Frequently Asked Questions and Policies
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Elm & Oak Cleaning Co. offers three distinct yet complementary household support services to meet your needs:
• House Cleaning:
~Refresh: Regular maintenance cleaning, weekly, biweekly, or monthly to keep your space consistently reset and polished.
~Resolve: The initial deep clean or whenever your home needs a more intensive reset. Everything included in the Refresh, plus more.
~Restore: Move-in/Move-out cleaning that details every part of a home between residents. Everything included from the Resolve plus more.
• Home Organizing and Decluttering: ~Refine and Revise: your space is cleaned and reorganized simultaneously for efficiency and a polished result.
• Household Management and Assistance:
~Ritual: Bespoke Household Concierge (à la carte);
A curated, household concierge service tailored to your rhythms. Select from an à la carte menu that includes household resets, meticulous linen and laundry care, pantry and kitchen restocking, personal errands and shopping, light meal preparation, attentive plant and pet tending, and ongoing home stewardship.
Designed for thoughtful, day‑to‑day household maintenance, Ritual provides flexible household management and home assistance in capacities that adapt to your needs, delivering discreet, reliable support that preserves the comfort, order, and ease of your home.
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Elm & Oak is an owner-operated boutique household support studio built on a philosophy rooted in intention. Founded by Amy Jane, we combine an eye for detail with over a decade of hands-on household management experience.
We believe a well-kept home should feel calm, organized, and thoughtfully cared for. Our focus is not simply cleaning, but creating spaces that feel refreshed, functional, and supportive of everyday life.
As a fully insured and police background-checked business, we provide personalized service with consistency, discretion, and attention to detail. Our reliable and punctual team shows up on time and prepared to work with our own equipment and supplies.
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Choosing a cleaning company that is local, insured, background checked, highly reviewed and transparent about pricing is key. At Elm and Oak Cleaning Co, the owner is present and working on most jobs. We are police background checked and have comprehensive liability insurance through Zensurance. Our service values clear, concise communication via fast, easy text messaging so we can send and receive pertinent information in real time. When choosing a reliable cleaning service, you must look for a small local company that values your time, has integrity and is committed to consistent high-quality service.
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Please reach out through our Contact Form. Share your name, area of town and what services you are requesting. Once we gather your contact information, we will be in touch within one business day to schedule a phone or in-person consultation to discuss your needs.
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We prioritize eco-conscious products that are safe for people, pets, plants and the environment. If you have specific product preferences for your pets, children or environmental sensitivities, we will be happy to accommodate your needs.
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Yes. Many of our clients prefer to be away during their cleaning appointment and enjoy returning to a freshly reset home. We work quietly and respectfully, follow secure entry procedures, and complete a final safety check before leaving, ensuring pets are secure and the home is left exactly as it should be.
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At Elm & Oak, we care deeply about the quality of our work. We use specific methodologies tailored to each home and your specific needs to ensure that nothing gets missed.
We value honest communication, and we welcome constructive feedback.
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What is your deposit and cancellation policy?
To secure your preferred date and time, we require a 50% deposit at the time of booking. Because we block out this time exclusively for your home and guarantee wages for our staff, this deposit is subject to the following terms:
Cancellations & Rescheduling: We require a minimum of 48 hours' notice to cancel or reschedule your appointment. If a service is cancelled or rescheduled with less than 48 hours' notice, the 50% deposit is non-refundable.
Property Condition Misrepresentation: As outlined in our health and safety policy, if our team arrives and must cancel the service due to undisclosed biohazards, safety risks, or extreme conditions, the job will be terminated immediately, and the full deposit will be retained to cover our immediate operational costs and staff wages.
Final Payment: The remaining 50% balance of your quote is due immediately upon the completion of the cleaning service on the day of your appointment. We accept cash or e-transfer.
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How do you ensure health and safety during a service?
The safety of our clients and our cleaning team is our absolute priority. We want to ensure your home is treated with care while keeping everyone safe. To maintain a secure environment, we adhere to the following guidelines:
Client & Staff Safety: We ask that clients, children, and pets remain clear of active cleaning zones to prevent accidental slips, trips, or chemical exposure. If you or anyone in your home is actively ill with a contagious virus, please notify us 48 hours in advance so we can safely reschedule.
Height, Lifting, & Area Limits: For the physical safety of our team, our staff do not climb higher than a standard 2-step step stool. We cannot lift or move furniture heavier than 25lbs. Additionally, our services do not cover garages, crawl spaces, or unfinished basements, as these areas often present safety hazards like poor air quality, exposed insulation, or structural risks.
Biohazard & Unsafe Environments: In compliance with Ontario Occupational Health and Safety standards, our team has the right to refuse work in environments that pose immediate biological or respiratory risks. This includes undisclosed human/animal waste, heavy active mould, hoarding conditions, or pest infestations.
Right to Cancel: If a job must be cancelled upon arrival due to undisclosed hazardous conditions or safety risks, the service will be terminated immediately, and the deposit will be retained to cover our vehicle travel, materials, and guaranteed staff wages.