Choosing household help
Housekeeper or cleaner: choosing help at home
Quick answer: Choose by the work you need done. Cleaning focuses on agreed surfaces and rooms; housekeeping may include laundry, tidying or other household tasks, depending on the provider and your agreement.
Compare cleaning and housekeeping duties, write a clear scope and choose help that suits your household. Includes examples and a guest-bathroom checklist.
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Choose the help you need
A cleaner usually focuses on agreed cleaning tasks such as bathrooms, kitchen surfaces and floors. A housekeeper may take on a wider routine of household tasks, such as laundry, putting things away or managing supplies. Titles vary: the written scope, time and arrangement matter more than the name.
Arriving from Platinum Staffing Agency's former housekeepers and cleaners page? This is a new Simply Maid comparison guide. It does not continue Platinum's staffing service, reproduce its packages or imply that its former team or quoted experts work for Simply Maid. The archived service page records the historical offer.
Compare the work you need done
Task | Cleaner | Housekeeper |
|---|---|---|
Kitchen surfaces, bathroom fixtures and floors | Common core tasks, subject to the booked checklist | May be included alongside other duties |
Dusting and ordinary household bins | Often within an agreed cleaning scope | Confirm which rooms and frequency |
Laundry, ironing and changing linen | Do not assume these are included | May be agreed, with garment-care instructions |
Putting away belongings | Clear surfaces beforehand; discuss limited tidying | May be a recurring task if agreed |
Decluttering and organising systems | Separate from ordinary cleaning | May require a professional organiser |
Meal preparation and shopping | Not implied by a cleaning booking | Needs a provider offering those duties |
Errands and household management | Outside an ordinary cleaning checklist | Agree responsibilities, access and authority |
Childcare or personal care | Not a cleaning task | Seek an appropriately qualified provider |
Use this table to start a conversation, not as a universal list of inclusions. A provider may use “housekeeping” for room cleaning alone, while another uses it for ongoing household support. Ask for examples of what happens during a normal visit.
When you need a household manager or personal concierge
If your list includes errands, pet care or coordinating trades, a cleaner may solve only part of the problem. A household manager or personal concierge may arrange these tasks, but job titles do not guarantee a particular service. Write down what you need and ask the provider to confirm the agreed work, access arrangements and charges.
Home supervision, appointment management and organising deliveries also need a provider who explicitly offers them. Simply Maid's cleaning booking does not include personal concierge management, pet care or running errands.
For bathrooms, kitchens and floors, compare the standard cleaning inclusions and check Melbourne cleaning availability. For possessions, storage and household systems, use the organiser or cleaner comparison. For errands or ongoing household management, seek a provider whose scope covers those tasks.
Compare prices against the same list of work. A concierge hourly quote may include minimum time, travel or coordination charges; a cleaning quote covers its stated cleaning scope and selected extras. Ask what is included, what costs extra and how changes are agreed. See current cleaning prices as a starting point for the cleaning part of your list.
Standard cleaning and separately agreed extras
Simply Maid's cleaning services guide and cleaning duties guide explain the current service choices. Check the inclusions shown for your selected service and property before booking. Tasks such as cleaning inside an oven or fridge, interior windows or extra areas need to be checked and selected where available; they should not be inferred from an old agency's package.
Frequency does not turn a cleaning visit into general household management. Tell the provider about the condition of the home, access and priorities so the service and time can be assessed. If the work includes cooking, errands or managing other workers, look for a provider that explicitly offers those responsibilities.
Write a scope before comparing prices
- List your three most important outcomes, such as clean bathrooms, clear floors or washed and put-away laundry.
- Name the rooms, approximate workload and preferred frequency.
- Separate cleaning from organising, laundry, cooking and care tasks.
- Note delicate surfaces, product preferences, pets and areas that should not be entered.
- Agree who provides equipment and products, and how access will work.
- Ask what can realistically fit in the visit and how extra work is approved.
- Confirm the quote, inclusions and cancellation arrangements in writing.
For example: “Every two weeks, prioritise two bathrooms, the kitchen surfaces and hard floors. Leave the study closed. Please confirm whether the inside of the oven can be added and what it costs.” That gives a provider much more to work with than “help around the house”.
Two households, two different decisions
A busy family can manage its laundry and meals but wants bathrooms, floors and kitchen surfaces cleaned regularly. A scheduled cleaning service may fit. They can use the first-clean preparation guide to plan access and explain priorities, then review the current pricing information.
Another household wants someone to prepare meals, run errands, organise deliveries and keep track of supplies as well as clean. That brief calls for broader household support. Ask a housekeeping or household-staffing provider about those duties and how the arrangement works before requesting a quote. A standard cleaning booking is unlikely to cover that list.
When comparing a service company with a recruitment or staffing arrangement, ask who supplies the work, who handles scheduling and replacements, and who is responsible for the agreed duties. Employment, insurance and tax questions depend on the actual arrangement; obtain appropriate advice rather than relying on a job title.
A guest-ready bathroom example
The old Platinum page was linked from a guest-bathroom article. Here is a small cleaning checklist you can use when discussing that priority. Follow each surface and product's instructions.
- Put personal belongings away and remove used towels.
- Clean the basin, taps, accessible bench and mirror using suitable products.
- Clean the toilet and shower or bath, keeping toilet-cleaning tools separate.
- Empty the bin, clean the floor and let it dry.
- Put out a clean hand towel, hand soap and spare toilet paper.
Adding flowers, buying toiletries and stocking cupboards are hosting tasks; agree separately if you want help with them. For overnight visitors, our guest-room guide covers the room beyond the bathroom.
Choose support by the outcome
Start with your task list and choose the provider whose stated service matches it. If the main obstacle is deciding what to keep and where it belongs, read professional organiser or cleaner. If it is recurring cleaning, compare the current checklist and price before booking. Historical agency names and service labels should not substitute for a clear agreement about today's work.
About this guide
Original Simply Maid guidance prepared with AI assistance. Published 15 October 2026; linked supplier and service information checked on that date. No independent practitioner review or hands-on product testing is claimed.
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