Home cleaning services are good for your (mental) health

Is there anything better than the smell of a sparkling clean home… when someone else did all the work? Most moms would say, “No!”



Cleaning house is a necessary chore but it may be good for your health to invest in

Al Ain cleaning services every now and then. Most busy moms will attest to the fact that a clean and organized home makes the daily strains of parenting a bit more bearable. Can a clean home bring a semblance of sanity to a seemingly crazy home front?

The clean factor
Parenting is a messy job. Moms are often in the midst of clutter, both literally and figuratively. Whether they’re wiping sticky fingers or sorting through the mental chaos, a sense of calm can be painfully evasive, which is why a professionally cleaned home can make a huge difference in a mom’s mental health. When Heather, a mom of three from Arizona, walks in the door after her house has been cleaned, her mood immediately improves. “I know in the grand scheme of things, it’s not a huge deal but when my house has been cleaned, I feel like the rest of my life is suddenly organized,” she says.

Hire it out
It is the rare mom whom actually enjoys cleaning her own home, so many moms are willing to do what it takes to fit professional cleaning into their budgets. For some, the almost emotional reaction to a clean home is worth the cost. “While having a clean house is very important it is not important for me to be the one to clean it,” says Graciela Meibar, chief diversity officer for Mattel. “It’s not the best use of my time or gifts. A clean house gives way to a clear mind. It gives children a sense of security and order. It provides time and space — haven for the soul, in a world of chaos.”


A useful luxury
There are some luxuries that are plain and simple splurges, like a nice car or a killer pair of shoes. A professionally cleaned home, on the other hand, can be a useful luxury. With the weight of cleaning off her shoulders, a busy mom can focus on other areas of her life and breathe a bit easier knowing that at least her home will be in order.


Creative clean
Clearly, budget can be a huge issue for many moms, but they are still deserving of quality mental health. Greg Nicklas, general manager of Maid Brigade in Portland, Oregon provides moms with the following tips to help them experience a professional-caliber clean without the price tag:

Clutter is your No. 1 enemy. A cluttered home further stresses a person out and creates a thought of impossibility when it comes to the actual cleaning of the home.
Make it a point to spend 20 minutes a morning or at night going through and moving laundry to the proper receptacles, bills to a basket and dishes tended to.
Delegate — kids love to help out. Yes, they may not do a perfect job but running a vacuum is something even a 6-year-old typically finds entertaining.

Finding a Reliable Cleaning Service

We all want a clean, tidy home. The problem is we don’t all have the time and energy to invest in the undertaking. Fortunately, there’s a simple solution: find a professional cleaning service. Reliable, quality cleaning services take off pressure, give you a break, and leave you with valuable free time. Follow our advice to hire the best cleaners and get the job done right.

HIRE THE RIGHT CLEANER
Independent Cleaner or Agency?
When you hire cleaning help, there are usually two choices: an independent cleaner or a cleaning agency.

When you hire an independent cleaner, you are the one in charge. But if the cleaner is sick or otherwise unavailable, you’ll be left without cleaning help. In addition, you are considered the employer. Unless you yourself pay their insurance (liability and workers comp), you will not be covered in case of damage, accident, or theft.

When you hire a cleaning service, you will be a customer, avoiding the headache of being an employer. However, you may have less flexibility in certain matters, such as which cleaning products are used in your home. And unless you request otherwise, the service could send you a different employee every time.

Check Them Out
Ask for references. Request references from long-term customers. Then call to find out about the caliber of the work, reliability of the cleaner(s), and overall level of satisfaction.

The following apply only to a cleaning company, not an individual cleaner:

Check credentials. Find out how long the company has been in business. Make sure they are bonded and insured and have an up-to-date operating license. Ask whether they perform background checks on their employees.

Contact the Better Business Bureau. Check the company's standing and look for consumer complaints. You can also see what action, if any, the company took to resolve problems.

Read online reviews. Usually a third-party site, like Yelp!, is the best source of objective reviews to help you choose reliable cleaners.

Sign a contract. Many cleaning services provide a standard service agreement. Read the terms carefully before you sign. Does it offer return service if you are not satisfied with the work?

GET THE JOB DONE RIGHT
Ask yourself the following questions first. Then discuss them with the cleaner or house cleaning service you think you’d like to hire.

Type of Service: Do you need cleaning-only service, or do you require maid service that might include running errands or folding laundry? Are you looking for someone to declutter your home? (This last job is more appropriate for a professional organizer.)

List of Tasks. What exactly do you want the cleaning services to handle? Make a clear, detailed list and print it out to share with your cleaner. For example, “clean the bathroom” could include scrubbing the tub and shower, disinfecting the toilet, polishing the mirror, emptying the trash, and mopping the floor.

Frequency of Service: Do you need cleaning weekly, twice a week, every other week? Perhaps you only require a deep cleaning once a season.

Supplies and Equipment: Will you provide all the cleaning supplies and equipment, or would you prefer that your service handle it all?

Products Used: Do you want all-natural organic cleaning products, or do you feel that it's not clean unless it's "Lysol clean"?
TALK MONEY
Find out average cleaning costs. Research the average cost for professional house cleaning in your area. Remember that a cleaning company typically charges more than an individual, to cover overhead including insurance and bonding, supplies, and customer guarantees. 

Get multiple quotes. Request price quotes from several professional cleaners. Be sure to look into what each one includes so that you’ll be comparing apples to apples.

Agree on a rate. Agree on a dollar figure before the work starts. Will the rate be per hour, per room, per job? Is there an upcharge for certain chores, such as window cleaning?  Does the cleaning service/person charge for transportation?

Choose a payment system. Will you be paying weekly or monthly? Do you pay the cleaner directly or send a check or digital funds transfer to the cleaning company? What will the payment arrangement be?