I felt like I owed my apartment some pro cleaning, so I succumbed to the call.
When I first saw Ate Girl's ad on Facebook, I honestly felt like it was calling out to me. Ever since I gave birth to my son in October of 2017, my normal cleaning and organizing routine in the house has been off since there's been a major shift in priorities. I used to be able to clean and organize our apartment whenever I wanted to, and I used to be able to buy all the tools, home decor, or furnishing I needed to make the house look better. But as you know, having a baby changes all of that. I now have to prioritize his needs above anything else. I was able to hire a nanny but even she's not required to prioritize cleaning the house—I'd rather have her focus on my baby's well being more than anything. To sum it up, my house has been a mess since then. And I get really anxious when my house is not put together.
When I started having serious anxiety from the mess around me, I finally acknowledged the fact that I needed professional help. That was when I started browsing Facebook for the most-recommended professional cleaning services. Then I stumbled upon Ate Girl.
Prompt Customer Service
I came across several services on Facebook, but this company really caught my attention because of their impressive rating. Ate Girl Home Cleaners is currently exclusively operating via Facebook. I inquired via messenger and instantly got feedback. I booked for a 4-hour cleaning service 2 days ahead and fortunately got an open schedule. Since this was my first time booking them, I couldn't request for anybody in particular so I just asked for somebody who's not gonna need as much supervision as I'll also be doing some organizing work while she's doing her job. Ate Girl Bien was assigned to me.
Serious about Punctuality
Before confirming your booking via Facebook messenger, they'll finalize your schedule and the assigned cleaner for the job. On the day of the actual schedule (Saturday), I received a Facebook message early on in the day informing me that Ate Bien will arrive a little late as her current booking had to be extended for another hour. I appreciated the notice and was totally fine with it as I didn't have anything specific planned that day. Right before Ate Bien finished her prior schedule, she already asked me about our exact address and how to get there. I honestly didn't expect she will need instructions on how to get from place-to-place, partly under the assumption that they receive directions like this before they're deployed, but it was wrong for me to assume that. Heck, yeah it was a bit of an inconvenience when you have to give very detailed instructions on how she can get to your place and worry that she may get lost, but as a human being I had to be understanding.
Evaluates The Job On the Spot
According to Ate Bien, some cleaning services do prior visits to assess the condition of the house. This also allows them to identify whether the job will require special equipment or time extension. Ate Girls on the other hand evaluate the mess situation of your house on the spot. So before they start, they discuss with you the extent of work they can do considering the actual size of the house and the number of hours you booked. Ours is a 1-bedroom 2-baths apartment, that's about 80-100 sq. meters. And Ate Bien immediately told me she won't be able to clean all rooms in 4 hours 😥 That was quite disappointing, but it was my first time booking a professional cleaning service so I had to trust her professional discernment. I just told her to do as much cleaning as she can in 4 hours. I also had to identify my main pain points, and Ate Bien made sure these were addressed (mostly dusty ceilings and other out-of-reach spots that's difficult for me to clean).
Carries Basic Cleaning Equipment and Solutions
Before Ate Bien came, she already told us she's bringing a portable vacuum with her. Of course with the word portable, I immediately thought it was a small, handheld equipment. But she actually came with this normal-size (which is big for me) vacuum that's inside an eco-bag that's actually pretty heavy. Apart from that, she also brought several cleaning solutions with her. She only asked me for an extra pail. Ate Bien said she'll need something to stand on so she could clean the walls and all the higher areas since our ceiling's kinda tall, so we had to ask our neighbor to lend us their ladder.
Does the Best Cleaning Possible Within their Schedule
I know my apartment, I know how messy it is, and I know how challenging it is to tidy up especially the tough spots, which Ate Bien fabulously cleaned up! Due to budget constraints, I had to stick to my 4-hour booking. I wish we could extend, but we just settled at doing the cleanest possible outcome in that time frame. Ate Bien was very professional. She didn't need so many instructions, she just needed to know right away what your main concerns are so she could prioritize accordingly. I think it's also important to note that they REALLY MOVE THINGS AROUND when they clean, so the OC-me really had to watch and squirm just a little bit whenever she had to move books, displays, and other fixtures that I'm so careful about. It is equally important to note that they actually put things back where they were originally - sure I had to do tiny bit of adjustments afterwards, but I mean she put it back that's what matters 😅 I had to leave a bottle of cold drinking water for Ate Bien while she worked since it got a little humid around the house when she had to turn off the fans. While I also had to do some things around the house as she cleaned, I got to monitor what she was doing from time to time and boy, she just went on with razor-sharp focus! She was actually very passionate about removing all the dust stains on the wall. I told her it was okay if not all of it comes off as it wasn't that noticeable anyway, but she insisted and told me it was part of their protocol—I am not complaining. She worked the entire 4 hours. And by the end of it, she was able to deliver spotless toilet & bath, kitchen & dining area, and living room ✨ I didn't insist on having our bedroom cleaned anymore as we obviously lacked time, but I was happy with the result. You pay the fee directly to the cleaners and they issue a copy of the job order which also serves as a receipt right before they leave. I also ordered merienda for Ate Bien so she has something to take home or eat while on trip, and she left with a smile and a very pleasant attitude despite all the hard physical work she just did.
OVERALL SLEEPLESS MOMMA RATING:
⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5"Worth every penny"
I have always been very particular about the orderliness of my house. I sometimes can't sleep and can't concentrate at work whenever I think about a part of the house that I know needed some cleaning—I can be a total Monica Geller like that. Cleaning my house has also been a sacred activity for me. Having said this, I know what a good cleaning job is when I see it even though this is the actual first time I'm hiring a professional cleaner. I am happy with how Ate Bien addressed my house. She was very strategic at cleaning as much space as she could while keeping my main concerns in mind as well as the time. I had to clean the pail she used as she left some stains on it, but other than that I think she did well what she was hired to do. I was so pleased with the result that I assured her I will book regularly and will get 2 cleaners next time—because I can honestly say now that it is impossible for just one person to clean my house in just 4 hours. I guess I'll have to update my rating once I've achieved the total cleanliness I'm looking for with the help of the 2 Ate Girls I'll hire from them soon.
As a tip for moms who are planning to book them soon:
I think it will help to give them an idea ahead of time about the size of your space so they can advise you properly on the ideal time frame and number of cleaners to book.
It may also help to send them pictures of your main concerns so they know what to expect ahead, like pictures of your bathroom tiles that require deep cleaning, or pictures of your stained kitchen backsplash.
You may also refer to customer reviews on their Facebook page to get an idea of the most recommended Ate Girls 😉
It always helps to book days ahead so you can do necessary adjustments at home before the cleaning schedule.
Lastly, I recommend to take the kids and the furbabies (if you have) some place else while Ate Girl's doing the cleaning so she can feel free to move stuff around and so you can also concentrate monitoring her or organizing some other stuff in the house. In my case, hubby took my babies to stay at lola's (MIL) while we were cleaning.
As a personal learning from my first-ever professional cleaning experience, I realized that there's really a point where, as a mom, we'll have to acknowledge the fact that we can't do it all, and that we'll eventually need help. In my case, despite my passion about cleaning and organizing (Monica Geller and Marie Kondo are my personal heroines), I learned that it's okay to ask for help once in a while, and that my family is gonna benefit from it more as I get to be the happy, emotionally and mentally sound person that they need me to be. So you momma who's currently overwhelmed at home, do yourself a favor. Unload stuff from your to-do list and book a professional cleaner 👍
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