Cleaning lady every 2 weeks

[Lewski709]

Ok, enough is enough. I have called a private lady. Question is.....what do I ask that she do? I have no clue, I am a virgin at this. We don't have a dishwasher. Can I ask that she take the trash out? Does she use my stuff?

 

[monkeyboy]

My cleaning team WILL NOt do dishes or windows. They also do not pick up laundry (or do laundry for that matter so I send it out) and they supply all their own equipment.

OH and hide anything you don't want them seeing

 

[Lewski709]

Originally posted by monkeyboy
OH and hide anything you don't want them seeing

like????? what?????

 

[monkeyboy]

mail (bills etc)
personal papers

and anything you don't any strangers seeing

 

[minniecarousel]

I work hard just before the cleaning crew gets here: DECLUTTERING!!

The crew that comes in for me: vacuum, dust, change the sheets, clean the bathrooms, clean the kitchen, wash the hardwood floors. They will do the windows for an extra charge. I've never had them wash dishes or do laundry - but if you want it done, ask.

 

[pjlla]

I paid my lady by the hour. It took her two hours to clean three bathroom, including tubs, floors, wash the kitchen floor, vacume the whole house, including the stairs, but excluding my kids rooms if they weren't picked up. I ALWAYS picked up the clutter before she came. I made sure that there weren't any dirty undies laying around! I did have her do windows and wash walls once in a while, but of course, that was extra over and above the two hours. I'm sure she would have done almost anything I asked. She was very nice and agreeable. Unfortunately, she decided to pursue going back to school full time (good for her/bad for me) and I decided not to replace her. There are times that I'm glad I am saving the $$, but there are times I really miss her!!

Anyhow....... find your most despised household cleaning tasks and have her do those!! Or have her do whatever would help you to keep up with things the most. I HATE, HATE, HATE washing floors so I was soooo happy when she came......P

 

[Keli]

Most cleaning people won't do dishes, laundry, windows, or pick up your house for you very much. I have a friend that cleans for people and she won't clean someone's house that is very cluttered. She says it takes too much time to clean up the clutter to be able to get in and do the really deep cleaning. This friend goes to people's houses and gives them an estimate based on how much they want done. I don't really know what she charges for what size house but I know she makes about $15 per hour on average. Of course she is one of those people that works incredibly hard and she's very fast too. You wouldn't believe the amount of work she can get done and done well in just a couple hours.

 

[caitycaity]

our cleaning service does windows, but you have to pay extra.

we also declutter before they come, and it doesn't take much time at all.

i agree with monkeyboy about "hiding" stuff. we lock up all of our financial info and our laptops. i'm sure they are honest people and the company is insured, but better safe than sorry.

 

[zurgswife]

Depends on what she will and won't do...but standard would be bathrooms, kitchen (counters,floors), vacuuming, dusting furniture and doors, baseboards.....

I clean for a living and I do have one customer that I will do windows, Laundry, dishes ect. for...but I'm there 12hrs a week and she has become a good friend...she treats me extremely well. So, I do these things in return...but in the beginning I didn't do them it has evolved over time......

 

[Kermit]

I would strongly recommend making it a requirement that your cleaning lady use your own cleaning equipment. I guess it's okay if she wants to bring her own favorite type of cleaning fluids (though I'm really picky about what is used in my house), but bringing in things like the vacuum cleaner and cleaning cloths freaks me out. You never know what kinds of germs are in the other houses she cleans.

We've had cleaning ladies who did all kinds of different things. Most won't do dishes or laundry or things you have to do more often than when she comes, but we had one who would do just about anything. In fact, we didn't want her to do our laundry, so we had to hide all the hand washables and things we didn't want her to do before she came. We could have just told her not to do the laundry, but she didn't speak English.

 

[kadaten]

Well, Lewski, most of them will tell you what they will and won't do and for what price....then it's up to you to say yes or no.

One I got an estimate from didn't do deep stuff (windows, ceiling fans, baseboards, blinds, etc.) but one did. The one that did rotated and did one "deep cleaning" item per visit....this time all the regular stuff plus windows, next time regular stuff plus baseboards...etc. That one was obviously higher priced than the other one was. The one without the extras wanted $75/visit every other week for our 2800sf home....4 bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms, 1/3 woodfloors, 2/3 carpet. Didn't do it because of the $$ but she's right in line with all the others in our area.

Hoping to get a cleaning lady after DH's raise this summer