Time is Money

Professional cleaners walk a fine line between giving the customer what they want versus what the customer is willing to pay for. Many times the two just don't line up.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when you are requesting bids for your cleaning service needs:

1. Make a list of what is most important to you in the cleaning of your home and compare that to the service being offered. Find out what the company's standard is then inform them of the discrepancies between your list and theirs, if any! If the discrepancies are many, then this is a good sign that this is not the company you will be happy with. Save yourself some time and move on.
2. Most cleaning services offer a basic service that can be expanded on so don't be afraid to tell them what you want. The only way they will know what you expect is if you say it. 
3. Keep in mind that the more tasks you add, the more you will pay. When you hire someone to clean your home, you are paying for their time. Labor is the most expensive part of any business so keep that in mind when making your requests.
4. Be realistic with your expectations versus what you are willing to pay. If you want all of your furniture moved and vacuumed under at each service, versus a couple time a year, then be willing to pay for the time associated with doing so. 
5. A professional and experienced cleaner will know, on average, how long it takes to clean a half bath versus a full bath versus a 3/4 bath versus a large master. If you have a question as to why their price is the way it is (high or low) you should start by asking how long they have allotted for the cleaning of your home. This will either answer your question and relieve your concern or, let you know that you are not on the same page as the cleaner and again, you should move on.

I hope these tips help! Sincerely, Erica Jensen ~President Clean Right Company

Clean Right Company is a full service residential and commercial cleaning company servicing Spokane, WA and surrounding areas. Please give us a call at (509) 534-3343 or visit our website at www.cleanrightco.com for more information.

What's your time worth?

I'd like to talk about an economics term- 'Opportunity Costs'.
What this term relates to is the cost/loss are you suffering from choosing to do one thing over another with your time.

Let's relate this to cleaning...

For instance:
If I choose to clean my own home versus hiring a professional cleaning service to do it, what costs/losses are associated with the time I spend doing this?
I don't mean the cost of the cleaning supplies and equipment but rather, what am I not doing, that I could be doing, if I wasn't cleaning my home?

Now I know hiring a service to clean your home costs money but it costs you more than just dollars, it costs you time. So let's take a look at what we could be doing instead of cleaning and the potential costs/losses associated with it.

1. I could be cleaning someone else's home, which actually makes me money! So if I clean my own home instead of working, I am losing those dollars. Example: Let's say it costs $90 to have my house cleaned and, while having my house cleaned, I clean someone else's house for $120. I just made a $30 profit and have a clean home too!
2. I could be selling/marketing/blogging, which doesn't make me money but does increase my chance to gain clients so again, I am losing the opportunity to make money. Example: Again, it costs me $90 to have my house cleaned but I get 3 calls from the marketing campaign I worked on while my house was getting cleaned and I actually sell 1 of those clients for a $120 recurring cleaning service. 
3. I could be spending time with my family. This doesn't make me money but it makes me, and my family happy!  
4. I could be exercising! Oh shoot, I just found time to exercise!?!? And what's more important, a clean home or a clean bill of health? Example: It costs me $90 to have my house cleaned but I choose to do it myself thus not having the time to exercise. Not exercising leads to muscle loss which leads to a lower back issue which I have to go to the doctor for. The doctor send me to a specialist who needs to do some expensive procedure which costs me way more than that $90 maid service.
5. I could be just plain ole relaxing! In this hectic life style we've created, taking time just to relax is a must for your sanity! 

It all boils down to what is your time worth? For me, it's worth much more than what I would pay to have my house cleaned and I'm sure you feel the same. You would be greatly surprised just how affordable a cleaning service for your home is especially after you factor in the Opportunity Cost associated with your time.

So I ask you, what is your time worth? 

Get your FREE maid service estimate by visiting our website at www.cleanrightco.com or calling (509) 534-3343

Erica Jensen -President

Clean Right Company

(509) 534-3343

Servicing Spokane, WA and surrounding areas.

Hiring an Independent Cleaner versus a Professional Cleaning Service.... What's the difference?

When most people consider hiring a cleaning service for their home, the most common questions they have include; What price am I willing to pay for the service? What areas of my home do I want cleaned? and How often do I want service? 

What most people are not aware of are the differences between hiring an Independent Cleaner and a Professional Cleaning Service. This is one of the more complicated, and possibly dangerous, things to consider. There are numerous laws, both state and federal, surrounding employment, worker's compensation, taxes, and payroll that you would have to research and follow if you didn't have Clean Right Company as your home cleaning service.

Below are three legal facts you should know before hiring an independent cleaning service.

FACT 1. If you pay more than $1700 per year to an independent housecleaner, you must sign up for an Employer ID Number with the IRS. You are required to pay Social Security and Medicare (also known as FICA) and Federal Unemployment Tax. You may also be liable for Federal Income Tax withholding, state taxes and disability taxes. These taxes become part of your personal tax liability and must be reported on your Form 1040. Penalties for non-payment include interest penalties and fines.
(For the entire list of forms to be completed, see this page on the IRS website .)

FACT 2. You must verify that the person is legally allowed to work in the United States by having them complete the I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification form. Penalties for hiring illegal aliens range from $250 to $10,000. You should keep a signed W-4 form on file for each employee; you may also want to keep a photocopy of each employee's Social Security card. (For the entire list of forms to be completed, see this page on the IRS website .

FACT 3. Make sure that your homeowners' insurance includes a liability clause in case your employee gets injured at your home. At least $300,000 in liability protection is recommended, but up to $1 million in an umbrella or excess liability policy may be needed to protect you. You also may be liable for workers' compensation payments that would not be covered by your homeowner's insurance. See this page for workers compensation laws in your state.

If you hire a professional home cleaning service, like Clean Right Company, all of these concerns will be taken care of for you. We are the employer, so you don't have to worry about filing with the IRS for an employer ID number. We also verify that each employee is legally allowed to work in the U.S. and we have all of the insurance that covers any accident that happens in your home. Not only that but Clean Right Company diligently screen each of our staff members to ensure we are hiring honest, dependable and hard working individuals. Once hired, each of our team members are put through a rigorous training program teaching them Clean Right Company's unique cleaning system which has been developed to provide a thorough, quality clean each and every time.