You probably spend a couple hours a week doing household chores. If you’re a busy person and don’t have a lot of time for cleaning and would rather use that time doing something more important like spending it with your family, you’ve probably thought about hiring a professional cleaning service. However, you ask yourself, is hiring a maid service worth the money? Here are a few things you should think about before hiring some help:
Consider the Cost
Most cleaning services will generally charge between $15 and $45 an hour, which might be more affordable for you than you had originally thought. However, it is important to note that pets, the size of your home, what you want cleaned, and any extra services you may want can significantly increase the price. It is best to ask for a detailed estimate when conducting research trying to find the perfect maid service for you.
Calculate Your Worth
Your personality is priceless, but what is an hour of your time really worth? Once you figure out your personal hourly rate, figure out how much time you spend cleaning in one week and decide how much you would “pay” yourself for what you did during that week. Using this number can help you weigh the cost benefit of hiring a professional cleaning service instead of just doing the cleaning yourself. You may find that some cleaning services will clean significantly faster and better than you, essentially meaning it would “cost” you less to hire them instead of doing it all yourself.
Recommendations
Hiring a cleaning service is much like hiring a painter or a contractor; recommendations are key. If you have any friends that have or have had in the past a cleaning service, ask for their opinions. Ask about rates in your area, what you should expect, and try to get a phone number or two to call. If your friends can trust a cleaning service, you can too!
Independent vs Corporate Cleaners
Larger service companies will often charge about 50 percent more for an hour of cleaning than a local, independent cleaner. Although they will charge more, you will be covered if an item goes missing. Corporate services are licensed, bonded, and insured, plus they usually run a background check on their employees. If you do opt for a local, independent cleaning company, ask if they are bonded and insured. Some will be and if you come across ones that aren’t, ask for recommendations because word-of-mouth really works!
Your Needs
Make a list of chores you absolutely need done. Most of your cleaning requests will be standard for a cleaning company, but a few tasks can cost you extra. Creating a list of things you and your family can do will really help you decide what you need help with from the cleaning service.
Hiring a professional cleaning service isn’t for everyone, but if time is not on your side and you need to focus on more important things, hiring a maid service might be worth the money. If you’re looking for an excellent, family-owned and operated cleaning service in the Sarasota, FL area, call HouseMaids today at (941) 953-4300.
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