Felecia Coleman
While every tired parent dreams of home cleaning services at the end of a very busy work day, other parents may be dreaming of home organization services. These two types of services are related, but quite distinct in what they offer to clients. Here are the defining differences between these two home services and why it is important to know the difference.
Home Cleaning Services
Home cleaning services are often referred to as "maid services" or "housekeeping services." One or more people enter your home on a previously scheduled day and clean. Usually, the services they provide entail vacuuming, mopping, sweeping, removal of garbage and recyclables from your home, dishes, wiping down surfaces (e.g., your tables, chairs, countertops, etc.) and maybe even some basic sanitation of frequently touched surfaces.
A few home cleaning companies will go the extra mile and do laundry, but only if you have it pre-sorted into loads for the domestic employees. These cleaning services usually DO NOT pick up anything that is laying all over the floors, furniture or tables, unless you have made a special request or it is part of their contracted duties. (Ergo, the kids' toys will still have to be picked up by you or the kids.)
Home Organization Services
Home organization services do not clean, per se, but rather help you organize and maintain your stuff in way that disallows constant clutter. Quite often, you pay for the services of one person, a professional home organizer. This professional comes into your home, assesses your problem areas, and then provides possible solutions to help you get organized and stay organized.
The only cleaning these people really do involves removing stuff from location to store it neatly in another. Additionally, your professional home organizer can purchase all of the supplies you will need to construct organized areas in your home. What he or she purchases is ultimately charged to your bill for services rendered, so be sure you know what you are agreeing to before you agree to it.
Why It Is Important to Know the Differences
Clients who do not know the differences between these two home services often become irate when they hire a home organizer but expect the services of a home cleaner. It may also be confusing to discover that the home organizer works as a solitary professional and is self-employed. Ergo, he or she sets his/her own hours and may not be quite as accommodating as a cleaning service where the employees are scheduled all day long, several days a week to meet client needs. In short, if you want a clean, sanitized home, you should hire a home cleaning service. If you want a tidy, clutter-free home, hire the home organization service. If you want all of the above, you can hire both.
How many hours do you spend cleaning your home each week? Do you find it difficult to get to those difficult areas, like the bathrooms, as often as they need to be done? Have you considered hiring a cleaning service to come out and help you get the work done? I had never thought that I would be able to afford to hire a cleaning service, but my mother bought me a year's service for a Christmas gift. After that year, I hired the company on to come out and do just the three bathrooms and my kitchen once each week. To find out how you can schedule cleaning services to suit your personal needs, keep reading.