In this day and age, a household generally functions with two people working an average of a forty-hour week. Be it that of a husband and wife with or without children, flatmates sharing, male or female.

The one area that appears to suffer in our hectic daily routine is the thankless job of cleaning. Trying to fit in work, social life and looking after the children means that cleaning has become a chore that we find less and less time for. In days gone by a cleaner was seen as a luxury. Today, a cleaner has become something of a necessity.

Patricia O’Neill is the founder and managing director of About Time cleaning company. Patricia is a qualified accountant and after her studies found herself working in a full-time accountancy position. She married and settled into a lovely home with her husband, who also worked full-time.

They found themselves in harmony in most areas of their lives except in the matters of domestic cleaning and so Patricia set about the task of finding a cleaner. She discovered how difficult it was to find a professional cleaner who she could trust and rely on. She did her research and found it very difficult to find a company offering a professional cleaning service to homeowners in particular.

In 2005, Patricia set up a cleaning business, About Time. Her first aim is to cater to the domestic market, though they also have a commercial division.

About Time covers Dublin city in its entirety, Meath, Kildare and Wicklow. They employ over 100 staff from all areas. The employees are professionally trained in the area of cleaning and Patricia emphasises quality and service is paramount in this business. They arrive in uniforms and About Time company vans with all cleaning supplies, hoover and such paraphernalia.

About Time caters to the needs of each individual client and what is most suitable to them. The most popular package on offer is what is known as the Agency Service and this is generally for a 2 to 3 bedroom house, 3 hours minimum cleaning service– weekly or fortnightly. The cost is €15.89 per hour inclusive.

You are guaranteed a professional service each time and all employees are uniquely vetted and trained uniformly, therefore a professional cleaning job is guaranteed with each visit. This issue of uniformity, consistency and professionalism is the essence of the company, explains Patricia.

About Time also provides a service on a no-contract basis. This is especially designed for post-building works, pre /post party service, moving in/ out or a general seasonal cleaning. It is based on a minimum of a 3-hour service and you can add-on carpet cleaning, window cleaning and ironing.

About Time also provides deck and yard cleaning. Patricia aims to provide an all-in professional One Stop Shop domestic and commercial cleaning service which is flexible and concentrates on the client’s needs which are evaluated on the initial visit.

About Time came to my home for two hours. Since I light a fire most evenings, my living room is quite dusty. They stayed for two hours and my kitchen and living room were left gleaming. The skirting boards were washed, all glass shelves polished (dusty royale!) and it had a certain air of freshness that seems to be absent when I clean it myself!

They arrived on time, well presented in navy and blue uniforms, with their own supplies. This is optional, they can use your own cleaning products. They were friendly, professional, fast and very competent. Since I share my home with another person, we have both decided to sign up to About Time for a fortnightly cleaning contract for 3 hours per visit. A job well done.

About Time– Phone: 01 894 0444, info@aboutime.ie, www.aboutime.ie