Many people face a dilemma when they decide to get professional cleaning help for their home. The choice often lies between hiring a cleaning company or opting for a solo cleaner. Of course, there are arguments for and against both options and today we want to tell you more about all that so you can make your informed decision.
The Pros of Hiring a Solo Cleaner
No doubt, the biggest benefit of choosing to have a freelance cleaner is that most likely you will pay less. The hourly rate of solo house helpers rarely go over £12p/h and in some cases they charge as low as £9 p/h. At a glance this is a fantastic deal, however, the low cost has its own hidden risks. Before we go into it in more detail, let’s say another positive of hiring a solo cleaner could be that you get the same person every time and both you and the worker are getting used to the property, style of cleaning and in many cases build a nice relationship.
The Cons of Hiring a Solo Cleaner
If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Low cleaning charges from freelance cleaners are very tempting, especially in hard financial times, but in reality they could cost you more. Many independent cleaning operatives don’t have insurance and although they often come with tons of working experience, they lack some specific professional training. This increases the risk of professional mistakes and in the event of accidental damage your cleaner will not be able to cover the cost, especially if the value is high.
Another problem with having a regular freelance house helper is that when they are sick or unable to come you will not get a replacement. It could be highly inconvenient especially around holidays and special personal events. Furthermore, to make up for the low hourly rates, solo cleaners often have to take on more properties they can physically cope with for a long period of time. As a result they often become overworked and fall sick or get an injury. Very few of them put aside some of their earnings in a pension fund, so in the long run, it certainly affects their quality of life in a negative way.
The Pros of Hiring a Cleaning Company
There are so many benefits attached to booking a service with a professional cleaning company. The main three are security, reliability and exceptional quality. All cleaners hired by reputable companies are thoroughly vetted and trained in house. This minimises the risk of criminal activity and incompetent work. Even when accidents happen, the company has an insurance in place, which can cover the damage or loss. It helps customers have much needed peace of mind when they let someone in their home.
Cleaning companies also have a lot more resources than solo cleaners. They can afford to buy better equipment and more efficient products that aren’t widely available on the general market. That affects the level of quality achieved during a service.
Last but not least, companies are more reliable because they can provide flexibility. If one staff member is unable to cover a booking for whatever reason, the manager can send a replacement and the job still gets done to the same standard and on time. Customers can book services at times that suit them best. This is not always possible with freelance cleaners, who have a fixed schedule and it is harder to shuffle things around. Also, employed cleaners work in teams. It allows for the job to be completed in a shorter period of time. The price won’t be cheaper, but you’ll get to go about your own business much quicker.
The Cons of Hiring a Cleaning Company
The only downfalls of opting for a company instead of a solo cleaner are that you have to pay a higher price and you may not get the same cleaner every time. But as we explained above, those higher fees cover a lot of benefits you won’t get from a freelancer.
We hope this article was helpful and you can now make a decision knowing all the details around cleaning companies and solo cleaners. London Cleaning Systems has been working with hundreds of happy clients in Chingford Woodford Green, Stratford, Wimbledon, Kensington, Chelsea, Richmond, Canary Wharf, Battersea, Shepherd’s Bush. We are looking forward to making you one of them soon, even if your London postcode doesn’t quite fall in these areas.
