Is a House Cleaner Worth It?
The easy answer is “YES!” But we’re a residential cleaning company, so you probably expected us to say that. Fair enough. We’ll explain why a residential cleaning service is one of the best investments you can make as a homeowner.
There is of course a cost involved in securing a residential cleaning company. But what do you get for that investment? First of all, you get your house thoroughly cleaned top-to-bottom. There’s nothing like coming home to a freshly cleaned home. But a clean home is also a healthier home, and there’s a peace of mind that comes from both having an clean home and knowing you have someone on your side to help create that clean space for your family. But perhaps the biggest payoff for your investment is the free time you get back because you’re not spending it cleaning. Most of us undervalue our time, not appreciating it for the irreplaceable precious resource that it is. When you weigh the time you’d have to spend to achieve the same results with the same consistency as a residential cleaning company, you will find it to be worth the investment every time.
We encourage you to read the EadsCo Cleaning Google Reviews to hear directly from homeowners like you about the value of partnering with a residential cleaning company.
Is a House Cleaner a Household Employee?
It depends on if you are hiring an individual or a professional managed service.
If you are hiring an individual, the answer is probably Yes, as covered in IRS Tax Topic #756. But if not an Employee, then certainly a Contractor. The US Dept of Labor published its latest rule on March 11, 2024 to help Americans understand when to apply a worker’s status as a Contractor vs. an Employee.
If an Employee, the homeowner is required to comply with federal and state employment laws, pay employer payroll taxes, including unemployment insurance, as well as participate in state worker’s compensation programs. If a Contractor, then the homeowner is required to obtain a W-9 from the individual and to file a 1099 form at tax time.
Failure to properly classify and report a household worker can result in significant back taxes owed plus penalties, interest, and attorney fees (for both the homeowners and the individuals. Under certain circumstances the individual’s attorney fees are guaranteed to be paid by the homeowner, as the employer). And if you are hiring an individual that works with another person or two in providing your service, that complicates matters further. For these reasons, we recommend to every homeowner that they consult with an employment law attorney and a tax specialist prior to hiring any individual household worker.
EadsCo Cleaning is a professional managed services company, registered with the state, paying our own payroll, and providing our own insurance; a proper company that performs cleaning services on behalf of our clients. You pay our company for a service. Then we manage, direct, and pay our employees for performing work on our behalf. Our clients are protected from the risks of hiring an individual household worker because EadsCo Cleaning team members are not classified as household employees, they are our employees.
Is a House Cleaner Tax Deductible?
As a general tax deduction, no. However, if you work from a home office, you may be able to deduct a portion of your house cleaning costs from your taxes. Additionally, under certain circumstances, home cleaning services can be treated as a tax-deductible medical expense or covered by insurance as part of a doctors’ prescription.
We’ll also be the first to tell you we’re not tax or insurance experts and everyone’s situation is unique, so we advise you to consult with the appropriate specialist for further guidance.
How much does a house cleaner cost?
The cost to hire someone to clean your house varies greatly based on a number of variables. The biggest ones are the size of the home, how ‘hard’ the home is lived in, and the number of people and pets living in it. Be wary of any company that will provide you with an estimate without first seeing your home in person. EadsCo Cleaning offers free in-home estimates that take into account the size and layout of the home and your specific needs. We encourage you to get several quotes, but keep in mind that you get what you pay for. So, it’s important to know exactly what services will be provided for the cost. Not all residential cleaning companies have the same definition of “clean.”
CAUTION: There are companies out there advertising 2-hours of home cleaning for $9. Unless that company’s business model is to pay to clean homes for homeowners, this is a dishonest or misleading offer. If it sounds too good to be true, it is. Please take caution!
What should I look for in a house cleaning company?
Here are the three most important characteristics to consider when choosing a residential cleaning company:
Process-Driven: Process creates consistency. If you hire a residential cleaning company, you’re paying for a consistent high level of service. That can only be achieved if the company has invested time in developing a process that their team follows every time they serve you. We’re all human and subject to error. But a process ensures you and your cleaning company have agreed on a certain level of service and it gives you a standard you can expect.
Transparent Pricing: When you hire a cleaning company, you’re paying for an outcome. Look for a cleaning company that offers flat rate pricing instead of hourly compensation. There are many variables that impact the time it takes to clean a home. The experience of team members, their sense of urgency, and heavy seasonal traffic can all impact the time required. Flat rate pricing ensures the homeowner is not accountable for those variables. Instead, you pay a set price for a clear outcome: a clean home.
Professional Managed Service: You shouldn’t carry the burden of managing your cleaning staff. As a managed services provider, EadsCo Cleaning’s team structure is optimized to deliver consistent, positive results. We have a management team that serves as your primary contact, answering questions and addressing concerns. This eliminates the need for uncomfortable conversations with your on-site crew and ensures any change requests make it into your future work orders. If your expectations aren’t met, we will work with our team to fix it.
How often do residential cleaning companies come?
The first service we provide to all clients is called a Deep Clean. This addresses almost all areas of your home aside from painted walls and ceilings. Since every client’s home is different, the goal of this deep clean is to get the house to a base level of “clean” that can be maintained over time.
After that, frequency depends on your needs. Many clients hire us to perform recurring cleans once every two weeks. Some clients hire us to come as frequently as weekly. Others only require our services every four weeks. Our client manager will make a recommendation based on the number of people and pets living in the home and any other variables that need to be considered. We also offer a one-time Move-Out/In Deep Clean service to help reset a home for new owners or a Deep Clean to prepare for a sale. Did you know that a home cleaned in preparation for a sale sells faster with a sale price gain more than the price of the clean? Buyers value clean.
What services are included in residential house cleaning?
This can vary from company to company. But an EadsCo Cleaning Deep Clean service includes:
- Removing cobwebs
- Cleaning hard floors and vacuuming carpets
- Handwashing cabinet faces, doors, frames, railings, switch plates, exposed baseboards, chair rails, wainscot, and sills/sashes on windows we can access.
- De-smudging windows of fingerprints
- Cleaning air returns
- Cleaning ceiling fans
- Cleaning kitchen and bathroom surfaces and appliances
- Flat surfaces with cleaning of objects on those services, as well as under and behind those objects
All surfaces touched in the Deep Clean are then maintained over time during recurring cleans.
EadsCo Cleaning does not provide the following services:
- Cleaning painted walls
- Moving furniture
- Deep carpet cleaning
- First construction cleaning
- Bio-material cleanup, including pet messes
Many of the services we do not provide are provided by companies in our extensive list of service partners.
Ready for a Free In-Home Estimate?
Are you ready to experience first-hand what so many homeowners love about EadsCo Cleaning? It all starts with your free in-home estimate. Contact us by phone at 636-922-5326(92-CLEAN) or fill out a form to get the process started. We can’t wait to start delivering the EadsCo Cleaning difference to you and your family.