Which Should You Hire: A Housekeeper or a Cleaning Company?
If you want your home cleaned to the way that you desire, you have to think about how you will approach this. You can hire someone to clean your house, but should you hire a private housekeeper or a cleaning company? Read on. This blog is for you. The information below should help you figure out whether you should hire a housekeeper or a Cleaning Company based on your needs.
Advantages and Disadvantages of a Professional Cleaning Service
A cleaning company has a team of professional cleaners. Professional cleaning companies in Boynton Beach provide cleaning services for both homes and businesses. Duties performed should include dusting and cleaning for floors, bathrooms, kitchens, and more. Maid Services in Philadelphia offer different levels of services like deep cleaning or general cleaning for maintenance. They might charge work by the hour, or they might charge by project. To get the cleaning work done more efficiently, the company might send several cleaning staff to the client’s property.
Advantages
Staff is vetted
Main Line Cleaning Companies vet their own employees, so you do not have to interview the house cleaners yourself. Cleaning companies in Delray Beach will do all the checking into the person’s work experience, background, and more.
Training
Before a professional cleaning service in Bryn Mawr sends house cleaners to any clients, they train their staff extensively so they know how to clean properly using the company’s tools and products.
Sufficient staffing
Some cleaning jobs are bigger in scope, and thus require a bigger cleaning staff. Professional cleaning companies in Yardley enough trained staff to dispatch additional house cleaners for the big projects.
Reliability
If a one of the cleaning staff at a maid service in Boynton Beach is sick or takes time off, the cleaning company sends another trained cleaner to the client to fill in.
Licensed and Insured with Workers Compensation
A professional cleaning company in Cherry Hill should have a license to operate in your state. They should also be properly insured to protect their clients. To cover damage, breakage, or theft, the company should be bonded and carry liability insurance. Maid Services in Boca Raton must also carry workers compensation insurance. This covers the company’s employees if they get injured on your property while cleaning. This protects you as the client, the business, and the employees.
Tax filing
Professional cleaning companies in Rosemont take care of filing payroll taxes for their employees.
Read this IRS article about Hiring Household Employees. And, by the way, house cleaners are included in this category. Taxes are due for all home cleaning services.
Proper Cleaning Tools and Products
Professional cleaning services in Center City provide their staff with the proper cleaning products and tools to clean the property.
Cleaning Scope of Services
Cleaning services in Lafayette Hill usually provide a clear description of the scope of each level of cleaning package. They also list optional services that you can add on for an extra fee. Extras might include oven cleaning, refrigerator cleaning, and others. Sometimes the company is flexible and might allow you to substitute a standard area or room with something in the add-on category.
Disadvantages
Staffing
When your regular cleaning staff is not available, Professional Cleaning Services in Wellington might send out a replacement staff whom you have never met before. Some clients might not like the unfamiliarity. But, keep in mind, sending a replacement is much better than not getting your home cleaned, right?
Scheduling
Most cleaning services in Rydal have a tight, recurring master schedule of all the cleaning assignments. If you need to change your scheduled cleaning date or time, you might not get exactly the time and date you want.
But, the good news is that most of the time, maid services in Elkins Park might ask another customer to see if they are willing to change their time in order to accommodate yours. Most homeowners have no problems with making the change.
More Costly
Cleaning companies in West Palm Beach have a lot of overhead, which is often the result of supplying the right cleaning products and tools, training new employees, and more. So, cleaning fees of professional cleaning companies in Manyunk are usually higher than that of individual cleaners.
Advantages and Disadvantages of an Individual Housekeeper
Some people clean house as a full-time employment. Others work part time and treat this as their side gig. Individual cleaners usually cost less than cleaning services. They are also more flexibly with scheduling. However, you might be responsible for payroll taxes, so be aware of that.
Advantages
Lower cost
Individual cleaners do not have as much overhead as cleaning companies. They pay for their own transportation and some provide their own cleaning supplies. Therefore, their fees are usually lower.
Scheduling
It might be easier to get the date and time you want because the individual cleaner can be flexible.
Flexibility of cleaning tasks
It is easier to negotiate with a personal housekeeper what you need them to do and how much you are willing to pay. Sometimes you might even be able to get a little extra done if he or she is willing to include it.
Disadvantages
Limited Staffing
There is a very big difference in this area between hiring a housekeeper or a cleaning company. When the house cleaner’s schedule is full, he or she might not be able to fit you in. So, you may not get your house cleaned by the date you desire.
Training
Your personal maid probably does not have any formal training in cleaning and their knowledge might be limited. So, there might some areas in your home that your maid might not know how to clean properly.
Limited in Cleaning Scope
Since personal housekeepers work alone, they might not have the capacity to clean large homes or to take on bigger jobs that require two people to do. However, the housekeeper might sometimes bring along a friend to help.
Inconsistent Reliability
If your housekeeper becomes ill or takes a vacation, you could be without a cleaning person until the housekeeper returns.
Licensing, Liability, Workers Compensation
A personal house cleaner usually is not bonded or insured. The person is not likely to be licensed. If something breaks while they are cleaning, the cleaner is not held responsible unless your contract specifies otherwise. If the cleaning person is injured on your property, you might be liable to pay for their medical costs.
Availability
When the cleaner has a tight schedule of cleaning homes for their clients and it is set, you might not be able to change your scheduled date or time because the cleaner’s schedule is full.
Taxes
Depending on how often you use the housekeeper in a year and how many other clients the housekeeper has, the IRS might consider that person to be your employee instead of a freelance worker. Anyone who earns more than $600 in a year needs payroll taxes to be reported. If you do not report the taxes, and your housekeeper reports the income they made from you, you might incur a penalty from the IRS. Therefore, you need to comply with IRS guidelines in regards to hiring domestic help to avoid tax penalties. There is a lot to think about when looking to get your home cleaned. Regardless of hiring a housekeeper or a Cleaning Company, keep in mind taxes need to be paid. When you hire a housekeeper, you are responsible for reporting and paying taxes to the government. When you hire a Professional Cleaning Company they are responsible for reporting and paying taxes to the government.
Read this article that explains why paying your housekeeper in cash is NOT a good idea for you.
Read this IRS article about Hiring Household Employees. And, by the way, house cleaners are included in this category. Taxes are due for all home cleaning services.
Cleaning Supplies and Tools
Your housekeeper may or may not bring their own cleaning supplies and tools. If they don’t bring their own supplies, you would have to provide those. This is something that you have to negotiate in advance when you hire them.
Scope of the Job
Most housekeepers use their own judgement as to what requires cleaning. You can make specific requests, but they also use their own assessment when they do the work.
Side-by-Side Comparison: Housekeeper or a Cleaning Company
Both methods offer good cleaning services. The intent of this article is to help you decide what works best for you needs. Executive Maids has been in the house cleaning industry for many years serving clients who want the highest quality of cleaning for their properties. We feel that we have the knowledge and expertise to answer your questions about house cleaning and to help you make a decision that is most appropriate for you. If you have any questions about any aspects of house cleaning, feel free to contact us. Our cleaning experts are here to help you make the best choice that fits your needs and budget.
Best Job In Cleaning Comparison: Housekeeper or a Cleaning Company
Either a housekeeper or a cleaning company will get you a home that sparkles. So, it is a draw.
Customizations and Options Comparison: Housekeeper or a Cleaning Company
You can get add-on services from cleaning companies, but you usually need to arrange for those in advance. The add-ons come with an extra cost, and they might not be available at the time you need them because they might not have time to do them during the time they spend in your home.
An individual cleaner is more flexible in accommodating your needs and can usually make changes quicker to services if they do not impact their schedule with the next client. They can usually do extra tasks that were not specified in the original agreement for a slightly higher price.
Cost Comparison: Housekeeper or a Cleaning Company
There is a very big difference in this area between hiring a housekeeper or a cleaning company. Cleaning companies typically charge $55 to $85 an hour, while an individual cleaner might charge between $25 and $45 an hour. The price will vary by geographic location, the property’s size and condition, and the specific services you want.
Less Expensive: Individual cleaners
More Value: Cleaning companies
Ease of Communication Comparison: Housekeeper or a Cleaning Company
Individual cleaners typically just communicate with you by phone or by text. Cleaning companies might have more sophisticated methods like online scheduling and auto-notifications when they arrive or leave your property. Some clients like the professional, automated methods, while other clients like the personal touch that direct communication provides. Whether you hire a housekeeper or a cleaning company communication is important. We recommend you learn about the options available to you when it comes to communication before hiring one or the other.
Both ways are just as easy work with and schedule, so it depends on what approach you prefer.
Consistency Comparison: Housekeeper or a Cleaning Company
An independent cleaner gets familiar with cleaning your property, but if the individual is not available due to illness or other reasons, your house will not get cleaned as scheduled. On the other hand, a cleaning company has cleaning standards and set procedures, but you might not get the same cleaning person each time.
Reliability Comparison: Housekeeper or a Cleaning Company
A professional cleaning company is better in this regard.
Peace of Mind and Protection Comparison: Housekeeper or a Cleaning Company
Freelance house cleaners are hardly ever insured or bonded. If something is broken during cleaning, the cleaner will not pay for the damage. If the cleaner is injured on your property, you might be liable for their medical expenses. Reputable cleaning companies are always insured and bonded. So when their employees are in your home, you can rest easy that you will not run into liability issues.
Regardless of which direction you go with, always discuss insurance and liability issues before you hire someone or a company to do your cleaning
Risk Comparison: Housekeeper or a Cleaning Company
Cleaning company has less risk.
There are many factors to think about when looking to get your home cleaned. We hope bringing the difference between a Housekeeper or a Cleaning Company are helpful to you. If you have any questions about these differences, feel free to reach out to Executive Maids. We are here to help you, even if the option that works best for you is hiring a private housekeeper.
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