Modern life provides us with comforts and conveniences that could only be imagined a century ago. We now have access to entertainment at the click of a button and both fast food and a fully catered dinner are available via a quick Internet search. There’s little motivation to leave the comfort of your own home.
It is said that home is where the heart is, and the global pandemic has taught us that spending quality time with friends and family in the safety of your own home has a variety of advantages.
So it’s almost inevitable that more and more people are spending more and more of their precious leisure time at home. And that leisure time is becoming a precious commodity. People are working harder, and longer, and having to cope with more information and stress than ever before – and that means that each and every opportunity to spend time with others near and dear at home needs to be seized.
The result of increased entertaining at home, or simply cocooning, is inevitably going to be an increase in cleaning tasks – but in this time-poor modern world, it is very rare to find someone who would rather be cleaning than enjoying some much-needed time off.
Many people in Dublin are therefore opting to retain the services of a residential cleaning company. But selecting the cleaners that suit your unique needs can be a tricky business. There are numerous choices. In order to make your choice that little bit easier here are some hints and tips that will make finding your ideal cleaners in Dublin that much less stressful.
Steps to Finding the Perfect Dublin Cleaning Service
1. Know your Home
Before starting a search for the ideal Dublin cleaner take a long, hard look at your home, the floor area, and the number of rooms that may require cleaning services. Many professional cleaning services will provide a cleaner for 1, 2, or 3-hour periods, sometimes for a half or full day.
Be realistic. There is a limit to how much your cleaner can accomplish in the time slot they are given. An apartment may only require basic cleaning services – and the area is small. A large house is something different – even a three-hour slot will allow the cleaner to only perform tasks such as hoovering, and sweeping floors, as well as wiping down kitchen and bathroom surfaces.
2. Know your Needs
There are several standard services that are offered by house cleaning service providers. these will include vacuuming carpets, dusting and cleaning kitchen and bathroom surfaces, cleaning floors (including mopping), cleaning internal window surfaces, emptying indoor bins, polishing and dusting of ornamentation, and general tidying up / making neat.
3. Do your Research
Your best hope of finding a cleaner that meets all your requirements is to do your research. Visit review websites where real people give their opinion on the service they have received or ask family and friends to recommend a company they have used. Once you have developed a shortlist make a call and ask to speak to a manager and ask about any areas of concern.
4. Pricing and Contracts
As is usual when selecting any service provider the cost of the service will vary from supplier to supplier. However, do not be overly impressed by special offers. These offers often come with small print items that will add to the base cost. Also, remember, if the price seems too low and too good to be true then it probably isn’t – at least where it counts. Companies that are willing to undercut the competition by an absurd margin can only do so by cutting down on the quality of the services that they offer.
Compare like with like – and always get a written quotation.
5. Paperwork is Important
A cleaner needs to be trusted, after all, they will usually have periods where they have free reign of your home. A professional cleaning company will usually only appoint people who have experience and have been vetted as far as prior criminal activity is concerned. However, make sure that the service provider has comprehensive insurance that will cover assets in the case of theft or breakage to either the contents of the home – or the structure of the home itself.
Also, make sure that the cleaning service provider has the correct licensing to legally practice their trade. If they are members in good standing of any professional industry or business organisation, that will provide you with added confidence that they can do the job to the highest of standards.
6. Discuss Expectations
It may be that you want certain areas of your home prioritised or that extra care is taken with the cleaning of certain decorative objects such as antiques or items of sentimental value. It may be that there are certain requirements that were not set out in full prior to your cleaning company representative arriving at your home. It is a good idea to walk your new helper through the home and outline your expectations so there is no misunderstanding. After the first appointment provide your cleaner with constructive feedback so that they can meet your requirements.
Identifying that perfect cleaner such as Kerry Cleaning can provide some challenges – and the ideal result may take time. You may in fact go through several cleaners before you find the perfect fit. Selecting a company with a reputation for excellence will allow you to enjoy a value-added service that is much valued by homeowners and renters everywhere – peace of mind.
Lynn Martelli is an editor at Readability. She received her MFA in Creative Writing from Antioch University and has worked as an editor for over 10 years. Lynn has edited a wide variety of books, including fiction, non-fiction, memoirs, and more. In her free time, Lynn enjoys reading, writing, and spending time with her family and friends.
