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Pricing House Cleaning Assignments

HCA Statistical Analysis with Practical Applications

6.Definition of “Usage Factors”

6.1.

Number of Inhabitants: the objective count of humans normally living in the Household. It excludes weekend-only residents and visitors, and is expressed as a real number; a fractional number is allocated to a human who regularly resides in the Household on a part-time basis (as may occur when parents share custody of children). Number of Inhabitants can vary throughout the year, as children return from college for the summer, for example.

6.2.

Pet Factor: the subjective measure of pets’ impact on the clean time for a Household. The Factor is not just a count of how many pets are in a home, it also considers what type of pet and pet breed they are, how well the pet is managed and how the pets behave. In this respect, the Pet Factor measures pets’ total impact on a Household. For example, shedding of pet hair can be mitigated by frequent bathing and brushing of the pet. If pets track outdoor dirt and debris into the house the Pet Factor is increased-this is particularly relevant for active pets with access to an exterior pet door.

6.2.1.	If pets are restricted to a small area of a Home, then the Pet Factor is decreased. If a cat litter box is poorly managed and maintained, then the Pet Factor is increased. Careful management of a pet feeding and watering area can reduce the Pet Factor.
6.2.2.	In terms of measurement, the Pet Factor is based on a scale of integers ranging from zero (0) to ten (10), with zero representing no pet (and therefore no impact), and ten representing a significant impact on the household which translates to an increase in Clean Time. A cat plus a poorly managed litter of long-haired puppies with unfettered access to an entire Household might combine to represent the top of the scale, a Pet Factor of ten (10).
6.2.3.	The following general guidelines for establishing a Pet Factor can be adjusted up or down to reflect whether the pet situation is well or poorly managed: one mature cat-two (2); one mature dog-three (3); two mature cats-four (4); two large caged birds-four (4); two mature dogs-five (5) and four mature cats-eight (8).

6.3.

Lifestyle Factor: a subjective measure of Residents’ combined impact on the Household, as a result of the residents’ lifestyle. The Lifestyle Factor captures traffic, but also measures residents’ propensity for maintaining cleanliness of the household between visits. To illustrate a contrast in lifestyles, cleaning for Doris Day might be less time-consuming than cleaning for John Belushi, because:

6.3.1.	Doris bothers to wash dishes between visits; she uses a squeegee on her shower doors following each shower, and changes waste container liners.
6.3.2.	In contrast, John doesn’t own a clean dish, leaves a ring in the tub after his weekly bath, and is not bothered a lot by a missed jump shot, when he aims a beer can across the room at a brimming box of trash.
6.3.3.	The Lifestyle Factor is based on a scale of integers ranging from minus ten (-10) to plus ten (+10), with Doris Day earning minus ten (-10) and John Belushi earning plus ten (+10). (When scoring, think “more than average time needed to clean: plus minutes” or “less than average time needed to clean: minus minutes”.)

6.4.

Floor Factor: a subjective measure of the impact of a Household’s floors on the Clean Time for the Household. It is the combined measure of three aspects: the ratio of carpeted floor covering to hard surface floor covering; the degree of interim floor maintenance; and the effect of traffic.

6.4.1.	Since it is less time consuming to vacuum floors than to wash them, a higher percentage of carpeting results in a lower Floor Factor (which would translate to a lower number of minutes to clean).
6.4.2.	Conversely, a higher percentage of hard-surfaced flooring translates to a higher Floor Factor, which would result in a higher Clean Time.
6.4.3.	A plethora of oriental carpets throughout a home can require double cleaning which would be scored as a higher Floor Factor.
6.4.4.	Clean entryways can result in a lower Floor Factor, while a well-traveled dirt path leading from a detached garage, combined with no doormats can result in a high Floor Factor.
6.4.5.	The persistence of pet puddles would be captured in the Pet Factor. A Resident’s failure to clean up a ketchup spill on a kitchen floor would be captured in the Lifestyle Factor.
6.4.6.	A Resident’s consistent interim vacuuming of high-traffic areas would result in a lower Floor Factor.
6.4.7.	Wearing shoes in a home would increase the Floor Factor, while never wearing shoes in the home would decrease the Floor Factor.
6.4.8.	The Floor Factor is based on a scale of integers ranging from minus ten (-10) to plus ten (+10), with minus ten (-10) for Doris Day, representing all carpeting, combined with meticulous interim maintenance, perfectly managed entryways, and shoes never worn in the home. John Belushi would earn plus ten (10), representing all hardwood floors, dirt paths leading to entryways, no door mats, no interim maintenance, and shoes consistently worn in the home.

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