A hassle free clean?

How do you know you can trust the person who comes to clean your home?

Hassle.com answers that very question so when they got in touch to offer me a 3 hour clean and a chance to review their service, I couldn’t say no.

I’ve thought about hiring a cleaner before but have always been sceptical. So here was the perfect opportunity to try one out, for free.

 

Getting started on Hassle.com

By providing an “introduction service”, Hassle.com makes finding a cleaner easy.

It’s pretty straightforward to set up an account. You just have to enter your basic details and a selection of local cleaners are identified for you.

I had a blonde moment though and completely missed the box to input my promo code, which meant my first booking had to be cancelled.

I’ve also noticed that if you want to use a promo code for a future clean you have to email hassle.com so they can apply it for you. Hopefully it won’t be long before they sort this out.

 

Choosing a cleaner

The website offers you a local cleaner, who has been interviewed, vetted and identity checked. Whilst there’s no guarantee that there won’t be any issues, it’s better than hiring a complete stranger.

You can read reviews for each cleaner and edit the shortlist before requesting a booking. The job is allocated to the first cleaner to respond.

I have some doubts about whether the reviews give you the full picture. They are all very positive but a quick flick through Twitter suggests that problems with cleaners cancelling at short notice, failing to turn up, or doing a poor job, do arise.

Of course those risks pertain to anyone you employ to work in your home but maybe a bit more information would be helpful. Details such as how long a cleaner has worked with Hassle.com, how many cleaning jobs they’ve carried out, and an honest indication of their average star rating, would help you make a more informed choice.

I suggest meeting your cleaner to make your own assessment. And you can mitigate the risk of potential issues by arranging to be at home for the first few cleans.

 

My cleaner

When Beverley accepted my job I received a confirmation email, which included her contact details so I could get in touch directly to make any special arrangements.

I also received a text message the day before the clean, reminding me not to go out.

 

Then came the questions

Should I pre clean? What cleaning products would I need? How much would my cleaner get through in 3 hours?

These questions must be typical because they were answered by a blog post from hassle.com.

Still a little unsure about whether it would be realistic to expect my whole house to be cleaned in 3 hours, I made a list of my priorities and planned to talk through them with Beverley when she arrived.

 

Cleaning day

Beverley arrived a little after 10.00 am. She had trouble finding my house, but stayed a little longer to make up the time without me even mentioning it.

Beverley told me over a cup of tea that she enjoys the flexibility of agency work. She has worked for Hassle.com in Manchester for about 2 months, having previously worked for them in London. Working also as a carer and a beautician, she is looking to build her cleaning business by securing more clients who want to have their houses cleaned on a regular basis.

Beverley was keen to get on with the cleaning so I showed her round the house, talked through my list, then shut myself away in the study while she went about her work.

 

How was the clean?

Beverley has done a good job and the house smelled amazing afterwards. She did jobs that I didn’t expect, such as polishing the bannisters and emptying the bins.

I’m not sure what she used to polish the floor (she used the same cleaning products I use myself) but it has been amusing to watch the cats sliding around on it!

There are some areas that I would like to have seen cleaned more thoroughly though. There were still pockets of dust under the bed and I don’t think she touched any top shelves. I guess there’s only so much you can fit in to 3 hours.

Overall though, it was blissful, if not a little decadent, to be able to hand the job over to someone else.

 

Verdict

I’m still undecided about hiring a regular cleaner. But I would use Hassle.com again and would like Beverley to come back. After all, next time she won’t be a stranger.

 

Hassle.com: Check the website to find out if they offer services in your area. You can also follow them on Facebook and Twitter.

 

Interested in giving them a try? Click here to access an exclusive discount code available to readers of Becci’s Blog.

2 Comments On This Topic
  1. Dave
    7 years ago

    Interesting. I don’t like the idea of someone in my home when I’m not there but at same time wouldn’t know what to do while they cleaning seems a little lazy to just watch tele. Could do with a helping hand though. I hate cleaning

    • Becci Johnson
      7 years ago

      I think you’d be more worried about doing nothing than the cleaner would but I know what you mean. It was fine for me as I was working in a different room and out of the way. It’s similar to having any other workman in your house. Maybe it would be a good time to catch up on paperwork or other jobs so you feel less lazy!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.