What to Expect From a Housekeeper
Housekeepers should provide a welcome home feeling. Coming home to a clean house is a reception all of us desire. Smelling the lightly fresh scent as you walk through the door should convey a welcome, kick back, and relax atmosphere. Who wouldn’t want that warm fuzzy greeting? Your home should bestow messages of pleasure and delight. When you walk in the front door, for as far as your eye can see: warm polished wood, glowing hardwood floors, sparkling counters, fresh baths, pristine kitchens, and wall to wall carpets should incite comfort.
Reasons to Hire a Housekeeper
There are many reasons to hire a housekeeper. Some families require a housekeeper just to meet the busy demands of life. Juggling family activities, running errands, taking the children to dance or sports practices, daycare, school, picking up dry cleaning, grocery shopping, and/or having an outside job is extremely stressful. There’s simply no energy or time left when completing a multi list of tasks. A good housekeeper can help eliminate some of the stress. Her presence will make your home become warm and inviting. Also, there are some people that dislike housekeeping and would rather spend their time elsewhere.
Deciding How Often and How Long
Housekeepers should provide a welcome home feeling. Coming home to a clean house is a reception all of us desire. Smelling the lightly fresh scent as you walk through the door should convey a welcome, kick back, and relax atmosphere. Who wouldn’t want that warm fuzzy greeting? Your home should bestow messages of pleasure and delight. When you walk in the front door, for as far as your eye can see: warm polished wood, glowing hardwood floors, sparkling counters, fresh baths, pristine kitchens, and wall to wall carpets should incite comfort.
Reasons to Hire a Housekeeper
There are many reasons to hire a housekeeper. Some families require a housekeeper just to meet the busy demands of life. Juggling family activities, running errands, taking the children to dance or sports practices, daycare, school, picking up dry cleaning, grocery shopping, and/or having an outside job is extremely stressful. There’s simply no energy or time left when completing a multi list of tasks. A good housekeeper can help eliminate some of the stress. Her presence will make your home become warm and inviting. Also, there are some people that dislike housekeeping and would rather spend their time elsewhere.
Deciding How Often and How Long
When hiring a housekeeper it is important to decide on the desired tasks needed to be done. If you’re rarely home you may only need someone on a monthly basis.
Bi-Weekly Services
If you're home often, have the energy and time to do the upkeep such as dishes, sweeping, vacuuming, errand running, and the daily picking-ups around the house, then hiring someone who comes in bi-weekly is a good start. Hiring someone bi-weekly is the most common practice followed by weekly. Remember that even with a housekeeper, daily chores still need to get done. Loading and unloading the dishwasher, cleaning the stove top, counters, making the beds, sweeping floors, spot cleaning the bathrooms, laundry, and picking up clothes, books, magazines are all daily tasks. If you don't have that kind of time, you may want to consider hiring someone weekly.
Weekly Service
This type service may be your only answer if you live life filled with daily challenges. If you feel you have a “to do list” that’s always impossible to manage; then having someone help in the house can be a fabulous way to bring tranquility back into your home.
Bi-Weekly Services
If you're home often, have the energy and time to do the upkeep such as dishes, sweeping, vacuuming, errand running, and the daily picking-ups around the house, then hiring someone who comes in bi-weekly is a good start. Hiring someone bi-weekly is the most common practice followed by weekly. Remember that even with a housekeeper, daily chores still need to get done. Loading and unloading the dishwasher, cleaning the stove top, counters, making the beds, sweeping floors, spot cleaning the bathrooms, laundry, and picking up clothes, books, magazines are all daily tasks. If you don't have that kind of time, you may want to consider hiring someone weekly.
Weekly Service
This type service may be your only answer if you live life filled with daily challenges. If you feel you have a “to do list” that’s always impossible to manage; then having someone help in the house can be a fabulous way to bring tranquility back into your home.
It is also important to accurately judge the time it will take to clean your home. The best way to do that is to perform all the cleaning and tasks, the way you would want them done. Keep in mind that a professional housekeeping service should be able to accomplish the tasks in less time, but if they're done in half the time it took you, they may be taking short cuts, and fall short of your expectations. It is also important to note that the first and second visits may take the service longer to clean. A deep cleaning sets up a maintainable clean home.
Communication with the Housekeeper
Everyone is as different as night and day. The way we clean our homes can be just as unique. Let the housekeeper know if there are any special instructions, or if there are tasks needing extra or no attention. There may be items in your home you do not want cleaned such as pictures or heirlooms. A good housekeeper’s goal is to exceed your expectations. If you don’t convey your wishes and needs, it’s possible an opportunity could be missed to surpass your expectations. On the other hand, it is equally important for a housekeeper to have a pleasant openness towards comments or suggestions concerning their customer’s home. After all, you are a paying customer, and the customer‘s wishes should always be adhered to.
Communication with the Housekeeper
Everyone is as different as night and day. The way we clean our homes can be just as unique. Let the housekeeper know if there are any special instructions, or if there are tasks needing extra or no attention. There may be items in your home you do not want cleaned such as pictures or heirlooms. A good housekeeper’s goal is to exceed your expectations. If you don’t convey your wishes and needs, it’s possible an opportunity could be missed to surpass your expectations. On the other hand, it is equally important for a housekeeper to have a pleasant openness towards comments or suggestions concerning their customer’s home. After all, you are a paying customer, and the customer‘s wishes should always be adhered to.
Another good way to obtain great communication with your housekeeper is to do a walk- through after each cleaning. By doing spot checks on areas that are important to you, you can better communicate your needs. Make a note of any area that requires attention. Those areas should be well cleaned once they are brought to the attention of your housekeeper. Jotting down a quick note won’t take much time, and a good housekeeper will ultimately appreciate your communication so she can continue to provide you with excellent service.
It is also good practice to ask the housekeeper if she is willing to do extra chores such as windows, carpet shampooing, waxing floors, cleaning porches, storage areas, etc.. You may already know that there are seasonal tasks you want done, and you shouldn’t assume extra chores will be included in their services. However, it’s likely that the housekeeper will be more than happy to accommodate your request.
Cost
Cost
Housekeepers are usually paid by the hour. The going rates vary from town to town and state to state, so the best way to determine fair market value is to call around your area. Commercial cleaning services usually charge by the job which again varies in price depending on where you live. Due to the lower overhead, an independent individual can usually charge less than commercial services.
Who Should You Hire
Make sure you hire someone who is licensed, bonded, insured, has references, a background check, and has been doing housekeeping professionally for a while. More than likely bonding or insurance will never be used, but it gives customers, and the service, added peace of mind. References should always be checked. Ask if the person shows up for work every time, on time, what services are done, how happy is the housekeeper to do the work, do they have a key to their home, and how long have they used the service. Also ask if the housekeeper has complied with specific requests, and how open were they to accommodate the customer.
A housekeeper that is often late or frequently calls to reschedule her day can cause real headaches, and further complicate your already busy schedule.
Should you be Home
If possible, be home for the first and second services. This will let you see the quality of work being done, and allow an opportunity to request or tweak your personal preferences. It will also give the housekeeper a chance to provide individual service. Once satisfied that the right housekeeper has been chosen, most clients give housekeepers a key to their home. By the time the housekeeper arrives, the client has left for work, or set about their daily activities.
Ground Rules
From the beginning it should be made clear that all matters pertaining to your home are to remain private. If a housekeeper comes in, makes a beeline for the cleaning supplies while asking if there are any special cleaning instructions, then she is not very likely to mope about, and not all that interested in your private life.
Who Should You Hire
Make sure you hire someone who is licensed, bonded, insured, has references, a background check, and has been doing housekeeping professionally for a while. More than likely bonding or insurance will never be used, but it gives customers, and the service, added peace of mind. References should always be checked. Ask if the person shows up for work every time, on time, what services are done, how happy is the housekeeper to do the work, do they have a key to their home, and how long have they used the service. Also ask if the housekeeper has complied with specific requests, and how open were they to accommodate the customer.
A housekeeper that is often late or frequently calls to reschedule her day can cause real headaches, and further complicate your already busy schedule.
Should you be Home
If possible, be home for the first and second services. This will let you see the quality of work being done, and allow an opportunity to request or tweak your personal preferences. It will also give the housekeeper a chance to provide individual service. Once satisfied that the right housekeeper has been chosen, most clients give housekeepers a key to their home. By the time the housekeeper arrives, the client has left for work, or set about their daily activities.
Ground Rules
From the beginning it should be made clear that all matters pertaining to your home are to remain private. If a housekeeper comes in, makes a beeline for the cleaning supplies while asking if there are any special cleaning instructions, then she is not very likely to mope about, and not all that interested in your private life.
With technology at an all time high there are some important guidelines that should be in place. Cell phones are one of the most useful tools of our time, but have no place in your home when you are paying someone by the hour. Be sure to let the housekeeper know that you do not expect to see them with a Bluetooth chatting away while on the clock. They have entered into a commitment to provide quality work that should be completed in a timely manner. If a customer is home with the service, the housekeeper should be able to hear the customer at all times.
Who Should Provide Cleaning Equipment and Supplies
This question depends on the service. Commercial cleaning services and many housekeepers provide most, if not all of the equipment and supplies. However, most private housekeepers do not supply vacuums, and may have a nominal fee for supplies needed such as dusting sprays, cleansers, glass cleaners, etc.. Some housekeepers have already factored in their cost of supplies. Experienced housekeepers usually have their preferences of cleaners, and know which products work best.
Getting the Biggest Bang for Your Buck
Getting the most from your dollar is not that hard when hiring a housekeeper. Get your home as clutter-free as possible. The more time a housekeeper spends moving items from one place to the next, and back again, the more money it costs. There are some simple tips to minimize the time it takes to clean. Bathrooms are one of the most time consuming areas to clean. Many daily items are left on countertops and shelves, which must be moved to achieve a thorough cleaning. Placing these items in decorative baskets or containers saves time by having to move just one or two items instead of ten or twenty. Picking up books, magazines, newspapers, toys, clothes, and mail saves time, which directly affects the cost of the service.
How to Pay Your Housekeeper
Paying your housekeeping service may be done by check, credit card, or cash. The preferred method would be check or credit card. With both those types of payment there is an automatic receipt and paper trail.
Your Decision
Although there may be many reasons why a housekeeper is desired, the benefits are clear. Whether coming home to a fresh, clean house is motivation enough, the real advantage is allowing yourself time to relax and enjoy yourself and your home. Don’t just dream about hiring a housekeeper, make that dream a reality. Think about how much simpler life would be with all that extra free time.
Who Should Provide Cleaning Equipment and Supplies
This question depends on the service. Commercial cleaning services and many housekeepers provide most, if not all of the equipment and supplies. However, most private housekeepers do not supply vacuums, and may have a nominal fee for supplies needed such as dusting sprays, cleansers, glass cleaners, etc.. Some housekeepers have already factored in their cost of supplies. Experienced housekeepers usually have their preferences of cleaners, and know which products work best.
Getting the Biggest Bang for Your Buck
Getting the most from your dollar is not that hard when hiring a housekeeper. Get your home as clutter-free as possible. The more time a housekeeper spends moving items from one place to the next, and back again, the more money it costs. There are some simple tips to minimize the time it takes to clean. Bathrooms are one of the most time consuming areas to clean. Many daily items are left on countertops and shelves, which must be moved to achieve a thorough cleaning. Placing these items in decorative baskets or containers saves time by having to move just one or two items instead of ten or twenty. Picking up books, magazines, newspapers, toys, clothes, and mail saves time, which directly affects the cost of the service.
How to Pay Your Housekeeper
Paying your housekeeping service may be done by check, credit card, or cash. The preferred method would be check or credit card. With both those types of payment there is an automatic receipt and paper trail.
Your Decision
Although there may be many reasons why a housekeeper is desired, the benefits are clear. Whether coming home to a fresh, clean house is motivation enough, the real advantage is allowing yourself time to relax and enjoy yourself and your home. Don’t just dream about hiring a housekeeper, make that dream a reality. Think about how much simpler life would be with all that extra free time.
The Chore and Errand Runner
Licensed, Bonded & Insured
P.O. Box 5083
Columbia, South Carolina 29250
803-466-1419
Licensed, Bonded & Insured
P.O. Box 5083
Columbia, South Carolina 29250
803-466-1419