Molly Maids vs Merry Maids – Which Cleaning Service is Better?

Molly Maids and Merry Maids are both residential cleaning service franchises. They offer similar services but price jobs quite differently.

Which Company is More Economical?

Merry Maids charges $180 per hour for two Merry maids to clean.  There is a two-hour minimum, regardless of the job.

Depending on the job, you can request one Merry Maid, which will be $90 per hour with a two-hour minimum. No matter what you must have done, the minimum cost is $180.

Molly Maids is priced differently, between $70 and $100 per hour for two maids.

I’m not sure if you have a minimum number of hours with Molly Maids, but most franchises have a minimum, so it is wise to just plan for that. Always ask when you call for a bid.

Who Offers More Bang for the Buck?

According to the websites for each company and all the reviews on social media, these two companies offer very similar services and levels of cleanliness.

While the benefits and cleanliness are about the same, they come with very different price tags. If you consider that two hours for two maids will cost $360 from Merry Maids and $200 from Molly Maids, Molly Maids offers that better bang for the buck.

Another criterion you may look at before hiring is the reviews for your local franchise. Each franchise is different; some may have a bad reputation if managed poorly.

Both companies offer housekeeping lists for different styles of jobs that you can prioritize to suit your needs. They also bring their supplies, which will save you a lot of money on cleaners and dirty rags.

Both have been around for decades and are licensed and insured, should anything happen. And they both have policies to ensure your satisfaction. However, after reading the reviews, it seems questionable if unhappy customers are satisfied.

I read many Google Reviews on Molly Maids that stated managers were just defensive instead of making things suitable for the customer. This is a major red flag. Again, it just depends on the franchise.

Best Cleaning Service Overall?

I have poured over about 700 Google reviews about these companies, which are quite equal in what customers rave about.  Both companies have an overall rating of 4.5 out of 5 in the greater Salt Lake City, Utah area.

One nice thing about Molly Maids’ reviews is that the different sets of workers have identifiable numbers, like Team #7. This is nice because if you read many positive reviews about a certain team, you can request them for your job. Both companies have reviews that give the names of various cleaners. Not only do you know who to request, but also who to avoid.

Merry Maids seems to handle customer complaints better, and they strive to remedy the situation.

Which Service is Easier to Deal with?

Both companies make getting bids for work and scheduling the appointment very easy. And naturally, both companies have hired workers that are good and some that are not good.

After viewing hundreds of reviews, there were more complaints about Molly Maids with jobs left undone or workers being late to show up and early to leave. That’s good to keep in mind but know that all workers are different, and so is each franchise.

Getting the Most out of Either Service

I have learned a few things in dealing with housekeeping services for my family. One is to have very clearly defined expectations. For example, if you want walls cleaned, you need to state if you want them swept or mopped. “Cleaned” can mean very different things to different people.

Be very specific in your lists of what to have done.

Upon hiring the service, be very reasonable about the amount of work in the time allotted. It has helped me to state the time block explicitly and what tasks I expect. When doing this, I always put my most important tasks at the top of the list because should the workers need more time, they will leave the things at the end of the list undone. Luckily, if you have the service coming in regular intervals, those last few items can get done in the next cleaning.

Just know that even if you have routine cleanings done, a list is your best friend, and the workers appreciate clear expectations.

Before hiring, ALWAYS find out the franchise policy on being unsatisfied with the work done. You need to know what time frame you should make a complaint and to who?

The Bottom Line

If money is your true concern, go with Molly Maids, they cost about $90 per hour less for the same services.

If you want a better work guarantee, then go with Merry Maids. They tend to make things right and prioritize the customer’s happiness.

No matter what your priorities are, be sure to look up your area’s franchise online and just look at the reviews. You will get a clear picture of what your experience will be. And always have clear expectations in writing.

If you are unhappy with services, give these companies a chance to make things right before you write a bad review. Most want customers to be satisfied, so just allow them that opportunity.