Today’s families are busy, so busy that we fall into bed at night – or early morning – still with many things left on our to-do lists. So, what can you do to cut down on that lengthy to-do list? Hiring a cleaning service can be a great way to keep your home tidy without spending hours of your own valuable time scrubbing away, so you can spend more time doing things you would actually enjoy (or at least check other to-dos off your list.)
You may assume that hiring someone else to do the dirty work would cost you dearly, and a luxury reserved for those with plenty of disposable income. The truth is, that may not be the case at all. There are many factors to take into consideration with anything from square footage to your location to what level of services you’ll need and how often the cleaning company will be scheduled to come to you. Here are some things to keep in mind when budgeting for a house cleaning service:
1. Location: Where you live matters when hiring a cleaning service
While the national average cost of a standard house cleaning visit is about $167, or between $50 and $90 per hour, it is worth noting that this can vary widely depending on the area. For instance, a homeowner in the low-cost-of-living areas of the Midwest will likely pay a very different rate than someone living in New York City, and likewise, a different rate here in Bridgewater Township, NJ.
2. Size of the home: Size matters when you hire a cleaning service
The amount of square footage of your home will also be a big determining factor in how much a cleaning service will cost per visit, and with good reason. The larger area the cleaners will have to cover, the longer it will take – or they may have to bring a larger crew to get the job done in a target amount of time – the extra time and staffing may add to the cost. There will be a large variation between the bill for a 900 square foot 1 bedroom condo and a 2000 square foot, 3 bedroom, multi-floor home.
3. Condition of the home: Just what will the cleaners be starting with?
Be honest with yourself (and the cleaning company). Has it been a while since anyone has done the cleaning in your home? If you have let the dust bunnies multiply, the soap around the sink build-up, and the windows and mirrors have more spots than a giraffe – don’t hesitate to make sure the cleaning company knows what they are in for ahead of time.
Letting them know ahead of time that you’ll probably need a deep cleaning for your first visit not only can help them prepare by scheduling the right amount of time, it will also help them give you the most accurate quote. While house cleaners are unphased by dirty homes, layers of dust and grime will take them significantly longer to clean on their initial visits, and therefore may cost more. If you schedule regular visits from there out, though, once the home is restored to a base level of clean, it will be a much quicker job and be billed at a lower, maintenance rate.
4. Level of cleaning: How deep do you want the cleaners to go?
In the same vein, the level of detail you are looking for will change the price of your house cleaning. Most house cleaning price guides and house cleaning estimates will have a separate section that lists the additional fees for detail work like windows, carpet cleaning, appliance interiors like oven and refrigerator, tile and grout cleaning, and odor remediation. Be sure to consult with your potential cleaning service regarding what constitutes an “add on” service. Some more of the additional services that many cleaning services offer include:
- Cleaning mini blinds
- Polishing floors, wax stripping from wood floors
- Polishing furniture
- Baseboard cleaning
- Laundry, bed sheet changes
- Tile and grout cleaning
- Wall and ceiling cleaning
- Power Washing exteriors garage floors, and patios
5. Get The Most For Your Money When Hiring A Cleaning Company
You want to hire a high quality, trustworthy cleaning service with glowing reviews, owned locally in the Bridgewater Township area, but at the same time you want to get the most for your money. Of course, we all do! There are some things you can do to ensure you a- don’t have any surprises when the bill comes, and b- get the most for your money:
- Be honest with yourself and the cleaning service; if what you really need is a deep cleaning for the first visit, indicate this when getting your estimate.
- Before your cleaning service comes out, do your best to pick up and remove clutter. There is a phrase “you can’t clean clutter!” and it’s true! If the cleaning service has to move piles of papers and mound up toys to get them out of the way before they can actually clean, they may not get as much done in their allotted time, or it will take them longer, which can cost you.
- Tweak the frequency of visits once you have established a cleaning schedule. If you have multiple children or pets, you may want to have more frequent, quicker visits. And likewise, if you live solo you may get away with fewer visits. Your cleaning company should be able to honestly advise you on what the most efficient and cost-effective plan will be.
With these things in mind, you may be surprised at the reasonable prices for deep cleaning, regular maintenance cleaning, and special additional services that are available in your area. If you live in the Bridgewater Township, NJ area, S&G Cleaning Services is your solution. We offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee – check out our video testimonials and then request your free house cleaning estimate from S&G Cleaning Services for your Bridgewater Township, NJ home today!
