Professional cleaning service prices vary quite dramatically depending on what route you go down. An individual advertising as a cleaner will be the cheapest option, while a professional maid will charge more. Then there are professional cleaning companies who will send more than one cleaner to your home to perform a thorough service.

Thumbtack lists the average cost of house cleaners as $160 to $200. This equates to a one-bedroom apartment costing around $80 to $110. For someone who doesn’t enjoy cleaning or doesn’t have the motivation, this may represent value for money.

However, is it truly cost-effective to hire professional cleaners, and is there a real justification for not cleaning a home yourself?

Consider what your time means to you

Your time is likely to be of great importance to you as it is to anyone else. It may be hard to put a price on your time, but it is worth considering it.

Is the cost of hiring a professional cleaning service less than how you value your own time. Do you want to stay home cleaning or would you rather visit your family for some valued moments? Below are other considerations to take into account when deciding if professional cleaning is cost effective.

No need to take time off work

One way to cost up your time is to consider whether you need to take time off from work. Clearly, sometimes you can’t avoid cleaning. For instance, when you are trying to sell a home or move out of a rented property.

Taking time off from work to perform this type of cleaning can be frustrating and costly. You may lose a vacation day, or it could impact your salary in other ways. If your company pays overtime then you may lose extra pay by taking time off.

You may get more of your tenancy deposit back

Speaking of leaving the rented property, there is a security deposit to consider. Not leaving a home spotless is an almost guaranteed way to lose some of that important tenancy deposit you handed over a year ago.

Hiring a professional cleaning service can often result in a proper end-of-tenancy clean that pleases the landlord on inspection. These companies often offer a specialized service aimed at this particular area.

Whether it is cost-effective will be down to how big your tenancy deposit was, compared to the size of the home being cleaned. The larger the house, the higher the cleaning cost. However, the size of your home likely had some impact on how big the deposit was too.

You may sell your home quicker and for a higher price

Everyone knows the importance of decluttering before selling a home, but cleaning thoroughly is just as essential.

Using a professional carpet cleaning service could really show off your home in a great light. This could lead to a quicker sale, and you may find your asking price is more likely to be met. If nothing else, you will feel much more comfortable showing off a sparkling home than one that has only had a quick once-over.

You don’t need to hire expensive equipment

Certain cleaning tasks demand specialist equipment. The carpet cleaning service mentioned above is one. There are reasons why it’s better to hire a professional window cleaner too. If you don’t own a ladder you won’t be able to reach upstairs windows.

Hiring professionals means not having to worry about any equipment at all.

You won’t need to purchase cleaning products

And the same is true about cleaning products. Sure, you have washing up liquid and some other cleaning products, but the professionals will have the right tools for each area of the house.

They can degrease ovens, clean mildew from bathrooms, and perform upholstery cleans. It is unlikely you have all the products necessary to perform a genuine deep clean.

How meaningful is a clean home to you?

This isn’t as tangible as being able to count the cash, but for your own peace of mind, what value do you put on a clean home?

A professional cleaning service is very likely to clean much deeper than you would, and they won’t get bored doing so or cut corners. At least they shouldn’t which is why many offer guarantees to their services.

Cleaning companies won’t shirk their tasks

You can follow a lazy person’s guide to cleaning a kitchen if you’re someone who just doesn’t enjoy these types of tasks.

It won’t affect you financially by not doing all the cleaning tasks on the list, but ultimately it could cost you more time having to go over areas more than once.

There may be health costs to consider

This is an area that has costs to consider that go much deeper than simply money. According to WebMD, clutter can affect mental health.

A cleaning service won’t remove your clutter, but calling one in may push you to do a sweep of the home first and be more organized.

In turn, you will find yourself being more focused and more productive in the future. This is especially true for anyone who is working from home and has a cluttered untidy office and desk.

However, the health implications of not cleaning properly can be deeper than just clutter. Allergens including dander and pollen can impact a person’s health. Vacuuming cannot always get rid of deep-rooted problems such as mold and dust mites either.

This is one area where a professional cleaning service can exceed any potential cost savings that you may make by not using them.

Summary

Whether professional cleaning services are cost-effective is likely to come down to your personal needs at the time, and how you value certain aspects such as your time, and cleanliness.

There are times when a truly deep clean is needed, and this is often when someone is moving into or out of a home. On these occasions, it may be highly beneficial to hire a cleaning service, and financially viable if deposits are involved.

Professional cleaners may also improve the air quality in a home, and make it generally a healthier place to live. You, yourself will have to put the value on that.