I came to realize a simple truth: when it comes to house cleaning there are many people out there like me.
I keep my home as in order as I can. A friend of mine was amazed that I only filled up one 13-gallon garbage bag of trash every 10 days. I keep my house relatively clean because in part I don’t let relatives come over very often. Things are kept in order because as a self-employed person I need to find things when I need them. Perhaps most importantly, I am not a messy person.
But the reality is that there are times when my home needs a good cleaning from top to bottom. I don’t need nor want a maid service because there really isn’t enough for them to clean up even on a weekly basis, so while having them come in seems necessary – it’s not. What I discovered is necessary is for a quality, professional cleaning service to come in and give the place a thorough cleaning.
The first time you realize the one time cleaning is necessary is the traditional spring cleaning ritual. Friends and neighbors, especially those with children, are talking about how to spend the next few weekends cleaning out garages and basements of artifacts accumulated during the winter. But even if you are a neatnik, you will see why seasonal cleaning is a must. Spring is that time of the year when birds and bees find time to mate, and they don’t care where they find the place to do it. So a one-time cleaning to eliminate any potential resting or nesting places is common sense.
It helps to know what kinds of services a reputable cleaning service offers so you can find out which services best suit your needs, and which companies have the best reputation to deliver on their promises. Here is where you actually need to speak to the company personally because there are so many cleaning needs that can be easily overlooked. Consider this short list of possible oversights that many cleaning services will clean for you:
- Your gas or electric oven – We are talking about pizzas, but only you know what you put in there.
- Your microwave – It is easy to miss what grows on top of the inside
- The laundry room – One would think that the place where there is mostly soap and water would not require much cleaning, but only the cleaning service knows for sure
- The refrigerator – Do we really have to put this one on the list? Yes!
If you have a home or apartment that has hardwood floors, the reason is because the look so great and are much easier to keep clean than carpeted floors. But regardless of the quality or material of the hardwood floor, it needs to be kept clean to prevent scratches and to get the maximum service life from it. A seasonal cleaning is just what the floor doctor ordered and let you focus on your work and leisure time.
Tile floors, whether they are in the bathroom or the kitchen can be a source of built up dirt, especially those with intricate tile designs. Whether the tile color is light or dark, some of the dirt cannot be seen and requires more than just a mop and a bucket. When you consider that much of your personal hygiene is done in the bathroom, it makes good sense to have the tile thoroughly cleaned several times during the year.
Whether you have leather or fabric covers for your furniture, they need to be cleaned professionally to get the maximum use from them. Many people wait until they become unsightly or a major spill occurs that requires a call to a cleaning services company. But like your personal clothing, having it cleaned periodically helps it last longer and adds to the appearance of your home.
You may only need to have your house thoroughly cleaned once a year. The question you have to ask is whether you have the skills, tools, and know how to do it all yourself. If you factor in the time it will take from your weekly routine, you will discover you are better off using a one-time cleaning service to do the job for you. If you are not convinced, take a few minutes to make a checklist of all the areas in your house, from top to bottom, that need to be cleaned. In order for your HVAC system to run at maximum efficiency, which will save you money, a clean air environment is necessary. That means eliminating as much dust in your living environment as possible.
Calling in a cleaning service for a one time cleaning of your home is an investment of both your time and your money. You will save on both because the cost of having a clean, well-maintained home is significantly less than paying for higher energy bills during the year or for an exterminator to rid your house of pesky insects. Calling a cleaning service for a one time cleaning is the only way you will know what services are available, and which ones meet your specific needs. And you are likely to find out there are many people just like you who are in need of a good, quality house cleaning.