Choosing a Cleaning Service

Whether you run a business or just a household (it can be just as demanding!), finding the time to clean can be impossible. Trying to balance work, family, friends, and other assorted obligations is enough for one lifetime, let alone squeezing a regular and frequent tidy-up session into your calendar.

And that’s why we have cleaning services. When it comes to keeping our homes and businesses looking new and clean all the time, we can trust the professionals, who have the necessary time and skill to work wonders.

You may not realize this, but there are actually many types of cleaning services so everyone’s specific needs can be met. A live-in maid? Check. Carpet cleaning only? Check. Commercial cleaning for your grocery store? Check! Once you look into what types of cleaning services there are, you will be able to then decide which is right for you. Only you can make that call, because it really depends on your schedule, your needs, and your budget.

And this all might change, too. Your home might be a biohazard right now, and you think you need someone every week, but maybe after one or two good clean-ups, you find you can really cut back to once a month. Or, maybe you have an expendable budget and you just can’t keep up with your home’s ever mounting pile of tasks to be done – time for a full-time maid, perhaps? Who knows, maybe you can totally handle tidying up around the house, but the carpets are dingy and in desperate need of reviving?

Your two most valuable sources for finding your service are the newspaper and the web – and let’s face it, you’ll probably use the web. There’s just more there. You will most likely find a few good choice in your classifieds section, but the web allows you to search through infinite results. Weighing multiple services will make you feel more confident and secure in your decision.

A few examples of types of cleaning services:

Live-In Help: You’ll want to turn to an agency for any live-in help. It’s important to use an agency, because remember, this person will be living with you. You want to know this person comes from an agency that in order to be represented by, they had to undergo background checks, security run-throughs, references, training, screenings, and so on. What’s great about most agencies’ websites is that you can find anything, or anyone, you need: housekeepers, nannies, maids, disability care, senior care, chauffeurs, chefs, and more. When you choose what service you are looking to hire, you will enlist with the agency as a client by answering the basic questions, like living arrangements, needs, salary, etc. Remember, you can also go part-time, even though it’s live-in service. Salaries for live-ins typically range from $350 to $750 per week, and there will be a contract signed through the agency.

Weekly, Bi-Weekly, Monthly, or As Needed: You can find an independent maid in the newspaper or on classified websites like Craigslist. But remember, while this isn’t live-in, this is still a situation where a new person will be in your home regularly. You may want to take steps similar to that of a live-in maid search, and go though a recognized company like many of the available maid services that offer great, easy guides to their services and pricing online. That way, you have a known name standing behind your maid, as a sort of seal of approval. You can trust your maid has been checked and screened, and is a great choice. There are many national chains, with locations all over the country for your convenience. Then there are more localized services - either way, these recognized names carry trustworthiness in their reputations. They offer services that are weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, or one-time, so you can simply call in a maid as needed.

The price depends on the size of your home and the workload. So you could have a large home that is more or less neat and pay less than someone with a smaller home that requires more cleaning. With most services, you can request a quote right there on their website by filling in your basic information. The company will then contact you with the quote, though this will involve more questions on your home and cleaning needs.

Commercial Cleaning: A lot of commercial cleaning services are more local, so you should search by your city if looking online. These companies offer cleaning services and janitorial services for every sort of business, and the sessions can be one-time, move-in/move-out, monthly, bi-weekly, weekly, or even daily. The cleaners will handle typical cleaning services just like a residential cleaner, plus more industrial tasks like machine cleaning and restroom disinfection. Additionally, all typical cleaning services will be performed with industrial strength methods and products. You want high-power, high-strength cleaning, since a place of business gets a great deal more traffic than a home. Again, your cost will depend on frequency, size, and workload.

Remember, in residential and commercial cleaning, that you can ask for green cleaning. The cleaners will use environmentally friendly and safe products, and normally, this should not be at any extra cost (so if it is, try shopping around.)

Carpet Cleaning and Window Cleaning: Carpet cleaning and window cleaning services are generally easier to find than general cleaning services. This is because you’ll use carpet cleaners and window cleaners on a one-time, as-needed basis instead of regularly. There’s not as much trepidation about bringing the person into the home. Of course, you are still bringing a stranger(s) into your home, so you still want to use a recognized company that offers its backing and approval of its cleaners.

But, you may not need to do any shopping around for anything other than price. There’s one goal here: to get your carpet(s) or windows cleaned. If that can be done, and for a good price, then we’re in business. Plus, these services also offer services cleaning other things around the house that need a good, as-needed basis cleaning. For example, many carpet cleaning companies also do tile and grout, so it’s easy one-stop shopping for your floors! Beyond floors, they will also clean upholstered furniture, leather furniture, and the interior of your car, all under one quote. Now, there is often a job minimum, but the prices are really fair. Remember to check online at the company of your choice’s website. You can also have your upholstered sofa cleaned and the inside of your mid-sized car cleaned, in addition to the carpet cleaning, all in one package price.

The process is basically the same for window cleaning. Find a company close to you. You will fill out a form and submit it for your quote, which will be based on the amount of windows you want cleaned and the services you want performed. The typical company cleans windows, mirrors, gutters, ceiling fans, construction clean-up, skylights, screens, chandeliers, and sills.

You can find what you need online, and the great thing is that there are nationally recognized companies for all different services. So, you never have to doubt your choice in cleaners, your price, or the job done, because so many resources are out there to shop around.