House cleaning services continue to gain traction as more people look to hire a cleaning lady every day. Apart from researching cleaning services and finding the best fit for you, it’s important to think about what you want help with around your home. Home cleaners have become more versatile, offering several different services to fit most of your needs.
Let’s discuss what cleaners can offer you and what to expect when setting up your service. In 2022, roughly 10% of all U.S. households paid for professional services to do their home cleaning. Join them in gaining back some valuable free time and cross cleaning off your to-do list when you hire a professional cleaning lady.
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What Can a Cleaning Lady Do for You?
A cleaning lady offers several services ranging from general household cleanings to cleaning your house before it goes on the market. Those who offer several services allow you to build a custom house cleaning package that will fit your needs.
While most packages are similar, some cleaning services offer a la carte options allowing them to tackle even more tasks for you than before. Here are some of the most popular services a cleaning lady provides.
9 Popular Services Cleaning Ladies Offer
1. General House Cleaning Services
Basic house cleaning services are the most popular service offered. In fact, according to a recent study, 80% of households are expected to use residential cleaning services by 2024. This general service covers places throughout your house, including the kitchen, living room, bathrooms, and bedrooms. The primary focuses in these regularly scheduled cleanings include:
- Mopping floors
- Vacuuming carpets
- General dusting
- Wiping down surfaces
2. Spring or Deep Cleaning Services for Any Occasion
While general cleaning may be all you are looking for, consider having your house deep cleaned on occasion. While each house cleaner is unique, most offer the same services for spring cleaning. A deep cleaning usually covers the basics as well as cleaning under furniture, cleaning blinds, ceiling fans and light fixtures, as well as cleaning window frames, door frames, baseboards, kitchen appliances, and more.
Other deep cleaning services offered by some cleaning ladies include carpet and upholstery cleaning. Carpets and fabric furniture can become filled with debris from the outdoors, germs, dust, dander, hair, and more. A professional will have the right products to give your carpets the thorough cleaning they need and make them look brand new again.
It’s said that the average person deep cleans their home five times a year. Take some time back in your month and let a trusted cleaner handle your deep cleaning needs. This big job is sure to make for some amazing before and after pictures.
3. Green Cleaning Services
For those who prefer an eco-friendly route, green cleaning involves using eco-friendly products and practices. This includes using products that are non-toxic, biodegradable, and safe for pets, kids, adults, and the environment.
A cleaning lady who offers green cleaning services will have knowledge of the best products to use and work with you to ensure they protect your health and the environment when cleaning your home.
Eco-friendly cleaning product sales are expected to continue rising through the rest of the year as many homeowners are looking to have safer products used in their homes. Made without harmful chemicals and harsh scents, these green cleaning products are a great choice for allergy and asthma sufferers. And the biodegradable packaging and lower VOC content mean they won’t harm the earth.
4. Dusting Cleaning Services
General house cleaning services take care of dusting; however, sometimes, it’s just not enough. If you are looking to rid your home of dust or are continuing to have issues with dust buildup, it may be time to hire someone who focuses on those hard-to-reach dusty areas in your home or request your current cleaning lady to switch to green cleaning products.
Green cleaning products, like microfiber cloths, are made to reduce the amount of dust in your home by trapping the dust particles instead of pushing them around like traditional feather dusters. And using HEPA filters when vacuuming can greatly reduce the amount of dust that gets kicked up into the air.
Another way to help your home stay dust free after a proper cleaning is investing in an air purifier. If dust buildup is still a recurring issue, here are the culprits that your cleaning lady will pay close attention to, as they’re likely contributing to the dust throughout your home:
- Fabric furniture
- Curtains
- Blinds
- Electronics
- Rugs
- Carpets
5. Move-In or Move-Out Cleanings
If you are moving into a new home or moving out of your old one, we highly recommend hiring a house cleaning service.
Move-in cleanings take place before you unpack in your new home. The service includes wiping down the interiors of closets, cabinets, appliances, baseboards, and more. Pure House Cleaning works closely with you to ensure your house will be clean and move-in ready upon completion so you can start your new adventure in a fresh space that’s all your own.
Move-out services focus on a deep cleaning approach once you’ve packed up your things to ensure your home looks as good as it did when you first moved in. Many renters will invest in this service to get their security deposit back at the end of their lease or to leave the house in great shape for the new occupants.
6. Showcase Cleaning Services to Prep for Selling Your Home
We understand the pressure when it’s time to put your home on the market. Before pictures are taken to be shared with potential home buyers or open houses are scheduled, your realtor may request you have your home professionally cleaned. With all the other things on your to-do list, hiring a cleaning lady for a thorough house cleaning will give you peace of mind.
Once your home is on the market, your realtor will be showing your home to several prospective buyers, many of whom will notice how clean your home is as they visualize themselves living there.
7. Post-Construction Cleaning Services
The construction project that’s been going on in your home is finally coming to an end, but your house has accumulated a lot of dirt and dust in the process. Consider hiring cleaning services to clean up the mess and allow you to enjoy your renovation. A thorough post-construction cleaning includes wiping down all surfaces, removing any remaining debris, scraping paint drips, and cleaning floors.
8. Organization Assistance
While this isn’t the most common service offered, some cleaning ladies will organize and clean out specific areas of your house. Whether it’s your fridge, kitchen cabinets, closets, or even garage, you can hire someone to take care of it for you.
Most organizational cleaning services will ask for a budget, buy the items needed for proper storage, and reorganize and label your space, making it more efficient for you. According to a study done by the Soap and Detergent Association, disorganization causes 80% of household clutter. Find a cleaner that can help you get out from under the clutter and enjoy an organized life.
9. Laundry Services for Everyone in the Home
While some people love doing laundry, others dread the chore. If you are someone that dreads laundry, you’re in luck. Some cleaning ladies now offer to do your laundry while cleaning your house for an additional fee. That’s right! They can wash, dry, and fold your clothes while tackling other parts of your to-do list. Talk about a win!
How to Find an Eco-Friendly House Cleaning Service
Finding a green cleaning service isn’t always easy. While many companies are working to make the switch, some don’t prioritize using eco-friendly products. At Pure House Cleaning, we only use green cleaning products, allowing us to provide safe services for your home and the environment.
Make sure to talk to your neighbors and friends and see if anyone is already using someone that focuses on green cleaning in the home. Make sure to get three quotes from different cleaning companies and/or individuals and ask the same questions for each one.
Once you’ve confirmed they offer green cleaning, focus on the services you need versus the ones they offer. If you are looking to stock up on some green cleaning products yourself and want to ensure your cleaning lady is using green products in your home, check out the EPA’s guide to identifying greener cleaning products.
How to Find a Cleaning Lady Near You
If you are in the greater Seattle area, check out the areas we service. If you aren’t local to us, talk with friends for referrals, search online, and look for ads. If you are looking for one of the specific cleaning services listed above, make sure to search for a cleaning company that offers that service. Be sure to ask questions and confirm pricing before making any long-term commitments.
How Much Does Each Cleaning Service Cost?
The answer will vary based on location, hours needed, individuals versus companies, cleaning schedules, and type of house cleaning requested. Some companies charge a flat fee, while others charge an hourly rate.
Keep in mind that something like post-construction cleanup, which could take hours, days, or even several visits, can be costly at an hourly rate. Some companies may offer a flat rate due to the magnitude of the work. Each company and individual calculate their own costs based on different factors.
How to Choose the Right House Cleaning Schedule
Choosing the right house cleaning cadence is dependent on several factors. Whether you are looking for weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly house cleanings, these factors can help you decide what will work best for you:
- Budget and cost
- Type of service
- Foot traffic in the home
- Pets and/or kids in the home
Make sure to ask yourself these questions. How much can you afford to spend? Do you need laundry done weekly, or are you only using a cleaning service for a deep cleaning? Are there people in and out of your home all day or only later in the evening and on weekends? Do you have pets and/or kids in the home that may require it to be cleaned on a more frequent basis?
Don’t be afraid to ask these questions when talking to potential companies or individuals and see if they have any recommendations as well.
Do You Need to Prep Before Your Cleaning Lady Arrives?
Once you’ve hired a cleaning lady, you may be asking what’s next. Here are a few things to do before their first visit to your home and things you should be cleaning on a daily basis.
- Read over the contract.
- Make sure to have any products you agreed to provide.
- Have cash available for a tip [optional].
- Remove clutter from around the home.
There is no need to clean your entire house before your cleaner arrives, but ensuring the areas they will spend time in and all high-traffic areas are clear is important. This allows your cleaning lady to maximize their time doing what you hired them to do and ensuring they don’t miss any important spots due to clutter.
Should You Tip Your Cleaning Lady?
You’ve pulled the trigger and hired a cleaning lady. Before her first visit to your home, you may be asking yourself if you should tip her.
The main reasons for tipping include:
- She goes above and beyond every visit.
- She is always willing to accommodate last-minute requests.
- You want to show her appreciation.
- You want to give her a bonus outside their normal costs.
While tipping is entirely up to you, if your cleaning lady is doing more than asked and continues to exceed your expectations every visit, we recommend tipping her.
Hiring a cleaning lady is a big decision. While it may feel weird to allow a stranger into your home at first, many cleaning ladies become part of the family they service. House cleaners have become more of a necessity instead of a luxury, making people happier once they’ve hired one.