So your home has become overwhelming, and you’re looking to hire professional help. Great! Hiring outside help is a great way to get a fresh start and feel better about the state of your home. But should you hire a professional organizer, or should you hire a cleaner? Let’s get into it.

What’s The Difference Between a Professional Organizer & Cleaner? 

A professional organizer…

… is there to help you sort and organize your current belongings. They’ll walk you through the process of paring down your belongings, and they’ll create systems that help you stay organized long after you stop working together. When done correctly, professional organizing should also make it easier to keep your house clean and stay on top of household chores. Usually, a professional organizer focuses on one area of your home at a time.

They will not clean your home. Yes, they will make your home look cleaner, and they might dust or vacuum the space they’re working in, but their job is to sort and organize your belongings. Dust, dirt, and the like are outside of their scope of work.

A professional cleaner…

… is there to actually clean your space, meaning remove dust, dirt, and grime. You can hire a cleaner to tackle your entire home, or you can ask them to focus on a specific space. Some will even perform everyday chores like laundry and dishes.

They will not organize, rearrange, or create storage solutions for any of your belongings. They might tidy up a cluttered shelf or refold your wrinkly clothes, but they won’t make any big changes to your organizational systems. They also won’t sort your belongings or make decisions about what to throw away and donate.

Should You Hire a Professional Organizer Or a Cleaner?

If you’re not sure whether to hire a professional organizer or cleaner, ask yourself the following questions.

“What exactly is overwhelming about my space?”

Take some time to look around your space and figure out what exactly is causing you stress. Is it an overflowing closet? A hectic pantry? The layer of dust on the ceiling fan? Once you understand what it is causing you stress, you can make a plan to fix it.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed about dust, dirt, or grime, you probably need a cleaner. This is especially true if you’re overwhelmed by the spaces in your home that aren’t cluttered.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by clutter or disarray, you probably need an organizer. Clutter can make your space look and feel dirtier than it is. Often, decluttering the space will fix the dirty feeling.

“What’s my long-term goal for my space?”

If you’re happy with your home but overwhelmed by dirt and grime, you probably just need a cleaner. Professional cleaning is a short-term solution (unless of course you hire a cleaner weekly or monthly). It’s especially helpful if you’ve fallen behind on household chores following a life change or stressful season.

If you want a more long-term solution, consider an organizer. While they won’t do any of the actual cleaning, they will make your space feel less overwhelming and easier to maintain. A well-organized space is easier to tidy up and deep clean. If you consistently fall behind on household chores, the issue might be your organization.

“Do I need both?”

If you really want a fresh start, why not make a plan to hire both an organizer and a cleaner? I highly recommend hiring an organizer first so you can get rid of unnecessary belongings. Once your space is organized, bring in a professional cleaner for a fresh start. Between the two, your space is bound to feel much more peaceful and tidy!

Remember: There’s Nothing Wrong with Asking for Help

Asking for help – from a cleaner, organizer, or other professional – can be emotional. Just remember that there’s nothing wrong with asking for help. Just like you’d go to the doctor if something were wrong in your body, you can go to a home professional when something is wrong in your space. The right cleaner or organizer will be happy to help without judgment. They want to see your space clean and tidy just as much as you do!

Ready to unfuss your home? There’s no time like the present.

If you’re on the fence about hiring a professional organizer, start here! Sign up for my email list for tips, tricks & a free home organization guide (coming soon!).