Which Cleaning Services Will Cost You Extra?

When you hire a housekeeper, you typically have a range of services that are covered by the cost of hiring them. Dusting, vacuuming, and cleaning countertops is pretty standard. Some of them will include taking out the trash, whereas others charge extra for that. So it goes with many services. There are no industry wide mandates, but there are some standards that many maids adhere to.

First Clean

 Oftentimes, the first clean will be the most expensive one. That’s because the cleaning service does not know how clean your home might be. If it’s very unkempt, it could take them hours to get it clean. Subsequent cleanings will likely cost you less because they will have that baseline level of clean that the housekeepers can expect. So, a first cleaning is a service that will likely cost you extra.

Specialty Products

 You can expect to pay more if you have special cleaning product needs. Some people have allergies or sensitivities to certain chemicals used in cleaning. Others have ethical objections to certain kinds of chemicals. If you want your housekeeper to use uncommon cleaning supplies or to use eco-friendly cleaning supplies, you’ll likely see your costs go up. There are two reasons for that. Many housekeepers buy their cleaning supplies in bulk, which means that they pay less per item. If you want them to use something they don’t normally use, they might have to pay consumer prices for it. Also, those eco-friendly cleaning supplies are often just more expensive than alternatives.

Cleaning the Oven

 Cleaning the oven is an arduous task that involves a lot of bending and scrubbing. It also involves oven cleaner, which is a very harsh chemical. If you want your housekeeper to clean your oven, you should expect to pay more.

The same is true for cleaning the refrigerator. It’s a task that takes a lot of work and a lot of time. You’ll likely have to pay more for that.

Washing Windows

 If you want them to wash your windows, especially if you have windows on a second or third floor, you’ll need to pay extra. That will often require they bring more equipment. It might even involve a ladder or pressure washer. Washing windows is simple but it’s time-intensive.

These are just a few of the things you might pay extra for. You should discuss with your housekeeper what tasks you expect from them. That will ensure you’re not surprised by the price tag.

The Pros and Cons of Hiring a Freelance Maid

If you’ve decided to hire a housekeeper or to move on from your current housekeeper, you have two basic options. You can hire a freelancer or you can hire someone who works for a company. Each option has benefits and disadvantages. If you’re going to hire a freelancer, here are the pros and cons.

Pay Flexibility

 When a housekeeper works for a larger company, they likely have firm payment schedules that are not very flexible. They’ll charge by the hour or by the job and certain tasks will cost certain amounts. Generally, it’s not negotiable. With a freelancer, however, you’ll have more flexibility. That does not mean you can change after the work is done or that you should treat them differently than a company. It simply means that you’ll be able to negotiate on the price or the payment schedule with a freelancer. You can agree on something that is more tailored to you and works better for you both.

For example, cleaning an oven is an intense process that often costs extra with a maid. However, a freelancer might have the freedom to inspect your oven and charge you less than they would normally. Alternately, they have the freedom to charge you more if it’s a bigger job.

Less Insurance

 Maids are often insured against broken items. If they work for a company and break something while cleaning, the company will generally cover the value of that item. If they are freelancers, they might have less insurance or no insurance at all. That will increase the risk to you but it could also lower the cost of hiring them.

Finding Backups

 If you hire a company, there will be multiple housekeepers who work there. So, if your usual housekeeper is out sick or on vacation, you’ll still be able to get your house cleaned by someone else. If you hire a freelancer, there’s a chance that he or she will not have a backup to cover for them. So, if they’re sick or on vacation, you could just be out of luck.

Greater Specificity

 There are restrictions on what housekeepers who work for companies can do. There are sometimes restrictions on how long they can be at each job as well. Alternately, a freelancer can agree on different amount of specificity. If you need something cleaned in a certain way, you might need a freelancer who will agree to it.

How Do You Know Your Maid Won’t Steal From You?

Letting someone into your house, especially when you’re not going to be there, is always a little bit nerve-wracking. The housekeeper will be going through pretty much every room in your house. They have ample opportunity to steal from you. That’s why it’s been the subject of so many different sitcoms and dramas over the years. It’s remarkably uncommon for maids to steal from someone; it wouldn’t’ make any sense. If something goes missing from your house, it’s very likely you would suspect the person you don’t know who is there while you’re not. Be that as it may, some people are still worried. Here’s how to make sure the maid won’t steal from you.

Hire From a Firm

If you hire a legitimate cleaning person, it’s very unlikely he or she will steal from you. That’s why it’s so important to hire from a firm if you don’t know how to vet your own cleaning people. The firm will do the betting for you. They will do background checks, performance reviews, and even random inspections. The cleaning firms will make sure that nothing untoward is happening because it is their reputations on the line. If they get a reputation for hiring maids who steal, they’ll quickly start losing business. So, look up reviews of different housekeeping firms. If you find one that sounds promising, do a little bit of research.

Vet Your Maid

If you are going to be hiring a freelance maid, you should ask that person for references. They should be able to tell you about past employment as well as refer you to other places that they’ve cleaned. Essentially, you need to take on the role of your own human resources department. Call their references and their past clients.

Nanny Cams

Nanny cameras are discreet cameras that are typically placed inside of teddy bears, picture frames, and other innocuous items. They allow you to film what’s going on inside of your house and keep an eye on it. Make sure it’s legal to film where you are; it’s almost definitely legal to film inside of your own house in every state.

If you want, you can even tell the cleaning person that you have a camera inside of the house. However, it’s very uncommon for maids to steal because it’s such an obvious crime. It’s rare enough that stories of maids stealing tend to make the news. Common occurrences don’t generally make the news.

Dealing with Pet Hair in your Home

While we all love our pets most of us could do without the fur. Summer leads to a lot of shedding and you may be wondering how to best deal with all the fur in your home, on your clothes and on your pets.

How Much Does a Maid Service Cost and Is it Worth the Money?

The price for a maid service will vary from place to place. It will also vary depending on the time of year. Maid services tend to be somewhat seasonal businesses. There are many people who hire a maid to come regularly; this is the most cost-efficient model. However, others will hire a maid to come once or twice a year. They’ll do this usually in the spring or before they have guests during the holiday season. That makes the business somewhat seasonal. As a result, some maid services will have special surge prices.