In this economy we have had more once a month cleanings for people on a budget. We go in for an hour, with three people, clean the kitchen, baths, and do some dusting. It just helps people stay in the game of keeping the house clean. Of course this works best for the people who keep a place tidy.
For those who have cleaning challenges we have found we are both, the cleaners, and customers, unhappy with the results. Expectations are high, so some times there is disappointment. The price is also a little bit higher than what some want to pay.
Some simple tricks for once a month cleaning are to clean the dishes, and put them away. Dishes cost a lot for the cleaners to do. Clean a section of the kitchen, and put everything there, out of the way. Get everything you can out of the way in the bathroom. Pick up the toys, put out the trash, and straighten where the vacuum is going. The idea is for the cleaners to clean, and the less they move around the more they can get to.
If you read through this blog you can see that these simple tips get you half way to a clean house. What you may also want to consider is breaking the cleaning into two sessions of an hour each to see how a system may work for you. It may be that paying $120 to $135 for once a month would be better than paying $180 for once every two weeks, but you may want to try it both ways.
Since 1968, high school, I have worked on properties for rent and sale. My first company was formed in 1972 with a partner. Over the years the business grew. Last year in 2008 my main company A Spring Cleaning won an award for Cleaning Service by the U.S. Local Business Association.
A Spring Cleaning was my own creation. In the 1980s and 1990s we did many things. Dry rot repair, yard work, paint, pressure washing, hauling, and design. In 2000 we changed to a regularly scheduled house cleaning company with the trade name Seattle House Cleaning.
The transition was gradual. A Spring Cleaning got a boost in 2005 with a mention on a national TV show, then a few interviews in the local media, and business was very good. I was also a licensed Real Estate agent with some project properties.
In 2005 I became concerned about the housing market and concentrated on finishing my projects full time. We sold off properties in 2006 then concentrated on the Seattle House Cleaning business. Three years later the cleaning business is good.
Blogging is a part of my daily routine. Most of the time my focus has been on Real Estate and economics. To go along with that we encourage people to be in business. Our cleaning business has branched off into other cleaning businesses and we consult with other business owners.
This site is an extension of what we already do. By sharing what we have learned about the cleaning business we hope you will see it's more than just a bucket and rags that get you the fresh feeling of a clean home. These are just some tricks of the trade and some of the pit falls we experience.