Cleaners
Hiring a cleaner can be incredibly effective for freeing up time to do the things you love, while ensuring your space looks its absolute best. Professional cleaners can offer a wide range of services, depending on your needs. Find out everything you need to know about hiring a cleaner in our comprehensive guide below!
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Overview
- Hiring the right cleaner
- Types of cleaning services
- Common cleaning jobs
- Questions to ask your cleaner
- How much does cleaning cost?
- Cleaning FAQs
Hiring the Right Cleaner
When you choose a cleaner for your home, it’s important to choose someone that you can trust to do an excellent job. Decide whether you want to hire an individual or use a house cleaning service. Contact potential cleaners and ask about the services that they provide — some provide only certain services and, for example, may not clean windows or wash laundry. Be sure to find a cleaner that will do all of the tasks you require to clean your home or apartment. Once you have narrowed your list to two or three potential cleaners, invite them to your home to view the space, give a time and cost estimate and ensure that you can work well together.
Types of Cleaning Services
Commercial Cleaning
Commercial cleaning covers a range of industries and types of buildings, including:
- Sports and recreational
- Office/commercial cleaning
- Commercial maintenance
- Aviation cleaning
- Hospitality cleaning
- Medical cleaning
- Retail cleaning
- Education cleaning
- Aged care/retirement home cleaning
Residential Cleaning
For house cleaning, the following are some common types of jobs:
- Bond/exit cleaning
- General cleaning
- Rubbish removals
- Pest control
- Window cleaning
- Emergency cleaning
- Graffiti removal
Industrial Cleaning
A more specialised type of cleaning, this includes:
- Warehouse cleaning
- Processing plants
- Manufacturing facilities
- Development lots
- Transport yards
- Carparks
- Factories
- Facilities maintenance
- Facilities support
Common Cleaning Jobs
House Cleaning
A house cleaning service can do almost any indoor cleaning job. Some of the tasks that can be included in a typical house cleaning are:
- Vacuuming
- Mopping surfaces
- Toilets and kitchen cleaning
- Dusting
- Cleaning the windows from inside
- Furniture polishing
- Tidying up general items
- Ironing
- Switching bed sheets
Preparing Your Home for Cleaning
When you decide on a cleaning company, it is important to prepare your home appropriately. Begin by removing breakable items from shelve and tabletops, including decorative vases and picture frames. Move small chairs and end tables out of the room if possible. If your home has floor-length draperies, remove them or tie them so that they are at least 6 inches above the floor.
Pressure Cleaning
Pressure cleaning is needed to clean the patios, your driveway, deck and other outdoor spaces. Any surface outside can be thoroughly washed by the water pressure. If your driveway is dirty and oil-stained, cleaning the pressure can take off the dirt and grime and make it look new again. Other exterior surfaces which a pressure cleaning service can clean include:
- Paver stones
- Pathways
- House exterior walls
- Roofing
- Parking areas and garage doors
Pressure cleaning isn't as easy as attaching a pressure cleaner to a hose. For different surfaces, different pressures are required. Too much water pressure can remove the paint, the drywall or even tear fabric. A qualified technician knows how to operate their equipment on any given surface, and just how much pressure to use. Often, they know what cleaning agents to use on each specific surface too.
Questions to Ask Your Cleaner
When determining the best cleaner for your job, its best to ask:
- Do they have insurance?
- How long have they been in the cleaning business?
- How long will it take to clean the space?
- Do they have references I can review?
- What cleaning products do they use?
Choosing the right cleaner can have a major impact on your service satisfaction and willingness to pay. You want to make sure you hire someone you trust. You should feel confident they are upholding the contractual commitment that has been made, offering your space the highest quality clean as agreed.
How Much Does Cleaning Cost?
You can expect to pay anywhere from $25 to $180 per hour for a house cleaner.
Whether you require some help with a bond clean, are looking for a regular cleaner to take the pressure off or simply require a top-to-bottom cleanup after a party, hiring a house cleaner can be a great option! It is recommended to hire a professional cleaner to take care of all your cleaning needs.
As with any service, the cost of house cleaning is affected by several factors. It could include the size of your house, number of rooms to be cleaned, number of floors in your household, venue, cleaning duration, cleaning duties needed and the cleaner's expertise/overheads.
A house cleaning company may normally ask you to check your home to help determine its fee, generally charging by the hour. Usually, a regular house clean involves vacuuming, mopping, washing all floors, general sweeping and emptying bins. Additional tasks can cost extra, such as cleaning an oven or scrubbing windows. Cleaning up after pets can require a surcharge as well.
Cleaning FAQs
Do house cleaners use their own cleaning equipment?
Most cleaners will bring their own cleaning equipment, however, you may provide the equipment if you have certain allergies or environmentally friendly products. Discuss this with your cleaner prior to making an agreement.
How can I be sure of my security?
Primarily by hiring a professional cleaner who is insured, reputable and trustworthy.
Are house cleaners trained?
Yes, house cleaning services train their cleaners to a professional standard.
What if a cleaning job is not up to standard?
If a cleaning job is not up to standard, you should inform your cleaner, and if they are professional, they will offer to resolve this free of charge. Sometimes people make mistakes, however, if you are continually dissatisfied with the job, you should consider changing cleaners.
Do house cleaners wash dishes, make the beds and do ironing?
This depends on the company or cleaner. Some professional cleaners state that this falls under housekeeping as opposed to professional house cleaning. However, some professional cleaners will be happy to include this as part of their service.
Where can I find a professional house cleaner?
You can browse Service.com.au to find a range of professional cleaners in your area.
Do I need to sign a house cleaning contract?
Again this depends on the individual cleaner/cleaning company. Some may request a signed contract as part of the agreement, while others may prefer a traditional spoken agreement. A written contract is advisable, though, to cover yourself from any potential misunderstandings and make the terms clear.
What is the difference between a Franchisee and a Licensee?
A franchisee owns the business it builds and operates, and a licensee is a self-employed cleaner who is attached to a Franchise. Both are fully trained.
How much does it cost to hire a house cleaner?
You can expect to pay anywhere from $25 to $180 per hour for a house cleaner, depending on the services required, the size of your job and the experience of the cleaner.
When should I hire a professional cleaner?
You may wish to hire a professional cleaner prior to a house inspection, for a bond clean, after a party, during a busy work period or whenever you see fit. Hiring a house cleaner can give you more time to focus on more important things. You may require a cleaner if your furniture is getting dirty/worn, if you have children and pets, if you frequently entertain or if you simply do not have the time to clean the house.