‘HOW MUCH IS A CLEANING SERVICE?’
In a 2016 study, 1 in 3 households in the UK stated that they used the services of domestic cleaners. Whilst there is no data yet for 2018, recent BBC reports indicate that it’s a growing trend. Really though, the question we should be asking ourselves is “What is the value of this service to me?” If you’re slaving away the weekend, scrubbing the bathroom, or even just lightly hoovering, you are probably fooling yourself if you consider doing the chores yourself is “free”. Can you really afford not to use a cleaning service?”
The Stress of Modern Life
You’re busy with work and our hours are some of the longest in Europe. We need to care for our families and our homes. Ever tried to sit and relax when you can see jobs that need doing? Most of us have very high expectations of ourselves and what is achievable. And what if you’ve got family visiting with very exacting standards, or that casual invitation to your friends to ‘pop round for dinner on Friday night’. That you forgot about until Thursday evening, when you got home late after the training course and now it’s the kids' bath and bed time? Sadly, that high gloss, minimalist, shiny tiled, aspirational kitchen diner does not clean itself. In the words of author Ben Mitchell, “It takes a lot of effort to make something look effortless”
Conclusion: Not doing household chores is stressful. Does it really have to be you who does them, though?
Mrs Hinch and the Millennials
I’m not buying that myth that millennials now spend their Friday nights descaling the shower head. I’m sure influencers like Mrs Hinch have played a huge part in the increase in sales of certain cleaning products; some brands’ sales are up 200%. But, purchasing does not necessarily mean using them. That home oven cleaning kit sat in my cupboard for a long, long time. The under 35’s are the people who are most likely to bring in some outside help. I remember the rise of the Celebrity Chef. Thousands of cookery books bought, record TV series’ viewing figures. But we still ordered a takeaway. Go on, say it; I HATE CLEANING! Doesn’t that feel better? But if you do find the washing up therapeutic, or ironing to Eastenders is a joy, then do it. But why not outsource the rest?
Conclusion:
No time for the supermarket? Get the shopping delivered. No time to buy a birthday card? Moon Pig will send and even write it for you! We’re out sourcing everything already (and probably some of the personal things we really shouldn’t.) Is your friend’s house always tidy (and they are under 35?) Trust me, they have help. And they are also spending, on average £204 a month to achieve this, according to the BBC.
"It’s impossible to get a cleaning service for a Friday, the day I want it!"
There’s a song about getting what you need, rather than getting what you want (if you have found a way to get an 8-year-old to accept this, I am all ears). Fridays are without doubt, the day that our clients request the most. People living in a house create mess. Fact. It is why we have a business, after all. If you’re spending all weekend, luxuriating in solitude, then it is delightful to come home to an immaculate house on a Friday evening. If you’ve got family and your home is party central for the kids and you like friends to pop in, how are things looking by Sunday evening? And then it’s a long, 5 days til your housekeeping team returns. So, stress levels increase through the week and coming home at the end of a long day is probably not as relaxing as you’d like.
Conclusion: Enjoy your home all weekend (no cleaning, because you have a housekeeping service), then enjoy your home for the rest of the week too (because you have a housekeeping service that comes earlier in the week!). And you’ll probably find your home stays tidier too, because it looks so nice and you want to keep it that way. Our clients tell us this.
“If I Clean the House Myself, it's Free!
So, we have already established that you cleaning the house, or not cleaning it, is stressful; that’s a cost. Mrs Hinch encourages you to buy stuff, but she doesn’t actually come to your house to clean it; have you got a lot of products in your cupboard? How much did they cost? Having a nice, clean house earlier in the week will probably make the effect last almost all of the week; but have you got the time, or energy to clean your home on a Tuesday night?
You can’t get something for nothing, so if you use a service, you expect to pay for it; there is a monetary cost. What you need to decide is if your time and peace of mind is worth more than the cost you are paying. That is the definition of Value.
Think of this:
1) How much of your time does it take to clean your whole house? (Be truthful!)
2) How much do you get paid an hour at work?
3) Now calculate:
Hours to clean house x your £ per hour salary
Do you still think it is free to clean you’re your own home? What else could you be doing with that time? If the cost of a professional cleaning service like Bright and Beautiful Wolverhampton is less than this calculation, it’s costing you more, not less, to clean your home yourself.
And you get your free time back. Time is precious. Spend it well.
