Need to recruit a cleaner or a housekeeper, or perhaps both? Here's what you need to know about the difference between the two. Share on XAre you confused about whether you need a cleaner or a housekeeper?
You might think that a cleaner and housekeeper are just different names for the same job but each actually has very different duties and responsibilities. Are you looking for someone to scour appliances and clean toilets, or do you need someone to change sheets, do the laundry, and run general errands? Perhaps you need both?
So what’s the difference between the two, and when might you need them?
Housekeeper Vs Cleaner – Who to hire?
A Cleaner’s Typical Duties
A cleaner usually visits a few times a week, bringing their own equipment to do a light clean of your house. They typically work through a cleaning agency, although they may be self-employed. Duties may include:
- Light cleaning of the bathrooms, including toilets, baths, showers
- Light cleaning of kitchens, including appliances, cupboards, drawers, ovens and the floor
- Cleaning windows
- Dusting
- Laundry
- Mopping and cleaning all the floors
A Housekeeper’s Typical Duties
A housekeeper usually spends more time in your home than a cleaner, maybe making daily visits or even living in. In this case, you would usually provide all the necessary cleaning equipment for the job, which would be kept in the home. A housekeeper will be more involved in house management – putting things back where they belong. For example, if you have children, a cleaner may only clean under and around things, but a good housekeeper will return items to their original place – tidying up the house along with their other housekeeping duties. Duties may include:
- Laundry and ironing
- Making beds
- Shopping and running errands – restocking when needed
- Picking up clutter and general tidying
- Cooking and preparing meals
- Taking care of pets
- General day-to-day cleaning of the household, including all the cleaning tasks performed by a cleaner
- Deep cleaning the bathrooms, including toilets, baths, showers
- Deep cleaning kitchens, including appliances, cupboards, drawers, ovens and the floor
- Steam cleaning carpets and upholstery
- Mopping and steam cleaning all floors
- Additional duties to include light childcare or babysitting
So, to summarise in the Housekeeper Vs Cleaner debate- Who to hire:
If you are just looking for maintenance clean once or twice a week, a cleaner might be sufficient, but the house needs to be fairly tidy first in order for the cleaner to be able to do their job effectively. However, if you are looking for someone to keep the house spotless – putting things away, deep cleaning all over the house, running errands, and generally keeping the house organized – then a housekeeper is your best option.
Having a housekeeper gives you more time to focus on things you enjoy and gives you the peace of mind that your house is being professionally cared for. Whatever your needs, discuss them with us, and we’ll find you a fully-vetted and experienced housekeeper to match your specific needs.
If you’d like to discuss how we can help you find a trustworthy housekeeper for your personal requirements, please get in touch with us here.