What Are Maid Services?

Maid Service

If you work a full-time job or even if you are a stay-at-home parent, the thought of having to clean the house at the end of a long day is more than a bit overwhelming. With so many people working full-time and trying to keep on top of their kids’ busy schedules, hiring an extra set of hands to do the cleaning can keep stress levels at a minimum. Before you start hunting for maid services, it helps to know what to expect from a typical visit.

Regular Cleaning Services

A normal cleaning from a professional maid service will usually involve vacuuming throughout the house and mopping the floors. It will also entail dusting all surfaces including baseboards and even lighting fixtures. Of course, it will also include a thorough cleaning of the kitchen and bathrooms not to mention making the beds in the house. The choice of rooms to be cleaned, however, is entirely up to you. Some maid services make monthly visits to homes only to clean the bathrooms.

Deep Cleaning

Sometimes a more in-depth cleaning, often called a deep cleaning, is required. Indeed, many cleaning companies request that new clients commit to an initial deep cleaning. Usually, it costs a bit more than a normal house cleaning because of the work involved. The key is to ask ahead of time what’s included with a deep cleaning service.

Many families prefer to schedule a deep cleaning at the start of a new season. To get your house ready for spring or fall, a cleaning service will do everything from washing the walls and ceiling to cleaning baseboards, kitchen appliances and even cabinet degreasing.

How Much Does a Normal Maid Service Cost?

A standard house cleaning service usually costs approximately $25 to $50 an hour on average, depending on the area in which you live. As a result, the total cleaning cost could vary from $80 to $110 for an apartment or small house and anywhere from $150 to $250 for a 2,000-square-foot house. Some maid services charge by the hour while others may calculate their fees based on a home’s square footage. In addition, you can often can a slight discount if you sign up for weekly visits instead of only monthly visits. These prices are typical for professional maid service agencies. You will probably get a better price from a local freelance cleaner.

Is Maid Service Worth It or Should I Do It Myself?

This question comes up quite a bit as nearly everyone is capable of cleaning their house unlike other services such as car repair. The real answer is it depends on what your time is worth to you. The easiest way to determine this is to compare your hourly rate to the actual cost of a maid service.

For instance, if you earn $40 an hour at work and the maid service charges $25 per hour, then your time might be better spent doing something other than cleaning. On the other hand, if you only make $20 an hour and the service charges $25 an hour, it’s probably more cost-effective to clean your home yourself.

Regardless, paying for a service you can do yourself is a luxury. First and foremost, you need to cover your necessities.

If you want a cleaner home and there is room in your budget, a professional maid service could be the best way to take some stress out of your routine and free up some time for those things that you really want to do.

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