Deciding whether or not to hire a housekeeper or a cleaner can be a difficult decision as you might not be sure whether you want to pay for household help or not. Whilst certain cleaning agencies can be very expensive, we’ve got some top tips on not only how to find an affordable cleaner or housekeeper but also how to make the most out of your domestic employee once they’ve been hired!
Finding an affordable housekeeper or cleaner
For anyone who has searched for a housekeeper or cleaner in the past, you will know that the price of cleaners and cleaning services varies greatly depending on the type of service you are looking for and where you conducting your search.
There are a variety of different options available, from the most expensive applicants often coming from agencies to far cheaper services being provided by self-employed individuals. There are pros and cons to both, and it can be confusing to know what is the best offer so we’ve listed the options below:
1. Agency Cleaners/Housekeepers:
Pros: Hiring from an agency can seem like a simple options as they often will provide cleaners on short notice and have a wide range of services available. Due to the large employee base at an agency if your cleaner is unwell or unavailable one week, it is highly likely that the agency will provide a replacement meaning that it can be a reliable option for those looking for a regular service. Similarly if you are looking for a one off service such as an end of tenancy clean then an agency will often be prepared to provide this. It is also expected that the agency will require a certain standard of work from all of their employees and you are therefore more secure in knowing that your service will be of a high standard.
Cons: The downside of hiring from an agency is that they can be very expensive. Due to the nature of there being a third party or a middle man who is hiring and placing the applicants and the employers, agency fees can often make housekeeping and cleaning solutions unaffordable for many families. Furthermore it is often possible to find the same quality of service from an independent applicant for a far cheaper price if you are willing to spend more time in your initial search. Finally the nature of an agency service may mean that you have different people coming to work for you each time, which can be off putting to some employers as they like to establish a good relationship with everyone entering their home.
2. Self-employed housekeepers and cleaners:
Pros: Housekeepers and cleaners who work for themselves on a self-employed basis are able to offer their services for a far more affordable price as they have very few over head costs and can therefore remain competitive. You are also able to build up a long term, trusting relationship with an individual cleaner if they visit your home regularly which may be appealing for some, as it can be difficult to trust another person to work inside your home. Individual cleaners and housekeepers will also be more flexible and may be able to offer additional services outside of what an agency worker could do such as pet sitting, childcare and more.
Cons: When deciding not to use an agency and pay an individual directly there is always the worry of this method being less secure as you are directly responsible for hiring them and it may be harder to hold them accountable should they fail to turn up for a shift or perform a sub-par job. Furthermore the service can be less reliable as if the individual is sick or away they often might not have another employee to replace them leaving you without the service for a week or more.
3. Care Platforms (such as Yoopies!)
Pros: An online care platform such as Yoopies combines the best parts of both of the previous options as they provide a vast range of self-employed applicants all in one place. You’ve not only got the security of an agency style hiring service but you are able to enjoy the lower prices of self-employed applicants as we do not take any fees from our applicants and they are free to set their own rates. We also have a very large data base of applicants allowing you to search for your ideal housekeeper easily in one place. You are able to see reviews of our applicants from other users and know whether or not their profile has been verified by us to ensure maximum safety and security throughout the hiring process. Much like an agency you can hire people on as regular or flexible a basis as you want, whatever suits you best!
Cons: If our applicants are new or inexperienced, much like with self-employed applicants you may not be able to tell their level of experience and ensure they are up to your standards before hiring them. Whilst we do have a large quantity and range of applicants, it will fall upto you to find a replacement for your cleaner or housekeeper should they be unavailable to work for you one week as Yoopies does not operate like an agency in matching employers and applicants, we leave that choice up to you!
What additional services can my housekeeper do?
A housekeeper or cleaner will have different levels of expertise depending on who you hire and some may offer more services than others. For a detailed guide on everything a housekeeper or cleaner usually does check out our comprehensive ‘What is a housekeeper?’ guide!
Aside from the usual cleaning duties however, if there is a specific domestic related chore you need help with at your home why not ask your housekeeper to complete these during their paid working hours:
- Laundry
- Ironing
- Taking clothes to the dry cleaners
- Tidying children’s bedrooms
- Dog walking/Feeding pets
- Pet Sitting whilst the family is away
- Running errands such as going to the post office or collecting prescriptions
- Driving children to school and back
- Watering plants/Light gardening duties
Is it safe to have a housekeeper or cleaner during lockdown?
As of January 4th the Government has ruled that cleaners can continue to work during this lockdown and as long as restrictions continue which is great news for both you and your cleaner. However there are certain precautions and guidelines that both you and your cleaner should be taking to help minimise any potential health risks and ensure a safe working environment for all.
Some tips on how to stay safe whilst your cleaner works in your house:
- Leave the house whilst the cleaner is working: We know that with home schooling and working from home this will not always be possible but the best way to reduce the chances of contamination and infection is to have no contact with the other person. If there is a time where you know you will be out of the house running errands for a few hours, why not reschedule the cleaner to this time or try and get your daily exercise and walk in during the hours the cleaner is working.
- Stay in a different room to the cleaner: If you do happen to be in the house then choose one room to stay in whilst the cleaner is working to avoid constant contact and passing each other around the house.
- Wear a mask and PPE: Ask you cleaner to please wear a mask and if possible gloves and any other PPE they might have whilst working in your house. Encourage the use of hand sanitiser before and after they complete their duties and stay 2 metres apart from them at all times where possible.
- Contactless Payment: If you usually pay your cleaner in cash, why not take the chance to switch to online bank transfers to remove the need for any contact when giving payment. If this is not an option for whatever reason then leave the cash in an envelope or on the side for the cleaner to collect rather than handing it to them to again reduce contact. If you’re hiring a cleaner or housekeeper through Yoopies then don’t worry, all our payments are securely handled through the online platform!
To find out about little changes you can make to ensure your house is as clean and covid secure as possible in these difficult times check out our cleaning tips for a covid secure home article!
Combining Services
If you have a large family or find yourself needing to employ multiple employees it can soon become to expensive to pay multiple wages on a weekly basis. It can therefore be a cost and time effective solution to find an individual who is able to offer multiple services and can help your family in many areas.
There are people who are able to offer combined services such as:
- Nanny-Housekeepers
- Nanny-Petsitter
- Nanny-Cleaner
- Nanny-Tutor
- Housekeeper-Petsitter
Finding the right candidate to suit all of your requirements may take time, but by writing a detailed and specific ad on an online platform such as Yoopies you are able to outline your specific requirements and hopefully find the perfect person to help out with all your domestic needs!