“If two adults live alone with no pets and are willing to run a vacuum occasionally, they can easily go with a monthly cleaning,” says Pat Belardi, owner of Molly Maid of Marin. “But there’s no standard answer. There’s a consistent answer for each home, but it’s not the same from home to home. Everybody is a little different.”
When hiring a cleaning service, it’s best to go with one that’s willing to clean according to your needs, not the desire to establish a consistent schedule. It’s also useful to have a cleaner who can provide flexibility, change the date on a particular week or add an extra cleaning before or after a party. Individual cleaners often don’t have that flexibility.
“The most important factor when hiring a cleaning service is the insurance,” advises Ms. Belardi. “Make sure the cleaner is covered by workers’ compensation and liability insurance; otherwise, you’re liable if something goes wrong. Franchise services are often a little more expensive, but they’re covered by insurance. Independent cleaners typically aren’t, and that’s a serious risk.”
With large cleaning services, different crews will often clean the same home, which makes them unfamiliar to its particular needs. Ms. Belardi advises to choose a firm that uses the same crew for each house. “That way, customers don’t feel like strangers are constantly coming into their homes.”
When cleaning a home by yourself, Ms. Belardi cautions against mixing cleaning products. “Don’t pile cleaning products on top of one another. If you don’t like the job one product did on the bathtub, don’t immediately clean it again with another. While each individual product may be safe, mixing them may be dangerous. Read the labels carefully.”
The holidays pose special cleaning problems. Not only are people entertaining and cleaning more often, but holiday decorations can pose a challenge. “Decorations and extra electrical wires can make cleaning difficult and even create electrical hazards,” says Ms. Belardi. “You have to be careful when cleaning around decorations, because vacuums can sweep up electrical cords and damage the insulation around the wires.”
