It can be tough to find the time to keep your house clean, and sometimes you just don’t have the energy or motivation to take on such a large task after working all day. There are many housekeepers available if you are looking for help, but it’s important to understand that each type of housekeeper has its own set of benefits and drawbacks. Before you hire someone to help you with your home, here are some things to know before you hire a housekeeper.
Table of Contents
Interview Candidates
Don’t rush your decision. Do thorough interviews with all candidates and ask them about their professional and personal experience. The right housekeeper will become part of your team, so consider finding someone with whom you can develop a relationship over time.
And don’t be afraid to get references—you want to make sure that your prospective housekeeper is trustworthy. If possible, meet some previous clients or talk with friends who have hired a housekeeper before. Your search for an ideal candidate shouldn’t take more than two weeks; if it does, look for ways to streamline it!
Hence, knowing the experience before you hire a housekeeper will help to know more about the person who will work in your house.
Decide the mode of payment to hire a housekeeper
What will you pay for cleaning services? Some housekeepers charge by the hour, others by room, and others by square footage. If your goal is to spend less money overall, hiring a housekeeper hourly might be ideal. Most people look for professionals who charge per room or square foot of space cleaning. Once you decide to hire a housekeeper, it is a must to define the calculation of wage payment before starting the work.
Deciding the right mode of payment is necessary before you hire a housekeeper. This will help to avoid the confusion that may arise when payday arrives.
Get referrals
Make sure you get referrals before hiring a housekeeper. Even if they come highly recommended, it’s not worth taking any chances with your family’s health and well-being. Word of mouth is often better than online research when it comes to professional services, so ask around. If no one knows someone who can recommend housekeepers, go ahead and ask friends who work in cleaning companies or ask at local associations for maids and housekeepers.
It is always better to hire a housekeeper who is referred by some person. It will help you to know about the housekeeper. If someone recommends the housekeeper, you can even approach them if there is an issue.
Decide the tasks
In every house, some common tasks will be there, such as mopping, sweeping, and scrubbing the dishes, toilets, and showers among them. If you want your housekeeper to do any additional tasks, it is better to decide about the same before you hire a housekeeper. Additionally, you can add other duties that need to be done once or twice a year, such as cleaning the refrigerator and ovens.
However, the housekeeper insurance will limit some duties, such as cleaning the exterior windows. So, before you hire a housekeeper, consider all these things to avoid confusion in the future.
Define boundaries and expectations
To avoid any confusion and problems, it is best to talk with your housekeeper before you hire a housekeeper to decide what are the duties and responsibilities of the housekeeper. And you can let the housekeeper know what to expect from you.
Defining what to do and what not to do is essential in every job, and it applies to housekeeping work. You can also negotiate the extra payment for extra work or the number of allowed leaves, etc.
Agree to a trial period
If you finalize a candidate after doing a thorough interview, getting the referrals, and other background checks, you need to do another important task before you hire a housekeeper. That is agreeing to hire a housekeeper for a trial period of 15 days or one month.
This will allow you to see your housekeeper’s working method and behavior. If you do not agree to a trial period, it may create some issues. Some things can be ascertained only when you see them in front of you.
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Conclusion
If you follow these things before you hire a housekeeper, you will likely avoid common issues you face with the housekeeper.