Housekeeping services play a significant role in the houses where homemakers are working women. Working on full-time jobs, taking care of the household chores along with the cooking while also keeping up with the children and their busy schedules can leave one overwhelming. Housekeepers can be a helping hand even to non-working homemakers.
If you have enough money to pay for an extra set of helping hands, you should definitely hire the housekeeping services. But before you hire any housekeeping services, you need to know what kind of services they provide and how do they charge based on that.
A housekeeper is different from a home cleaner
The first thing to know is that housekeepers are not the same as a home cleaner. They might sound familiar and often confused with one another, so it becomes vital to understand the distinctions between the two to hire the right person for the job you need to be filled. The significant difference between a housekeeper and home cleaner is typically based on the number of visits and services they perform when they are in your house.
A housekeeper is someone who has a more consistent presence in your home. She would take care of daily fundamental household chores and can vary depending on your needs. While a home cleaner is someone you would hire for a bigger job like top-to-bottom deep cleaning of the house or getting a home ready for sale.
So if you are looking for someone who completes a list of daily or weekly duties while being there, a housekeeper is the right choice.
Here’s what you should look for in a housekeeper and hire the right person for your home.
Duties you can expect from housekeepers to perform
What duties housekeepers perform in your house really varies depending on your needs. Below is the list of general duties you can expect from a housekeeper to perform.
⇒Light cleaning in the house, including dusting, vacuuming, sweeping and mopping the floors in the room.
⇒Washing dishes, drying, and keeping them in place.
⇒Washing, drying, folding, and ironing clothes.
⇒Cleaning the kitchen along with wiping appliances, cleaning counters, sinks, and cabinet doors.
⇒Cleaning the bathrooms, which includes cleaning toilets, showers, bath, and mirrors.
⇒Cleaning interior windows.
⇒Changing the bedsheets and making beds.
⇒Removing garbage.
⇒Restocking sanitary items such as toilet papers, tissues, etc.
⇒General declutter of the room, this includes cleaning the mess, putting away toys or papers and light organizing.
⇒Keeping track of cleaning supplies and letting you know whenever they are low or need a replacement.
Some services mainly depend on your other needs and are not generally catered if not requested for the same. These services also demand some extra payment. This includes the below-mentioned services.
⇒Running errands for basic outdoor jobs like grocery shopping, dropping off mails or dry cleaning, etc.
⇒Preparing meals for the family. Make sure you lay your needs on the table while you interview the housekeeper as to what kind of meals you would want them to prepare and specify the number of meals in a day.
Duties you should not expect from a housekeeper to perform
A housekeeper may be well efficient, yet there are limitations to every human being. So there are some duties you can’t assign to your housekeeper, including anything that puts them in physical danger. Here are a few examples of duties you should not expect from your housekeeper to perform:
⇒Deep cleaning of the house, including furniture cleaning, outdoor windows, etc. You can hire a home cleaner for that job. Do not expect your housekeeper to climb on anything higher than a stepstool; except for a seasonal cleaning that too with an additional fee.
⇒They won’t be cleaning any human waste as that can be harmful to their health. You should call in a waste removal service for any such job.
⇒Your housekeepers won’t perform the duty of taking care of your child. If you require someone to take care of your child, you might want to hire a nanny for your child who will also take care of light housekeeping duties.
⇒There’s a general rule which states that housekeepers will not move anything heavier than a 15 kg object. So you can not assign the job of lifting furniture pieces to your housekeeper. This is a safety issue and requires a specialized person with the necessary amount of strength to do the job.
How much should you pay for the service?
The price you pay for a housekeeper is no one-size-fits-all thing. It can vary depending on the experience of a housekeeper you are hiring, your location, the size of your house and number family members and pets living. However, a housekeeper charges lesser than a home cleaner.
While you interview your housekeeper, make sure you discuss the payment methods; most housekeepers are self-employed, they may not accept credit cards or cheque. Be clear about how will you pay them; on a weekly basis, daily basis, or monthly basis. Be capable of meeting their needs for the job they do for you.
How to know if you should continue with service
Are your housekeeping services consistent
Consistency is an essential aspect when it comes to cleaning your house daily. Take this into consideration if you want a good housekeeping service in the longer run.
Are they communicative
You have to see how easily and effusively you can communicate with your housekeepers? Do
they answer to your questions? Do they follow the instructions you give them regarding the work or address the concerns? Good communication is crucial for any business, and this goes double when businesses are about cooperating with one another.
