Entrusting your domestic chores to a cleaning professional definitely makes life easier. The cost, however, is what mainly troubles people, especially when there are regular cleaning sessions involved. Truth is, though, that getting a cleaner can cost you less – less stress, less work, and even less money if you know a thing or two.
That’s a good question and we are here to give you the answers. While some of the things you will read below are probably pretty obvious, we often notice that people either forget about them or neglect them. The latter normally happens because they don’t fully understand their logic and, therefore, the benefits that derive from them.
There is a big difference between the standard domestic cleaning (done on a regular basis) and the so-called one-off cleaning, besides the price. Unfortunately, not everyone understands that and this causes a lot of confusion. So, let’s clarify this first.
Regular vs one-time clean
For starters, regular domestic or house cleaning is a recurring service. You can have a cleaner come weekly, monthly or fortnightly and take care of the cleaning chores. The one-off cleaning is just a one-time cleaning session.
Basic vs in-depth cleaning
The regular cleaning includes basic housekeeping tasks that we do anyway every week to keep our homes clean and tidy, such as vacuuming, dusting, laundry, etc.
The one-off cleaning is a deep cleaning of the whole place, including washing the windows on the inside, spot-cleaning walls, disinfecting appliances inside-out, cleaning various fixtures and fittings in great detail and more. That’s why a lot of people prefer to take advantage of it when they are moving into a new place, before or after a special event, or to get professional help with, say, their spring cleaning needs.
Short vs long cleaning sessions
Of course, there is also a difference in the time required for the services’ completion, which reflects on the price. While both are usually charged by the hour, the time they require is not the same. The more frequent the regular cleaning sessions are, the easier it is and the less time will take to maintain the property clean. This, of course, will prove more cost-efficient in the long run.
In addition, the cleaners also become familiar with the tasks you need to do, so they complete them faster. Plus, you have the flexibility to prioritise and change the chores you need to do around the house, so you can have the more pressing ones at the time performed within the hours you have booked.
A thorough deep cleaning of the place costs more per hour because of the amount of work and greater effort involved, as well as due to the specialised equipment and professional detergents, often used for the job. The standard number of hours (3-4) might get even higher if the property is in bad condition. There is often a minimum charge for such type of cleaning, too.
So, the question you need to ask yourself is: “What are your cleaning needs?”. Having a regular cleaner can save you both time and money, while you enjoy a well-maintained and clean home all the time. A one-off cleaning service, on the other hand, is good to consider and only book when you are moving out or just want to save yourself the hard work of spring cleaning your home this year. So, in this case, keep in mind that the higher hourly fee in combination with the number of hours will reflected in the final price.
To note here, a regularly maintained property by a dedicated housekeeper or maid will probably take less time to deep clean it, as well, when the need arises.
There are special additional products that can be applied during a professional carpet/upholstery cleaning session. They are normally specialised products that provide a layer of protection after the service is done. However, these are often overlooked or dismissed because of an extra charge. Truth is, though, that they can help you save on professional cleaning in the long run.
A Scotchgard Protector is one of these products, which can be applied after steam cleaning carpets or upholstered furniture. It not only makes the fibres more resistant to dirt, so that vacuuming can be more effective after the service but also protects against stains for up to 6 months, making maintenance a piece of cake. This means that oily and water-based spills will not have the chance to get absorbed by the material and form stains that are so annoying to remove. Any existing spots will be also easily eliminated.
Leather furniture, on the other hand, can also receive special treatment with a conditioner that can prevent cracking, preserve the colour from negative UVs and extend the leather’s lifespan, keeping it smooth and moisturised. A rust-resistant oil is also available and can be applied after a professional BBQ cleaning to protect the internal parts of the appliance.
So, the next time you have some professional cleaning done in the house, it is good to consider opting for that extra protection, which will pay off later.
Booking multiple appointments makes you a loyal customer and this can reflect on the price of your services. Why pay the regular fee when you can benefit from a deal and still get the necessary cleaning done? Why not even get some extra cleaning for a lot less?
So, what do you need to do to save a few dollars? Basically, keep an eye out for available discounts, referral deals and loyalty programs. Through them, you can store credit to use on different cleaning services in the future, get the best booking slots, combine desired services for a better price or get a special discount for a first-time booking.
Some people believe that getting a professional cleaning done around the house will cost them an arm and a leg. However, combining cleaning services can actually give you an advantage in the form of a discount. What exactly does this mean? Well, basically you can save from the regular price of the service while scratching more cleaning chores off your to-do list with the help of a professional cleaner.
But which cleaning services are best to combine? The insights below can shed some light on this. The statistics you see are based on the booking activity and preferences of Fantastic Services’ customers over a period of three years.
Bond cleaning is a top-rated service. Our data shows that a good 44% of people do not hesitate to opt for carpet and bond cleaning together. The high percentage is because in some cases, landlords and agents require the tenants to have their carpets professionally cleaned at the end of their tenancy, especially if pets have been living in the property.
When given the option to add more cleaning tasks to their general bond cleaning, around 5% choose wall spot cleaning or blind cleaning.
Considering the fact that windows are also thoroughly checked during a rental inspection, it is no surprise that approximately 9% want to book window cleaning together with an end-of-lease cleaning service.
This guarantees that both sides of the windows will be spotless by the time of the landlord’s visit, and everything can be done on the same day without delays.
Approximately 6% prefer to pair a professional upholstery cleaning with carpet cleaning for their properties. The two main procedures are hot water extraction cleaning (often referred to as steam cleaning) and dry cleaning, as the latter is preferred for treating moisture-intolerant fabrics.
Pretty much the same equipment is used for steam cleaning carpets and furniture with special upholstery add-ons provided for the furniture. This saves time and makes things easier on the cleaners who carry the heavy equipment.
When additional protection for carpets and furniture is offered, close to 16 % of the people decide to take advantage of this option. The Scotchgard product is applied after the cleaning and it helps make the fabric easier to clean and more resistant to staining, which significantly reduces the time spent on carpet and upholstery maintenance in the future.
Leave this to qualified carpet cleaning specialists!
Statistics show that 36% are eager to have BBQ and oven cleaning done together on-site. Both cooking appliances can easily accumulate a substantial amount of grime when used frequently. Mostly affected are elements like trays, racks, plates, grills and burners, which can all be a real challenge to clean. The similar cleaning techniques and equipment allow for these two services to be quickly done by experienced cleaners.
However, that’s not how things look when it comes to a deep house cleaning. The one-off cleaning service’s booking peak is normally during two seasons – spring and winter when most folks feel that the whole house needs some decluttering and a good deep clean. Statistics show that around 8% of people wish to have their carpets steam or dry-cleaned during the deep house cleaning session.
It makes sense, since carpets, furniture and curtains easily absorb smells, dust and all types of air pollutants throughout the year. Therefore, an in-depth cleaning of your fabrics and carpeting is the best option to ensure that odours, dust particles and stains are effectively eliminated.
Close, with 6%, are those who prefer to combine their one-off cleaning service with window washing. This way, they can have both sides of their widows clean and streak-free, saving hours of manual work they would, otherwise, do alone.
We can take care of it all in one take, from disinfecting carpets to washing your windows.
Now that you know how to effectively save while still enjoying a good house clean, we can’t miss to point out also the importance of a cleaner’s qualifications. After all, everyone wants a good value for their money, but people often miss on considering a few crucial factors before inviting a cleaner into their homes.
The price certainly is an important factor but choosing a cleaning provider, based on price alone, may lead to an unexpected disappointment. Not to mention, the possible higher expense, since you may need to have the place re-cleaned if things are not done up to standard.
There is a reason for the low price and, more often than not, that’s the low quality of the service. Still, we are not saying that the highest price automatically guarantees perfect results.
In fact, a company’s reputation and accomplished jobs can tell you more about the service’s quality than the price. So, it is better not to rush, but look for previous customers’ opinions first.
Letting strangers into your home is not easy even if it’s just to perform a service. Therefore, you want to make sure that you have reliable and fully checked cleaners passing your doorstep. And again, who’s a more reliable source of information than a customer who has already gone through the cleaning service experience?
Do not hesitate to spend a few days in detailed research of the professionals you have in mind. Check their website for awards and signs of industry recognition, read forums and inspect specialised platforms for reviews. If possible, why not even ask a friend or two about their opinion?
These days, everyone is on a tight schedule with little free time to spare. So, you and your cleaner need to be on the same page when it comes to the service duration and other specific details of the job.
A trustworthy cleaning company will take into consideration your needs and preferences and will show flexibility, in order to satisfy them. It’s not always possible to get everything perfect, but at least, you should expect to see care, effort and transparency, regarding the terms and conditions of the service.
It is convenient when you are given the opportunity to share your customised cleaning schedule and prioritise cleaning chores as needed, right?
Did you find our piece useful? Do you have your own ways of saving money from cleaning services that you’d like to share? We will be happy to read them in our comment section!
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