Clean Home, Clear Mind….Hello Helpling!

There is almost nothing better than a clean and sparkling home – except, of course, having a clean and sparkling home that you haven’t had to clean yourself! “Clean home, clear mind”  as they say.

Unfortunately, no matter how good our intentions are, and with so many other things to worry about, oftentimes the home more closely resembles the pages of an OH&S manual than we’d find ideal (..or is that just me!)

Image: photobucket.com

So, when Helpling offered me a 3 hour home-cleaning test drive I couldn’t book it in quickly enough. That clean-house feeling? Yes please.

If you are yet to hear of Helpling (that’s h-e-l-p-l-i-n-g, with an extra “l”), you’ll be happy to know these guys are revolutionising the home cleaning industry by making the task of booking a reputable cleaner (they refer to them as a “helpling“) easier and more transparent than ever before.

Sister company to The Iconic, Helpling are a matching service which links you to registered cleaners in your local area. Unlike the majority of other cleaning businesses, all Helplings are subject to police check, have to pass an interview, and they each hold public liability insurance.

Image: http://www.marcosproenca.com.br/

To book my clean, I simply selected the date I wanted, chose the length of clean I needed (minimum clean is 2 hours), and set up the payment online (all payments are cashless.)  There was no doubt about cost as all charges are very clearly displayed. And, because Helpling charge a flat fee of $29 per hour you’ll never get caught out or hit up with hidden charges (like parking, which one cleaner charged me for once!)

For my three bedroom home, I booked a 3 hour clean = regular cost $87, which in my view is very reasonable. If you’re sharing and/or want to stretch it out to once every-so-often it’s even more do-able. A day or so after booking online I received a confirmatory text message that an appropriate Helpling had been located to conduct my clean. We were good to go!

On the day, my cleaner arrived slightly early and was fully equipped with everything he needed to get the job done (including industrial-style vacuum cleaner.) He was a really friendly, courteous person and I immediately felt comfortable having him in my home. Aspen my kitten didn’t mind him either which I took to be a very good sign!

We had a really quick walk around my apartment where I was asked to run through what I wanted done – and then I left him to it.

Image: http://www.glamour.com/

For the next 4 hours I was able to blog to my heart’s content whilst my home became rejuvenated and refreshed. (That’s right, 4 hours – I’ll get to that later.) Bathrooms and kitchen were meticulously cleaned, (he even cleaned the coffee machine and grinder which I wasn’t expecting). He also dusted all of the living and dining, and did a very thorough vacuum throughout.

By the end of the 3rd hour we had one task outstanding – 3 sets of glass wardrobe doors, and he happily volunteered to stay on (free of charge) to do those as well. So I received 4 hours of cleaning vs the 3 I booked in for (don’t quote me on that, I could have just been one of the lucky ones!)

At the end, he asked for my approval on the job (I said it was fab) and he went on his way. Following the clean, Helpling asked me to rate the quality of the work and review the cleaner which demonstrates that they take customer satisfaction very highly (and it also means that cleaners have every reason to do their best job.)

PROS:

• Ease of booking
• Great value, and no hidden charges
• Professionalism and courteous service
• Great quality, thorough clean
• Gives you more time to do things your enjoy!

CONS:

• There is a chance the company cannot locate a cleaner even after you’ve booked it online
• Two cleaners would have cut the time down by half, if you want to be home for the duration a 4 hour clean can be a little too long.

Overall Rating: 8/10