for those of you who have housekeepers?

[tiff211]

I have decided that I need to invest in a housekeeper. I cannot keep up and it is driving me crazy!! I work full time, do home party business and have a DD's 5, 3, and 6 months at home. DH tries to help out but he is equally as busy. However, a messy house doesn't bother him. I have been debating about it for about a year but the money factor and the fact that I am so private stopped me. But if I don't do something, I will be paying a therapist (or at least copays for one) and that would probably be more!!

I am wondering for those of you how pay sometone to come into your home; 1) how many times a month do they come, 2) are you home when they do 3) what do they do when they come and 4) how much do you pay?

Another option is to take my laundry to be done! That takes up most of my time!! Anyone do that? How much does that run you?

 

[antmaril]

I have a cleaning woman who comes every other week. My husband works from home, so he is there, but working in the basement.

My home is a 1400 square foot ranch. She cleans the kitchen and both bathrooms, including floors. She dusts and vacuums. She makes our bed, but she doesn't change the sheets, we do that. Our son is away at college, so it's just the two of us. She does not do any laundry, nor does she clean our finished basement.

I always tidy up before she comes. For obvious reasons, she does not discard anything, so if things are cluttered, they will still be cluttered after she leaves (in neat piles, of course).

I have worked full time for 35 years. I have had someone cleaning my house for a long time.

She charges me $60 per cleaning.

 

[Rafiki Rafiki Rafiki]

I would love to have a housecleaner myself...but I don't think I can bare to bring one in my dirty house!

It seems like if I had to choose which I did, I would take a housecleaner over having someone do my laundry. It just don't think I would want to be without my clothes.

LOL, if I just took my DIS time away and cleaned instead, my house would be perfect!

 

[Bob Slydell]

I am wondering for those of you how pay sometone to come into your home; 1) how many times a month do they come, 2) are you home when they do 3) what do they do when they come and 4) how much do you pay?

Ours comes every two weeks, we're not home when they come (most of the time) and they clean all the floors, bathrooms and dust and vacuum everything. Basically, a top to bottom inside cleaning, minus things like windows. And we pay $75 a cleaning.

 

[KelNottAt]

We use a cleaning service franchise called The Cleaning Authority. They come every-other Tuesday. For $102 they don't do the whole house, but most of it: 3 bedrooms, formal living room, family room, kitchen, all floors, 2 full baths and 2 half baths. We're usually at work or school when they come.

I love having the service. I think they do a really nice job. (DH says it's not as good as the cleaning DMIL used to do it when he was a child.) And, with 3 people, they can do in 2 hours what would take me 7 hours and totally kill a Saturday. It's the last thing I would give up if we hit a budget crunch.

I don't mind doing the laundry. Every once in a while, when I'm really pressed for time, I take all our laundry to the laundrymat. I can do all 5 loads at once and still have the satisfaction of completing the job myself.

 

[4cruisin]

I have been mulling this over for a long time but I have reservations about having someone in my home while I am not there. Have you ever had a problem with stuff missing? I would love to get a maid service and since I just got a substantial raise, I told dh I was seriously thinking of hiring someone and he laughed and said that I would be wasting our $$ because I would clean before the maid came.

Any tips about how to interview or questions to ask?

 

[MaeDisney]

When we only had DS and we lived in a 2000 sq ft home, I never thought about hiring a housekeeper. Like you, I also work full time and I also like to keep things private. Plus, we never knew anyone that lives close by who had a housekeeper.

Then DD came along, and at the same time, we moved to a bigger home, I couldn't keep up anymore with my cleaning. And I was stressing out everyone, especially my DH. So DH told me to get someone to clean but I was still wary to hire someone off the yellow pages without any other feedback from people that I know. But good thing that we found out that our neighbors have a housekeeper who's been with them for a year already, and they gave her glowing recommendations. So we decided to try her out, and it was such a great experience.

She comes every 2 weeks, when we're home. We provide her with all the cleaning supplies. And she cleans all the bathrooms, mops the tile and hardwood floor, vacuums the carpet, dusts the plantation shutters, bookcase, staircase, tabletop, chairs. It takes her about 5 hours to finish up. She charges $80 every cleaning.

So now, I could fully enjoy my days off from work and I have more time to spend with my DS (5) and DD (2).

 

[Grumpy's Gal]

another option is: my sis used to have a girl who lived down the street come over for a few hour a few days after school. She was a highschool senior and was thrilled to be paid! She did laundry or whatever my sis had for her to do. It helped a lot and it wasn't as expensive as hiring a company.

 

[swanmom]

My DH talked me into hiring someone to clean. I really didn't want to for all of the reasons already mentioned -particularly that I'd clean up before she came to clean up! However, I now know that this is money well spent.
We've had the same woman come every two weeks for years. When she first started, I would try to 'clean' the house before she came. Now, she pretty much knows where things go. I worried that I'd feel uncomfortable having someone 'in my things' but she works so unobtrusively that it isn't an issue and she's been around long enough that we don't need to be anyone but ourselves. I used to be there whenever she cleaned (I can work in my home office) but lately I've been leaving after she arrives and she just locks up when she leaves. I soooooooo love coming home to a clean, fresh-smelling, neat house with freshly-laundered sheets on the beds. I so glad that DH insisted we get some help.....it really helps me keep my sanity ...
well, what I have left of it anyway!

 

[minniecarousel]

I really enjoy having housecleaners. I usually get the same crew, but not always. 2-3 people work for around 1 1/2 hours. We have a lot of hardwood flooring, that my Mom "swiffs" almost daily. The cleaners use the hardwood cleaner on mainly the kitchen floor & hallways. They vacuum, dust (kinda!), change sheets and clean the bathrooms & rest of the kitchen. Once our rainy season is over, I pay them extra to clean the windows. We pay $75 each time - every other week. I'm here when they work. My sisters have housecleaners and they let the cleaner in and have them lock up when they leave. I'd be nervous giving a key to a cleaner - does that bother anyone else?

 

[KelNottAt]

I have been mulling this over for a long time but I have reservations about having someone in my home while I am not there. Have you ever had a problem with stuff missing? I would love to get a maid service and since I just got a substantial raise, I told dh I was seriously thinking of hiring someone and he laughed and said that I would be wasting our $$ because I would clean before the maid came.

Any tips about how to interview or questions to ask?

I've never had anything go missing. I've left jewelry on my dresser, the kids' iPods in the kitchen, etc. No troubles.

One time, our old cleaning service was broken into and all their customers' house keys were stolen. We fired them and changed our locks.

Since then we've been with the company I mentioned above, The Cleaning Authority. They seem fine. In 4 years, just one minor accident - knocked over and broke one of my figurines. I was reimbursed for a replacement ($250).

As for interviewing, I don't have much guidance to suggest. I've never hired individuals working for themselves. I always use "companies" and require that they are bonded and insured.

 

[msklcassidy]

I have a lady, she's retired and does it for "pin money," who comes every week. We have a 2400 sq ft home and a finished basement. She cleans everything and does windows 2 times per year. I love it! Without her, I'd lose my mind.

I found her through a friend and interviewed several people before settling on her. The reason I picked her was I was just so comfortable with her. I never looked at any of the "companies" since I'd had friends who had problems with companies. Instead, I looked only for individuals and got recommendations from friends and co-workers.

She changes our beds, vacuums, sweeps, dusts, does any dishes that are left from breakfast, cleans the bathrooms, kitchen, washes my curtains when she does the windows and even helps me get ready for special events (cleaning silver, ironing huge table cloths, etc). I pay $80 per week...she takes vacation when we do...or around the same time...(and I pay her for vacation time...everyone deserves it!) and when she does and extra (like windows) we agree on an additional fee. I love her and have begged her to never retire from us!

She has a key to the house, comes on her scheduled day while were gone and I've never given it a thought. Coming home to a clean house is an incredible morale booster...it's like faries came while I was away! The only problem with having her is how many other things you'll find to do since you have "extra time."

Good luck!

 

[mickeyboat]

I am trying to train DH to be the housecleaner. I take the kids to gymnastics on Saturday mornings, and he cleans. Nothing beats the feeling of coming home to a clean house. He said he actually enjoys cleaning when no one else is around, and he gets a lot of satisfaction from it. You go, boy! I'll sit and chat with the other mothers while you clean, any day.

I still do the litter box, most of the bathrooms, the laundry and make the beds, but it takes almost no time!

Denae

 

[DaisyD]

We have a cleaning lady that comes every week. We have a 3200 sf house and pay $100. She doen't clean the kids rooms though. I make them do their own rooms!

 

[DVCLiz]

This is my big splurge. I have had a housekeeper for almost twenty years. When I worked full-time, she came once a week and I paid her $20.00 for about 2-3 hours. Over the years, her situation has changed and so has mine. When I went through a separation and divorce, it coincided with the closing of a manufacturing plant where she worked third shift. So between another one of her clients and me, we hired her "full time" - actually I have her ten hours a week and the other lady has her between twenty and thirty (the other lady is a doctor's wife!). Instead of a full shift, she comes to my house four days a week for 2 1/2 hours a day. Two of those days are cleaning days - she does all the regular stuff, plus big cleaning like washing wooden blinds, etc. as needed. The other two days are laundry days - she does all of our laundry and ironing. It certainly is a tremendous luxury to have the laundry done, especially the ironing. I know that some day fairly soon things will change, and I will need her less, but for now it has been a wonderful help. We are very close, and knowing I have another adult to help keep things on course has allowed me to feel confident in my ability to be a single parent.

 

[DaisyD]

My sisters have housecleaners and they let the cleaner in and have them lock up when they leave. I'd be nervous giving a key to a cleaner - does that bother anyone else?

That is what I do. I leave a key for her and then I go on a shopping day while my house is being cleaned. When she is finished she leaves the key where she found it.

 

[tiff211]

I have been mulling this over for a long time but I have reservations about having someone in my home while I am not there. Have you ever had a problem with stuff missing? I would love to get a maid service and since I just got a substantial raise, I told dh I was seriously thinking of hiring someone and he laughed and said that I would be wasting our $$ because I would clean before the maid came.

Any tips about how to interview or questions to ask?

DH said the same!! My first week home with DD 6 months, my mom told me she was coming over to help out. I immediately jumped out the bed and cleaned up before she came.

 

[tiff211]

another option is: my sis used to have a girl who lived down the street come over for a few hour a few days after school. She was a highschool senior and was thrilled to be paid! She did laundry or whatever my sis had for her to do. It helped a lot and it wasn't as expensive as hiring a company.

hmmmmmm! That sounds like a good idea!!