Keeping your home or office space clean is an important part of maintaining your health and productivity. But should you hire professional cleaners or do it yourself? Both options have their pros and cons.
A janitorial service can save you time and effort while providing a deeper clean. But DIY cleaning allows you to clean on your own schedule and gives you full control over the process. The choice depends on your ability, budget, schedule, and cleaning needs.
This guide examines the key differences between hiring a janitorial service versus cleaning yourself. We'll compare the costs, quality, customization, health benefits, security, environmental impact, and time savings of each option.
With the pros and cons of each, you can determine whether a cleaning service or DIY approach is right for your home or office.
List of factors to compare between janitorial services and DIY cleaning,
Cost Comparison
Convenience Factor
Quality Of Service
Customization
Health Benefits
Environmental Impact
Saving Time
Cost Efficiency of Janitorial Services Vs DIY Cleaning
When deciding between a professional janitorial service and DIY cleaning, one of the biggest considerations is cost. At first glance, doing it yourself seems cheaper - after all, you just need to buy some basic supplies. But when you consider the hourly rates of janitorial services, DIY cleaning ends up being more expensive in the long run.
The average hourly rate for professional janitorial services is $30-50 per hour. So if you were to hire a cleaning service to come once per week for 2 hours, you'd be looking at $240-400 per month.
On the DIY side, you might spend $30-50 per month on supplies like cleaning sprays, mops, vacuum bags, etc. So your monthly costs are significantly lower.
However, what many homeowners fail to account for is the value of their own time. Let's say it takes you 3 hours per week to thoroughly clean your home. If we value your time at $20/hour, that's $240 worth of your time spent cleaning every month. Plus the $30-50 in supplies.
So over the course of a year, a janitorial service would cost $2,880 - $4,800. But DIY cleaning costs you $3,120 in time plus $360-$600 in supplies, totaling $3,480 - $3,720.
All the amount mentioned out there is just the approximate value of cost that is provided in Yellowpages. The numbers show that over the long term, hiring a professional cleaning service can actually save you money compared to doing it yourself.
The convenience and quality factors also support choosing janitorial services for most homeowners.
Convenience Factor
Hiring a professional janitorial service offers convenience since cleanings are regularly scheduled. You don't have to worry about finding the time and energy for cleaning tasks.
Janitorial Cleaners will show up on a set schedule to thoroughly clean your home or office. This frees up your personal time for more enjoyable activities.
With DIY cleaning, you need to carve out time in your busy schedule. After a long workday, cleaning is probably the last thing you want to deal with. Trying to find motivation to vacuum, scrub floors, clean windows, and tidy up on top of your regular responsibilities can be Miserable.
DIY cleaning takes discipline and effort which many of us lack.
The convenience of a janitorial service often makes it worthwhile, especially for people with busy lifestyles. Not having to worry about fitting in cleaning times can greatly reduce stress. Hiring professionals handles the cleaning tasks so you don't have to.
Quality of Service
When hiring a professional janitorial service, you can expect a higher quality of cleaning compared to doing it yourself. Janitorial staff are trained on proper techniques and best practices to thoroughly clean and sanitise your home or office.
They use specialised equipment and eco-friendly cleaning solutions designed for different surfaces and materials. The results will be far superior to someone without professional cleaning experience.
With DIY cleaning, the quality is entirely dependent on your own skill level. While you may be able to clean to a satisfactory level, it's unlikely you know the most effective methods for tasks like sanitising bathrooms, polishing hardwood floors, or deep cleaning carpets.
Without the right supplies and techniques, you may miss key areas of dirt and grime. For those wanting reliable, consistent quality, a professional cleaning service is the better option.
Customization of Cleaning Services
When it comes to customising your cleaning routine, both DIY cleaning and hiring a professional janitorial service have their advantages.
With a professional cleaning service, you can work with them to create a tailored cleaning plan that fits your specific needs and schedule.
Many cleaning companies will do an initial walkthrough and assessment, then provide you with options for how often they should come (daily, weekly, biweekly etc.) as well as what services they'll provide (vacuuming, mopping, sanitising, etc.).
This allows you to customise your service so you're only paying for what you really need done. Many cleaning companies are also willing to accommodate special requests and adjust their plans over time if your needs change.
The main advantage of DIY cleaning is that you have full control over the entire process. You can choose which areas get cleaned, when, and how thoroughly. You don't have to explain or justify your cleaning preferences to anyone.
The downside is that all the work falls entirely on you - so if you want a deeper clean of the bathrooms or kitchen, you have to put in the extra effort and time yourself. DIY cleaning also requires you to purchase all your own supplies and equipment.
But if you like being in charge of the process, DIY provides the ultimate flexibility and customization.
So in summary, janitorial services offer customization through tailored cleaning plans, while DIY gives you full control to clean exactly how and when you want. The right option depends on your priorities and how involved you want to be in the process.
Health Benefits - The main factor in comparison
Hiring a professional janitorial service can provide health benefits that DIY cleaning may lack. Janitorial staff are trained to properly disinfect and sanitize all surfaces in a home or office using commercial-grade cleaning solutions and equipment.
This helps eliminate germs, bacteria, viruses, dust, pollen, and more. Thorough disinfecting provides protection against illness and allergies.
In contrast, DIY cleaning effectiveness depends on the products used and techniques applied. Without proper disinfectants, sanitizers, and cleaning methods, germs and allergens may remain.
DIY cleaners also likely won't have access to the same industrial cleaning equipment that professional janitorial services use.
For those wanting to ensure their home or office meets the highest standards of cleanliness and sanitation for health, hiring a professional service may be the better choice.
Environmental Impact
When choosing between a janitorial service and DIY cleaning, it's important to consider the environmental impact. Professional cleaning companies often have access to commercial-grade green cleaning products that are more eco-friendly than typical household cleaners.
Many companies are committed to using non-toxic, biodegradable products that are safer for the environment. This allows them to clean thoroughly while minimizing their carbon footprint. Especially a company like Careplus with much experience prefers to go with environmentally friendly activities.
With DIY cleaning, you have more control over the types of products being used in your home. You can purchase natural cleaning supplies and avoid harsh chemicals found in some commercial cleaners.
Doing your own cleaning allows you to implement green practices like using reusable rags instead of paper towels, or making your own solutions from simple ingredients like vinegar and baking soda. However, you'll need to research and invest in these products yourself.
The green practices of a janitorial service versus your own commitment to using eco-friendly products are both important factors to weigh when deciding between the two options.
A professional company may have more scale when it comes to sustainable cleaning, but DIY allows for customization based on your values. Considering the environmental impact can help guide your decision.
Time Savings
One of the biggest advantages of hiring a janitorial service is the amount of time it saves you. When you clean your own home or office, you have to take time out of your busy schedule to do the cleaning tasks yourself. This can easily eat up hours per week vacuuming, dusting, scrubbing bathrooms and more.
With a professional cleaning service, you simply schedule when you want the cleaning done and then relax while their team handles everything.
No more spending your precious personal time on cleaning - you can spend it with family and friends, on hobbies, exercising, or just relaxing instead. The time savings alone may make the cost of a cleaning service well worth it.
Cleaning yourself also takes more time because you likely don't have the specialised tools and cleaning solutions that professional services use.
Their expertise and equipment allow them to clean faster and more efficiently than the average person could do it themselves. So you'll gain back hours per week by hiring out, especially if you have a larger home or office space.
Overall, if you value your time and don't want to spend it on cleaning, a professional janitorial service is the clear winner over DIY cleaning. The time savings gained is a major benefit that can improve your quality of life.
Conclusion
When deciding between a professional janitorial service and DIY cleaning, there are pros and cons to both options. A janitorial service often costs more, but provides convenience, quality, customization, health benefits, security, and time savings. DIY cleaning allows you to save money, but requires more of your own time and effort.
Overall, for most homeowners and business owners, the benefits of hiring a professional cleaning service outweigh doing all the cleaning yourself. Janitorial staff bring expertise, efficiency, and thoroughness that is difficult to match on your own. The peace of mind knowing your home or office is cleaned regularly by a reliable service has significant value.
Hiring a professional janitorial cleaning partner can save you from all the above messes mentioned earlier. We at Careplus provide you the best cleaning services at your convenience. For more details, you can always visit our contact page and get a quote.
That said, DIY cleaning can work well on a budget or for smaller cleaning tasks. Combining professional cleaning for heavy-duty jobs like carpets, windows, and deep scrubbing with your own light maintenance like tidying and dusting can provide a good balance.
Evaluate your specific needs and resources to determine if a janitorial service or DIY approach is the best fit for your cleaning requirements. The right choice depends on your priorities in terms of cost, time, quality, health, and convenience.
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