Pest Control – Protection Against Dengue and Chikungunya

At Mr. Homecare, we offer herbal pest control services to homes and offices across Mumbai. Our sister company, Envocare, offers these services to bigger properties pan India. Employing pest control is the norm for homes and offices against common pests like cockroaches, ants, silverfish, bed bugs and termites. However, mosquitoes end up being a major nuisance and need to be tackled effectively as well.

The Dengue & Chikungunya Threat is Real

The country office for WHO India recently released a general awareness document on Dengue and Chikungunya. Sharing the details here, as we’re sure it would help:

• Dengue is a viral disease. It can be caused by infection with any one of four closely related dengue viruses – DENV 1, DENV 2, DENV 3 or DENV 4. The Dengue viruses are transmitted to humans by the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito. Its distinct physical feature includes black and white stripes on its body and legs, and is also called ‘Tiger Mosquito’. It is peculiar in nature and prefers ‘biting’ you during the day. It lays eggs in clean & stagnant water. No, we do not recommend you going around dirtying water reserves to discourage this species.
• Only the female Aedes mosquito bites, because she needs protein to develop her eggs. Her malnutrition leads her to infect us, which is sad. The mosquito becomes infected through us, after 7 days of biting. This mosquito stays infected for its lifetime and passes the virus to the eggs it lays. Peak Biting Time (no seriously, bless the soul who came up with these terms) is at dawn and dusk – two hours after sunrise and two hours before sunset. Mosquitoes are clearly pretty darn romantic.
• Chikungunya is a viral illness spread by bite of infected mosquitoes and clinically resembles dengue fever. the name comes from the African language meaning “that which bends up” and aptly describes the stooped appearance of sufferers with joint pain from the disease. It spreads through the bite of female mosquitoes too!

How do you tackle this threat?

• Prevention is always better than cure
• Regular home cleaning and pest control sessions always help
• Do away with all stagnant water pools, which is where mosquitoes breed
• Cover body parts with clothing and mosquito repellents, in risky areas
• Advise children on mosquito control and ensure their buy-in, in their safety lies our future

How does home cleaning help?

• Mosquitoes thrive on humid and dusty areas
• Unclean areas invite pests and give out a distinct odor – inviting mosquitoes
• Home Cleaning sessions clean all dust & dirt from all surfaces
• This results in considerable reduction of pests, allergens, respiratory illnesses and mosquitoes

Does pest control help control mosquitoes?

• Yes yes! Envocare (a SILA company) offers mosquito control services for homes and offices
• This non toxic mosquito control treatment results in elimination of these winged pests from your spaces
• Mosquito Pest Control Services can be booked by calling on 9022070070 or by emailing us on customercare@mrhomecare.in

Thank you for the love and support. Stay safe, stay healthy!

Now Subscribe to Office Cleaning

When we launched home cleaning services earlier this year, we did include deep cleaning of commercial spaces as an offering. In the industry, as a norm, you either have deep cleaning or have an old school facility management (housekeeping) service to take care of the property. Deep Cleaning is one time – a professional team arrives, cleans and leaves. In a Facility Management contract – we have stationed teams on the site offering end to end property solutions. Were we missing something?

They Asked For Smaller Cleanups

Throughout the run-up to the Diwali season and after that, many patrons inquired for smaller cleanups for their offices, and it’s something we were not equipped to provide, purely because we had not planned it that way. The need was quite interesting:

• Small, professional teams required on a daily/alternate day basis
• Scope of work was basic – floor, workstations, pantry, washrooms
• The duration was the key – our patrons were asking for 2 hour cleanups

It was clear what they sought.

Outsourcing professional cleaning and keeping people for everything else. Since we were focused on deep cleaning sessions, developing this offering required taking time out and brainstorming a win-win solution. We realized that within half a decade of introducing professional cleaning to the market, patrons were now demanding these services on a daily basis for their workplace. This was revolutionary – broadly an alternative to an informal casual staff currently being hired and to the massive housekeeping contracts being doled out.

Office Cleaning is mini Housekeeping

We are supper happy to launch our Office Cleaning packages! A team of 2 trained professionals would clean your office within 2 hours, making it sparkling clean again. The process would be hassle free, non intrusive and prompt. Industrial grade and cleaning solutions would be used.

The good things:

• Packages can be Customized – your preferences based on available options
• Packages are Flexible – use a 5/day, 6/day or even a 7/day week package
• Packages can be Designed – you can even have bi-weekly cleaning sessions

What does the cleaning include?

The short 2 hour cleaning involves a small team of 2-4 janitors (depending on your office size) and the scope work can be customized as per your preferences, based on the available options.

• Floor – thorough dry & wet mopping to ensure no dirty footprints & spills
• Workstations – clean desks promising a fresh work day to your team members
• Cabins – right from the floor, to the desks and the corners checked for cobwebs
• Pantry – cleaning the platform, shelves exteriors, the floor and the sink
• Washrooms – probably the most crucial aspect of your office – made sparkling clean

Our Dearest Happy Patrons

There are already quite a few, and Abhishek Jagasia (Managing Partner, Stratum Consulting) being one of the first! This is what he had to say:

“I use Mr. Homecare’s cleaning services for my office. Excellent work quality with immense detailing while cleaning. Highly recommended.”

We would love to understand your requirements and help you out. Do write in. Thank you!

Very good cleanup. Awesome cleanup.

Being an integral part of a home cleaning company reminds us of our childhood – for when we used crayons to paint a pretty picture, the colors almost never stayed within the borders. However, we used to learn from every mess up. Turnaround stories inspire us, for that helps us keep faith that all mistakes can be rectified and we’d better learn from each. We have been blessed with patrons who are forgiving and supportive, who help us with critical feedback and give us a constructive earful when we mess up.

Communicating the Cleaning Prices

Mr. Homecare operates in Pune, offering home cleaning and office cleaning services across the city. The pricing structure is standard, and displayed on the website. However, thanks to a miscommunication during the site survey, our customer mistakenly assumed an incorrect quote. The quotation that was emailed to him was thus different than the one apparently communicated offline. His unhappiness was understandable, since there was a clear communication gap.

Delivering a Happy Cleaning Service

We apologized and explained what had gone wrong. The customer, being quite awesome and patient, agreed to give us an opportunity to deliver a cleaning service at his residence and boy our teams did not disappoint! We had been waiting with bated breath, and rejoiced once his feedback came in:

“Very good cleanup. Awesome cleanup.”

Thank you for your love and support – and for helping us learn the lessons we learn.

A Helpful Cleanup for Dhisha

Being in the home cleaning services industry is no cake walk – especially when you are present across geographies and in Pune which is, after all, Pune – our teams are on the field all day doing what they do best – keeping your homes and offices sparkling clean. Our communications teams are at work day in and day out – doing what they do best – understanding your requirements and working towards delivering a service that delights. The cleaning service that is being delivered is expected to be thorough, the teams are expected to be courteous and the supervisor is expected to be in control. And it makes our day when a dear patron feels that we were ‘helpful’.

Cleaning is Tricky

It is tricky because a lot depends on people and how teams are trained. Home cleaning involves us entering your space, cleaning every corner, touching some of your possessions (carefully and with due respect, of course) and delivering consistently. Since it is not a product which behaves in a predictable manner and can be multiplied but a well oiled machinery run by people – risks are higher and every delightful experience highlighted by a customer means the world to us!

This is a Pune Story

We served Dhisha Girglani last month, and while still recovering from the Diwali madness, were attempting to give our best to every home we cleaned. Our well designed website had come to her rescue and she chose us – the teams worked towards being punctual and being nice overall. Her feedback had us delighted and blushing pink! Apart from a full 10 on 10 on every score, she had this to share:

Very well mannered and helpful. Never said ‘no’ and never frowned. They are very positive and a hardworking team. I really appreciate their efficiency and efforts.
Thanks a lot!

Thank you, Dhisha!

We are honored to be of service. While we do have multiple happy patrons in Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore – Pune is a fairly a new city for us and are keen to establish a sound presence which helps you. Thank you for your love and support.

How to Ensure Quality Pest Control in Bangalore

Pests are unwelcome guests, and there is no doubting that. We are happy to offer quality pest control services across Mumbai, Bangalore and Delhi. Through years of serving our patrons, we realized that conducting a thorough audit of residences is crucial to keep the home health up. In a city like Bangalore, the audits and consequent services are even more effective.

What is a Pest Control Audit?

Simply put, a Pest Control Audit is a thorough checkup of your home, where we note down potentially harmful insects, and organisms that have decided to live in your home. Such pests, if left unattended, will spread at an alarming rate, consuming your resources. In such cases, we will send in our professionals for a full pest control service customized to your household requirements. Certain pests that we look out for include:

1. Termites Control: This breed of cockroaches feed on all wooden based structures in homes, such as furniture like chairs, tables, stands, etc. These white creatures have the potential to bring down entire buildings and can be very destructive over a time and must be treated as soon as possible.
2. Rodents Control: This includes rats and mice that leave excrement around the house, and chew on doors and pipes causing severe structural problems over a period of time. They leave behind strong and unpleasant odours, and are carriers of many diseases.
3. Bed Bugs Control: These are small insects that live under your bed, and are attracted to heat. As a result of this, you may have disturbed sleep and bite marks throughout your body in the morning.
4. Cockroaches, and other pests: Sometimes, there are also other pests such as cockroaches, lizards, spiders, ants, and mosquitoes, some of which can cause irritation and infections if bitten by them. Some even spread diseases such as malaria and dengue, which can cause major illnesses, and sometimes even death.

Mr. Homecare will do a thorough pest control job and ensure that your house is pest free. We also suggest that you ask for one of our general pest management AMC services in order to continue having a pest free house for an extended period of time, so you don’t have to worry about it.

Happy Home Cleaning for Supal Sood

When Mr. Homecare entered the home cleaning business early last year, our focus stayed Mumbai. However, Bangalore has always been a city we are fond of, and we had an office there within the next few months. Led by Raghav Kapur, Linda Williams, Saarang Ganapathi and Sidhartha Mandanna – the team continues to forge ahead and serve more customers month on month.

Home Cleaning in Bangalore is tricky

It is trickier than Mumbai, we mean. On our home ground, key challenges include the art of home cleaning – recruiting the right people and training them to care. The most crucial aspect of cleaning a residential or a commercial property really well is not the technical competency of the team, but their ability to empathize with the customer and truly care about the work at hand. You might just miss corners no matter how good you are, for every space is different. However, when you care enough, you do not.

Bangalore brings in a whole host of challenges for home cleaning, complete with a different public transportation system than Mumbai, the sheer distance and the traffic woes. Many of our team members are not locals. Ensuring that we have professional teams delivering consistent service takes time. However, our Bangalore team does an amazing job of keeping our patrons super happy with the work.

Home Cleaning for Supal Sood

Despite being one of the biggest home services providers in India, we still get jittery when a home cleaning service is scheduled. We wait with bated breath to know whether our customers are happy or not, and rejoice when they are. If they are not, we rush and fix what we did wrong. Supal Sood, being utterly delightful, was happy and sent in the following text:

“Just awesome! Really good service.
The team threw no tantrums at all.
They did the job really efficiently.”

We wonder why he expected us to throw a tantrum, though we are glad we did not throw one. It is heartening to know that Supal liked the level of efficiency with which the job was conducted. We are also looking forward to serve more Bangalore homes! Thank you for your love and support.

Home Cleaning for Atul Nayak

When it comes to the home cleaning business, turnaround tales are a plenty. With a service that’s so intimate and focused on human capital, companies are bound to make mistakes. Customers cannot have the generosity to forgive our errors so easily, it would be unfair to expect this out of them. Winners stand apart from the crowd by managing breathtaking service recoveries. It takes ten good cleanups to win a customer’s trust, yet only a single one to break it. How do you think we fare on this chart?

Not exactly pleased with home cleaning

Atul and Mr. Homecare did not really start off on a good note. We underestimated the scope of work and sent across a team that was well equipped, but short staffed. They were brave and decided to tackle the overwhelming load. However, it is always risky to have a smaller team managing a larger cleanup. Atul was not pleased.

We set to action

He was a persistent customer, and we were good listeners. On realizing that we were majorly goofing up this home cleaning session, an additional team was dispatched. This team was adequately equipped to conduct a happy cleanup. We crossed our fingers and hoped for a good turnaround. Who likes unhappy customers? Even unhappy customers do not like being unhappy.

Turnaround successful

At Mr. Homecare and Hammer and Mop, we focus on communicating the value of our work to our front line teams. They need to know that their work matters, and it helps make this world a cleaner space. Dignity of labor has been a consistent issue in our part of the world, and ensuring our teams are respected plays a major role in retaining them. Our cleaning teams love their work, and that shows when they are cleaning our place up.

 

Atul noted their honest smiles and willingness to pitch in their best effort. Were we flawless in execution? Did we not miss any of the corners? We probably missed a many, but also graciously fixed our errors on having them pointed out. Being a delightful customer, Atul points out the hard work put in by Ashish and Baby on the field, and our team leader Kamlakar as well. He acknowledges the prompt coordination by Nasreen from the Communications’ team and we’re super happy he noted down everyone’s names.

Thank you for your patience with us, Atul. We owe you one!

How to choose the right Pest Control service?

Despite most of the homes across Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore having a pest control contract – we do not quite understand the technical details behind the process. As a customer, it is natural to expect a speedy resolution of the nuisance. However, not understanding the details and misplacing our priorities hurts us in the long run. What exactly goes wrong?

Are the pest control chemicals legal and safe?

There are thousands of pest control service providers across all the mentioned cities. While the competition is intense, an educated customer chooses a reliable brand name (viz. Envocare, Mr. Homecare) as opposed to a small time local player. Small players operate below the radar – without the mandatory licenses and clearances from the government.

As a result, there is no governing body to monitor the concentration of toxic chemicals, and these find their way into your homes. While pest control chemicals are supposed to kill cockroaches and ants, they are not supposed to harm you. However, the moment the concentration is excessive – it will yield faster pest deaths but will also harm you.

Are the technicians licensed, trained and verified?

We understand that discounts are a tempting proposition. But it is crucial to understand that the local players have nothing to lose, when they offer low cost contracts. Pest Control technicians need to be trained, licensed and verified. Their salary structures need to be compliant with labor laws. This is essential to your security and well being.

When we overlook these factors only in order to clinch a massive discount, we put our health (and that of our family) at serious risk. Imagine an unlicensed & unverified stranger wielding life endangering chemicals in your kitchen!

Dead Pests v/s Safety of your kids and pets

Pests often do not die at first go. Overall hygiene of your space, level of humidity, condition of furniture, presence of dampness along the walls – multiple factors play a role leading to presence of pests at your home or office. It is unfair to blame a pest control company after the first session and doubt its competency. It is easy to kill all pests after using extensive toxicity – but it not recommended – because it harms kids and pets.

Pest control is a patient business. The real reasons behind the existence of pests need to be understood and undone. It often takes time and professionals do it in a structured manner. It is worth the effort for the solution, once found, is everlasting.

Trust the big brands – they are the experts

When it comes to technical expertise, you have to trust the big brands – for they did not become big overnight. Big brands in pest control have a reputation of consistent service delivery and a track record of customer satisfaction. While it is easy for a local unbranded player to charge you a lesser amount and deliver a highly toxic session to kill pests faster – it is a short term solution to a bigger problem.

As a customer, it helps when you deal with a professional organization which has the bandwidth to cater to your evolving requirements and is accountable for its actions. At Mr. Homecare, we take pride in having served over 15,000 residences across Mumbai, Bangalore and Delhi. Hoping to serve you in the near future.

About Siddharth Sah and how home cleaning made him happy :)

Since home cleaning is an intimate business, most of our service scheduling phone calls revolve around the reason behind you booking a cleaning service. It could be because you are moving into a new home, or perhaps a baby is on its way! There are times when the home has simply become pretty messy, or it could be because you are getting married! And that is when we know how to serve you best.

Siddharth Sah was getting married

Yes, he was. And he was kind enough to book a cleaning service with us before the ceremony. It was a smooth process, where we understood his requirements, whipped up a customized service internally and made a plan to of a residence deliver it well. The key difference between a home cleaning session of a regular residence and one that is preparing for something as big is the level of expectations from us. When you have more people around, and a lot more of them are going to experience the grandeur that’s your home – boy that means some serious stuff.

Training your home cleaning teams is crucial for such cases. In addition to cleaning techniques and the cleaning solutions being used, the mannerisms and the body language of our people matters a lot too.

Generously Discounted Home Cleaning for his fiance

He let it slip what the ‘ceremony’ was about and that made us really happy. It’s not everyday that a person sacrifices his bachelorhood, so we offered a generously discounted service to his fiance. He laughed, thanked us for the gesture and she did end up booking a service with us too. The only concern that remained was whether Siddharth would like our services.

And boy he did! And he made our entire week by tweeting about it! Thanks a bunch, Siddharth

In addition to home cleaning, we balance work with play!

The human resources department at SILA, Hammer and Mop and Mr. Homecare is often left at wit’s end, because facility management, home cleaning, pest control and home painting are not exactly pretty job opportunities which young graduates consider as an option. It all depends on how we bring out the true value of the sector, through effective communication.

However, we feel fortunate to be one of the leading players in the sector, thanks to the infectious energy we add to it. We are the young and the restless, we move fast, experiment and build profitable scale. This keeps us apart from the competition. Also, we get the opportunity to collaborate with like minded organizations from other sectors and ensure that we create a win win situation.

Being in the home cleaning business across Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore helps us with the expertise to clean offices, restaurants, breweries and commercial kitchens. Which allows us to have friends at delicious places, leading to wonderful, wonderful gifts (as you’d see below).

The Curry Brothers treated us with lunch

White Owl Brewery treated us with a beer tasting session

And we simply sit here, waiting for the right talent to join us You know you have it in you!

We offer the right culture

A company culture is like home cleaning – you need to pay attention details, fundamentals ought to be strong and – simply put – you really need to care.

We mix the headiness of the youthful startup culture with old school business beliefs, and ensure that money is made on every order. If the company does not make profits, how will we take care of our teams? Staying grounded and taking aggressive growth decisions is a rare experience, which SILA and Mr. Homecare jointly offer. We believe that a company’s culture goes beyond office decor, parties and pool tables.

It goes right down into conversations we have on a regular basis with our colleagues, our mindset while dealing with our customers and our reactions to pressing issues. No matter how pretty the picture of the founding team looks, it is crucial to understand how do founders encourage growth amongst the management, how they work with teams to resolve business challenges. We have done a fairly good job in the last 6 years, and we only strive to do better.

We believe in people, and their innate desire to do good work.
Write in at careers@mrhomecare.in to join us