The fact that Canberra is the most highly-educated city in Australia is well complemented by the mobility of its population. Government secondments see movement of personnel from one office to another. Families come and go with Defence Department postings following a cyclical pattern. In diplomacy, people move in and out all the time. This situation creates an unusually high turnover of rentals, and in such a place, there are no questions about whether cleaning standards are lifestyle choices – it is simply a matter of economics. There is nothing disposable about the rise of premium cleaning in Canberra.
Why Canberra’s Rental Market Makes Professional Cleaning a Must-Have?
Bond disputes over cleaning standards are the most common type of complaint lodged at the ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal. Tenants all too often get a surprise when their landlord calls them out for not meeting the “professionally clean” standard in a lease, especially when it comes to ovens, carpets and windows. These are areas where a DIY clean just doesn’t cut it and a property manager can tell the difference straight away.
By using a premium cleaning service like mintcleaning.com.au which offers a written guarantee of getting your bond back, you can avoid the headache and expense of a dispute. And let’s face it, the cost of a professional end-of-lease clean is a small price to pay compared to losing out on your bond money. What’s more, the paperwork and documentation that comes with a guaranteed service is well worth having just in case things go pear-shaped. A standard end-of-lease premium clean in Canberra usually includes:
- A deep-down clean of your oven and range hood.
- Getting those stubborn stains out of your carpets with steam cleaning.
- Cleaning all the windows inside and out.
- A spot of tidying up on the walls and skirting boards to boot.
Each of these is a common cause of bond disputes and each is an area where a pro does a job that a DIY enthusiast is unlikely to match.
Premium Clean Versus Standard Clean
There is a legitimate cost premium associated with hiring a premium cleaner over a standard cleaner. The real difference, however, is in the accountability offered by the premium cleaners. A full-time team is employed by the premium providers, in addition to holding comprehensive public liability insurance and workers’ compensation insurance as well as written guarantees on all of their work.
Such an approach is important in case of any problems, as there will be someone to contact and a guarantee that can be referred back to. In addition, the experience of returning regularly to the same location ensures that cleaners get to know the property well and have a certain order that is familiar to them, which means that they will not forget to clean particular areas of the house.
Another factor making for a premium product for Canberra customers today is non-toxic and environmentally friendly cleaning products. This has become a true feature of a premium cleaning company in Canberra, especially for those who live with children, have some lung diseases, or are sensitive to chemicals. Several premium providers now offer such an option as a standard one.
Time Factor Behind The Demand For Cleaning Services
The Canberra median household income is the highest of all Australian capital cities. The population of the ACT has a very high percentage of dual-income households and most people in them are either professionals or public servants. While a dual-income household does not have any problem paying for cleaning services, the thing that determines its demand is the lack of time. It is impossible to spend four hours every second weekend to deep clean a three-bedroom house in order to meet the requirements of a leasing return. It does not add up.
Cleaning programmes performed regularly are increasingly becoming a part of the regular household expenses in Canberra, being considered in the same way as a membership to a health club or a service contract for a car. Such an approach to the domestic service is seen in the way Canberra residents speak and budget for it.
ABS Household Expenditure Survey shows that the spending on household services and operations, including cleaning, increased by 30 per cent across Australia since the 2009-10 baseline. This long-term trend shows the changing way Australian households allocate domestic labour. And Canberra’s professional population is at the forefront of this trend.
Carpet Steam Cleaning and Oven Cleaning: The Most Popular Add-On Services
The reason behind the popularity of the carpet steam cleaning service in Canberra is quite clear. Due to the cold and dry winters and the extensive use of the gas heating system in enclosed rooms, dust and allergens accumulate in carpets’ fibres faster than in more temperate locations. The low humidity level outdoors and high indoors make the carpet accumulate the particles that vacuum cleaning will fail to remove.
Oven cleaning is another service that the citizens of Canberra have problems with. Apart from being unpleasant, the carbonised grease is actually a potential source of fire hazard and makes the process of cooking uneven. Domestic cleaners do not help with removing the greased parts of the base, the back wall, and the oven door. Degreasing and soaking help professionals restore the oven’s functionality and hygiene.
It is the premium providers that are providing both of those services separately and not as part of any package which makes it possible to avoid unnecessary charges.
What to Actually Ask a Canberra Cleaning Company Before You Book?
You keep hearing the ‘P’ word “premium” bandied about in the marketing of every single cleaning company, no matter their actual quality. The questions below cut right through the marketing hype:
- When it comes to cleaners, are they employed directly by the company or are they usually subcontractors?
- Does the company have public liability insurance and workers’ compensation insurance to cover its staff?
- Can you get the details of the bond-back guarantee in writing, and exactly what it promises to cover?
- What cleaning products does the company use, and are you allowed to ask for a different one if you’re not keen on the usual stuff?
- Does the service come with a pre-clean walkthrough to see the state of your place, or a condition assessment to make sure everything is tickety-boo before they start?
The answers to these questions are what really matter not the fancy website design or the price point. If a company can’t give you clear answers to these questions, it’s fair to say they’re not operating at a premium standard, no matter how slick their branding looks.
