For some people, hiring a house cleaner is a no-brainer. But for others, the decision to do so can feel unappealing, inappropriate or just plain daunting. You might be asking yourself is hiring a housekeeper worth it?
For instance, it might seem financially irresponsible or overly indulgent to those on a budget. It might seem like a huge logistical hurdle to find someone competent and trustworthy. Or it might just seem easier to handle the responsibility all on your own compared with handing off what might feel like specialized tasks in your own home.
But take it from others who once made similar justifications for not hiring house-cleaning help, only to ultimately take the plunge: Overwhelmingly, they say they’re thrilled with the decision and only wish they’d done it sooner.
From increased earning potential to romantic harmony, 11 people share why hiring a house cleaner is worth it.
Save time and boost earnings
“I have run my business from home since 2005 and have since had two children. I was reminded early on in my business that to effectively do your job, you need to hire others who can do the jobs that take time away from what you need to focus on. So, I contracted housekeeping so I could run my business. I could be the best service provider for my clients as I focused on them during the day, and then had more time to focus on my family after the workday was done. Seriously, your time is valuable!” —Charlotte S., Phoenix
“My business coach had me consider how much an hour of my time is worth and how many hours a week I feel that I spend cooking and cleaning. In comparison to how much a housekeeper costs for just a few hours of dedicated time a week, it was a no-brainer! The time and energy I have freed up by hiring a housekeeper has helped me drive an extra couple hundred dollars per week to my business.” —Janelle A., Los Angeles
Find serenity amid chaos
“When my daughter was a newborn, I hired a house cleaner. We cleaned the house together, me trying to be one room ahead of him picking up baby debris from the floor so he could actually clean. We listened to Motown, which he and the baby loved. He had seven kids and a couple of grandkids, so he wasn’t at all fazed by her screaming and was very cognizant of keeping quiet when I was trying to lay her down. I felt like we were this great team for three hours once a week. He was my superpower!” — Stephanie R., Long Beach, CA
Reduce conflict among partners
“Partners can fight about the same house cleaning duties forever, but when you hire a housekeeper, you can neutralize the friction. The tasks are no longer a sticking point between partners. Fighting over who does what and how they do it is more emotional among domestic partners — but when you hire a third party, it’s not personal anymore.” —Elisabeth D., Davis, CA
“When my husband and I moved in together, we decided neither of us should clean toilets or deep clean so we wouldn’t fight about messes, and we hired a housekeeper once a month. Now with a baby coming, we might consider twice a month!” — Lindsay T., Asheville, NC
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Aid for physical limitations
“When my daughter was a year and a half old, and I was hugely pregnant and working full time, I wanted to get a house cleaner because our place was filthy. There was no time for cleaning, and even if there had been, I was too big to really do it myself. My husband resisted because he had never been able to afford to have help in the house before. He thought it was weird to have a stranger cleaning up after us. Why would we hire someone to do something we could do ourselves, he would ask. But we were not actually doing it ourselves. I don’t recall how we got around to hiring someone, but he has never, ever missed cleaning his own toilet bowl. It’s amazing how quickly you can get used to having ‘a stranger’ in the house when that person is making your life easier and better.” — Avril L., Los Angeles
Expert touch for cleaning
“It’s funny the way there is sort of a stigma around house cleaning — like you could do it yourself, but you don’t want to. There is expertise to it — the people I hire to clean my house are better at it than me. I guess I could try to fix my plumbing or electrical when it breaks, but I don’t, I call in an expert.” —Lisa F., Oakland, CA
Improved energy and time for much-needed rest
“The first time I hired a housekeeper, I was in my mid-30s. Single and living alone, I felt guilty for wanting to be so indulgent… but that was when I was working 65 to 80 hours per week. I did my laundry and my dishes, but I often only had one day off a week and spending that one day mopping, vacuuming and scrubbing was almost as depressing as living in a dirty apartment. I had such a chaotic work life that it made a huge difference to have a peaceful, clean home to relax in when I did have time off.” —Melissa S., Los Angeles
“Smartest decision I ever made was when my partner and I started arguing over items such as who cleaned the toilet last. The cost of a weekly or bi-weekly service to handle the fundamentals is well worth both the mental and physical stress that it can save for two working professionals. Weekends are sacred — save them for outdoor fun instead of indoor work.” —Ryan B., Palm Springs, CA
Get help with organization
“I thought it was silly of me to hire a cleaner for a small space, but cleaners do much more. They help organize the space better, too. When my mom saw that I had a cleaner, she was even happy for me that I didn’t have to do the nitty-gritty, sometimes backbreaking work and could simply focus on my office work and my life.” —Ko I., New York City
Embrace messy activities fully
“My husband and I live in a small 380-square-foot apartment in San Francisco, and we both work from home. My husband loves to cook and will usually make three home-cooked meals a day, but because our building is old and our space is small, after all that cooking our apartment gets messy, quickly. Especially because we both are working, so there’s not always time to reset a room back to clean. We literally just hired a cleaner for the first time, and we’re kicking ourselves for holding off for so many years.” —Kara H., San Francisco
