From a health and wellness perspective, hiring a cleaner is worth it: Studies show that people who live in clean homes have lower rates of allergy and asthma symptoms, improved sleep quality, reduced stress levels, and fewer incidences of illness, among other benefits. Like with any investment, however, it’s important to ensure that a maid fits your needs and your budget before hiring one. So, how do you find a local cleaning service that ticks off all your list of requirements?
Before Hiring a Cleaner, Ask Yourself These Questions
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Do you enjoy cleaning?
Before weighing up other factors, being honest with yourself is crucial. Do you look forward to cleaning every week, or do you dread it? Though we all feel as though we should enjoy cleaning, housekeeping tasks are called “chores” for a reason – many people don’t like to clean, and that’s okay. Acknowledging this and hiring a maid (rather than forcing yourself to do something you hate) will save you both time and money. Why? It’s human nature to put off doing jobs we don’t enjoy, so most people who hate cleaning get trapped in a draining cycle of guilt, procrastination, and chronic untidiness that costs more both financially and emotionally than using a maid service.
If you find cleaning rewarding, on the other hand, there may be benefits to doing your own housekeeping. Cleaning is a great way to burn calories and stay fit, for example, and the sense of satisfaction that comes from having a clean home is a definite confidence booster. With that being said, you may still benefit from annual or twice-annual professional deep cleaning, just to help keep your home in top condition.
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How busy are you?
Even people who genuinely like housekeeping can fall behind on chores if they rarely have time to do them but this will help you decide how often you need a cleaning service. Before deciding whether or not to hire a cleaner, think back over the last three months: How often have you felt like you were too busy to keep up with weekly maintenance cleaning? If you’ve skipped cleaning more than once or twice, you could probably use a bit of help from a professional. Remember: It only takes one missed weekly cleaning session to allow dangerous bacteria, like E. coli and salmonella, to accumulate in your kitchen and bathroom.
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How big is your home?
Owning a home is a great investment, but there’s no denying that cleaning a four-bedroom house is much more work than cleaning an apartment. This is especially true if your house is over 2000 square feet; on average, it takes 30 minutes to one hour of cleaning per day to clean a 3000 square foot home – for a total of about seven hours per week (and this doesn’t include deep cleaning). Unless you have a very forgiving work schedule, this can quickly become exhausting and interfere with your hobbies and family life.
To keep your spacious home looking as fresh and beautiful as the day you bought it, we strongly recommend scheduling a maid visit at least once a month. Having your home professionally cleaned from top to bottom can make weekly maintenance cleaning a lot more manageable and prevent your home from becoming a burden.
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Are you satisfied with your home’s level of cleanliness?
Because almost all of us have to do chores at some point during our lives, we often forget that cleaning is a skill; it takes the right techniques and a lot of practice to achieve great results. This fact is reflected in how many people are unhappy with their home’s level of cleanliness, despite being committed housekeepers: According to the 2020 ACI National Cleaning Survey, almost 80% of people say they typically aren’t satisfied with how clean their homes look.
Suppose you’re struggling with a home that looks dingy (or smells musty) despite your best efforts to keep it clean. In that case, a professional house cleaner can help you identify problem areas and take care of the little details we often overlook, such as baseboards, light fixtures, and ceiling fans. You can also consult our complete beginner’s Guide to Cleaning for useful tips on how to keep your home feeling fresh.
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Does your family frequently fight over doing chores?
Next to financial issues, housework is the most common cause of family strife, with 80% of couples saying they argue about cleaning at least somewhat often. If you can’t get your family to agree on when, how, and how often to do chores, hiring a cleaner can bring peace to your household – while ensuring that everything stays tidy.
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Do you have pets?
Pets can make housekeeping difficult, even for the most fastidious person – and this can have unexpected financial consequences. For renters, a pet-related mess can result in lost security deposit money. For homeowners, it can mean replacing prematurely damaged furniture and flooring. In either case, hiring a professional cleaner to remove stubborn stains, fur, and traces of pet litter from your home might save you money in the long run.
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What’s your budget like?
Cleaning services are more affordable than ever before. Still, it’s important to be aware that not all cleaners are the same; hiring an independent cleaner is typically cheaper than working with a cleaning company, for example, but these cleaners may not be licensed and bonded. This can open you up to expensive risks like property loss and liability issues and the possibility of missed appointments and low-quality work.
Book the Best Local Cleaning Service in Milwaukee
BetterCleans is a reliable home cleaning service. We only work with qualified, insured, and bonded maids in Milwaukee, giving customers peace of mind without worrying about high fees or contracts. To learn more about our flexible, affordable cleaning services, call 215-9698 to talk to our representatives and book your first clean today!