House cleaning – hiring a professional service vs. hiring direct

For those in need of house cleaning assistance, there are two common ways to hire. One is by directly hiring an independent service provider, perhaps found through a referral or employment ad. The other way is to utilize a professional company that manages a team of providers. Here is some important information to know when considering these options.

Hiring directly
If you choose to hire a housekeeper directly, there are several advantages. You save money as you eliminate the "middle man" of the house cleaning service. You are able to control what products they use, so if you prefer non-toxic, environmentally friendly products then it is easy to make these available for your cleaner. Since you are guaranteed that the same person will be coming each week you have the ability to develop a good working relationship with them. Communication regarding the hours that they work and services they perform is done directly, minimizing the chance for error or misunderstanding.

There are also some significant challenges to hiring directly. The process of seeking candidates, interviewing them and checking references can be time consuming. This is also a process that you will have to repeat each time the person leaves. Perhaps even more important to remember, when hiring an independent house cleaning person you become their employer. This means that you are responsible for ensuring that they can legally work in the U.S. You are also responsible for withholding taxes and providing W-2 statements if you pay them more than $1,400 a year. If you are caught paying your employee in cash or off-the-books, you are liable for unpaid taxes.

Hiring through a service

While hiring through a house cleaning service is the most expensive option, there are several benefits that come with the extra cost. The most professional companies are both bonded and insured to protect you against any loss or damage incurred. A service will provide all the supplies and equipment so that you do not have to monitor the availability of such. They can provide consistent help, quickly identifying a replacement person in the event your regular cleaner leaves the job, is ill or on vacation. They also may better accommodate jobs that are needed last-minute or done very quickly.

On the other hand, turnover in this industry is very high so you will very likely have different cleaning providers working in your home. Rather then having direct contact with the cleaner, most instructions you provide will first go through the company as a third party. It might also be more difficult to schedule your service at a consistent time of day.