When businesses are looking to cut costs, it’s natural to scan the budget for areas that seem like easy savings. One idea that often comes up is hiring an in-house cleaner instead of bringing in a professional cleaning company.
And at first glance, it makes sense. You can pay someone minimum wage, pop them on your payroll, and tick “cleaning” off the to-do list. Simple, right?
Well, not quite.
Take a closer look and suddenly those “savings” don’t look so clear. Hidden costs, extra work, and unexpected headaches soon show up. So what are you actually paying for when you hire a cleaning company? and why, in the long run, it works out better than going in-house.
Recruitment Costs
Before you even get any cleaning, you need to find a person for the job. Advertising the role, interviewing, getting references, and onboarding all take time and money.
If your cleaner decides to leave, you get to start the whole process again from scratch.
A cleaning company completely removes that cycle, they handle everything without you lifting a finger, and hey presto, supply a fully trained member of staff ready to work. Which brings us to the next step you’ll need to consider….
Training
Yes, technically, anyone can push a vacuum or wave a mop around. But cleaning properly is about more than just wiping surfaces.
Who’s going to be teaching your in-house cleaner about health and safety, COSHH regulations, best practices or how to avoid cross-contamination? Is anyone responsible for their training? And who’s checking they’re following the right procedures?
Professional cleaners recieve thorough training before they start work. They know how to use chemicals safely, what products to use on which surfaces, best practices in cleaning techniques and how to keep your workplace hygienic and not just “looking clean.”
Chemicals and Supplies
Most commercial cleaning companies take care of absolutely everything when it comes to chemicals and supplies. They manage stock, order deliveries, keep data sheets, and bring all the right products with them. It’s all built into the service.
If you hire an in-house cleaner, those tasks don’t disappear, they just get passed on to someone else in your business. Suddenly, your receptionist, office manager, or store person is in charge of sourcing chemicals, finding, updating and filing COSHH data sheets, and making sure supplies are ordered, delivered and don’t run out (because let’s face it, staff will not be happy if there’s no toilet roll). Not only does that eat into their time, but it’s not really in their job description either.
Sickness and Holidays
What happens when your cleaner calls in sick or books two weeks off in the summer? Who steps in?
With an in-house cleaner, you either have to rope in your staff (which pulls them away from their actual jobs), accept that the cleaning doesn’t get done or try to get an agency staff in, at a costly rate, who possibly has no experience in cleaning and definitely no idea about your site. All of these options aren’t great!
A commercial cleaning company, on the other hand, provides uninterrupted cover. Staff get sick, people go on holiday, but you don’t feel the impact, someone else just steps in and the work continues as normal.
The Hidden Costs of Employment
When you look at hourly rates, hiring an employee might look cheaper. But once you add everything up, it’s rarely the case.
There’s National Insurance, pension contributions, holiday pay, sick pay, maternity or paternity pay, all on top of their basic wage. If you hire an agency to cover any absences, that’s an extra expense on top. Those hidden employment costs quickly stack up.
Standards and Quality Control
This is a big one that often gets overlooked. With an in-house cleaner, who’s responsible for checking standards? If they’re cutting corners or missing areas, who’s managing them?
Is it your receptionist? Your office manager? Maybe even you? Whoever it is, it’s another task added to their list. And unless they’re trained in cleaning standards, are they really the best person to judge?
Cleaning companies already have systems in place for quality control. Supervisors and managers regularly carry out spot checks to make sure the cleaning is done to a high standard consistently.
Equipment
On top of the initial outlay to purchase equipment (basic average for each cleaner being £220 if you don’t need anything specialist), what happens when the vacuum stops working? mop bucket cracks? floor scrubber needs maintenance.? That’s all on you if you go in-house. You’ll need to buy replacements, arrange repairs, and budget for breakdowns.
A cleaning company already factors all of that into their service. If equipment fails, the cleaning company replaces it at no extra cost to you. You don’t even have to think about it.
Flexibility
Professional cleaning companies are far more flexible than most people think.
Busy period coming up? They can provide extra staff.
Need a one-off deep clean? No problem.
Require specialist equipment like floor scrubbers or a high-level access kit? They’ve got it.
With in-house cleaning, you’re stuck with what you’ve got. With professionals, they have a whole host of equipment, supplier contacts and trained operatives ready to go and adaptable to your business needs.
So let’s ask again How Much Are You Really Saving?
When you add everything together, training, chemicals, absence cover, hidden employment costs, recruitment, equipment, and quality control, the “cheap” option of hiring an in-house cleaner stops looking so cheap.
It usually ends up costing you more money, more time, and more stress.
At the end of the day, you’ve got a business to run. Do you really want to spend your time managing cleaning rotas, chasing supplies, or worrying if the workplace looks presentable before a client walks in?
Leave It to the Professionals
With a cleaning company, you get trained staff, proper equipment, all the chemicals provided, uninterrupted cover, and quality standards checked for you.
It’s one less thing on your plate and one more thing you don’t have to worry about.
So, sit back, focus on your business, and enjoy a workplace that stays clean without the headaches.
Hiring Solutions Services Ltd means more than just getting a clean building. You’re investing in first impressions, more free time, mental clarity, and even the physical well-being of your clients and staff.
Get in touch today for a free, no-obligation quote.
