House cleaning question...

[threecrazykids]

I received a gift certificate for a free house cleaning that I plan on using before our neighborhood's progressive dinner party.

I have NEVER had anyone come clean my home so I am not sure what to expect, but IF it goes really well I'd like to ask for some gift certificates for Christmas from this gal! She is just getting her business started and when I have extra money I'd really like to have her come clean. It's certainly not something I'd be able to do regularly, but when I can I'd sure love it!

Anyway...my question, is for those of you who DO have a house cleaner -what you expect to be done during a typical house cleaning?

She does have a website that lists out everything she does, which I think covers just about everything I would expect...but are there things that you guys expect to be done that a "standard" cleaning didn't include?

Or...what would you NOT want them to do?

She is coming by next Monday for a walk through to get an idea of our home and I'd like to ask her questions I may have regarding what she will or won't do that may or may not be typical.

And as a side note...because she is a friend of our family I have this weird hankering to feel like I need to clean my house before she comes! I just don't want her to walk in and go "whooeeee"! (Which would not happen because I keep my house clean...my mom instilled on us that you never know when someone will drop in and you wouldn't want people to think you live like pigs".)

So...if you have a housekeeper, what does your payment cover/not cover? What do you pay extra for?

Thanks!

 

[prncess674]

Well I can tell you all the things my housekeeper does and she is amazing! To give some perspective my house is 4 bedroom 3.5 bath 1 story. She comes weekly and is here 5 to 6 hours.

• sweeps all floors
• mops all floors
• vacuum carpets
• Changes all sheets and makes beds
• cleans all bathrooms (counters, toilets, tubs, floors)
• dusts all surfaces
• windexes mirrors
• cleans all kitchen counters
• washes all dirty dishes
• runs dishwashers and unloads clean dishes
• vacuums under sofa cushions
• Wipes down all fronts of all appliances
• cleans inside microwave

These are things that she does above and beyond and I would not expect on a one time cleaning

• Washes all dirty sheets and folds and puts them away
• Washes and folds all dirty towels
• Windexes patio doors (inside and out)
• Cleans inside oven (she doesn't do this every week)
• Wipes down ceiling fan as needed

 

[prncess674]

One thing to note with a cleaning service remember they are a CLEANING service not a "pick up" service. So make sure you pick up all the stuff/toys on the counters/floors or they will sometimes just clean around it or put stuff away that you will never be able to find again.

Another thing to ask about is what cleaning supplies do you need to supply or do they bring their own. I supply everything, but I like it that since I am kinda picky about what they use.

 

[swilshire]

I tried this a couple of times and just didn't like it. I always felt like I had to clean up before the person came and a couple of times, things got tossed that I wanted to keep. I still haven't found another copy of my favorite pie recipe.

What I really wanted was someone who would work by the hour and only do exactly what I ask them to do, such as cleaning windows, mopping floors, cleaning bathrooms, etc.

Sheila

 

[sissy_ib]

I tried this a couple of times and just didn't like it. I always felt like I had to clean up before the person came and a couple of times, things got tossed that I wanted to keep. I still haven't found another copy of my favorite pie recipe.

What I really wanted was someone who would work by the hour and only do exactly what I ask them to do, such as cleaning windows, mopping floors, cleaning bathrooms, etc.

Sheila

You could put an ad on Craigslist form something like that. When I moved I needed help packing and cleaning and I put an ad there and found a great woman who needed a few extra bucks and had a free evening.

 

[sayheyrenee]

I know people who have purchase groupons etc for certain hours of cleaning. he had them do window, scrub kitchen floor etc. Things that one might hate to do. Usually if its a first time visit they will want to impress you.

 

[cornflake]

One thing to note with a cleaning service remember they are a CLEANING service not a "pick up" service. So make sure you pick up all the stuff/toys on the counters/floors or they will sometimes just clean around it or put stuff away that you will never be able to find again.

Another thing to ask about is what cleaning supplies do you need to supply or do they bring their own. I supply everything, but I like it that since I am kinda picky about what they use.

Excellent point on the latter; as to the former, I think this depends on what type of cleaner is hired and what you want done. A friend of mine has a cleaning woman who doesn't work for a company or service, she works on her own and has a bunch of clients.

The most important thing to my friend is 'pick up' service, because cluttery stacks are the problem. So the cleaning woman's job is mostly floors, bathroom and shelving books, clearing newspapers and magazines, putting away puzzles or whatever, putting mail in a neat mail stack, folding and shelving throws, rehoming stuff, etc. They went over this before she started, of course, and the cleaning woman knows where the stuff goes and there's a system for if she doesn't.

I know people who have people like your more traditional (and super thorough-sounding!) one who they come home and can't find where the cleaning person stuck the remote when they were dusting because as you say.

Which is just to say - OP - because it's a person not a service, decide what's important to you and just go over that stuff. If you want books dusted or not, baseboards cleaned, dishes put in the dishwasher or it emptied or not, laundry started or moved, some people will hang bathmats over the edge of the tub after shaking out, some leave them, some throw them in the laundry, etc.

 

[4GoofyCrew]

And as a side note...because she is a friend of our family I have this weird hankering to feel like I need to clean my house before she comes!

And THIS is why I could never have someone come clean my house!

Our is by no means a sty either but I would feel the need to have it spotless before someone came in to clean!

 

[cornflake]

I tried this a couple of times and just didn't like it. I always felt like I had to clean up before the person came and a couple of times, things got tossed that I wanted to keep. I still haven't found another copy of my favorite pie recipe.

What I really wanted was someone who would work by the hour and only do exactly what I ask them to do, such as cleaning windows, mopping floors, cleaning bathrooms, etc.

Sheila

You can find this - you just need an individual cleaning person. Ask around if your neighbours or anyone local you know has a cleaning person who might be interested in more work.

As above, I know people who lay out the parameters and it works fine. It doesn't with the corportate places, they have to do the cleaning things they have to do on a schedule and plot and etc.

If you have an individual you can say 'I really just want someone do do all the windows and floors and dishes, I'll do the rest,' and they're fine with that. You pay by the hour there usually, not by the house space, like with a service (like an X,XXX ft house = $$), and whatever you want them to do with that time if it's a task they do, they'll do.

 

[MinnieForMe]

Once you get use to having the same person clean your house, you forget about "cleaning" for the cleaner. I do pick up all toys but I no longer have a hang up about someone else cleaning my toilet. I've had the same house cleaner for 11 years and couldn't do without her. It's the best gift I've ever given myself!!!!!

 

[msmama]

Well I can tell you all the things my housekeeper does and she is amazing! To give some perspective my house is 4 bedroom 3.5 bath 1 story. She comes weekly and is here 5 to 6 hours.

• sweeps all floors
• mops all floors
• vacuum carpets
• Changes all sheets and makes beds
• cleans all bathrooms (counters, toilets, tubs, floors)
• dusts all surfaces
• windexes mirrors
• cleans all kitchen counters
• washes all dirty dishes
• runs dishwashers and unloads clean dishes
• vacuums under sofa cushions
• Wipes down all fronts of all appliances
• cleans inside microwave

These are things that she does above and beyond and I would not expect on a one time cleaning

• Washes all dirty sheets and folds and puts them away
• Washes and folds all dirty towels
• Windexes patio doors (inside and out)
• Cleans inside oven (she doesn't do this every week)
• Wipes down ceiling fan as needed

That list is somewhat similar to what mine does. Mine will change the bed if I leave the sheets out (she doesn't do laundry, but would probably put in a load if I asked her to).

She cleans out the fridge every couple of weeks and windows are an every other month thing, I think. Same with the oven.

The most important things to me are the dusting, vacuuming/mopping and bathrooms.

I mostly try to have the dishes done before she gets there, but she will do what I have left (I have another friend who will leave her dishes for a few days before the cleaning woman comes).

She's working for you, so decide what's important to you. Mine, too, will go above and beyond when I ask her to. Once or twice I've asked her to vacuum the (finished) basement carpet (of course I pay her extra).

The greatest thing to me is that when she cleans, it really lasts the two weeks. When I clean, it kind of starts to look gross again after only a couple of days!

 

[threecrazykids]

Thanks so much! I had her come on Monday and do a walk through with me telling me exactly what she would "typically" do and I bumped that up against what I expected. She does everything I need her to do!

I have a yellow lab and his shedding is going to be the death of me. I really want her to do a deep vacuum of the carpet and furniture spending more time than I would on a normal cleaning. She has a lab too and so she's an expert at it!

I'm super excited...and she specifically told me "don't clean before I come or you aren't going to get your money's worth!"

I told her I would for sure have the counters cleared and all stuff off the floor so she can get into the corners which about put me over the edge with the stinkin dog hair on the carpet.