at all? Hiring someone else to do the cleaning for you is appealing, but it also introduces a new list of issues, questions, and, well, problems.
There are three basic types of services, although their methods may vary considerably.
1. The Wonderful, Old-Fashioned Cleaning Lady
Some families are lucky enough to employ a cherished housecleaner who has been cleaning for them for years and is considered a part of the family. Unfortunately, as this group of housecleaners retires it seems there is no new generation coming along to replace them. Perhaps the number of people who view residential cleaning as a permanent career is dwindling. Maybe it just seems that way because there has been such an increased demand for cleaning services as millions of women have entered the work force.
2. Temporary Cleaning Persons
The demand is being filled by more people who are cleaning either temporarily or as a perceived last choice. There appears to be a disproportionate number of immigrants in this group who do not opt for more traditional employment because language difficulties or lack of legal status in the U.S. prevents them from obtaining other careers.
Even when someone comes along with an aptitude for and interest in cleaning, it may still be difficult to be a good cleaner because formal training is virtually nonexistent. Also, language barriers are real, and cultural differences can lead to interpretations of “cleaning” in ways you didn’t anticipate, such as reorganizing your closets and drawers instead of actually cleaning the kitchen or bathroom.
Another component of this group that cleans on a transitory basis includes students, aspiring actors, dancers, artists, writers, and others who are cleaning until they get their diploma or big break, or until their ship comes in. But all these marvelously human situations are fluid, and as their fortunes rise or fall, you may lose your housecleaner.
3. Cleaning Companies
In this case, a professional cleaning company hires, trains (ideally), and manages the housecleaner. If the housecleaner quits or is ill, it’s up to the company to find a replacement. Some companies send individuals; others send teams.
The quality and reliability of these companies varies enormously but is generally improving as more people appreciate the opportunities available in this expanding industry. As more companies enter the cleaning field, they increase competition, which tends to improve service—in important areas such as cleaner training, customer relations, and reliability.
You might find the perfect cleaner in any of these groups, but before you even begin to look, there is a very important question that you must investigate. For whom does your housecleaner work? You or herself or himself? Once you’ve answered this question, you may know exactly in which of the above groups you want to look for a housecleaner. And if you already have a housecleaner, you may be inclined to make some changes once you’ve considered this same question.
For Whom Does Your Housecleaner Work?
This question has more practical importance than you may have imagined, because the answer to it may determine whether you are personally liable for back taxes and penalties when your housecleaners (former and current) reach retirement and apply for Social Security benefits. In many cases, if their Social Security accounts are deficient, the IRS has been regularly ruling that their Social Security payments should have been paid by the people whose homes they cleaned. The IRS is ruling that the housecleaners were actually employees of the person whose house they were cleaning. That means you, gentle reader, and having an employee has a whole new set of rules.
If you hire a cleaning company that pays or withholds the necessary taxes and keeps the records that are required of businesses by the IRS, you shouldn’t have much to worry about. Likewise, if you find your cleaner through an agency, the cleaner is generally not your
There are three basic types of services, although their methods may vary considerably.
1. The Wonderful, Old-Fashioned Cleaning Lady
Some families are lucky enough to employ a cherished housecleaner who has been cleaning for them for years and is considered a part of the family. Unfortunately, as this group of housecleaners retires it seems there is no new generation coming along to replace them. Perhaps the number of people who view residential cleaning as a permanent career is dwindling. Maybe it just seems that way because there has been such an increased demand for cleaning services as millions of women have entered the work force.
2. Temporary Cleaning Persons
The demand is being filled by more people who are cleaning either temporarily or as a perceived last choice. There appears to be a disproportionate number of immigrants in this group who do not opt for more traditional employment because language difficulties or lack of legal status in the U.S. prevents them from obtaining other careers.
Even when someone comes along with an aptitude for and interest in cleaning, it may still be difficult to be a good cleaner because formal training is virtually nonexistent. Also, language barriers are real, and cultural differences can lead to interpretations of “cleaning” in ways you didn’t anticipate, such as reorganizing your closets and drawers instead of actually cleaning the kitchen or bathroom.
Another component of this group that cleans on a transitory basis includes students, aspiring actors, dancers, artists, writers, and others who are cleaning until they get their diploma or big break, or until their ship comes in. But all these marvelously human situations are fluid, and as their fortunes rise or fall, you may lose your housecleaner.
3. Cleaning Companies
In this case, a professional cleaning company hires, trains (ideally), and manages the housecleaner. If the housecleaner quits or is ill, it’s up to the company to find a replacement. Some companies send individuals; others send teams.
The quality and reliability of these companies varies enormously but is generally improving as more people appreciate the opportunities available in this expanding industry. As more companies enter the cleaning field, they increase competition, which tends to improve service—in important areas such as cleaner training, customer relations, and reliability.
You might find the perfect cleaner in any of these groups, but before you even begin to look, there is a very important question that you must investigate. For whom does your housecleaner work? You or herself or himself? Once you’ve answered this question, you may know exactly in which of the above groups you want to look for a housecleaner. And if you already have a housecleaner, you may be inclined to make some changes once you’ve considered this same question.
For Whom Does Your Housecleaner Work?
This question has more practical importance than you may have imagined, because the answer to it may determine whether you are personally liable for back taxes and penalties when your housecleaners (former and current) reach retirement and apply for Social Security benefits. In many cases, if their Social Security accounts are deficient, the IRS has been regularly ruling that their Social Security payments should have been paid by the people whose homes they cleaned. The IRS is ruling that the housecleaners were actually employees of the person whose house they were cleaning. That means you, gentle reader, and having an employee has a whole new set of rules.
If you hire a cleaning company that pays or withholds the necessary taxes and keeps the records that are required of businesses by the IRS, you shouldn’t have much to worry about. Likewise, if you find your cleaner through an agency, the cleaner is generally not your
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