Preparing for a Good House Cleaning in San Diego
Posted by Caleb Page on Wed, Mar 24, 2010 @ 05:29 PM
We often get the following questions:
"How can I save on the cost of my home cleaning?"
"What can I do to get the most out of my house cleaning?"
"Should I clean before the cleaners?"
One of the easiest ways to get the most out of your cleaning is to declutter before the cleaners arrive. While we're always happy to do this work; we simply won't do it as well as you. You know your personal preferences as to where clothing and papers should go. Cleaners are left to their experience and sometimes their best effort at common sense to try and predict the preferences of their customers.
How does this reduce cost? When I make an estimate to clean a house, I can get a good idea of how long it might take by understanding how well it is organized. Lots of items out or many collections indicates the potential for more dirt to remove under those items or more dusting as there are many surfaces that need to be handled.
flickr credit: evelynishere
Why would one get the most out of their cleaning by reducing the number of items or organizing? Most people are budget sensitive - they have established what they believe to be a fair price for cleaning services. Respecting this budget is one of our challenges - how to produce a high quality cleaning in the time for which the customer is willing to pay. While it may not always be stated outright, we usually are working against some internal meter. Fewer items lets us to focus on our area of specialization; house cleaning.
flickr credit: mistermajik2000
Should one clean before the cleaners? That depends on what might be cleaned. There are some things that a maid service just won't touch for personal health and safety reasons; these should be picked up by the customer. Items that will be moved and then put back such as piles of clothes or magazines should be looked at with a critical eye. Consider if it's really a good expenditure to pay someone to do your dishes. Putting the correct linens out is one easy way to be sure that your cleaning service can be quick to change the beds and still focus on a thorough home cleaning.
We generally price based on our estimate of the work to be performed. This estimate is largely derived from the complexity of the house with general organization and cleanliness being one of those factors.