If you have your home cleaned - what kinds of things do you do yourself?

[Kathi OD]

I guess I should have added this last night, but got distracted.

Before we moved to this house (5 years ago), I had a cleaning lady. Our old house was 1000 sq. ft. 3 br, 1.5 baths, lr, kitchen, but I only had our bedroom done. The kids were responsible for their own rooms (my rule). I paid $50/week and it took her about 4 hours each week. If I wanted her to do more than the "regular" cleaning (windows, ceilings) I paid extra.

The $50/4 hours was a bargain rate because our sons were friends. She charged other people $60 for those 4 hours.

 

[drcmk]

I pay my cleaning service about $20 per hour. It takes six hours (actually two people work for three hours) to clean four bedrooms and five bathrooms. We've worked out what we need them to do (floors, bathrooms, kitchen, dusting surfaces). If for whatever reason they get done early, they will ask me if there is something else I need done (like wipe down the outside of the front door). Sometimes I want something extra done (like a chandelier) and I tell them what they can skip if they run out of time to do an extra job.

If you want your cleaning person to do more work you have to pay her to stay more time. Frankly, it makes very little sense to offend your cleaning person by accusing him/her of being idle, especially since that person is in your house when you are not there. For me, it would be worth another $10 per week to get the house as clean as I wanted it and to sustain a positive relationship with someone I have to trust.

 

[ccgirl]

I used to have the most amazing woman that cleaned my home. It is 2,000 sq ft with 3 BR and 2 BA. Her first cleaning was 8 hours. After that, she came for 6 hours every two weeks. I paid her $25 an hour. I tell ya, I thought I cleaned my house in 3 hours until she came. She was UNBELIEVABLE! There was nothing unturned or cobwebs anywhere. However, she told me she would need the 6 hours to do a complete cleaning and that was fine with me. She would use a step stool to get to the high things (including ceiling fans etc). However, even she didn't do windows. If she finished before her 6 hours she would pick "projects" to do. For example, clean out the fridge. She very rarely finished in under 6 hours though. She would clean my hairbrushes if I happened to leave them out. She even cleaned/organized my BR closet as well as my DD's. She would dust my dining hutch and everything in it once a month. IMOH, In 3 hours, there is no way someone can really clean a home that large. As others said, if you want cobwebs, fans, etc you need to understand other things will be overlooked. I would tell her exactly what you want done in 3 hours and understand there will still be a lot you need to do yourself. I know my house has never looked or smelled the same since my cleaning lady moved.

 

[southern_redhead]

Wow. I had no idea people spent so much time cleaning I can honestly do my whole house (including our master suite area) in 3.5 to 4 hours. Maybe it is because we don't have a lot of furniture (bed,dresser, nightstand in each bedroom) or knick knacks so there isn't that much to dust. We only have carpet in the bedrooms so that cuts down on vacuuming and the bathrooms are small - clean the counter, tub, toilet and mop the floor - done! Oh, well and Windex the mirror Same for the kitchen, good size floor are to mop but very little counter space to clean. Most of my time (when I clean) is spent on mopping. We have a lot of floor to mop. I/she also don't wipe down cabinets in normal cleaning unless there is an obvious spill. I don't do enough cooking to really get cabinets dirty I do that as a periodic thing, usually when I clean out the fridge and wipe down appliances. I straighten the house every day and have the kids do their rooms before bed so there isn't really any "picking" up to be done during cleaning, I'm sure that cuts out some time too. I honestly am happy with what she's doing, I'd just like her to whack down the cobwebs in the corner while she's sweeping. I can't see that taking more than an extra 5 minutes tops, and only on an every few visits thing at that. And, I guess I was just thinking that if you have the windex and paper towels in hand and see a handprint on a window you'd squirt the window and wipe it down. No biggie. But, I can do those (in 5 minutes - a minute a window) myself so I guess it's not a big deal either.

Thanks for the input I'm thinking I'll see if she can do an extra hour once a month to make sure there are no cobwebs and do all the windows (downstairs, too.) If not, I'll keep doing it myself....hasn't killed me yet

 

[shortbun]

3 hours a week is barely enough to do basic dusting, vacumn, clean bathrooms, mop floors. I have cleaners come in once a week. there are two of them here for just under two hours. They do one special thing each week-like clean the fan blades or clean the three picture windows windows or light plates and so forth. Otherwise, they keep my floors clean, surfaces dusted, kitchen appliances clean, bathrooms scoured and polished and furniture vacumned.

 

[kelcoppens]

$30 to clean a house is dirt cheap. I hope you are at least supplying the cleaning products yourself and not making the cleaning lady bring them.

 

[southern_redhead]

$30 to clean a house is dirt cheap. I hope you are at least supplying the cleaning products yourself and not making the cleaning lady bring them.

Yes, I do supply all the cleaning products and materials. J***s C****t, I had no idea it was going to be like this. I just wondered how in depth other people got. I don't MAKE her do anything nor did I set her prices. She contacted me when she started cleaning and told me she wanted $10 an hour and, if I wanted to use her, to let her know how many hours. I told her let's start at three, this is what I'd like done (and listed from what mattered most to "if there's time) and told her if it wasn't done in three hours to leave it, I could add more time if I decided I needed it. She was fine with that, I was fine with that. You'd think I was transporting slaves for free labor the way people are reacting. She is making about 35 cents less an hour than I do at my clerical job and has a whole lot more flexibility in scheduling than I do. If I wasn't so germ-phobic I'd consider cleaning houses myself.

While I appreciate people's input I am NOT questioning the amount of time she spends cleaning OR how much she gets paid. For the record - I just wondered if there were things, that you considered basic cleaning (in my case wiping down windows and knocking down cobwebs) that you do on your own.

I my cleaning lady. Let's just forget this thread and let it die of natural causes. Thanks.

 

[ccgirl]

Yes, I do supply all the cleaning products and materials. J***s C****t, I had no idea it was going to be like this. I just wondered how in depth other people got. I don't MAKE her do anything nor did I set her prices. She contacted me when she started cleaning and told me she wanted $10 an hour and, if I wanted to use her, to let her know how many hours. I told her let's start at three, this is what I'd like done (and listed from what mattered most to "if there's time) and told her if it wasn't done in three hours to leave it, I could add more time if I decided I needed it. She was fine with that, I was fine with that. You'd think I was transporting slaves for free labor the way people are reacting. She is making about 35 cents less an hour than I do at my clerical job and has a whole lot more flexibility in scheduling than I do. If I wasn't so germ-phobic I'd consider cleaning houses myself.

While I appreciate people's input I am NOT questioning the amount of time she spends cleaning OR how much she gets paid. For the record - I just wondered if there were things, that you considered basic cleaning (in my case wiping down windows and knocking down cobwebs) that you do on your own.

I my cleaning lady. Let's just forget this thread and let it die of natural causes. Thanks.

When you gave your initial list was the cobwebs on the list? Since you really like her, I would just draw up another list and tell her your priorities have changed since you "last" talked and would like her to work from the new list. People are probably jealous over what you pay her. I know I am! Good luck.

 

[lovesmurfs]

It sounds as though you are giving her enough hours for maintenance cleaning only. For deep cleaning, you may want to either schedule an extra 3-4 hours every quarter, or have a room that you want her to concentrate on for deeper cleaning each week.

For example, week 1 of the month could be the living room -- deeper cleaning there that week. Week 2 could be the dining room, etc.

 

[ilovejack02]

My best friend has a cleaning service. I have no idea what she pays or how long they are there for. She has a list set out every week waiting for them on the kitchen counter of jobs to be done for the week. The ladies check off what was accomplished . I know when she hired them , the list was given to them and they negotiated price from there.

I can see where a list would be very helpful.

 

[MeekoB]

3 hours does seem a bit short of time for the deeper cleaning you are looking for. For that I would expect only the obvious cleaning to be done. I would recommend you figuring out what you want done and then speaking with her and finding a reasonable amount of time to do everything you want done for a price you can handle.

I used to have cleaning done 2 times a month. They would do the stuff that I hated to do, like scrubbing the bathroom, and I would do the stuff that I could handle doing or that I was particular about. Even then it would take a team of 3 to do my 2000 sq. ft. house in 3 hours.

 

[tink519]

and told her if it wasn't done in three hours to leave it, I could add more time if I decided I needed it. She was fine with that, I was fine with that.

I think you have answered your own question right here. If she isn't done in 3 hours, she leaves.....if she doesn't get to the cobwebs, she leaves....

That being said, I have someone who comes every other week. I have a one floor ranch, eat in kitchen, 1.5 baths, and 3 bedrooms but she only does the kids rooms because my room has too much stuff in it. One day she'll get in there.....She is here for about 2.5 hrs and I pay $75+tax. She does vacuuming, dusting, outside of appliances (maybe inside of microwave), bathrooms, under couches/beds, etc, one week I pointed out the ceiling fan and she took care of it....but it isn't something she will do every week. She did tell me if there is something specific I would like her to do to let her know. Not sure if she does cobwebs every other week but those aren't something that might appear every week....

 

[ccgirl]

When my cleaner claim, she needed 6 hours to clean my house. I was home sick once and still had her come and she was there a little over 6 hours. Vacuumed the ceilings, did the cobwebs evey week. Dusted/Windexed every picture I had hanging up or set out on a table. Dusted every lightbulb. Yes, I said lightbulb. Washed cabinets every week. Polished table and chairs every week. Vacuumed the curtains/curtain rods every week. That's why I said I "thought" I was cleaning my house until I saw her. In the end, I was only surface cleaning. Ugh...so wish I had a house cleaner again.

OP - I would just leave her a new list if your priorites have changed.