Choosing a house cleaner for your home is a decision that can have a considerable impact on your quality of life. With so many factors to consider, simply knowing where to begin can become overwhelming and at times, intimidating. While there’s already a wealth of information that can help you decide, we have highlighted key points to evaluate before making your decision.
Where to find house cleaners 
If you decide to hire a house cleaner directly you have the advantage of being able to dictate what products they use and the hours you want them to put in each week. You will also be able to choose someone you personally like and feel you can trust with cleaning your home. However, this method of hiring does have its downsides. Hiring through an agency has the advantages of not having to deal with tax responsibilities as you are not their direct employer and not having the risk of the cleaner quit, leaving you to begin the hiring process all over again. Hiring house cleaners directly from a company is the best of both worlds.
Interview carefully
When you begin your interview process, have a clear idea of what you need from a house cleaner. Write your questions and requirements down prior to meeting so you don’t forget them. This person is going to be coming into your home on a regular basis. You have to feel that you can trust them with your belongings and can build a comfortable, working relationship with them. Do careful background checks and ask for references from previous employers including up-to-date contact information so that you can verify them. Have a Disclosure and Barring Service or DBS check done (formerly Criminal Records Bureau or CRB) if you have children who will be around the house at the same time as the cleaner. Having regular house cleaning for your home is a treat and you need to feel that this person coming into your home is safe and trustworthy.
What products you want used
If you do decide to hire directly, you must be clear on what kind of products you want used in your home. If you only want environmentally friendly products to be used, you must specify this before your cleaner begins work.
Be clear about which rooms you want cleaned
Write down a list of the rooms in the house that you want cleaned. Go over it with the cleaner so that they are clear about what their cleaning duties will be each week. When you have worked out which rooms you want cleaned, you can calculate how many hours a week you want your cleaner to work. Be realistic about how many rooms you expect to be cleaned. For example, if you only want your house cleaner to work two hours a week, work out a practical amount of work for them to do during that time.
Give clear instructions
You also need to let your cleaner know exactly what you expect of them. If you want certain rooms vacuumed and polished and tidied, make sure your house cleaner understands all of their tasks. For certain jobs, you might not need your cleaner to do them every week. For example, cleaning the oven can be done once a month.
Protect your home
Although it is good to build a relationship with your house cleaner so that you can both share mutual trust and respect, make sure you tidy away any papers or items you don’t wish for them to accidentally see. Private and confidential papers like bills can be locked away in your desk where they won’t get thrown out by accident.
State your expectations
From the very beginning of your relationship with your cleaner, you should be clear about your expectations of their work. Keep an open and honest line of communication with them so that if either of you has a problem, it can be resolved effectively and efficiently. While communicating your thoughts is important so that your house cleaning services can be continuously tailored to your specific or evolving needs, miscommunication can result in losing a home cleaner and having to start the whole process of finding and vetting another.
Work out a payment system
Work out how you are going to pay your house cleaner early on in the process. Discuss with them how they would like to be paid – either by cash or directly into their account, weekly or monthly. If your weekly home cleaner wants to be paid at the end of each shift, make sure you have the money ready for them when it is due. If you forget to withdraw it or transfer it into their account, it may come off as lack of respect for the work they have done for you!
Professional House Cleaning Services
Hiring a cleaner through a company that offers house cleaning services will free you from many of these obligations, which many will find very convenient.
If you want a house cleaner for your home but don’t want to hire directly, contact us for a quote now. We offer a range of professional house cleaning services to suit every home or budget.
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