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Top Tips for Saving Money When Using a Cleaning Professional

Christian Rigg
Cleaning
If you’re thinking of hiring a cleaning service for your house, it’s probably because you’re tired of coming home to a mess after work, or of losing your weekends to tidying and scrubbing. More and more people are starting to weigh the value of their time against the costs of hiring a cleaning service, and finding that it’s well worth the money.

A clean home will help you feel more relaxed and more content in general, both of which can improve your sleep, make you more productive at work, and improve your quality of life. Businesses can also benefit from a clean workspace, which has been linked to increased productivity. 

In this guide, we’ll look at ways you can reduce the cost of using a cleaning professional, to get all the benefits of a clean home or workspace without breaking the bank.

Ask Around or Use an Online Service

It seems like more and more people are turning to professional cleaning services these days, a trend you can take advantage of. Speak to your neighbors, friends, and family to see if any of them have used a local cleaning service. First-hand recommendations are a great way to be sure of the quality and fairness of a service. Some questions to ask include: Why did you choose them? Were there any hidden costs? Do you still use the service, and if not, why not?

Otherwise, using an online service is a great way to find professional, reliable, and fairly priced cleaning professionals. Online services go through the hassle of checking credentials, like licenses, criminal background checks, and business filings. You benefit from expert help and the collective knowledge of a large user base, while cleaning professionals get matched to customers best suited to their business. 

Get Written Estimates Based on a Home Inspection

The first thing you’ll want to do is to get estimates, written if possible, from a few different local cleaning companies. Be sure to only accept estimates from cleaning professionals that are willing to come to your house and do a home inspection. Phone ‘guesstimates’ aren’t very useful, as the cleaning service has no way of knowing the size and configuration of your home. 

Once you’ve gotten quotes from three to five cleaning companies, you can start comparing them. Ignore any temptation to just go with the cheapest one. It’s likely they won’t provide as good a cleaning service, and you’ll end up picking up the slack. That defeats the whole purpose and is a big waste of money. Higher rates usually translate to better products, well-trained staff, and professional conduct. The trick here is to balance quality and price.

Divide up Tasks, and Do Some Yourself

Think of having your house cleaned as a series of smaller jobs. You can choose to divide them by location (bathrooms, living room, kitchen, den, etc.) or cleaning tasks (horizontal surfaces, walls, vacuuming, mopping). Once you’ve split everything up, decide if there’s anything you’re willing to do yourself.

Maybe you don’t mind cleaning up the kitchen after you make dinner each night or find it relaxing to do the vacuuming yourself. In each case, that’s one less job to pay for. Some cleaning professionals also adjust their pricing if you’re willing to do a good tidy-up beforehand. 

Buy Your Own Products

Some cleaning companies actually require you to provide your own products, but if not, check if there’s a discount for doing so. Usually, cleaning companies will be happy not to have to use their own products when they can. This also gives you more control over what’s being used in your house, and a professional cleaning service should be able to provide you with a list of high-quality products that won’t break the bank.

Ask About Referral Discounts

Cleaning services often rely on word of mouth for business. Whether they have a specific program in place or are willing to adopt one, you may be able to get a discount by referring the service to friends, family, neighbors, and coworkers. You’ll pay less, and your cleaning professionals get more business, so it’s a win-win situation. 

Be Flexible With Scheduling

Different days and times of the week can carry more demand for cleaners, who adjust their prices accordingly. Ask your prospective cleaning professionals if there are particular days or times that are more or less expensive, and you may find that you can save by being a little flexible with your schedule. 

Insurance and Customer Satisfaction

There’s no way to sugar-coat it: you’re letting strangers into your house, oftentimes unsupervised. You’ll want to be sure that the cleaning company you hire has the correct bonding and insurance to cover any accidental damages, theft, or worker injuries. A professional cleaning service with all the proper coverage may cost a bit more now but could save you a lot in the future.

You’ll also want to ask them what kind of  customer satisfaction they can guarantee, what they do to ensure it, and how they handle complaints. That being said, if a cleaning professional consistently fails to meet your standards, obviously it’s time to move on. 

Employment Terms

Lastly, cleaning services are one of the industries most likely to use “contract workers”, those who have signed on with the company for a specific period of time, but usually lack the experience, thorough training, and overall benefits of full employment. They may not be as invested in doing a good job, and will usually have less overall experience.

Opt for cleaning professionals or cleaning services that hire their employees rather than outsourcing, or if they do, find out what kind of training (and background checks) contract workers undergo. 

Investing in a clean home or workspace can have a hugely positive impact on your environment and overall quality of life. By using the above tips for saving money when using a cleaning professional, you can be sure that you’re getting the best possible rate for a high-quality service.

Christian Rigg
Christian is a psychology and mental health writer with interests in social psychology, psychopathology, and well-being. He holds a degree in Neuropsychology from the University of Toronto and has written for a variety of online publications including PsyPost.org, TrackingHappiness.com, and Top10.com.