Would you (or have you) hire a house-cleaner or maid?

[BadgerGirl84]

I am having a big Christmas get-together in a couple weeks and I am thinking that it would be wonderful to have a maid service come to my home to make everything sparkling clean. My husband and I work full-time, have gym classes or school in the evenings and we are often out of town on the weekends. Those weekends I am home, I feel like I am doing nothing but scrubbing, scrubbing, scrubbing. My husband and I do not live in a pigsty by any means, but I feel like I spend a decent part of my free time at home cleaning to keep things looking okay.

On one hand, I feel like it's absurd for me to hire a house-cleaner because I don't have kids and it should be reasonable that my husband and I should be able to keep the home looking nice. (FYI, I do most of the indoor cleaning and my hubby does most of the home repairs, outdoor work, snow shoveling, etc.)

On the other hand, I feel like if I have the budget to hire a house-cleaner (I do), and I don't particularly like scrubbing toilets or the tub or mopping, that this would be an okay indulgence. I do not do daily Starbucks runs or get weekly mani-pedis or anything like that.

What are your thoughts? Have you had a maid? Did it seem worth your money? Or did you feel guilty about hiring someone to do work that most people do by themselves?

 

[mnrose]

I hired a professional cleaner to clean a rental property I own. All I can say is that it was the BIGGEST waste of money ever. Poorest job of cleaning I've ever seen. Admittedly, it was fairly dirty to begin with, but when I hire a professional, I expect them to do a better job than I can do OR do it faster. This company did neither.

When I was relating my experience to my friends, the horror stories came out with their cleaners. No one was really happy with their cleaning service, and all of them thought they did less than a stellar job.

If you decide to go forward, get personal recommendations. Cleaners are all over the map in terms of how good they are.

 

[clh2]

I am having a big Christmas get-together in a couple weeks and I am thinking that it would be wonderful to have a maid service come to my home to make everything sparkling clean. My husband and I work full-time, have gym classes or school in the evenings and we are often out of town on the weekends. Those weekends I am home, I feel like I am doing nothing but scrubbing, scrubbing, scrubbing. My husband and I do not live in a pigsty by any means, but I feel like I spend a decent part of my free time at home cleaning to keep things looking okay.

On one hand, I feel like it's absurd for me to hire a house-cleaner because I don't have kids and it should be reasonable that my husband and I should be able to keep the home looking nice. (FYI, I do most of the indoor cleaning and my hubby does most of the home repairs, outdoor work, snow shoveling, etc.)

On the other hand, I feel like if I have the budget to hire a house-cleaner (I do), and I don't particularly like scrubbing toilets or the tub or mopping, that this would be an okay indulgence. I do not do daily Starbucks runs or get weekly mani-pedis or anything like that.

What are your thoughts? Have you had a maid? Did it seem worth your money? Or did you feel guilty about hiring someone to do work that most people do by themselves?

I have had several different house cleaning arrangements. The last "permanent" cleaner we had - every other week - passed away in her early 50's

At that time in our lives - we opted to not get another "permanent" house cleaner. However, from time to time...we do find the need to have someone come in and do a nice once over. I.e. - we KNEW that due to commitments for several weekends prior to our DD's confirmation, that we were simply not going to be home. So - about 2 months in advance, we found someone who would do a one-time cleaning. It was worth every penny. Found them on Craig's list. We were home...just doing other things - i.e. getting ready to cook for 35 people.

About a 1.5 years later - we were desparately behind on having a clean house for Christmas. Couldn't get a hold of the cleaners mentioned above, and found a different cleaner on Craigslist. She did a phenomonal job...down to the "stove-top burner crud".

I would still love to have an every-other week cleaning...just not going to happen. However, I have no issue with getting help.

I would advise - try to find someone sooner than later. Right now - the house cleaners get very busy.

If stress of getting the house clean is "getting to you" I would stongly advise you to hire someone for a -1-time cleaning, or if your budget allows...maybe even try someone for every other week or every month.

 

[Aisling]

I have two ladies who come and do a deep clean every 3 months. All the windows get done, kitchen cabinets scrubbed, all the curtains get washed, steam clean the basement rug and clean the tile grouts in the bathrooms. They do more, too, if they see I didn;t get to it like baseboards, even though I do that myself fairly regularly. Oh, and they dust the ceiling fans. They each get $50 an hour and it's usually 4 hours of work for them.

They were recommended by a neighbor who has used their services for years, and they do a perfect job.


If you have it in your budget, i say go for it. Just think, you;re helping a small business survive.

 

[monkeybug]

We hire someone to clean each time we move. (and we're military, so that's a lot!) I think it's totally worth the money! So nice to have someone take care of all the cleaning while we are focusing on the rest of the move.

I have thought about hiring a bi-weekly maid service, just can't justify it in the budget right now. I have a friend who has her house cleaned twice a month and she's a stay at home mom, she just doesn't really like cleaning. She manages her money well though, and that's how she chooses to spend her "fun" money.
If you have the money for it, I say go for it!

 

[BadgerGirl84]

I have had several different house cleaning arrangements. The last "permanent" cleaner we had - every other week - passed away in her early 50's

At that time in our lives - we opted to not get another "permanent" house cleaner. However, from time to time...we do find the need to have someone come in and do a nice once over. I.e. - we KNEW that due to commitments for several weekends prior to our DD's confirmation, that we were simply not going to be home. So - about 2 months in advance, we found someone who would do a one-time cleaning. It was worth every penny. Found them on Craig's list. We were home...just doing other things - i.e. getting ready to cook for 35 people.

About a 1.5 years later - we were desparately behind on having a clean house for Christmas. Couldn't get a hold of the cleaners mentioned above, and found a different cleaner on Craigslist. She did a phenomonal job...down to the "stove-top burner crud".

I would still love to have an every-other week cleaning...just not going to happen. However, I have no issue with getting help.

I would advise - try to find someone sooner than later. Right now - the house cleaners get very busy.

If stress of getting the house clean is "getting to you" I would stongly advise you to hire someone for a -1-time cleaning, or if your budget allows...maybe even try someone for every other week or every month.

Thanks for your reply. This is exactly what I need. I think I'll contact a few and see if they can fit in a one time cleaning in the next couple of weeks. If I like how things are done, and the price is within my budget, I may consider hiring someone on for recurring cleaning. Now I'll just need to figure out if I should go with an "established" cleaning company (like a Merry Maids) or someone from Craigslist (with good references, of course).

 

[Sarah_Rose]

Totally! If you have the money and the thought of getting the house "company ready" for the holidays, I would absolutely hire someone to clean.

I'm a SAHM with a toddler and two dogs, and I would love to be able to justify hiring someone to clean monthly or twice a month. But, there would just be megablocks and fingerprints and dog fur all over in two seconds anyway...

 

[Pea-n-Me]

If you can afford it, why not?

 

[katie26]

I've hired a house cleaner a few times... once when I was about to move out of an apartment and I wanted to make *extra* sure I'd get my deposit back, and a few times when I was just really busy with work and didn't have the time to clean things properly. I had a great experience both times - I used someone who was recommended by a friend, and he left my apartment absolutely sparkling. (Even in the best of times, I'm not great about doing things like washing the windows, dusting the windowsill or cleaning the top of the fridge - all things my "housekeeper" did for me, along with the usual cleaning, in like, three hours.) If I had the budget for it, I would absolutely hire a cleaning person once a week - or even twice a month.

I felt a little guilty at first, but I justified it by saying, hey, I have the money to do this and I'm giving someone a job, if even for a few hours. The guy I hired did a great job, I gave him a great tip, and I think we both were very satisfied!

 

[POPCITY]

I don't have anyone to clean, but am seriously considering it. My boss has someone come every two weeks, and she says it's the best thing she ever did for her marriage. She doesn't have kids at home, but like you, felt like she was spending all her free time cleaning. Now she says she has A LOT more time to spend with her DH and the grandkids.

 

[LBIJim]

Thanks for your reply. This is exactly what I need. I think I'll contact a few and see if they can fit in a one time cleaning in the next couple of weeks. If I like how things are done, and the price is within my budget, I may consider hiring someone on for recurring cleaning. Now I'll just need to figure out if I should go with an "established" cleaning company (like a Merry Maids) or someone from Craigslist (with good references, of course).

If you want an "adequate" job, a large cleaning service or someone from Craigslist is probably OK.

If you want a great job, it's much tougher to find. A lot of the great cleaners are individuals or very small services that rely almost totally on word of mouth to get new clients. You have to ask around for recommendations.

For a cleaning within the next few weeks, one of the larger services is you best bet.

 

[minniecarousel]

We had cleaners come every other week several years ago. There were 3 adults living in a 3300 sq.ft. house and it was tough keeping it up. We could afford it at the time, so we did it. We got the crew on a referral from a friend.
We moved 3 months ago and had them come in and scrub the kitchen and clean the bathrooms a few hours before the movers arrived. I'll have them back in a few weeks to do a "once-over" before Christmas.
It'd be great if you could get a referral from someone you trust. Totally worth it!

 

[bigredbill]

If you can afford it and don't mind someone else in your home, do it. My wife and I both work (albeit from home offices) and have four children. It is difficult to keep up with everything without spending a large amount of our free time cleaning each week. Our kids still have chores and are responsible for taking care / cleaning certain areas of the house each week. We also employ someone to come in twice a week for a couple hours each time and take care of some of the cleaning.

I don't think twice about it. It gives us more family time. We can afford it, and it helps the individual who cleans for us -- she is a college kid picking up some work while she is in school.

 

[usnuzuloose]

I have someone come in every two weeks. I have a terrible back and just doing something simple can throw it out. It is reasonable. But its not the best job. I have a two bedroom apt, but she only has to clean 2 bathrooms, 1 bedroom, kitchen and living room so about 650 sq ft. It only takes her an hour and a half, sometimes less.

I used to clean for a living, I cleaned everything. I did not clean inside the oven or fridge or cabinets without extra charge. But they got there monies worth. I am just greatful for the help.

 

[tvguy]

Nope. As long as I am able, I will clean my own house. I just don't want some stranger doing it. And my 88 year old mother still cleans her own house, I sure can't justify hiring someone.

 

[kate_wdw]

If I could afford it, I absolutely would! I would feel absolutely no guilt about it, provided that I treated and paid my cleaning person well.

Years ago, I read Nickel & Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich, who worked and reported back on several low paying jobs, including one working for a cleaning service chain (which seemed to be Merry Maids). She painted a pretty unflattering picture, both in terms of their sanitary practices (e.g., cleaning the kitchen with cloths already used to clean the bathroom) and the way workers are paid. Personally, I would want the person who I am giving access to my home and my belongings to be treated and paid as well as possible (and to keep as much of the money I'm paying as possible). I would try to find someone well known to and recommended by a friend or family member (who was also screened, bonded and insured).

And I know that you didn't ask this, but your doing most of the regular housework and your husband doing the occasional housework doesn't exactly seem like an equitable distribution

 

[SandrA9810]

My aunt would occasionally hire some one to come clean her home. She could never get around to the dusting and washing windows, and always had a bad back for cleaning the bathroom. Most the time it was a family member of one of the person's that worked in the warehouse for her.

Some people have a knack for it... some people don't.

 

[cornflake]

Seconding what kate said above. After reading Nickel and Dimed, I'd really not hire a national maid service.

Everyone I know who's been happy with a cleaner has hired an individual, usually recommended by someone else. The previous poster mentioning the small business that does a thorough job works too, just... I'd stay away from the national chains.

 

[herdtoDisney]

I hired someone this past spring-I was working forced overtime and just exhausted. I found a small business on Craigslist and they came twice a month, for a few months. I liked it....dh on the other hand, didn't like a 'stranger' in the house. We don't have tons of valuables and I told him, this 60 ish British lady probably does not want your electric guitar

Anyhow, I say, if you can swing it, it's nice. I'd actually like to have kept it up but I'm saving for a new'er' van so I couldn't justify it now. My kids are big helps, but with two parents, five kids and a bunch of jobs, activities and volunteer service-this place can deteriorate fast

 

[java]

Ask around. In the past we had two different house cleaners. The first one was fantastic. She cleaned like I had never seen before. It was such a joy to come home from work to a sparkling (and I mean sparkling) clean house.

Then I moved.

The second was a gift so I didn't pick her. She was fine, just not as amazing as the first woman. And it was a different situation, I was home after just having a baby. After my "gift" time ended I opted to not keep her on. I could handle it myself at that point.

So my opinion is if you can afford it, hire someone. Ask your neighbors to find the best local person. The $50 an hour person is way high vs. What people pay around here. It's more of a whole house for x vs per hour price.

Another tip. We had our weekly stuff that got done, also one "extra" cleaning chore a week, like cleaning windows, or taking down the curtains for washing.

Gosh I miss Lydia.