Why Do People Hire House Cleaners?

You may have read countless articles and blogs delineating the benefits of starting and owning a residential house cleaning business, but have you ever put yourself in the consumer's shoes? Why would someone want or need to seek out a business like yours? Listed below are some common reasons people hire cleaning companies that may cause you to adjust the focus of your marketing.

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Health:

Air

• Almost 37 million people in the United States live with lung diseases, such as COPD, asthma, emphysema, and chronic bronchitis. Another 10-30% of adults and up to 40% of children in the U.S. suffer from allergic rhinitis. This is a condition that can cause symptoms such as sneezing, a stuffed, itchy, or runny nose, and watery or itchy eyes. It is caused by sensitivity to tree, grass, or weed pollen or airborne mold spores. In addition, dust mites (tiny organisms that feed on house dust and moisture) can trigger asthma or eczema attacks.
  
  
• It's easy to let the dust gather, and many of us are unaware of just how much dust lurks on surfaces and in the air in our homes. There is always that jolting feeling when you sit on a couch or plump a cushion on a bright day and see infinite dust particles sparkling in the beams of sunlight.
  
  
• Air ducts can be dusted, and carpets and floors can be vacuumed to eradicate pet dander and dust. Since so many people find themselves suffering from allergies caused by pollen or dust in the air, it makes sense to hire a cleaning company that will eliminate much of the problem.
  
  

Surfaces

• Although we have learned since the early days of the pandemic that COVID-19 is spread primarily through droplets or aerosols in the air, there are many other germs to worry about that lurk on surfaces. Everyone feels better knowing that the surfaces in their home have been thoroughly cleaned.
  
  
• Colds, flu, norovirus, and a host of other viruses can be spread from touching a surface that has been touched by an infected person. In fact, cold and flu viruses can survive on surfaces for as long as 72 hours.
  
  
• Babies and toddlers (who touch everything!) and older people (who may be immunocompromised) need to be especially careful when around germs.
  
  
• You may want to offer your customers the option to have surfaces cleaned first, and then sanitize or disinfect the areas that need it most; namely, kitchens, bathrooms, and other touchpoints.

Dislike of cleaning

You may LOVE cleaning – after all, you are establishing your own cleaning business – but most people decidedly do NOT love it.

• One survey found that 8% of women and 30.9% of men would give up alcohol for a year if it meant that they never had to clean the toilet again.
  
  
• Fully 1% of women and 7.9% of men would give up sex for a year if they never had to clean a toilet again.
  
  
• The New York Post reported on a study showing the most hated household chores:
  • #1 Cleaning the toilet
  • #2 Cleaning the oven
  • #3 Cleaning windows
  • #4 Removing hair from a drain
  • #5 Unclogging the sink or drain hole
    
    
• Other detested chores included cleaning the refrigerator, dusting, cleaning the bath, and sweeping floors with a broom. As a cleaning company, you can certainly capitalize on the aversion most Americans have for doing these necessary tasks.
  
  
• People tend to put off difficult chores, such as cleaning behind furniture and toilets or under baseboards. There is a certain kind of relief that comes from knowing that hard-to-reach places are as clean as the rest of the house.
  
  

Lack of time

If you want to get philosophical about it, we all want more time. Andrew Marvell complained about “time's wingèd chariot hurrying near”, and Robert Herrick warned as long ago as 1648 that “Old Time is still a-flying, And this same flower that smiles today tomorrow it will be dying.” However, let's just consider the lack of time on a day-to-day basis for now.

• Multiple studies describe the stress caused by overscheduled days and busy workloads. According to a 2017 study cited in Forbes Magazine, almost 60% of employees described themselves as being in a high-stress situation because of their workload and constant busyness.
  
  
• Many people work more than 40 hours a week, transport children to multiple activities, manage social lives, and shop and cook for meals. This is just for a start! Cleaning is yet another demand on the day. Sometimes it is done poorly; sometimes it is done haphazardly; sometimes it is done at the expense of something else, and sometimes it is ignored entirely. In any of these cases, it causes stress, and constant stress can cause depression and anxiety.
  
  
• Having a house cleaning service can take one huge thing off a “to-do” list. In this hectic world, time is not simply a practical gift; it can be a lifesaver that provides a tangible emotional boost.
  
  
• Many clients consider employing a house cleaning service to be an essential part of self-care - an act of preservation.
  
  
• For other clients, eliminating the time they would have spent cleaning allows them to invest it in something else. This may be the ability to enjoy time with family, to relax, or even to invest in a sport or creative pursuit - all activities that improve mental and emotional well-being.
  
  
• To go back to the poets (all the way back to the Roman poet Horace in 23 BCE), your cleaning business allows others to carpe diem: seize the day!

Convenience

• Having a clean house means that invited guests or drop-in visitors (even in-laws!) can be welcomed at any time without embarrassment. Many people plan their dinner parties or friend gatherings for the day the cleaners come. This allows them to prepare to entertain in a less-stressed frame of mind.
  
  
• Another advantage mentioned by those with cleaning services is the fact that they no longer had to constantly shop for or replenish cleaning supplies. They no longer had to worry about malfunctioning vacuum cleaners or aged mops. The sheer convenience of knowing that everything like that is in the hands of professionals is liberating.
  
  
• It is always convenient to have one less thing to plan for.
  
  
• Carpets, rugs, upholstered furniture, and curtains all benefit from being kept clean. For example, dirt in carpets can scratch the fibers in the yarn and wear them out. This is what makes high traffic areas on carpets look dull and faded and why it's important to preserve the life of these soft articles by keeping them maintained, something a cleaning company can conveniently take care of.
  
  
• Sometimes people hire cleaning companies because they are not able to take care of physically demanding tasks.
  
  

There are myriad reasons why a person would consider hiring a professional residential cleaning company. Who wouldn't want to walk into a gleaming home after a hard day at work? Answer those wants and needs, and you will have many satisfied clients.