My neighbor Lisa finally broke down and hired a cleaning lady last month. She’d been talking about it for years but kept saying she felt guilty about it. “I should be able to clean my own house,” she’d say. Well, Lisa works full-time, has two teenagers, and her husband travels constantly for work. When exactly was she supposed to deep clean her bathrooms?
That’s the thing about living here in Ocean County – we’re all just trying to keep our heads above water. Between commuting to work, shuffling kids around, and trying to have some kind of social life, who has time to scrub grout?
We’re All Drowning in Our Own Mess
House Cleaning Service Saves You Time
I used to spend every Sunday morning house cleaning. And I mean EVERY Sunday. I’d wake up already annoyed because I knew I had to spend half my weekend doing stuff I hate. My husband would disappear to “run errands” (aka escape), and I’d be left with the toilets and the kitchen floor that somehow gets disgusting no matter how often I sweep it.
The breaking point came when I realized I was resenting my own house. I’d walk in after work and instead of feeling relaxed, I’d immediately start mentally cataloging everything that needed to be done. The dishes in the sink, dog hair tumbling across the hardwood floors, that ring around the bathtub that mocked me every morning.
It’s exhausting living like that. Your house is supposed to be where you recharge, not where you go to feel overwhelmed by your failures as a human being.
What Actually Changes When You Get Help
When I finally hired cleaners, my husband thought I’d lost my mind. “We can’t afford that,” he said. But here’s what we couldn’t afford: me being stressed out and cranky every weekend because I was spending it cleaning instead of living.
The first time they came, I almost cried. Not because the house was perfect – though it was pretty damn clean – but because I realized how much mental space all that cleaning stuff had been taking up. I didn’t have to think about when I’d scrub the shower or whether the floors needed mopping. It was just done.
Now I actually enjoy being home on weekends. Crazy concept, right? I can have people over without spending two hours frantically shoving stuff in closets first. My Sunday mornings are mine again.
It’s Not Just About the Cleaning
Here’s what surprised me: professional cleaners notice things you stop seeing. Like how gross the light switches get, or that weird film that builds up on the inside of windows, or the fact that ceiling fans collect dust like nobody’s business.
They also move stuff. When’s the last time you moved your couch to vacuum under it? Yeah, me neither. But they do, every single time. They clean the fronts of cabinets, wipe down baseboards, and get to all those spots you think about cleaning but never actually do.
Real Talk About the Money
Look, cleaning services aren’t free. But neither is your sanity. I used to buy a coffee every morning on my way to work – that’s like $150 a month right there. Having someone clean my house every two weeks costs about the same as my coffee habit used to.
Plus, when you factor in buying cleaning supplies, the time you’re spending, and the fact that you’ll probably need to redo half of it because you were rushing through it while distracted, professional cleaning starts making more sense.
A lot of people in Ocean County are doing it now. It’s not just rich people anymore – it’s working parents, busy professionals, anyone who’s tired of spending their free time cleaning bathrooms.
How to Find Someone Good
The key is finding cleaners who actually show up when they say they will and don’t break your stuff. I asked everyone I knew for recommendations until I found someone three different people vouched for.
Don’t go with the cheapest option unless you want to be disappointed. Good cleaners charge fair rates because they do good work. They also have their own insurance, which matters if something goes wrong.
Most companies will come do an estimate first, which gives you a chance to meet them and see if you feel comfortable with them in your house.
Just Do It Already
If you’ve been thinking about getting help with cleaning but keep talking yourself out of it, just try it once. See how it feels to come home to a truly clean house that you didn’t have to spend your weekend creating.
Your time is worth something. Your peace of mind is worth something. And your weekends are definitely worth something. Stop feeling guilty about getting help with stuff you hate doing anyway.