Would You Rather?
Which would you rather outsource — laundry or cleaning?
Haven’t we all dreamt of having magical helpers to do our chores for us? Well, if you live in New York City, you know that help can be had — but usually for a hefty cut of your funds. We asked five exhausted New Yorkers: Would you rather try a home cleaning service or laundry delivery service?
- Untouchable unmentionables Hm. That’s really hard. I’m very particular about how I like to do things. With my laundry, I’m particular about what kind of cycles to use on which clothes, and which clothes can be washed with what, and so on. And it’s the same way with cleaning my apartment. But if I had to try one or the other, it would have to be the cleaning. Because I hate the thought of people touching my clothes. Hate it! - Latrice, Harlem (pictured at left)
- Conflicted about cleaners I think I would go for a laundry service. I don’t like that I have to take my laundry somewhere to do it. But mainly, I’d go for the laundry delivery service because I think I’d have a problem with having somebody come in and clean my place, my mess. The way I was raised… I don’t like the idea of having another person there to clean my apartment. I don’t know why, but I have a problem with it. I know, I know. The laundry is the same thing of having people do your chores for you. But it’s different somehow. Maybe because we all have get dirty clothes, but the mess I make at home, I think, is my responsibility. -Mike, Upper West Side
- Clean what you can't hide I think a cleaning service would be good to try. I don’t care too much about my laundry. Because I can keep my laundry in a bag in a closet and it won’t bother me. I don’t mind cleaning my apartment, but like a really, really good cleaning would be good. There are things I probably forget to clean. Like the tops of cabinets or the oven or something. There are things that are difficult to clean and I don’t do that often or maybe never. -John, Hamilton Heights (pictured at left)
- The family that cleans together, goes out together Oh, no, that’s a really hard choice! I think a laundry service would be dream though. I do so much laundry, and there’s only three of us at home! The cleaning I can deal with to the point where the house looks presentable. The bathrooms are easy to clean as long as it’s regularly. My son is old enough to keep his room tidy, even though I still have to vacuum it. But my husband does a lot of the vacuuming on the weekends. I guess what I’m saying is, cleaning is more of a group effort. But I do all the laundry because I’m home all day, most days. It takes forever to do especially with so many loads! I hate folding clothes and sheets after. But I do the laundry during the week because on weekends, we’d all rather be out of the house doing fun things! -Gemma, Upper West Side
- Tell us how you really feel Laundry service for sure. I hate doing laundry. Hate, hate, hate it! Having to go somewhere to do it is terrible. But even though we have laundry in the basement, I still hate it. And I hate folding clothes. Hate. -Alex, Hamilton Heights
Verdict: Laundry wins — by a hair
Related:
Wash and Learn: Our Testers Take NYC Laundry Services Out for a Spin
Hiring a housecleaner for the first time? Your etiquette questions, answered
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