You probably spend quite a few hours each week on household chores. If you're time-crunched and have always longed to ditch the duster to spend more time with your family or catch up on your favourite shows, it may be time to hire some help.

Thebestof Portsmouth are proud to be working with one of the leading Domestic and Commercial cleaning organisations in Portsmouth, Bizzy Bodyz, so if you’re considering engaging with a cleaning business, you can contact them on 02392 423348.   However, before you decide to throw in the towel (literally), you'll want to consider a few things:

1. Count the cost. House cleaners might be more affordable for you than you thought. Location, pets, lifestyle and extra services can significantly raise your rate, so ask for a detailed estimate! If neither Fido, your kids (or your spouse) are house trained, you're going to be looking at more!

2. Calculate your worth. We know your personality is priceless, but what's an hour of your time really worth?    Track the time you spend cleaning for one week and calculate the amount you should "pay" yourself. Use this number to weigh the cost benefit of hiring a cleaner instead of biting the bullet and doing it yourself. You may find that a professional cleaner can clean significantly faster than you, meaning it'd "cost" you less to hire them than to do it all yourself.

3. Ask your friends. Hiring a house cleaner is a lot like hiring a contractor: personal recommendations are solid gold! Ask around — chances are more of your friends, neighbours or co-workers have house cleaners than you realise.   

4. Separate your needs. Make a short list of chores that you really need done. Most of your requests are probably standard when it comes to a company's cleaning regimen, but a few tasks (dishes, ironing and making beds) can cost extra. You may want to consider splitting the list: heaving cleaning for a cleaning service, and lighter, everyday upkeep for you and your partner. This keeps your costs down, while still relieving some of your stress.

Having a cleaner isn't for everyone, but if chores are a significant source of stress in your life — or just a huge time leech — it might be one of those areas where it's worth spending a little extra money.