The demand for home cleaning services in big cities such as Ha Noi has soared as Tet approaches - and the cost of hiring help has also rocketed.
According to current working regulations, employees in companies and agencies have to work until the end of Friday, the 29th day of the lunar new year, leaving little time for them to do house chores.
The traditional belief that houses should be clean and tidy by Lunar New Year's Eve to avoid bad luck has created a headache for housewives.
For affluent families, the growing trend is to seek the services provided by professional companies.
Nguyen Thi Mai Lan, who works at the Bank for Investment and Development of Viet Nam, said she had learned from her experience last Tet when she couldn't hire any helpers.
"This year I contacted a service provider to have my house cleaned two weeks ahead of Tet," she said.
"I think it's best to hire professional cleaners, because there are many domestic items which can't be cleaned properly without special equipment."
Nguyen Thi Huong, an official with a house cleaning company on Hoang Hoa Tham Street, said the demand for service was always high as Tet comes.
"Since the beginning of the lunar December, we have received hundreds of orders. My staff can't meet all the demands, even though they sometimes work around-the-clock," she said.
According to Ha Hong Yen, director of the Home Care Company, service fees have increased by 10 to 15 per cent compared to last year due to increases in the price of working equipment and wages.
"Companies have invested in modern devices, such as cleaning machines, floor scrubbers and those for sludge removal," she said.
The current price list for house cleaning is VND6,000-10,000 (US$0.36-0.54) per square metre; for painting, VND12,000-20,000 ($0.65-1.08) per square metre; and for lounge suites, VND150,000-300,000 ($8.1-16.2).
"But prices will probably go through the roof by the end of the week", Yen said.
She recommended that house owners sign a detailed contract with cleaning companies to compensate for any damage.
Yen's main customers are generally owners of high-quality houses or apartments in new urban areas such as Trung Hoa Nhan Chinh, The Manor, Ciputra or My Dinh.
"The cost of cleaning each house varies, but on average it is about VND1.5-2 million ($80-110)," Yen said.
Lan, who used her service, said: "Although I already had a domestic helper and the fees seemed to be high, it paid off. My furniture must be cleaned properly, otherwise it can get damaged."
Those who want home cleaning at a more affordable price can hire workers easily found on popular streets who are willing to do any manual work.
Le Thi Xuan, a resident on Bach Mai Street, said: "Every year, my husband has some workers do cleaning for our family. The fees are comparatively reasonable, although we have to check their work from time to time."
"I had to pay only VND300,000 ($16) to hire a worker to clean my three-storey house," she added.
Bui Van Dung, who came to Ha Noi as an itinerant worker, said: "Whenever Tet comes, people hire me to do house cleansing, which, I must say, is light work but the pay is higher."
"Other porters are really busy these days running around cleaning houses."
Dung said the money he earned during the 12th lunar month was two-three times higher than usual.
Source: VNS