I once read in a book that said — among many other things — if you don't like cleaning your house, you should just pay someone to do it. And if you want the Audi instead of Honda, buy the flashier option if it'll make you happy.

At the time, I thought it was a horrible life lesson. 

The benefits of having a nicer car should carefully be weighed before making a huge spending decision. And same for cleaning your house: is it truly something you can't do yourself? 

But then, I got bowled over by wave after wave of life. I went to Charleston twice, then Charlotte, then Austin and then Charleston again. On Mondays during the week, I go to my favorite workout class, on Tuesdays I go to board meetings, on Wednesdays I go to meetings and volleyball and Thursdays I have a social life.

Sprinkle on top a full-time job and trying to actually write for this blog, I genuinely couldn't figure out when I was really supposed to do the basics like cleaning. 

I chatted with a few people who used cleaners before, and they all raved about it. One guy with a similarly-sized apartment told me how cheap his apartment was to get cleaned, and I was pretty sold. For confirmation, I checked Groupon and found that exact company as an option for less than $50 for an hour and two cleaners. 

So, I bought it.

I did exactly what I thought was pretentious and bougie.

I paid for someone to do something I could do. 

The night before the cleaners were scheduled to come, I found myself trying to pre-clean as best I could. I was kind of giggling because I needed it to be the perfect level of grime where they could complete it all, but I could truly get my money's worth.

As soon as the cleaners came in my house, I showed them my abode and told them, "The bathrooms and kitchen are the main focus if you don't mind," and left them to sort it out as I went to work.

I opened the door to my home upon return like a child coming down the stairs at Christmas, with a great deal of excitement and hesitation. I was not disappointed.

The floors shined.
The dust was gone.
The baseboard were cleaned.
The stove was spotless.
The tub sparkled. 
The dried on food in my sink was gone.

And THIS.

My toilet paper was FOLDED INTO A PAPER ROSE.

All of this is to say: yes, I can clean my house.

But I don't clean it like this. Nor can I knock it out in one hour. When I compare their cleaning service to social media services I provide, it's relatively similar. Everyone can 'do' social media, just like everyone can clean their house. 

It's just like when people hear what my job is. Yes. Everyone can do social media. But can they use social media to drive a business forward while maintaining brand standards? Perhaps not. It's the same with cleaning. I can by all means do it, but not like this. 

Just like millions of people on social media, I'm going to keep cleaning my house like an amateur, but it's good to know what your money can get you when you pay for a luxury. 

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