Editorial Team
Hire A Housekeeper Or Household Manager, whom should you choose?
No one is busier than a parent. If being a parent wasn’t hard enough, little kids running around make it even more challenging to keep up with the daily tasks required to run a household.
One of the most time-consuming tasks is cleaning. The average American spends about an hour a day on chores related to cleaning, and with only 24 hours in a day, it can be tough to keep up with all that’s required of busy parents.
To combat their busy schedules, many parents choose to hire a housekeeper to take over the brunt of the cleaning tasks, picking up after the kids played their favorite board game and helping them recover some of their time.
But is hiring a housekeeper worth it? Of course, that all depends on you.
Read on for some factors to consider when deciding whether hiring a housekeeper is right for you.
Consider the Time Factor
The first factor to consider is time. How much time can you recover and rededicate to other tasks if you hire a housekeeper?
Of course, hiring a housekeeper won’t automatically take away all cleaning. You’ll still need to pick up after meals, do dishes, laundry, and maintain any outdoor space.
However, a housekeeper will remove most interior cleaning tasks from your list, saving you roughly 3.5 hours a week (estimated 30 minutes a day).
Consider Your Budget
The next thing to consider is your budget and whether or not you can spare the money for a housekeeper.
The average cost of maid service ranges from $25 to $50 an hour, depending on where you live. Some maid services charge by the square footage of the space rather than by the hour. Their rates average between $150 to $250 for a 2,000 square foot house.
Frequency of service also plays a role in cost, as you’ll typically get a discount if you opt for weekly service instead of monthly.
While there are company’s that offer housekeeping services, you’ll typically find more budget-friendly options by hiring an individual.
Revisit your budget and budget categories to see if you can dedicate a couple of hundred dollars a month to help out with cleaning tasks.
Finding a Housekeeper
Once you’ve decided to hire a housekeeper, you’ll need to decide which maid service you want to go with.
Angi.com, formerly Angie’s List, is an excellent option to check out people offering maid service in your area. Other maid service companies you’ll find across the country include Molly Maid and Tidy, but a quick Google search may yield local small businesses offering housekeeping services in your area.
Finally, if you’re into living stingy and want to hire more frugal housekeeping services, consider searching Craigslist, Facebook, your local Nextdoor groups, or word of mouth to find individuals offering maid service.
Individuals working for themselves who are not part of an online list like Angi.com are often the cheapest option but will also not come with the same vetting as someone affiliated with an organization.
Final Thoughts
Is hiring a housekeeper worth it?
That depends. If the time saved on cleaning tasks is worth it to you, and you can fit maid service comfortably into your budget, hiring a housekeeper is worth considering.
After all, the best thing a parent can give to their children is time.
Jacqueline Sanchez is the Co-Founder of Parent Portfolio. Jacqueline is a wife and a loving mother to two lively kids. Alongside taking care of her family and working full-time in healthcare, she is a real estate investor and a personal finance writer. She manages the finances for her household and her small real estate business. Also, she has been featured in Business Insider, USA Today, Grow by Acorns, and more.