Most likely you spend several hours on household chores every week. If you are pressed for time and really want to throw out your duster so you can catch up on all of your favorite television shows or have more time to spend with your family, then it might be time for you to hire someone to help you. However, here are a couple of things you should consider first.
Before you literally throw the towel in, there are several things you should consider:
1. Add up the costs. In general, house cleaners charge $15 to $25 per hour, which may be more affordable than you originally thought. Extra services, lifestyle, pets, and location might all raise your rate significantly, so make sure to request a detailed estimate! If your spouse, kids, or dog are not house trained, then you will most likely be charged on the higher end of the range.
2. Calculate what your worth is. We understand that your personality is invaluable, but what is one hour of your time actually worth? LearnVest has a handy calculator that will help you determine what your own hourly rate is. Then, keep track of how much time it takes you to clean for one week and then calculate how much you should be paying yourself. This number can be used to weigh the cost benefit for hiring a cleaner rather than doing your own cleaning. You may discover that professional cleaners are able to clean much faster than you, so it will "cost" you less money to hire them rather than doing it all yourself.
3. Check with your friends. When you are looking to hire a house cleaner like Cleaners Joy it is similar to hiring a contractor: there is nothing more valuable than personal recommendations. So ask around, there is a good chance that some of your coworkers, neighbors, or friends will have house cleaners. Ask for their opinions about the rates in your local area and also try to get a few phone numbers. If a cleaner is someone a friend trusts, them most likely you can trust them as well.
4. Consider corporate vs. independent cleaners. Large service companies, on average, charge more than 50 percent extra per hour compared to independent local cleaners. Connectcleanersadelaide.com are very highly recommended. However, you will be covered just in case a favorite necklace or iPad disappears. That is because corporate services are insured, bonded and licensed, and usually, background checks are run on all of their employees. If you decide to hire an independent cleaner, you should try to hire one that has been in business for six months at least an is able to furnish 3-5 references. (Word of mouth once again works very well!)
5. Make a list of your needs. Determine which chores really need to be done. A majority of your requests will most likely be standards according to the company's cleaning routine. However, there are some tasks (making beds, ironing, dishes) that might cost extra money. You might want to split up your list: have a cleaning service do the heavy cleaning, and you and your spouse or partner do the lighter, everyday things. That will help to keep your costs lower, while still helping to relieve some of the stress.
Hiring a cleaner isn't the best thing for everyone, however, if your household chores are causing you a lot of stress or taking up a lot of time - then it could be an area where it will be worth it to you to spend a bit of extra money. If it isn't, then maybe you just need to make some small improvements to your cleaning routine (if you really know what you are doing you can get your house cleaned in 15 minutes).
I wish I could hire a cleaner just because I get tired of doing it. It never ends!
ReplyDeleteMe, too! I have a small home, but there's always so much to do!
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