We won’t bury the lead, here: the average household in the United States spends about $600 a year on cleaning products. That doesn’t include the time spent trying to keep everything clean and tidy (here’s looking at you, new parents). Even if you’re a pretty efficient person, you’ll still have a hard time doing the same deep cleaning in your home that maid services can perform.
Did you know that a parent will spend an average of one full 24-hour day per month simply cleaning? If you’re also working from home, you’re undoubtedly aware that time is money – and 24 hours is a lot of time!
If you’re a homeowner, you might also fall victim to the Frequency Illusion (which we’ll dive a bit deeper into) – you won’t notice that you’re neglecting something because you see it all of the time!
At any rate, when you break down the cost/benefit ratio, hiring someone to handle your housekeeping shouldn’t be considered a luxury. It should be viewed as an investment – and a good one, at that. Let’s take a look at all of the ways that you can actually save money when hiring maid services.
Why Your Wallet Wants to Hire Maid Services
Once thought of as a luxury for the upper class, hiring someone to do the house cleaning can actually save you money in the long run in today’s post-pandemic, work-from-home atmosphere.
While it may not ring true for everyone depending on the career, family size, or schedule, there is significant evidence that hiring cleaners is cheaper. We touched on some of the reasons above, but let’s get detailed.
Time Is Money
If you are a part of the nation’s growing group of work-from-home employees or freelancers, time is money to you, almost literally. The same goes for other gig workers and folks whose livelihood depends on tips or gratuity, and also for career adults who travel a lot and are rarely home for longer than a few days at a time.
Your home should be your sanctuary, not a to-do list. Remote workers have enough on their plates; deadlines (ahem…), constant calls, teleconferences, and all manner of other issues to deal with to earn money. Many simply do not have the time to dedicate to cleaning on a regular basis.
Consider this hypothetical scenario: A remote worker who earns money on an hourly basis at a rate of $30/hr has an opportunity to work overtime but that means not having time to clean the house before company comes over in a couple of days.
You find a few professional maid services and get a quote for less than $30 an hour. This isn’t second-grade math, you hire the housekeepers! You’re still going to make extra money on top of what you normally bring in, and your home will be clean for when your guests arrive.
Frequency Illusion and Home Maintenance
Not to get too technical here, but Frequency Illusion is a fancy name for a real thing that we’ve all likely experienced at one time or another in our lives. Basically, the thought goes that if you see the same thing that is wrong or dirty or broken frequently enough, you start to consider it to be normal.
For example, if you start to notice a spot of mold in your bathroom on the ceiling above your shower, you’ll see it pretty often. You’ll think “wow, I need to take care of that before it gets bigger,” and then you’ll get ready for the day and forget about it. The next time you see it, it may have grown.
Even though it’s gotten a bit bigger, you’ll think “wow, that’s getting bigger, I need to take care of that.” And so on and so forth until you’ve got a black bathroom ceiling. You don’t want a black moldy bathroom ceiling.
The point here is that it’s always a good idea to have a set of eyes take a look at your place from time to time. Chances are, they’ll find something that you’ve never even noticed.
Spend Money Now to Make Money Later
If you’re selling your home, you should consider professional maid services. The average home sits on the market for 40 days, but they can go much faster if they are immaculate at the showing – especially in today’s housing market. Spending a few hundred on a professional deep clean can mean several thousands of dollars more on a selling price.
Home buyers spend, on average, up to 10 weeks shopping for a home, with them attending one showing per week. Even if it’s just getting someone to dust the house – especially if you no longer live in the area or if you’re fellow Texans – this small investment can mean big bucks in the long run.
Give the Professionals a Call
If you’re considering hiring maid services, it’s at least worth your time to give professional housekeepers a call for a quote – you’ll likely be surprised at the price – in a good way.
Just as with every other financial decision, you can weigh it against your budget and the return on your investment. The other fun part will be seeing what the pros clean that you’ve never touched because you didn’t even consider it something that needed to be cleaned!
Hiring maid services can and will save you money. This isn’t a service reserved for the rich and famous any longer.
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