Non-toxic house cleaning in Austin, TX
Frequently asked questions
Everything people ask before their first clean with Sage Essence, a non-toxic, fragrance-free house cleaning service in Austin, Texas.
Are your products safe for babies and pregnancy?
We choose every product with babies and pregnancy in mind: nothing is added for fragrance, we use no air fresheners, bleach or ammonia, and products go on the cloth instead of being sprayed into the air. That matters because many cleaning products contain solvents that are released into indoor air while they are used (U.S. EPA). No product is risk-free for everyone, so if you are pregnant or caring for a newborn, ask your doctor or midwife about your own situation. Every product Sage Essence uses is listed at thesageessence.com/what-we-use.
Are your products safe for dogs and cats?
Our products are chosen for homes with dogs and cats: nothing is added for fragrance, we use no air fresheners, and products go on the cloth rather than being sprayed into the air. The sanitizer we use on kitchen and bathroom surfaces, Briotech, is labeled as needing no rinse and leaving no chemical residue (EPA Reg. No. 93108-1). Tell us where your pets will be during the visit, and if a pet ever seems unwell after contact with any product, call your veterinarian or ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435. Everything Sage Essence uses is listed at thesageessence.com/what-we-use.
Do you use fragrance or essential oils?
No fragrance of any kind is added. Sage Essence uses no synthetic fragrance, no air fresheners and no essential oils or other scents added for fragrance, so your Austin home is left with no lingering scent. You can check every product at thesageessence.com/what-we-use.
What areas around Austin do you serve?
Sage Essence serves Austin, Texas, including Zilker, Barton Hills, South Congress, Tarrytown, East Austin, Mueller and Allandale, and the nearby areas of West Lake Hills, Rollingwood, Barton Creek, Cedar Valley, Lakeway, Bee Cave, Sunset Valley, Manchaca, Buda and Kyle. You can book online at thesageessence.com/booking or call (512) 838-3469. The full list of areas is at thesageessence.com/austin-neighborhoods.
Do you do move-out cleaning?
Yes. Sage Essence offers move in and move out cleaning in Austin for empty homes, from $260, including the inside of the oven, fridge, microwave, cabinets, drawers and closets. You can book it online in a couple of minutes; see everything a Move In / Out clean includes at thesageessence.com/move-in-out.
How do I get a price?
Sage Essence gives you an instant price online: build your clean at thesageessence.com/booking and see a real price in under a minute, or call (512) 838-3469. General Cleans start at $135, Deep Cleans at $225 and Move In / Out cleans at $260. You pay securely when you book.
How much does house cleaning cost in Austin?
It depends on the size of the home and how deep the clean goes, so compare total prices for the same service rather than hourly rates. Sage Essence shows an estimate online with no phone call required, based on your home and how often you book: a General Clean starts at $135, a Deep Clean at $225 and a Move In / Out clean at $260. Recurring visits save up to 20% (weekly), 15% (biweekly) or 10% (monthly); the first visit is at full price. Every visit uses the same fragrance-free products. See your estimate in under a minute at thesageessence.com/booking.
What is the difference between a standard house cleaning and a deep clean?
A standard or General Clean is maintenance: surfaces wiped down, floors vacuumed and mopped, kitchen and bathrooms sanitized, in a home that is already reasonably kept. A Deep Clean adds what a maintenance visit skips: detailed dusting of baseboards, door frames and knobs hand-wiped, door handles sanitized, the stovetop and vent hood filters degreased, shower grout and floor tiles scrubbed, hard-water buildup removed from showerheads and faucets, and stainless steel and wood polished. At Sage Essence in Austin, a General Clean starts at $135 and a Deep Clean at $225. We usually recommend a Deep Clean as the first visit, then a recurring General Clean. Compare every task side by side at thesageessence.com/what-is-included.
How often should I have my house professionally cleaned?
It depends on household size and traffic. Weekly suits families with kids, pets, or anyone working from home full time. Every two weeks (biweekly) is the middle option and keeps most lived-in homes consistently clean. Monthly works for smaller households or people who tidy regularly themselves. Sage Essence offers all three schedules in Austin, Texas, and recurring visits cost less per clean than one-time bookings. We usually recommend one Deep Clean first to reset the home, then a recurring General Clean. Choose a schedule at thesageessence.com/booking.
How do I book a cleaning with Sage Essence?
Book online at thesageessence.com/booking, where you get an instant, upfront price in under a minute and choose your date, or call (512) 838-3469. Sage Essence serves Austin, Texas, with General Cleans from $135, Deep Cleans from $225 and Move In / Out cleans from $260. You pay when you book, and every confirmation includes a link to reschedule.
Is there a house cleaning service in Austin that does not use scented products at all?
Yes. Sage Essence is a fragrance-free house cleaning service in Austin, Texas: no synthetic fragrance, no air fresheners and no essential oils or other scents added for fragrance, so your home is left with no lingering smell. Kitchen and bathroom surfaces are sanitized with Briotech, a hypochlorous acid sanitizer with no added fragrance (EPA Reg. No. 93108-1). See every product at thesageessence.com/what-we-use.
What cleaning products are safe for someone with multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS)?
No single product list is safe for everyone with multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS), because triggers differ from person to person. Fragrance is a commonly reported one: in a nationally representative U.S. survey, 86.2% of people with medically diagnosed MCS reported health problems from fragranced consumer products (Steinemann, 2018). Sage Essence adds no fragrance of any kind, uses no air fresheners, bleach or ammonia, and applies products to the cloth rather than spraying them into the air. Tell us your specific triggers when you book, and review our complete product list first at thesageessence.com/what-we-use.
Can I ask a green cleaning company not to use essential oils?
You can, and it is worth asking before the first visit, because some plant-based cleaners are scented with essential oils and the scent comes with the product. At Sage Essence there is nothing to opt out of: we add no essential oils or other scents for fragrance, so your home is left smelling like nothing rather than citrus or lavender. See what we use at thesageessence.com/what-we-use.
Are house cleaning chemicals safe to breathe during pregnancy?
Many cleaning products contain solvents or fragrance that are released into indoor air while they are used (U.S. EPA; American Lung Association). For your own situation, check with your doctor or midwife. Sage Essence cleans Austin homes with fragrance-free products and no bleach or ammonia, applies them on the cloth rather than spraying them, and vacuums with HEPA filtration, which traps fine dust instead of blowing it back into the room. See every product at thesageessence.com/what-we-use.
What should I look for in a house cleaning service if my child has asthma?
Ask what is in the products, whether anything is scented, and whether products are sprayed into the air. The CDC lists breathing in some chemicals or fragrances among asthma triggers, and a ten-country study linked weekly use of household cleaning sprays to new asthma symptoms in adults (Zock et al., 2007). Your pediatrician can advise on your child's specific triggers. Sage Essence uses fragrance-free products applied on the cloth, no bleach or ammonia, and HEPA-filtered vacuums. How we clean during pollen season: thesageessence.com/ragweed-season-cleaning-austin.
Do non-toxic cleaning products actually disinfect as well as bleach?
Compare what each product is registered for, not how strong it smells. The EPA separates sanitizers, which kill bacteria on surfaces, from products registered to also kill viruses. Sage Essence sanitizes kitchen and bathroom surfaces with Briotech, a hypochlorous acid sanitizer registered with the U.S. EPA (EPA Reg. No. 93108-1). The team leaves it visibly wet for 5 minutes, the time its label sets for hard, non-food-contact surfaces, and for that step the label lists bacteria including E. coli, Salmonella and Staphylococcus aureus. We do not claim to kill viruses. Unlike chlorine bleach, it needs no rinse, has no added fragrance and, per its label, breaks down to a saline solution. More at thesageessence.com/what-we-use.
How should I prepare my home before a house cleaning service arrives?
A quick tidy of clutter from surfaces and floors lets the team clean rather than shuffle things, and it helps to put away valuables and point out anything fragile or off-limits. For a Sage Essence clean in Austin, let us know where any pets will be and flag surfaces you want handled a certain way. Nothing else is needed, since we bring all of our own fragrance-free supplies and equipment. See what each clean includes at thesageessence.com/what-is-included.
How much should I tip a house cleaner in Austin, and is tipping expected?
Tipping is never expected and always appreciated, and the amount is up to you. With Sage Essence you can add a tip when you book, use the tip link in the thank-you message we send after the clean, or leave cash for the team. A short Google review describing what you noticed is a free way to say thanks. Read what Austin clients say at thesageessence.com/reviews.
What is the difference between fragrance-free and unscented?
"Unscented" usually means a product has no noticeable smell, but it can still contain a masking fragrance: for cosmetics, the FDA notes that even some products labeled "unscented" may contain fragrance ingredients added to cover the smell of other ingredients. "Fragrance-free" means nothing was added to give the product a scent, and for cleaning products the EPA's Safer Choice program has a separate Fragrance-Free label. Sage Essence adds no fragrance, masking scent or essential oils for scent to anything used in your Austin home. Our product list is at thesageessence.com/what-we-use.
Do you bring your own cleaning supplies?
Yes. Sage Essence brings all of its own fragrance-free products and equipment to every clean in Austin, TX, including HEPA-filtered vacuums, so there is nothing you need to buy or leave out. See the full list at thesageessence.com/what-we-use.
Do I need to be home during the cleaning?
No. You can be home, or give the team access with a key, a door or gate code, a lockbox or a smart lock. Let us know about any alarm system, make sure water and power are on, and keep pets secured during the visit. Sage Essence serves Austin, Texas. Who comes to your home: thesageessence.com/about.
Is Sage Essence insured and bonded?
Yes. Sage Essence LLC is insured and bonded, carries $1,000,000 in general liability coverage, and every cleaner is background-checked. A certificate of insurance is available on request. Every visit also comes with a 24-hour satisfaction guarantee: tell us within 24 hours and we come back to re-clean that specific area at no charge. More about the team at thesageessence.com/about.
Do you offer maid service or apartment cleaning in Austin?
Yes. Recurring maid service and apartment cleaning in Austin are booked as a General Clean from $135, with the same fragrance-free products and HEPA vacuum used on every visit. Your estimate depends on the home and how often you book, and you see it before you book at thesageessence.com/booking. What a General Clean includes: thesageessence.com/general-clean. Source: Sage Essence, thesageessence.com/faq.
What does "non-toxic" actually mean on a cleaning product?
No government agency approves the word. The Federal Trade Commission's Green Guides say a "non-toxic" claim tells buyers the product is non-toxic for both people and the environment, and that marketers need competent and reliable scientific evidence for it or must clearly qualify it (16 CFR 260.10). The practical test is to ask for the full ingredient list or the Safety Data Sheet, which OSHA requires makers of hazardous chemicals to provide, and to look for independent certification such as the EPA's Safer Choice label, whose program evaluates each ingredient against EPA criteria. Sage Essence lists what it uses at thesageessence.com/what-we-use.
How can I tell if a cleaning product is really fragrance-free?
Read the ingredient list, not the front of the bottle. "Fragrance" or "parfum" means added scent, and so do essential oils, which are usually listed by their plant name followed by "oil", such as "needle oil", "leaf oil" or "peel oil". Plant-based cleaners can contain them too. The EPA's Safer Choice program has a separate Fragrance-Free label for certified products made without fragrance, which is the quickest shortcut when you are shopping. The fragrance-free ingredient list Sage Essence uses is at thesageessence.com/what-we-use.
Does a HEPA vacuum actually help with allergies and cedar fever?
It helps with one specific thing: keeping fine dust and pollen in the vacuum instead of blowing them back into the room. A true HEPA filter, as defined by the U.S. Department of Energy, can theoretically remove at least 99.97% of airborne particles 0.3 microns in size, and particles larger or smaller, including pollen and dust, are trapped even more efficiently (EPA). Sage Essence vacuums with HEPA filtration on every visit in Austin, including our cedar season and ragweed season cleans. It reduces what is in your home; it does not treat allergies, so keep your allergist in the loop. How Sage Essence cleans for cedar season: thesageessence.com/cedar-fever-austin.
How much should I pay a house cleaner per hour in Austin?
Hourly rates are hard to compare, because a faster team at a higher rate can cost you less in total. Sage Essence prices by the job instead, based on the service and the size of your home: General Clean from $135, Deep Clean from $225 and Move In / Out from $260. The instant estimate shows your total and how many hours the team expects to spend, and you pay when you book. If a clean runs longer because of the home's condition, extra time is $30 per half hour ($60 per hour), as our terms explain at thesageessence.com/terms. Get your estimate at thesageessence.com/booking.
Why do I get a headache or start coughing after my house cleaner leaves?
Fragrance is a common reason. In a nationally representative survey of 1,137 U.S. adults, 64.3% of people with asthma reported health problems from fragranced products, and 42.3% reported problems just from being in a room cleaned with scented products (Steinemann, 2018). Scented sprays, plug-in air fresheners and "natural" cleaners made with essential oils all add fragrance to the air. Sage Essence does not use air fresheners, scented sprays or essential oils for scent. If symptoms are strong or keep coming back, talk to your doctor. Every product Sage Essence uses is listed at thesageessence.com/what-we-use.
Can cleaning sprays trigger asthma?
Research points to the spray itself. A study that followed 3,503 adults in ten countries found that using household cleaning sprays at least once a week was linked to new asthma symptoms, while the same kinds of products used without spraying were not (Zock et al., 2007). A French study of 683 women linked weekly use of two or more sprays to poorly controlled asthma (Le Moual et al., 2012). If someone at home has asthma, ask your cleaner to put product on the cloth instead of spraying it into the air, to skip air fresheners, and to share the ingredient list before the visit. Our team applies products to the cloth, not into the air, in every Austin home. Every product Sage Essence uses is listed at thesageessence.com/what-we-use.
Are "natural" cleaners with essential oils safe for cats and dogs?
"Natural" does not automatically mean pet-safe. The ASPCA says that in concentrated form "essential oils can absolutely be a danger for pets", advises never applying them directly to a pet, and says a diffuser used for a short time in a room the pet cannot enter is not likely to be an issue. Some plant-based cleaners are scented with essential oils. Sage Essence never uses essential oils to scent a home. If you think your pet was exposed and seems unwell, call your veterinarian or ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435. The full Sage Essence ingredient list is at thesageessence.com/what-we-use.
What is hypochlorous acid, and why do you clean with it?
Hypochlorous acid is the same compound your white blood cells make to fight infection: an enzyme in them, myeloperoxidase, produces it (Winterbourn et al., 2016). Sage Essence sanitizes hard kitchen and bathroom surfaces with Briotech, a hypochlorous acid sanitizer registered with the U.S. EPA (EPA Reg. No. 93108-1). We apply it with a saturated cloth, never sprayed into the air, and leave the surface visibly wet for 5 minutes (its label sets 5 minutes for hard, non-food-contact surfaces and 1 minute for precleaned food-contact surfaces). Its label lists 0.018% hypochlorous acid and 99.982% water, and no rinse is needed. More on what Sage Essence uses: thesageessence.com/what-we-use.
Is Sage Essence right for your home?
A good fit if anyone in the home has asthma, allergies, chemical sensitivity or migraines; if there is a baby or a pregnancy; if there are pets; or if you want a home that smells like nothing. Probably not the right fit if you want your home to smell strongly of lemon or lavender after a clean, or if you are choosing purely on the lowest price. See your price at thesageessence.com/booking. Source: Sage Essence, thesageessence.com/faq.
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