With today’s busy lifestyles, it can be difficult to keep up with household duties.
Thankfully, you can keep your home spic and span with the help of a housekeeper or house cleaner. If you’re thinking of hiring some help for your home, it’s important to know the difference between these two professions. Read on to learn more about housekeepers and house cleaners so you can decide who to hire.
What Does a Housekeeper Do?
Whether you have kids and pets or just lead a busy life, a housekeeper can help you maintain your home. These professionals can assist you with a variety of tasks that go beyond simply cleaning.
A good housekeeper typically has worked professionally in the past as a house cleaner. So, she can be just as a good at scrubbing away the grease and grime in your kitchen as she can making your beds and ironing your shirts. Sanitizing your kitchen and wiping down the appliances, cabinets, and drawers are all part of a housekeeper’s routine. What about cleaning the details? She can also scrub the backsplash, knobs, handles, and even switch plate covers.
Housekeepers can also wash, fold, and iron your clothes for you. This can be extremely helpful, particularly for people with larger families who simply don’t have time to manage their never-ending piles of laundry. Need help changing and washing your bed linens and making the beds in your home? No problem. Housekeepers can also help you declutter by picking up messes and keeping your entire home neatly organized. Other duties may include washing and drying your dishes and putting them back in place.
Whether you need regular light cleaning like sweeping and dusting or someone to deep clean your home, a housekeeper is there to answer the call.
While a housekeeper can do a lot, it’s always helpful to know and list your priorities when interviewing or booking an appointment. It helps the housekeeper, or the person booking the appointment for you, understand what you need and provide an estimate. Many housekeeping services such as laundry and dishes require extra time, so costs may vary depending on what you need.
How About House Cleaners?
If your home needs some serious cleaning, and just cleaning, a professional house cleaner can help. She will arrive on a pre-scheduled date and time, work in your home for a specific amount of time or until finished, take supplies with them when they leave, and offer light or deep cleaning. They also vacuum, mop, dust, scrub, wipe, and clean the inside of your windows.
Most house cleaners will not organize your home as a housekeeper will. They also do not typically do laundry or make beds. A cleaner is typically focused on deep cleaning tasks for move-in, move-out, or spring cleaning that are more one-off in nature and specific to cleaning.
The biggest difference between the two professions is that a housekeeper typically returns on a regular basis and takes on tasks that are not necessarily just cleaning. Most house cleaners do not want to do housekeeping chores such as laundry, folding, ironing, etc., and they are perfectly happy with one-off appointments.
Determining Your Needs
If you’re looking for regular service for your home and someone to keep your home clean and organized, a housekeeper is the best solution. You can schedule your housekeeping services weekly, bi-weekly, or even monthly depending on your individual needs.
If you’re recovering from a disaster or need a one-time cleaning service for a home or business, a house cleaner may be all you need. They’re also a common choice for people who are moving in or out of a home and just need it cleaned before they sell or buy it.
In general, if you’re searching for someone to form a regular relationship with on an ongoing basis, housekeepers are the best choice. They will return to your home as you need them to help make sure your house isn’t just clean, but that it’s also well maintained.
The Benefits of House Cleaning and Housekeeping Services
Keeping your home clean and tidy is not just time-consuming. It’s also extremely intense and requires a lot of physical work and energy.
If you’re a busy career person or you have children, hiring a professional can give you the free time you need to relax. These services will give you peace of mind knowing your home is tidy without the added stress.
Using a professional house cleaner or housekeeper allows you to focus your attention on other things besides maintaining your home. It’s also extremely beneficial if you have frequent company or you like to entertain. You won’t need to worry about whether or not your home is presentable, especially if you hire a housekeeper.
Make Your Home Shine
Now that you know the differences between a housekeeper and a house cleaner, you can determine which service will fit into your needs. Whether you’re an extremely busy professional or just a busy parent, these services can make your life a lot easier.
Choose a housekeeping service if you want someone to come on a regularly scheduled basis. These services will allow you to relax since you know you can count on them to make your home clean, tidy, and organized.
Whether you live near Santa Cruz, San Diego, or near San Jose, Anita’s has a local professional to help you with your housekeeping needs. Or, contact us if you have more questions.
