Cleaning a house is a tasking job. It is hard and can get messy pretty quickly. Stay-at-home moms live with this problem every day of their lives. It will feel like you just cleaned the house, and the second you turn around, it is dirty again. The cycle just never stops. Lucky for those who have housekeepers because they do not have to clean their own house; they have their housekeepers do it for them.
But the question is, does the housekeeper do an excellent job at absolute cleaning the house? Sure, they will do their job, but it does not mean they will do it well. Everyone can clean a home, but not everyone can clean a place well. Sometimes it seems like to do a decent job; you have to look over your shoulder and ensure that your auntie cleaner is doing their job correctly. But no matter what we do, the dirt is just always there. Getting frustrated will not get you anywhere, but at least the government of Singapore has devised a plan to help with your cleaning woes.
This is precisely why the National Environment Agency (NEA) of Singapore has devised a plan to ensure that cleaners will do an excellent job of cleaning a house or a company. They know that finding someone good enough to clean their house or company is hard. But if the place of business where you got your housekeeper from has an NEA License, then you can rest assured that they will do a bang-up job of cleaning your house—no more frustrations or irritations. Soon you will look around your home and smile at yourself on your sparkling clean tiles.
The National Environment Agency, or NEA was founded on July 1, 2002, to help make Singapore a cleaner, more livable, and sustainable place to live in. It develops and heads environmental projects and initiatives through its linkages with the public and private sectors. It is dedicated to inspiring everyone to care for the environment and make it a way of life. They want people to make taking care of their environment a habit to lead to a greener and cleaner future for the upcoming generations. The NEA has three operational divisions: Environmental Public Health, Meteorological Services Singapore, and Environmental Protection. However, the NEA will be taken down on April 1, 2019, and its duties will be taken over by the Singapore Food Agency (SFA).
Before that, though, the NEA devised a solution for the everyday man’s cleaning woes through the NEA Cleaning Business License.
The NEA Cleaning Business License aims to provide homes and companies with an accredited (and licensed) cleaning service where the employers will be sure they will get excellent service. They seek to enforce improved employment standards in the cleaning industry so they will be sure of the dependability and professionalism of cleaning services within Singapore. This Cleaning Business License started in September 2014.
Starting that time, businesses that are in cleaning services need to get a license to ensure that they offer reliable cleaning services and to assure the people getting the services that they provide quality service. The exception is those who belong to the excluded cleaning works category. The license needs to renew every year, and if you do not renew your appointment or you operate your business without the said license, then the NEA can fine you up to $10,000. Better to get that license now than to pay the fine.
The Cleaning Business License covers:
– A place of business that offers general cleaning services for the house or a company
– A company that already has in-house cleaners is exempted from getting this license
– Businesses that offer their cleaning services to hotels, service apartments, and hostels will need a license
Cleaning companies that are already accredited, like Clean Mark accreditation, will be deemed to have already followed the licensing requirements.
To get the licenses, go to the NEA website and their e-services and forms. After that, click on licenses, permits, and building plan clearances, and then go to the cleaning industry. You can apply online, and they also have a downloadable form there. If you already have a license and would like to renew said license, then you can also go to nea.gov.sg and click on the same tabs mentioned earlier and then click on continue. You will be able to both apply for a license and renew the request online. So much more straightforward and hassle-free than going to the NEA office, falling in line, and waiting for hours.
Several cleaning companies are already NEA licensed, so it is pretty easy to find and hire one to clean your house or company. Of course, you can hire a housekeeper from an agency to clean your home or office, but there are many benefits to hiring an NEA-licensed cleaning service.
Skilled Workers
An NEA-licensed company ensures that its employees are highly trained. They all undergo a lot of training before becoming cleaners for that company. When skilled workers do the job, you can be assured of a superior cleaning service.
Improved Value of Service
Companies that are NEA licensed are lawful business entities that are on record. Hence, they have a good track record of giving quality service, especially since their names are at stake, and they might not get their licenses renewed anymore.
Better Standards of Employment
The cleaners employed by an NEA-licensed company have higher pay and are not exploited or abused in any way. They have better working hours, and their rights are recognized. For people hiring cleaners from these companies, it means having a happy worker who feels appreciated and thus will do more than what is expected of them.
Peace of Mind
If you employ cleaners from an NEA-licensed company, you are using honest deal cleaners, and not illegals or workers who have cleaning as a part-time job and thus will not take cleaning your house seriously.
Companies such as Singapore Carpet Cleaning Pte Ltd and Absolute Cleaning have an NEA license, so it is easier to just go to them and hire a cleaner. Do yourself a favor and hire a cleaner from a licensed NEA cleaning business. It is all worth it.
