When you’ve decided you need help keeping up with house cleaning, have promised yourself that you’ve scrubbed your last toilet, or are ready to completely hand home cleaning over to the professionals, it’s time to start with the process of hiring a cleaner for your home (which is not as intimidating as it seems, we promise). You have two options: hire an individual or a cleaning service. Both have pros and cons:
Home cleaner (individual)
Pros: One contact for communication and feedback, familiarity, cost is usually less than cleaning service
Cons: no back-up if home cleaner is unavailable, extra verification needed for documentation (i.e. insurance, tax documentation if paid more than $1700/year), have to schedule cleanings around their availability, may have to increase home insurance if cleaner does not have insurance
Home cleaner (cleaning service)
Pros: Have back-up home cleaners if your preferred cleaner is unavailable, all home cleaners are trained to do professional home cleaning work, you can contact their company to deal with complaints, cleaning companies can often do cleaning beyond the “normal” cleaning tasks, most cleaning companies have insurance in case of damage
Cons: May not have the same cleaner for every cleaning, cost is usually more than an individual
Determine what you need
We had a friend who hired a home cleaner to clean her bathrooms. Another busy colleague hired a cleaning service to wash, fold and put away her laundry. What do you need help with? Make a list of cleaning tasks. One of the perks of hiring a cleaner for your home is the ability to decide what you need done.
Set a schedule
Cleaning services do the cleaning jobs that you request. Once you have your list of cleaning tasks you need done, determine the frequency you need cleaning at your home. Do you need a daily cleaning or weekly cleaning? You set the schedule. Also what is the optimal time for the cleaning service to begin and finish? Do you want the cleaning service to come in the evening? Early morning?
Request a Quote
Once you’ve got a final list of cleaning tasks that need to be completed, request quotes from local cleaning services. If you don’t know what cleaning services or home cleaners to contact, ask your friends for referrals. Because cleaning services do the cleaning you need done on a schedule you dictate, understand that the service is not going to be able to give you an immediate answer.
Be prepared to discuss the cleaning jobs you need completed with each company or individual, your preferred schedule and any other special request you may have. Don’t be afraid to ask for references from existing customers.
Enjoy the benefits
Once you’ve hired a home cleaner, enjoy the benefits of a cleaner, more organized home. Hiring a cleaning service gives you the freedom to spend your off-time off. If you travel for work, having outside cleaning help means a clean home, and someone to check in on your home (to make sure the pipes haven’t burst!), when you are away. The bonus: you don’t have to stress about entertaining—specifically about preparing for company. It’s a win-win situation for you, your home and your guests.
