Cleaning is one of the household chores we learn to do at a very early age. Everyone is used to regularly vacuuming, scrubbing the floor, washing the dishes, cleaning the windows and generally maintaining a standard of cleanliness around the house with little to no help. However, sometimes it gets harder to keep up with a busy lifestyle and all of the household chores all at once. Often, when people hear the words "cleaning service", they associate them with images of white aprons, maid outfits and feather dusters.

This isn't the case however. Cleaning services are, in fact, varied, flexible and surprisingly, not at all expensive. Depending on your needs, schedule, the size of your property and the type of cleaning that you require, the prices will vary widely. They will also differ from company to company. However, there are a number of companies out there, which can provide a very good service for a completely adequate price.

First thing's first, however. You need to figure out what type of service you require in order to anticipate and consider the cost.
Different companies provide different selections of services.

If you require a one-time cleaning, such as an end of tenancy cleaning, this will generally be quite expensive. An end of tenancy clean means basically stripping the property and cleaning and disinfecting every inch of the property - inside and out. This requires a team of people, working for a few days and therefore will be more expensive than say, a one-time maid service.
Other types of one-time cleaning are Moving In and Out cleans. These are pretty self-explanatory. Moving In cleans are comprehensive deep clean services, which can be enlisted before you move into a home, to make sure that everything is spotless and the place is ready for you to move in all of your things. Similarly, a Moving Out Clean is designed to help you get a property in the best condition for a sale.

There are numerous other types of one-time cleaning services, such as Builders cleans, Post-Refurbishment cleans, House Clearances (typically required when a house is far beyond a normal state), etc. For a lower price, a cleaning company can be hired to clean a specific area, such as floors, windows, etc. When enlisting a one-time cleaning service, be sure to get an estimate from more than one company before settling for one offer.

Another option is a maid service. There is a lot of flexibility with this option as well, depending on your area, how often you want the cleaner to visit, what kind of cleaning do you want them to do. Generally, a maid service means that one person regularly visits your home - usually once a week, although that can differ depending on the arrangement - and performs a set cleaning routine. This can be really helpful, if you have a busy schedule and can generally take care of the little things around the home, but you do not have time to deal with the bigger chores. The benefits to this service are that you will get the same person every week, unless there are unforeseen circumstances, so you will get to establish a working relationship with set rules and expectations.

A professional cleaning service can be an enormous help in a variety of circumstances. However, always remember to stay safe. Hiring a service would mean letting strangers into your home, so always ask for credentials and, if you do not know the particular employee, supervision might be necessary.