning Authority either one time, weekly, biweekly, or monthly. If you need to cancel or reschedule your cleaning appointment, you can either use the mobile app or contact The Cleaning Authority via phone or email.

Different office locations will approach cancellation fees differently. According to a customer service representative, some offices are more lenient than others.

Customer Service

While third-party websites show predominately negative reviews of The Cleaning Authority, the company has a useful mobile app. Because each location is locally owned and operated, service can vary by location, but The Cleaning Authority promotes a network-wide “satisfaction guarantee”.

Customer Reviews

The Cleaning Authority reviews on Better Business Bureau (BBB) differ across separate profile pages, each dedicated to a different franchise location. None of the pages are accredited by the organization, but The Cleaning Authority holds an A+ rating.

Aicha J. said via Yelp:

“I have been getting my apartment cleaned by these folks for about a year and am very pleased with the quality of their service! They always manage to make my place look neat and organized, no matter the condition I leave it in. Special shout out to April and Alejandra- they always go the extra mile and show my pups some love during their visit!!”

Elizabeth M. said via BBB:

“Been a customer for years and my prices keep rising while the service keeps getting worse. This week I was scheduled for a cleaning in the afternoon and they didn’t show up until 6:15 pm while I was making dinner. Just got off the phone with Gary and he has nothing but excuses. He doesn’t seem interested in keeping long time customers so I will be looking elsewhere. This company has obviously taken on too many houses and can’t accommodate current customers.”

Mobile App

As of August 2020, The Cleaning Authority’s mobile app was just recently released. The customer service representative noted that there have been several bugs and that so far customers seem more comfortable handling issues over the phone.

Unfortunately, the app’s functions can vary from local office to local office. Some allow you to tip, while others do not. Also, some allow you to track your house cleaning specialist once they are en route, while others do not.

Service Guarantee

The Cleaning Authority offers a satisfaction guarantee nationwide, which includes conducting quality inspections on a regular basis. A representative informed us that the company will do its best to send out a team to re-clean any areas where customers are unsatisfied as soon as possible. However, these re-cleans are based on availability of the office.

Our Conclusion

The Cleaning Authority offers very extensive cleaning in its individual cleaning service plans. Its website is highly specific, allowing customers to see exactly what will be cleaned and how per visit. The Cleaning Authority’s Detail-Clean Rotation System was developed with efficiency in mind and seems like a good, thorough plan.

However, everything from mobile app features to cancellation policies can differ from franchise to franchise. While this is not necessarily a drawback, it’s a good idea to get a quote from and research the franchise nearest you, as quality of service may vary between locations. Services are also only available in 45 states.

Overall, we believe the benefits outweigh the drawbacks and recommend getting a quote from The Cleaning Authority. To get a free quote, visit the company’s website.

Company Information

• Company name: The Cleaning Authority
• Company type: Privately owned/PE-backed
• CEO: Rob Weddle
• Year founded: 1977
• Headquarters: 7120 Samuel Morse Dr., Ste. 300, Columbia, MD 21046
• State availability: 45
• BBB rating: A+

Frequently Asked Questions

How Much Does The Cleaning Authority charge?

The exact cost of The Cleaning Authority’s house cleaning services will depend on your home’s square footage, type and number of rooms, and time it takes to clean fully. A customer representative told us that for a single-family, one-story, 2,200-square-foot home in Raleigh, North Carolina, weekly service or biweekly service would range from $112-$137 per visit, and monthly service would cost between $168-$206 per visit.

Is my house too dirty for a cleaning service?

Every house cleaning service has its standards and limits about homes its specialist will and will not clean. The Cleaning Authority will begin your service request with an in-home walk-through to determine your home’s needs and provide an exact quote. You would find out then if the specialists cannot clean your home.

What should I expect from a cleaning service?

Different house cleaning companies offer different services. The Cleaning Authority breaks down exactly what its specialists will do to clean your home during every visit on its website. The company’s customer representatives can also discuss the services with you over the phone.

How long does it take a cleaner to clean a house?

The amount of time it takes will depend on a variety of factors, including the size of your home, the number and types of rooms, how many floors are wood versus carpet, and more. Your house cleaning specialist can give you an estimate during the initial walk-through.

To share feedback or ask a question about this article, send a note to our Reviews Team at reviews@thisoldhousereviews.com.