One-off Spring Clean

hi guys,

I am looking for someone/some people to do a one-off "spring clean" of my house. Since going back to work /i have less time for housework, this combined with my newfound refusal to get depressed when the house is a mess has created a double whammy of the housework just not getting done sometimes!!!

I manage to just get by doing the bare minimum; floors, bathrooms, keeping the kitchen in a usable state, cleaning up after the kids but it's all those one-off things you only do every so often but that take time, like cleaning the windows, dusting the architraves, the tops of the fans, all that sort of thing, that I need help with. I'm imagining me going round with them even one day, de-cluttering stuff as we go and helping and instructing...is this even possible??

I have a recommendation of a house cleaner from a friend that I am going to try, but wondering if anyone else has any recommendations for this sort of thing, and what sort of cost it involved? House is 30sq.

thanks all

I know exactly what you mean, donuts....

I haven't used a cleaning service yet, but had my eye on this one: http://www.absolutedomestics.com.au/home/find-rates/

If you type in your postcode, you'll get a price.

If you are serious about the decluttering, perhaps look at a professional organiser rather than just a cleaner. Some of the organisers have cleaners that work with them as part of the process. That may be the way to go?

Would probably be more expensive but it would be quite a serious spring clean I'd think.

wow, that's nifty! thanks I'll check it out. $160 for a 3 hour go, that sounds pretty good (though I'm sure it will take more than 3 hours). funny how it works on postcodes...wonder what it'd come up with if I put toorak's postcode in


I think I'm ok with the de-cluttering jo, it's more the cleaning bit. when I say I'd go round with them de-cluttering, I think I mean more general tidying and getting stuff out of the way so they could clean behind it or under it or whatever. previous cleaners I've had haven't been keen to do that for fear of damaging something. but we don't have an excess of stuff to de-clutter. we do regular toy and clothing culls and having only been in the house for 18 months or so, there are some areas which are still decidedly bare!!

I don't know if it is common everywhere but many of the cleaners up our way share the load between two or three cleaners. What I mean is you pay for 3 hours but actually get 1 hour of cleaning by 3 people at the same time. Personally I don't like it for many reasons. If you don't like it either, it might be a good question to ask when you ring to enquire?

thanks, good point kb46, I think I'd prefer just one cleaner too. I want to be there while they do it and it would be too hard to micro manage 3 of them

Hi Donuts,

I haven't been on here for ages but from what I can remember you are in the inner west suburbs? (sorry if I am wrong about this) If you are, there is a new 'green' cleaning company (can't remember their name sorry) that have a shop in Victoria St Seddon opposite the baby shop. They have some great looking things and apparently they provide a reasonably good cleaning service as well. It may be worth checking them out.
Albi

thanks albi, yes I am very near there, I will check them out too!

got a quote from kek's mob today, seems reasonable only they won't do the window washing or the tops of the fans but can possibly get DH to do that... if thats all he has to do... or get someone else to do the windows... they seem hard I know they aren't really, it just seems like a big job

I've used that mob before. They are franchised, and whilst I think their prices are the same, the postcode thing just leads to the office that operates in your area.

They were ok..(no one ever cleans like I do!)..but I would shop around and get a few quotes and ideas. There are some cleaners who will do the whole spring clean thing -google or yellow page domestic cleaners. The prices really vary - but again they are all quite different. Some will have a set routine, others you decide what you want....

I've had one person for three hours, and also 2 people for 1.5 hours. Both were fine....depends on the person. Often if you employ the company they will send out a few people - one for inside and one for windows etc as they are different. Just make sure that if you want something particular - that they will do it. Nothing worse than them arriving and saying they won't do this or that.....

For the record I'm getting a separate company who specialise in window cleaning, another company for oven cleaning etc...

Good luck and WELL worth the exercise.

Try your local paper, when I was younger mum had a lady come around twice a week for clean up after me and my 2 brothers and from memory she'd do the ironing as well and it wasn't anything like $80 an hour, more like $30-$40.

*Edit* Just looked at their regular service prices, and that seems more like it

thanks guys! I'm thinking one night this week or this weekend I might walk round the house with a piece of paper and itemise everything I want to be done in each room, and then an outside list as well, and send to them. will also try the local paper too, it does makes sense to get a few quotes, and it would be good to get someone who CAN do the fans and the outside of the windows.

mpcj, do you do the one-off spring clean thing every year? or do you have a regular service?

LOL just do what I do. Leave those jobs to start building up. Only focus on the bedrooms and kitchen along with kidlets. DH will eventually get cranky and take over all cleaning of home!!!!

Seriously this is what happened here a month ago. DH not happy that all 6 bathrooms were not pristine (since not being used they only required dusting!!) along with skirting boards. So he now is doing them - suits me fine. I can concentrate on the ironing / cooking / making beds / cleaning kitchen.

this would NEVER happen here. my DH would happily live in squalor before actually cleaning anything. his mother was not a good cleaner so he is used to it, LOL!

HOWEVER to his credit he is a very good de-clutterer, and will often do the toy cull or have a good tidy up if he has a spare half hour so we make a good team ,most of the time!

Used to do regular service..not anymore (may do again though ), same thing applies though - sometimes they just won't do what you want them to do...and some issues are OHS so moving furniture is a no no as is anything with ladders (some won't use particular cleaners in the toilet!). Also check the whole dusting thing. Some are fine to do it, but others won't as they won't take anything off the furniture.

Your list sounds like a winner. Good luck.

Donuts,
I saw these people at a house around the corner from us some months ago. Kept their info in case we need someone when we move.
Maybe worth checking out.

http://www.jameshomeservices.com.au/

Have you tried Jim's Cleaning. 131546 they will come and do a free quote.

I know when my friend moved and needed the rental clean they where the only cleaning group that said they would do the windows.

thanks mpcj, yep that's exactly why I want to go round with them, so I can do the taking stuff off things to dust or vacuum under or whatever. I had a regular cleaner once who also wouldn't do it (but I think she was just lazy )

thanks kaytee and netadelle I will try those ones too. I had our local Jims Cleaning come to clean our rental when we moved out of it, they were recommended by our real estate agent and they said they only do domestic cleans on the recommendation of that agent just as a favour type thing, the rest of the time they prefer the commercial work. so I hadn't thought of them this time, but you never know they might have changed their minds.

Just a bump on this - I had my carpet cleaning lady come back today to try and do some spot cleaning, anyway she mentioned her company is also associated with a cleaning company. She quoted me $192 for all my windows (double story 42sq) to be cleaned inside and outside and also my skirting board and light switches. I thought that was pretty reasonable but have nothing to compare with