Home
Fact-checked

At HomeQuestionsAnswered, we're committed to delivering accurate, trustworthy information. Our expert-authored content is rigorously fact-checked and sourced from credible authorities. Discover how we uphold the highest standards in providing you with reliable knowledge.

Learn more...

How can I Find Someone to Clean my House?

Michael Pollick
Michael Pollick
Michael Pollick
Michael Pollick

Many people today have such busy work and personal schedules that certain chores such as housekeeping keep getting put on the back burner. The results can be too gruesome to discuss in polite society. Fortunately, there are a number of ways to find someone to clean your house while you're otherwise engaged. These housecleaning services are not necessarily cheap, but the alternative of never cleaning your house again will definitely cost you more in the long run. Landlords can even evict tenants who fail to maintain their premises, so hiring a professional house cleaner may be worth the investment.

One place to find someone to clean your house is the local phone book or classified ad section of a newspaper. Commercial housecleaning companies generally advertise their services in the local media, so your search should begin there. There are a few things to consider when selecting a commercial housecleaning service, however. The standard charges can be higher than those of an equivalent self-employed house cleaner. Many professional cleaning companies may also offer one-time, weekly or monthly services. Be sure to read any long-term contracts carefully before agreeing to the terms of a professional cleaning service.

Many housekeepers work part-time for several households providing routine cleaning.
Many housekeepers work part-time for several households providing routine cleaning.

Another way to find someone to clean your house is through word-of-mouth. Your co-workers may also be facing the same housecleaning challenges as you, so it may pay to ask them about reputable self-employed house cleaners. A good house cleaner may have several regular clients but still have room for new assignments. If none of your co-workers employ housekeepers, you could still ask members of your church or synagogue for names of local house cleaners. Perhaps among the members you could find someone who is looking for an additional source of income.

Placing an ad in a local newspaper's classifieds may help someone find a house cleaner.
Placing an ad in a local newspaper's classifieds may help someone find a house cleaner.

Sometimes, local house cleaners advertise their services through flyers or posters. If you need someone to clean your house, you could visit a number of popular public areas that allow postings. Laundromats often feature a bulletin board that allows patrons to post homemade advertising flyers. College student centers may also have a job board that would match the needs of an advertiser with the skills of a working student. If you need a cleaner, you could participate in a job matching service at a local college, homeless shelter or social service center.

Michael Pollick
Michael Pollick

A regular HomeQuestionsAnswered contributor, Michael enjoys doing research in order to satisfy his wide-ranging curiosity about a variety of arcane topics. Before becoming a professional writer, Michael worked as an English tutor, poet, voice-over artist, and DJ.

Learn more...
Michael Pollick
Michael Pollick

A regular HomeQuestionsAnswered contributor, Michael enjoys doing research in order to satisfy his wide-ranging curiosity about a variety of arcane topics. Before becoming a professional writer, Michael worked as an English tutor, poet, voice-over artist, and DJ.

Learn more...

Discussion Comments

anon346897

How do I clean a friend's house as an occupation?

MrMoody

@SkyWhisperer - I think you could hire out for just about anything. The question is the price and who would be willing to do it. I’d recommend you tackle a grout cleaning job yourself, however. It’s not that hard, it just takes time and patience.

Further, if you do it yourself, only you will know when you’ve done it thoroughly enough to be happy with the results. You can use mildew cleaner and either an old mop or a toothbrush, depending on the size of the cleaning area. Then just scrub until your tiles are clean. If you want to call a professional service, they will usually do things like steam cleaning to make everything spick-and-span, but I’d try the do-it-yourself approach first.

SkyWhisperer

Does anyone know how to clean grout? Is this something I could hire out?

David09

@allenJo - You should also remember that the cleaning services typically have a list of things that they will or will not do. For instance, the company you’re considering may be willing to clean windows but not do any serious oven cleaning, or the other way around. So what you’ll end up doing in this case is hire two separate services.

This may not be within your budget, so you should decide what is really important and hire that out, and do the other stuff yourself. In our case we had a lot of clutter in the house. I thought it was a waste of time to have the housekeeper try to clean up or cut through the clutter, so I uncluttered myself and then had her do the other cleaning duties.

allenJo

You might also want to check the Yellow Pages for companies that advertise these services. I’ve noticed a lot of them take out ads there. One of the important points to remember with these kinds of business cleaning or house cleaning services is the importance of good references.

As a homeowner, you’re opening your house to a complete stranger. You’re probably not going to lock everything up (although valuables should be put away) so you want someone who is trustworthy. They should also follow your instructions clearly and not insist on their own way of doing things.

Some house cleaners I’ve worked with just want to whip through everything and when I come home I see they’ve cut corners and I wind up finishing the work myself. References are important. If you don’t have direct references, see if you can find customer feedback about the business online.

Post your comments
Login:
Forgot password?
Register:
    • Many housekeepers work part-time for several households providing routine cleaning.
      By: Monkey Business
      Many housekeepers work part-time for several households providing routine cleaning.
    • Placing an ad in a local newspaper's classifieds may help someone find a house cleaner.
      By: by-studio
      Placing an ad in a local newspaper's classifieds may help someone find a house cleaner.
    • Many laundromats have public bulletin boards that might advertise cleaning service.
      By: dutourdumonde
      Many laundromats have public bulletin boards that might advertise cleaning service.
    • Some housekeepers may do the laundry for clients.
      By: Monika Wisniewska
      Some housekeepers may do the laundry for clients.
    • Washing dishes is one task a housekeeper might tackle.
      By: Piotr Pawinski
      Washing dishes is one task a housekeeper might tackle.
    • Vacuuming is a basic part of house cleaning that someone can be hired to complete.
      By: vetkit
      Vacuuming is a basic part of house cleaning that someone can be hired to complete.
    • Laundromats often feature a bulletin board that allows patrons to post homemade advertising flyers.
      By: Quinn Dombrowski
      Laundromats often feature a bulletin board that allows patrons to post homemade advertising flyers.
    • A local family shelter may help those living there search for jobs, and oversee their employment.
      By: Jasmin Merdan
      A local family shelter may help those living there search for jobs, and oversee their employment.