Ahem.
In a moment I’m going to climb up on a soapbox.
But first, I’ll explain what brought about this post.
I had lunch with my best friend recently. She casually brought up the subject of hiring a house cleaner. And asked if I think I’ll ever be able to justify having one.
My passionate response surprised her a little.
I know that my blog is about me cleaning my house, so there’s that little issue. (Don’t worry. I’m not getting a maid any time soon. Unfortunately.)
But . . . as a general rule . . . I’m all for paying someone to clean.
Anyone. Any time. I think everyone who can possibly afford one should have a maid.
Or cleaning person. Or whatever is the appropriate term at this moment in time.
As we were leaving, she told me the real reason she had brought up the subject of hiring cleaners.
Her husband owns a business and had a job he’d like her to do for the company. Her first response was that maybe doing this job could justify her hiring someone to clean her house.
Her husband’s response? You don’t need to do this job to justify hiring a cleaning person. We can afford one right now, so if you want one . . . get one.
And yet she didn’t hop on the phone and schedule the first one she could find.
Here’s the gist of the Soapbox Speech I gave her right there in the El Fenix parking lot:
GET A MAID!! Why in the world, when you can afford it, and you need one, would you NOT get a maid??
Hiring someone to clean your house isn’t admitting defeat. It’s solving a problem. Who cares if you could eventually figure out a way to keep your toilets clean if you just tried hard enough?
If you can hire someone, you should.
How did we end up in a world where there is some sort of stigma associated with hiring someone to clean your house for you?
Hiring someone to clean is a win win. You get a cleaner house. Your family enjoys a cleaner house. You increase your hospitality because you’re more willing to have people over AND you have more time to spend on the other aspects of hospitality.
(Though I must say she’s already one of the most hospitable people I’ve ever known.)
Someone else gets a job. That amount of money you’re willing (and able) to pay someone else to clean your house goes to someone who NEEDS that money. Someone who is then able to spend that money on things he/she needs for his/her family.
You’re helping your family. You’re helping the person who needs the opportunity to earn some money. You’re helping the economy!
She was a little surprised by my passion.
But for real, I’m all about doing what needs to be done without letting “shoulds” get in the way.
And I may have mentioned this before, but part of my passion comes from my experience living in Thailand for two years. I had a maid. Weekly. I know (from experience) that having a maid does not solve slob problems. Really. The two are almost unrelated.
Someone in Bangkok explained to me that it was actually considered wrong to NOT have a maid if you could afford one because you were denying someone else the opportunity to provide for their family. That just makes so much sense to me.
OK. I’m done now. Feel free to agree or disagree in the comments. Or to explain which term is politically correct.
Tomorrow . . . I’m excited to publish a post written by one of YOU which shows that having a housekeeper does not solve slob problems. It helps, but doesn’t make them go away.
______________________________
Several have asked how to find a cleaner. My best advice is to ask people you know. I hired someone to clean for a HUGE party once, and this was what I did. I was VERY surprised to find out that so many of my friends had regular cleaning people. This is the best way to find someone local, with a reference, who is hopefully trustworthy.
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--Nony
I would love to be able to afford a maid/housekeeper, however I’m so afraid of what they will think of my over-cluttered, toy scattered house that they would run away screaming. 🙁
Yes, I definitely worry about that!! (Not that I can afford one yet, anyway!)
When I was working full time, I could afford …they came in a pair! Annie and Darlene. They were not at all horrified by my slob state. They organized the house without been invasive. I loved them!!! They loved my huge dog! It was perfect.
But last year, having back trouble etc. I got one who my therapist says is common these days. She wanted to clean a clean house. She was upset my Golden Retriever shed….The next one through out my toaster not knowing the plug was wonky but the toaster fine.
Now I am retired. With Nony’s help, I am getting my home the way I want it. Surely, though slowly.
I’d love to have Darlene and Annie back but that’s not possible. No more strangers in my home.
I clean houses for a living. I have never once gone screaming and ducking for cover. I think that you’d find most maids are really non judgmental!
Thanks for that perspective!!
I agree with Judie. I too am a professional house cleaner. I’m very non judgmental of other homes. I also never talk to anyone about my clients homes and this includes my husband. My home needs work so, I’m not one to judge. As a matter of fact, I’m hiring someone to clean my home ….yes the professional house cleaner needs a house cleaner. In all honesty, I’m so busy cleaning for others that my own home tends to slip. Hiring someone to dust, vacuum, mop each week as well as clean the kitchen and bathrooms just makes sense. Paying someone 3-4 hours a week means that I can have the extra time when at home to relax, spend time with my husband and kids and ride my horse.
What about when the person has stained carpet from pet accidents? My house isn’t very cluttered – although it certainly needs work. And, while it needs cleaning, it isn’t filthy. But, I am so embarrassed about the state of my floors that I can’t bear to let anyone in. I’m currently saving, very slowly, to put in the vinyl planking that I hope will solve my problem, but, in the meantime… just call me mortified.
You might consider hiring someone to clean the carpet. Or rent one of the machines at the grocery store. I know carpet cleaners have seen it all.
I agree. A carpet cleaner who uses a truck based, high pressure, high temperature steamer can do so much more than the steamers you rent. It will cost a few hundred dollars for a house, but it’s money well spent. They will pre-treat stains. My guy used an anti-mold solution as well, because mold is a big problem here.
Gigi, We are in the middle of a home renovation. We have three dogs – and yup your not alone,. We did a lot of searching and research on the floor products on the market. The vinyl planking was a look I loved, and for the same reason, until I started talking to other people who had it in there homes.
Sales associates in our local stores were very informative. Vinyl planking is only water/oops proof on the top. When it gets in the joints it deteriorates the joint and causes the flooring to separate. We finally chose rolled vinal with a design we liked. There are a lot of them out there that look and feel as nice as the planks. The other option was to lay tile, grout the seems and be prepared to reseal the grout frequently. I sill love the planks, but the roll was a better option both price wise and care when it came to our pets. Hope this helps. K
YES! The carpets were trashed when my mother passed away a few years ago. We were planning on replacing the carpets once her old dog with the bladder cancer passed away. Well, Mom passed before the carpets went in. Anyway, I’d tried vinyl tiles in my room before – no grout – but even with the tiles pressed up against each other, the floor was impossible to keep clean. The tile lines built up with dirt no matter what I did – yes, including sealing (which has to be repeated every few months – not my idea of fun). So when I did replace the floors in the house, I had a second master bedroom put in. And I had a lovely wood-look linoleum floor put in that bedroom. No seams, I caulked around the baseboards in case of any future accidents from my own dogs. It’s by Armstrong – “Mediterranean Walnut” is the pattern name. Now almost 5 years later, contractors and designers alike have been in that room and had no idea it wasn’t laminate or hardwood floor. I love that it doesn’t scratch (laminate still will) and that I can clean it with real cleaners if an accident does happen. It’s not slippery or cold. It’s held up just as well as any kitchen linoleum I ever had, but the pattern still looks nothing like it belongs in a kitchen. Best decision I ever made with regard to this house.
I rent a machine from the grocery store too. Don’t waste your money on carpet shampoo especially for pet stains. I use a borax/vinegar mixture and just be thorough. It works very well on cat messes. Also you may have messes yo don’t see. I go to the dollar store and grab a black light. It will luminous any spots on baseboards walls and doors
I just had steam cleaners come and clean my carpet @ about $50/room. They told me that I should not use the commercial products to clean my pet stains, that I should use vinegar. Then I got a new kitty who had nervous elimination problems during his first couple of weeks in a new home. Cleaning vinegar cleaned pretty well. Then I discovered hydrogen peroxide (till clear, blotting) followed by 91% isopropyl alcohol, blot as much as you can, keep the a/c, fans, and airpurifiers running to move air and speed drying. This is the best option I’ve found and the scent does not encourage resoiling.
I clean houses for a living too and i must say once your clients see the great job (and the extras like laundry if u have time) that you do, they say they could never manage without you. I am in their homes, their lives, seeing their kids grow up, its a pleasure to be involved, i love my job x
That is exactly how I feel!! I feel like I’m watching the kids grow up and it’s so nice! I even started cooking them a meal when I clean (every other week). How nice it is to come home to a clean house and a meal!
Dawn, the good ones, like you are treasures.
I have been in both sides of this…both the cleaner, and the lady of the house…for a while, both at the same time! I know for a fact my house is NOT the dirtiest in the county….nor the cleanest. Sweet Carol comes every two weeks, and I spend about an hour straightening up before she des. I told dearhubby when he questioned, that Carol does NOT know where his shoes go. It gives me a lift, it gives Carol an income. She knows where all my dirt is, and I don’t care as long as the bathrooms and kitchen are cleaned and the living room swept! DO IT!
I felt that way. I got over it really fast. I should have done it when my children were much younger. As a full time, working mother, I didn’t realize that what it would do is free me to spend time with my family, rather than being angry I had to clean the toilets! I encourage anyone who is on the fence to try it out!
I clean houses for a living. There is a difference between clutter and lived in and filth. most people who think their homes are filthy are lived in and / or cluttered. Surprisingly the filthy ones usually don’t know they are filthy.
If you have little ones and can afford it, I would say hire someone because, it gives you extra time with your family and it’s actually relaxing when you come home to a clean home. And there is no reason to be ashamed if you do hire someone. Houses get messy because you “live”. And, that is a blessing so enjoy it if you can.
i have had about 49 maids in my 17 years in thailand they all quit…i thot it was me so i let go of all ideas i had about clean..it did not work….it is cultural that people do not want to be maids..their culture is strongly family so that they do not need a job..they just run home to mother who will feed them and their children. Then i have to lock my doors and cabinets for fear of theft..and check that ms maid did not leave our doors open for her cojoots to come in in the middle of hte night to rob us and chop our heads offf.! without maids..i live happily in 2 inches of dust and it does not bother me. has not, since 2010! even if you increase the salary, the body is the same, hte thinking is the same, the performance the same. there wont be any progress in hte kind of work…they are so obsessed about cleaning the floor only, and not counters nor windows. If i insist, they leave. I want to import my Filipno people here,l but then i have to have work permits, health cards and all that immigration red tape…thank you for reading my rant…blessings to all
I hired someone to clean for me before Christmas 2017. It was my Christmas present to myself. She couldn’t have been any better. She moved my messes, cleaned, and moved it back.
GREAT post! I grew up with a maid. A big part of having a maid is it MAKES you put away clutter so they can clean. My mother and I had major wars the night before the maid would arrive. I’m still trying to get to where I could even have one…too much clutter. I would work another job to pay for one. The fact that the maid would keep me accountable to clear out would be worth more than the cleaning. You are a blessing to us all!
Agree! One of the biggest benefits for me was being forced to pick up my piles and messes the day before cleaning lady came to clean.
That is so true! I have 4 little kids and my cleaning people who come every 2 weeks. I have to “clean” my house for 1-2 hours beforehand so they can CLEAN the house. The house gets messy, but I’m ok with that because I know that in a few days, it will get clean again.
Oh, the joy of not having to clean my shower or mop my floors. Bliss!
Excited to read the post tomorrow!
I have a cleaning person. She comes every other week for about 2 hours. It doesn’t cost me much and she does a good job helping me keep up with cleaning my house, she doesn’t do it all but she does enough that I can manage to get everything else done that needs to be done.
Amen S ray. That is why I love my cleaning lady!
I agree that the slob problem and the maid are two unrelated issues!
I have a maid (single mother at my church–4 kids (yes, I said 4!)) she cleans my house and my SIL’s house and keeps all of our secrets. We are both slobs. I know she has entered the door before and thought, this will be quick-because-I-can’t-dust-anything-for-all-the-clutter!
I also pay her extra to fold my laundry every 2 weeks. If I get a load folded, good for me! Otherwise we can all find our clothes neatly folded and in our basket on alternate Friday afternoons.
At least I know that the kitchen floor, bathrooms, and sheets are all clean. If I happen to get the clutter picked up to the point she can dust, great!
You can say I’m lazy (and you would be correct) but I’m helping her by helping me (and my whole family). Win, win.
I was actually thinking this morning about how much I’d love to pay to have someone simply put away the clean dishes and clean laundry. Why is that so hard for me to do?!? I can get the laundry out and folded, and then it sits in the basket for two weeks until it’s time to do laundry again. Ugh!!
I thought I was the ONLY ONE! I think I have a “closet/drawer mental block” of some sort. I can wash, dry, fold, stack, and carry into the bedroom, but I then drop on the foot of the bed and think, “I’ll put those away later.” Most of the time, I end up sleeping in that same bed with stacks of clean laundry all over the place! It’s crazy. I think I need therapy!! 😉
I read a book for organization for people with ADHD once that said finishing was the hardest part, so set your house up for it to be super simple. At 30 years old, I buy the mismatched socks. They get dumped into their own drawer and I can grab two when needed. (All my hard to match white socks got put in the rag bucket to dust with..then got thrown away because I never used them to dust.) I have a couple pairs of business socks that get put in a basket along with my two pairs of boot socks. They get worn about twice a month, so it works for me. I also have separate drawers for other personal items. If it goes under clothing it doesn’t get folded, just put in its own drawer. If I sleep in it, it has its own drawer and doesn’t normally get folded. My tank tops get hung on a hook and all the rest of my clothing gets put on hangers. It may hang in the laundry room until it gets worn, but its no longer washed, and wrinkled on the floor. I made finishing super easy. The only thing that regularly gets folded is my towels. I currently have one set of sheets for my bed. That way I never have to fold them. So far it has worked for me. I am not done taming the laundry monster by any stretch of the imagination, but these simply changes have made a huge difference in how I feel about my ability to tame it.
Amanda, I love these ideas! I really want a housekeeper but cannot afford one right now. What book was it that you read? I would really love to look into that some more. Do you have any more tips? Lol. 🙂
I would dearly love the name of the book you read on ADHD. I have never been diagnosed, but this described me to a tee. Thank you.
Still trying to convince hubby to put the dressers in the basement! Everything ends up there anyway so I figure why fight it, just put them down there and maybe they will actually see clothes again…lol
Yes I also am undiagnosed but positive I have ADD! Please share the book! 🙂
http://www.amazon.com/Organizing-Solutions-Attention-Deficit-Disorder/dp/159233234X
I am pretty sure this was the book with the tip I talked about. I’m sorry it took me so long to
I pay my 4,6 and 7 year olds to do those jobs. Costs me only $1.50 per load of either, things sometimes turn up in odd places, but it gets done!
two thumbs up!
I whole heartedly agree with your post. Having a housekeeper is definitely a win-win situation and in our house, does keep us more accountable to our clutter! I spend at least a few hours every other week getting the house ready for her to come!
Between 2 working parents and 2 busy kids, we just don’t have enough hours in the day to do all the things we want to do so why not make more time by helping out someone else at the same time?
I would give up many things before I give up my housekeeper.
Your observation about Thailand made me think of The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency. In the first book, she hires a maid. It would be wrong not to do so. Given my bank account, I certainly can’t do it, but I’ve had cleaning help in the past. It truly makes a difference, and encourages you to pick up! (Blushing as I note I’ve had to go through trash after the cleaning folks got through because apparently they didn’t understand that just because it didn’t belong on the table, didn’t make it trash. We worked out a compromise. I gave them a trash basket for all things they thought were trash and went through it after they left. Sad but true!)
Glad to know I’m not the only person who had to clean like mad the night before the maid came! The maid warned me that she will clean around the clutter if we don’t put things away. Talk about incentive to clear clutter!
I am single and DREAM of finding a man that would say those words to me!!!! lol
I can’t think of anything more wonderful that watching someone else clean my floors, but alas, I cannot afford it. 🙁 But if I could I totally would hire someone to help. There’s no shame in that – everyone has strong suits and areas where they struggle.
My husband paid for a friend who cleans to come and clean our house once a month after our son was born. I was a SAHM but my son would only nap on my chest for his first nine months which left little time for cleaning. It took so much stress off to know that once a month everything would be spotless.
Cleaning as a SAHM is so hard! My husband says he’d love to be able to hire someone to come in once or a couple times a week to clean–and that time is getting closer! Maybe we’ll be inspired to not let so much clutter build up!
I feel this way about hiring a lawn crew. Like, I can see my father fume at the ears when the hubs and I bring up the fact that for $35 a week – we don’t have to mow, edge, rake, clear or whatever else.
It’s magical to me. And I deal with my dad’s disappointment.
I agree with so many of the comments. I don’t have a housekeeper routinely, but I do treat myself to a deep clean once in the spring and again in the fall. And, yes, it takes the when day before to get ready for them. When they leave, I want it to look like a show house!!! That forces me to pick up and put away so there aren’t piles everywhere when they are finished!!!
Show Ready is what my boss trained me to do.
We don’t touch anything breakable or questionable.
We get the dust & counters, sinks & toilets, carpets & floors. We get the dust out and GO!
It does not solve your slob problems But is a benefit to slobs because A) your home is less scary for everyone and B) EVERYONE has to clean for the housekeeper. You’re still cleaning/decluttering before they arrive because housekeepers typically only complete certain tasks (or charge a helluva lot extra for said icky task). So, slobs still have to fight entropy. The housekeepers just make it better/easier.
I AM a cleaning lady. It’s a wonderful job!!!! I go to another person’s house and can actually FINISH cleaning! It is very rewarding and full of satisfaction. I have politely turned down jobs where there was just too much to do. All of my clients do prepare for me to come by picking up clutter and loading the dishwasher. I had to train one family that I couldn’t “clean” if the surfaces were too full of stuff and I had to waste time picking up. Now, only if I could convince myself to hire someone! It seems silly though, a cleaning lady with a cleaning lady….
Mickey, I have a friend who has lived in Indonesia for about five years — there, EVERYONE has a cleaning person, including all of the cleaning people. I can’t remember what she said the term was for it, but basically, as I remember it, it honors the other person to have them clean your home. I’ve always thought that was a really interesting perspective. Another perspective to think about is that doctors don’t “doctor” themselves or their families. Lawyers don’t represent themselves in court. The cashiers at the grocery store don’t check themselves out…..
Good point ShannonP
I clean houses too, and I actually have two clients whose houses were so messy that we decided that they would keep me on, but not to clean…I go twice a week to unearth their living room from all their stuff and just put things away….laundry, toys, blankets, and dishes. They are good at cleaning, not straightening. It’s a fun break from the norm for me!
Great post!
I can’t afford one full time, but I have hired people to do specific jobs I can’t. Like take everything out of my cabinets, wash them down and put everything back in. I also had someone take my pots off the rack and wash it down and put them back. I can’t climb anymore or lift my arms above my head for long. My sister is disabled, too, and hires someone to do her laundry twice a month.
That’s so smart, Ruth!!
are there services that would come just to clean the bathrooms? My house is tiny (just under 1,000 sqf), and there are nine of us living in it. We home school, and I’m a SAHM…what that really means is that we come home long enough to make a mess, then leave again. I have a few things under control, but the bathrooms really need to be cleaned more than once a week with this many people using them. If those two spaces were clean, then controlling our clutter and cleaning floors would feel like an accomplishment, rather than the defeat I feel when I do those things and STILL don’t get the bathrooms cleaned.
I’m sure you could find someone to do just a specific area.
I had a few friends in college who scrubbed bathrooms as a small job. They didn’t have time to work long hours so the mini-job was perfect. Someone you know might need such a job!
I would love to just hire someone to come in one time help me declutter and organize!! Just tell me where to put everything darn it label it all for me lol…. okay okay if I had the money I would hire a maid… I babysit in my home and as I was reading your blog I was like hmmm maybe if just once a week I could spend a little of that money on a housekeeper/maid. Maybe I will reward myself after I pay off a couple debts I have 🙂
These people exist! I have hired one and if we could afford it, and my spouse agreed, I would do it again in a heartbeat.
We did this after a move to our 1st house.
The rental we had was awesome, up until baby #3 came, then it was just so hard to manage stuff.
As I processed with my Mom, who would try to come and help for over a decade, we figured hiring an organizer for several sessions was worth all the time & energy we had tried to accomplish the same thing.
Totally worth it, the ladies got me, worked well with me& hustled.
We’ve considered doing the garage next for hubs, but with Dana’s methods helping the whole house look better, we might actually be okay on our own!!
I am a “cleaning lady”! I enjoy helping folks get their home clean. Msny of my clients are older folks, but the younger ones also are SO appreciative of all I do. It also helps me to work at keeping my own home tidy & clean. After I have spent all day cleaning other peoples homes, I want mine to look good too!
Is that the proper term? And I love hearing your perspective! I’m sure you’re a lot of people’s favorite person in the world!!
My boss says a “maid” is there to help manage your stuff.
As a cleaning lady, we were just there to clean only. Most homes have valuable things at least somewhere in it. So our main job was get dirt out, wipe surfaces, showers, toilets, floors, and get out.
When I went to Ghana the feeling was the same-if you had money you were rude if you didn’t hire people to help you. Maybe someday I will afford someone to help here!!
How does one else even go about getting a good maid? What do maids reasonably charge? I have always wanted to get a maid just to see how it would go but I have no idea how to even get one! Thanks for the great post!
I would ask around. I once hired someone to clean before a HUGE party, and I was surprised at how many people I knew had someone clean their home on a consistent basis.
I wish I could hire someone to clean my house. Your friend’s husband sounds awesome!! Why not—I would but my whole excuse for working part-time would crumble. I do love spending the time with my kids while they are small (my youngest goes to kindergarten in the fall).
I may just have the funniest “cleaning lady” story ever! I was living with several other busy, single girls and saw an ad for someone who would come clean for free. Yep – FREE! The catch was, it was a guy and he would dress up in a french maid costume to clean. It was modest – nothing showing – he just liked dressing up and cleaning. My roomies all thought I was nuts but they agreed to let me have him come over while they were at work (I worked a different shift from everyone else.) I met him at a coffee shop first to see if we were comfortable with each other. He was a really sweet, older man. So he came over to clean and did a good job. The ONLY reason we didn’t have him come again was that his wife didn’t know what he was doing and we weren’t comfortable with that aspect of it. But otherwise, I would have gladly had him continue cleaning 😀
Wow that’s an awesome story, Charissa !
Hahaha!!
Very strange. I don’t think I could’ve gone through with it
We will be moving next year and I asked my husband to go ahead and budget in housecleaning service with our mortage, if we can’t afford both, we look for a cheaper house! He agreed! As a working Mom, considering that we have enough money to spend on some other niceties, I think it’s time!
Very smart!!
Yes, I totally agree with paying someone to clean if you can. I think the employer/employee tax situation has made people hesitant to hire household help. But to just have someone come in to clean a couple times a month is a blessing for both people. I don’t have someone who comes in regularly but have hired someone occasionally when I was pregnant and we have arranged for someone to come clean when we move in a couple weeks so I don’t have to do that. I’m sure that will easily save me a whole day!
I completely agree. The hands-down-bestest-ever present anyone ever got me was a year of twice a month house cleaning after our special needs daughter was born.
I’ve paid for twice-a-month cleaning help for as long as I’ve been able to afford it. Even while living with piles and piles of clutter, this has been my way to provide clean bathrooms and vacuumed floors for my family. When I was unable to “bless my family” by cleaning, I could bless my family by admitting that I was powerless over the cleaning, thus hiring someone who would always come and always clean. Now that I’m FLYing, it seems like there is MORE work for the cleaners, because there are so many clear surfaces to dust and wipe, and so much more FLOOR to vacuum!
The comment about hiring someone for spring & fall – I can’t believe I never thought of that. I can’t afford regular help, but even just twice a year would be such a help. I’m literally going to go research that right now…
Thank you! Just this morning I hired someone to clean my house. She comes next week! I am excited but I have been having feelings of shame and embarrassment. But you’re right this will improve my life and those around me (when I’m having a meltdown from being overwhelmed)!
Perfect timing for you!! So happy for you!
We must be sisters! I so agree with you! Thanks for saying this with such passion and giving all the reasons it makes sense. The minute I can afford a person to clean, I’ll be hiring someone.
I have a wonderful housekeeper. She helps me hit the “reset” button on my slob tendencies. I don’t have to be concerned about cleaning, my focus can be on purging, straightening, and organizing. It’s my favorite 2 days of every month!!! Like you said its a win/win.
I had a cleaning person (sometimes a teen, later on a real “service”) for a great many years while I worked. After I quit, that was the last thing I wanted to give up, but when she had to quit due to back issues, I felt I could no longer justify that expense, when I was home all the time. I sure hated to give it up, though! We had it twice monthly.
I now clean my home the same way I asked the cleaners to, also twice monthly. However, I’ve been home, and not working (for pay, I still volunteer a lot) for 11 years now, and I’m older and having more back and other issues, so the day will come, I’m guessing in a couple of years, when I’m going to have to find someone again.
One issue we have is we are private people and don’t like having someone else in our house. And the next to last cleaning person turned out to be a drug dealer, so that was a very nasty surprise when we found out–and we’re in a rural area, so I never dreamed it could be a problem here!
I so agree with Nony that if you can afford a cleaner, hire one–help yourself and her at the same time! However, when I have someone again, I’ll be home the whole time they are cleaning, after that one bad apple out of many years of good cleaners.
I’m absolutely pro cleaning lady. However, I am probably the lone freak in this situation as I have issues. My mother WAS the cleaning lady… They would even pay her extra to put up and take down the Christmas tree and inside decorations. I always found that weird… but then I remember I haven’t put up a tree or decorations for over 5 years. My husband offered to hire someone last year before we put our house on the market. I wouldn’t let him. I regret that decision. It was EXHAUSTING to keep a house clean while on the market. I did it- it sold fast too. Makes me regret not hiring someone even more. lol Or at least when you move- to do the preliminary dusting and cleaning, existing build, new build.. doesn’t matter.
I used to work full time, but am now retired. I have never been a good housekeeper, so I have hired many different cleaning crews to clean my home over the years. There is nothing better than coming home to a clean house at the end of a long day or difficult week. But it comes with a cost, and I’m not just talking hourly or monthly salary. I’ve had people destroy my vacuum cleaners, ding my furniture and baseboards with my vacuum cleaners, damage my carpet, scratch my tabletops, leave my doors unlocked, let my indoor only cats slip outside without noticing (I found my cat outside when I got home…he was terrified, and so was I). It’s hard to find someone trustworthy and someone who actually wants to work. I had many people who seemed more interested in tidying (lining up my shoes and stacking my magazines neatly) than cleaning (scrubbing cooktops, toilets, etc.) If you find a good one, keep her and pay her well. If you don’t already have a good one, get ready for a long, disappointing search. 🙁
your post saddens me…..I am a house cleaner & I have tried over the years to be really careful w/ other peoples houses….yes I will have to admit a couple times something has gotten broken but I have tried to pay for or replace the item….. I have did this for over 20 years w/out hardly any complaints…really sorry you had so many problems
So, I’m one of these people that can’t get past the hurdle in my mind saying it’s ok for me to hire someone to clean for me. My first hurdle is that I’m a SAHM. Yes, I have 6 children. Yes, 2 of them are still at home, BUT, 4 of them go to school, during the day, full-time. It’s hard for me to say, there’s just no way for me to stay on top of everything when I feel like if I just budgeted my time better then things would get done. However, things don’t get done.
My second, and probably biggest hurdle, is that I Hate to clean (like Hate with a capital H). If I can find something else to do, then you can bet that I’ll be doing that first before I clean. Thus, knowing how much I Hate doing it, it’s hard for me to justify asking someone else to do it for me (even if I’m paying them). It’s helped a little to read some of the comments of folks who clean who really seem to enjoy it. But it’s still hard for me to ask someone else to do something I just don’t wanna do. 🙁
You neglected to mention that YOU are the subject of this post!!!!! See how you’re the ONLY one who has commented who has a problem with it!!
(FOr anyone wondering, Jen is the best friend!!)
Oh Jen! You have “only” 2 at home full time and 6 during the evenings and weekends AND you Hate cleaning AND your husband is willing to pay for a cleaner… PLEASE let him bless you that way!!!!! I really am hoping this post and all the comments will help you to be more open to this idea. PERHAPS you could budget your time differently and do it all, but why would you want to??? Wouldn’t you rather spend that time doing something with your family? Or *gasp* doing something for yourself? I have many friends with 5 or 6 kids (or more! LOL!) and I know they are the last people in the world to want to be “selfish” but honestly, you NEED to be a little selfish from time to time. I don’t know if you have seen the movie Moms Night Out but you should. It is pretty funny! And very, very honest. They make the point that there is a reason that you put your own oxygen mask on before helping your children during an emergency. You can’t help others if you are passed out! I want to give you a great big hug but, um, I don’t know you so that would be weird 😉 But please listen to your friend! Your peace of mind is worth it!
Jen, I am a slob, but a great cleaner in someone else’s home. I really enjoy knowing that I made someone’s home a haven for them and their family. (Why that hasn’t translated into my own home…I am sure I will figure out one day…and the heavens will part, there will be singing and leaps of joy) I am thankful that you guys had this conversation because here is the one I play in my head. No, you can’t hire someone to come in and help you finish your cleaning…you are single, the house shouldn’t get this bad and if you were to do a little every day it wouldn’t be a big deal. You want to pay off debt, you don’t need to add another monthly bill.
Here is the reality that this conversation has helped me realize. I work about 55 hours a week and go to school full time. I also volunteer in several groups because I enjoy them and truthfully they look good on scholarship applications for grad school. I have life threatening food allergies. I really need to make my own food to take with me to work and school. If I miss a day or two of getting the kitchen done I feel overwhelmed and don’t cook. This leads to a really horrible downward spiral because an exposure leaves me feeling awful for days. (If it doesn’t land me in the hospital) I am really good about halfway getting through a task and then getting distracted and thinking I finished. I am working on these skills, but if I hire someone to come in and help while I work on them it will be okay.
My argument for you is this, you only have two babies left in your house. Do you want to spend your years as a full time momma doing something you hate, or doing things you love? We hire people to do things for us we don’t want to do all the time. I don’t want to haul my trash to the dump, so I happily pay the trash men to collect it. I am smart enough, I could learn to do basic maintenance on my car….but I pay for those things to be done. (after busting my knuckles while helping my dad, I call not it on this) We buy pre-made bread at the store (well, not anymore, but most people do…I have a recipe that rises overnight and bakes while I shower in the morning. When I tell people I bake bread every day they think I am Martha Stewart, and then they come to visit and are really disappointed. I digress…sorry…) We have florist build beautiful arrangements to send to friends at life changes. Why is hiring someone to clean any different? I think that it is because its easy to beat ourselves up in this area as a failure…which is so not true. If it means you get to be a happier mom while your kids are at home…then its a total win and gift. Childhood is a moment…enjoy it with your babies. It was only a couple generations back that it was unheard of not to have help raising kids….so lets go back to then in this thought process….Okay, I’m done rambling. I hope you come to peace with whatever will make your home the best haven for you and your family.
It is hard to ask someone to do something you don’t want to do — except you aren’t ASKING a favor, you’re PAYING for a service that they’ve decided to offer BECAUSE they enjoy providing said service, for whatever reasons that will probably never make sense to you (or me.)
Following that train of thought, you’d have to feel bad for asking restaurant staff to make your dinner, or garage staff to change your oil. But it feels different somehow, right? I know – I come from a family where everyone takes great pride in doing everything themselves — EVERYTHING! It took me many years to swallow my pride (because that’s all it is, if you get down to it) and hire someone to help me. I haven’t regretted it. And if you DO regret it, then don’t have them back. It’s not an irreversible commitment.
Be nice to yourself. 🙂 Best of luck!
Susan
Let me ease your mind. I am a cleaning lady. I love my flexible schedule and active job. I love entering a crazy house and leaving a peaceful sanctuary for my clients to come home to. I would go crazy sitting behind a desk or punching a clock. I’m very reliable, but I need flexibility. I am thankful every day that I found a way to overcome my “corporate shortcomings” and bless those that are good a “punching a clock”.
I am reading all these comments written over 1/2 year ago! I love this comment! The rare times I’ve come home to my professionally cleaned house, my heart was literally singing! What a gift you give!
Jen, I k now how you feel and I put it off a while. My husband finally called the lady he knewand told her to come talk to me. She told me she had a job interview later that day and she didn’t want to go. She had prayed to God that he would send her another house so she could afford to turn the job down. Even though we only use her twice a month it was enough to make her decision easier!
I understand your logic and it would be different if I worked full time, however, I have a problem with hiring a maid – namely as an example to the kids. I really want them to chip in and help so they can take care of their homes when they are older. I definitely agree with your logic in other matters around the house, such as when my brother tried to make us feel bad when he found out we hired someone to install our paver patio instead of doing it ourselves. Why would I want to break my back with bricks in doing something I’m clueless about, when I can hire someone who will get it done – it’s a win win to employ an expert and have that person take the backaches, not me. Cleaning should be something we can do behind ourselves…but first I have to FIND my counter so I can wipe it down. I can’t imagine hiring a maid to clean the clutter. Hiring an organizer? sure!
I’m happy to have a different perspective! (Other than the person I was writing about!)
I totally agree about teaching my kids to clean. (I even wrote an e-book about it!)
My concern is that for people like me, often the ideal of “I should do it myself” can turn into a reason why it just never gets done. At this point, I’m making the best of where we are, which is not being able to afford a maid. I have to do it myself so I’m figuring that out. However, if it was possible to hire someone, I’d not feel bad about it!
This same logic works in other areas… I’m the bakery manager at our local grocery store, so you think I would be happy when my husband buys the things I make at work, right? NO! I constantly yell at him that we could save “so much money” by just buying the raw ingredients, and letting me bake things at home. The problem is, I have a full time job and three children under the age of 4… Even when I do have the time because the younger two are sleeping and the 3yo can keep herself entertained and out of trouble, I’m usually so exhausted that I end up falling asleep too. Then I wake up only to hurriedly throw together dinner while ignoring the growing pile of dishes in the sink,and the unfolded laundry in the bedroom, and we still don’t have blueberry muffins for breakfast. *sigh*
I like the comment about budgeting a cleaning lady in as a household expense with the mortgage. So smart!
I would love to have someone to come and clean my house. My Dad had a cleaning business along with being a custodian at a water district and cleaning the offices at a Van Line company. He had those 2 jobs for as long as I can remember. And he cleaned 2 houses for many years and then 1-2 more houses for a couple of years. He was very trustworthy. I remember going with him when I was sick and had to stay home from school. He mainly just vacuumed, dusted, and cleaned bathrooms in those houses. I’m all for hiring someone who can be trusted if you can afford it.
I have been a house cleaner for over 20 years off & on (took a few years off when our children were really young). I can’t say its my favorite thing to do but it has been a nice way to supplement our income & still not have to work full time. I have cleaned a few houses that when I first went in were pretty good & then there has been others not so well. I tell them straight up if I’m unable to do something. I DO NOT pick up anything off the floors or make beds or do laundry. Unfortantly these are time wasters & I clean at least 2 on the days I work….. If hubby is willing to pay for one HIRE ONE your whole household will benefit!!!!!!!!!! I have had a one client for over 10 years & one for over 8 years! I have had several long term ones & some short term ones…… & no longer clean them for various reasons…..some unable to afford it any longer & some it was only for a short time to help them out……a couple of them the people has passed away. looking forward to tomorrows post!!!!!!!!!!!
I would LOVE to have a “cleaning lady”. Would LOVE it. Where I live, it’s a luxury very few have. If you have a cleaning lady, you are very fortunate – and obviously “well to do”. I can’t wait til the day arrives that I have enough of our debts paid off that I can hire someone to clean my house and mow my lawn. Are there people who will come and wash, dry, fold and put away my family’s clothes too? B/c if there is, I want one of them too. And a dog walker… then I can spend my time gardening and camping. 🙂
I could get one, and my mom Always had one. My problem is that here they don’t do the things I hate, which is dishes and laundry, which you have to either do or hide before they come in to clean. We called it clean for the cleaners. I also have trust issues, having been robbed in the past. :/
I love my cleaning ladies. I’m a SAHM and we are stationed in Korea (hubs is Army). I do quite a bit of volunteer work with the Chapel and Army wife responsibilities (constant FRG events and such) but nothing that I ever deemed as “worthy” of me needing cleaners as if I had a full time job. My hubs would tell me all the time it was ok, we could afford it and it would free me up for the kids and other things. My guilt was ridiculous! I SHOULD be able to do it all! I finally came to realize that my pride and guilt were sins I needed to give up to God. I’m so grateful I did. I still struggle with it from time to time but the feeling of having a COMPLETELY clean home and the freedom to take the kids out for a walk or make a meal for a new mom with out stress is worth it. Plus, my ladies are wonderful and some days I’m not completely “ready” for them so I start them at one end of the house and pick up in front of them so it’s ready for deep cleaning. It’s actually enjoyable! We play with the kids and sing along to music together as we all clean. 🙂 They have work and get to cuddle babies and I get cleaning buddies and relief. I will miss them terribly when it’s time to move! Don’t let your guilt get in the way like me!
I had surgery a couple of years ago and (surprisingly) no one picked up the slack on the cleaning front. I had someone come in to set the house to rights. When I saw all that they did- that I had been meaning to do (wipe down blinds, cabinet fronts, wash windows) I knew I needed them to come back. Now I have them come once a month. What a difference it makes! In between times, I just need to keep the house afloat- knowing that someone else is going to come in and deep clean. I work part time and justified it by working 3 extra hours per month. This buys me 2 people cleaning my house for 4-5 hours. Totally worth it. (But it still feels like a luxury and I fight the guilt)
Kristin…
Same thing happened to me when I had knee surgery and was on crutches for three weeks. Yeah, kids, thanks for dropping the backpacks in the middle of the floor… I realized then that they seriously do not see things like that (without nagging). Reading comments like yours is making the idea of someone coming in at least once a month sound more and more appealing. 🙂
I loved this post!! I have a cleaning lady come in every two weeks. My husband always jokes that the night before she comes I have everyone doing mad pick-up (it’s true). Unfortunately, it doesn’t help with clutter, but I sure feel better!
When affordable I have had help too, but only occasionally and informally. I loved it and I found one interesting thing: the rest of my family was much more respectful of maintaining the cleanliness of the house when it was done by someone else and was paid for. Go figure. So I did less work, and the house stayed cleaner for longer. I will do it again when I can.
That IS interesting . . .
I used to clean homes. It actually helped me clean my home better and gave me ideas on how to be more organized and which products were good to buy or which were a waste of money . It was hard work , no doubt. In fact one of my customers introduced me as ‘her friend who helps her clean.’ Not sure I would want or need to have someone clean here..a maid to me is someone who not only cleans but also cooks and does laundry.
I would LOVE to have professional help as I work full-time & hate cleaning. I’ve actually hired quite a few. One, a terrific cleaner, showed me photos of all the houses she’s cleaned (so I’m betting she showed my house to all & sundry) and flat out just didn’t show up one day. No call, nothing. So I called her & she’d gotten a 9-5 job. Between the application, interview and subsequent waiting period, I figure she had at least a month to let me know what was going on.
The next one was a team of three – two worked and the third sat outside in the van smoking – but I was expected to pay for all 3! Then there was the company who sent someone who had no clue how to clean and broke an ornament. My husband called me at work to ask me what I wanted done. I told him to tell her to call her supervisor as I’d already gone over it all quite thoroughly with her. The supervisor, who was also the owner of the company, was an excellent cleaner but didn’t seem to have any time available to train her employees. She was quite put out when I fired her. Apparently she thought it was eminently reasonable to expect me to pay for someone who didn’t know what to do.
There were a couple more after that, all equally bad. I’ve tried the pros & I’ve tried the one-woman operations who are doing it for extra money. I have not found anyone who simply shows up and does a good job. My house is a mess but at least the cleaning lady (me) works for cheap!
I hired a service at the end of each of my three pregnancies. I was no longer able to really clean well at that point, and then I got to return from the hospital to a clean house. Worth every penny. I would do it all the time if I could afford it.
Ok, can I just say, as a mother of 9…oh how I would LOVE to have a housekeeper, even just ONCE A MONTH, come in & help me w/the tedious things I NEVER seem to have time for. Like, for instance, mopping the floor!! I’ll have to admit, my floor gets mopped by default ONLY…someone spills milk on the floor, that section of floor is now clean…for the time being! (You get the idea!) Vacuuming I don’t mind, laundry I actually enjoy doing, although sorting, washing, resorting & folding seem to be my strong points. I, too, more often than not, have my children living out of clean clothes baskets! :/ Dusting is probably my least favorite chore, probably because it seems no matter how often or how diligently you dust, in Vegas, it all just settles right back in…before you’re even done! Bathrooms would be a close 2nd, although I must have clean toilets! There just don’t seem to be enough hours in a day to get it all done. It is frustrating & having someone help me out even just a little would be nice…if we could afford it!! :/ My mother cleans houses for a living, which kinda just makes me feel a little guilty when my own house isn’t up to par. Oh well…some day, perhaps!
just a thought about the dusting…could you suck up the dust with a good vacuum so it wouldn’t be there to resettle?
TOTALLY AGREE! With the caveat that I would still want my children to know how to do everything and do some jobs fairly regularly – not looking at the “cleaning person” as serving them 😉
And yes, when we were in Nepal it was the same situation. You had someone come clean your house and clothes. So when our friends from there came here and saw HOW much time we spend cleaning they were shocked!!!
Oh, I would LOVE to have someone to clean my house on a regular basis. I fantasize about it all the time. If only I could get my act together and get rid of some of my stuff (read: “a lot of junk”), I would hire one in a heartbeat. Wow! That’s pretty awesome incentive for me to seriously de-clutter and purge. I enjoyed this little chat with myself. Lol. I’m off to get a garbage bag. Oh, and thanks for the great push – I mean post.
I’m sooooo glad your post went the direction it did! When I saw the title, gotta admit I had a little frisson of panic – afraid that guilt would keep me from making eye contact next time I see you. -;) I’ve used ‘help’ for years, mainly without guilt because I had a long-hours, stressful job and needed to be able to entertain on fairly short notice. Since semi-retirement, all the justifications melted away, but I did not let the cleaning help ‘melt’ along with all that justification. How much I adore entering a clean house outweighs the (faint) guilt pangs now and I am very happy to have the opportunity to help the family economy of my cleaning people, who then also help our local economy. It’s not much but it is a positive add instead of a drain. Thank you!!! Permission is good – better than guilt.
How timely. I’m working full time & then some, chauffeuring kids to sports & hubby’s job keeps us busy. I can’t keep up anymore. Needed to hear this today. I’d hug you if I could….& maybe cry a little. 🙂
Our pastor’s first commandment when a couple comes to her with marital issues is “hire a weekly housekeeper & talk to me in 2 months”. Most of them return with “issues” resolved. The unending chore of housecleaning has been taken care of and no one isn’t doing his or her share. Time is freed up to do fun things or just chillax.
I’m one of the few of my friends that does not have a housekeeper.
Need one
I LOVE hearing this, Nancy!
I’d like to point out that the “stigma” attached to having a cleaning lady really only started within the second half or so of the last decade…right about the same time as the women’s liberation movement. So what were we liberated for? To feel guilty about not being able to keep up with cleaning our homes? After all, we’re supposed to be superwomen and conquer corporate America while raising all of our own food (without a man’s help, of course), while baking and cooking everything from scratch, feeding the poor, tending the children, keeping a spotless, perfectly decorated home…(yes, insert great sarcasm here!) I think what we really need to be liberated from is everyone else’s expectations of what we should do/be. If you HATE cleaning, and you have the opportunity to be freed from it, Hallelujah! Take your freedom and run! It’s not your “thing” so why let it shackle you any longer? To quote a portion of a verse of scripture: “Woman, thou art loosed…” Luke 13:12
LOVE the post! I always figured if the Proverbs 31 wife is supposed to be our role model, we should all have housekeepers (I don’t have a clue what the PC term is). However, I agree with your reasons, too. And one of these days I will, I just don’t like the idea of people messing with my stuff. I’m working on getting past that though. 😀
Hi, I love your attitude. We get a cleaner once a fortnight and I feel guilty about thinking about having them come every week (which would be bliss) even though both my husband and I both work long hours. The kids are no help either. So I do feel like I have to justify it.
PS my cleaner moves my stuff around all the time and redecorates. I love it!!!
When both my husband and I were working we had a cleaning lady come every other week. The night before she came it was a mad rush to clean up all the clutter so she could actually CLEAN. Unfortunately, I lost my job last year and have been struggling to keep the home clean and tidy. You’d think NOT working would mean I’d be able to accomplish more. Well it also means the kids are no longer in daycare/after school care so they are here to make more messes. It’s definitely ME too that makes messes. I have decluttered some but nothing like I had imagined.
For Mother’s Day I told my family to forgo flowers, candy or any other gifts and to hire a professional housekeeper to really deep down clean the house and that is what I got. WOOT! I am saving having her come until two weeks from now when my in-laws come to fly out and visit us. hehe
Thank you!!!! Thank you for this post!!!! Thank you for the ladies above with their replies!!!! Thank you for having grace…
We have a huge 100+ year old farm house in the country. I haven’t been the greatest housekeeper and there are parts of my house that have never been well cleaned in the (almost) 6 years that we have been here. My husband has encouraged me to have help come in, but honestly, I am somewhat ashamed to have anyone in… even to help clean. We can (and do) clean the main living areas and have company over often, but the bedroom and upstairs private living areas are horrible. I can’t get a grasp on laundry, kids bathrooms, etc. Kids are well trained at keeping their things picked up and are even very helpful with chores, but it just doesn’t cut it. The dust and dirt from living in the country is crazy!!!! I have 3 boys who are constantly hungry, which makes the kitchen a constant struggle. Obviously that is something that just has to be maintained to function, but it causes so many other things to just fall lower on the priority list!!!!
Thank you for this post. It helps me to realize that it is ok to ask for help!!! Thank you!!!!!
I do not understand why so many have such a hard time allowing themselves to have someone clean your house! Get over the fact that it isn’t ok…as long as you can afford it, do it! There is no rule that you have to have X amount of kids or work X amount of hours to justify paying someone to clean your house!!! Why should you spend your time going something you hate when you can pay someone to do it for you? Men would never have these feelings!! Your self worth is not determined by who cleans your home!
I tried it…once. They sent out a very young lady who cleaned very slowly. After two hours, she was still in the master bathroom where she had started. She “ran out of time” even though in the initial walk through she had complimented me for having everything cleared out of the way in preparation. Most of what was on the list was not done. For example it said on the website that they would degrease the stove hood. It was untouched. She mainly just mopped and vacuumed. I also didn’t want to leave so I had to keep the kids in one room while she was here. She was so sweet and was here for so many hours that we didn’t have the heart to complain.
If anything, the money might have been better spent on a babysitter so that I could clean my own house all at once without any distractions. Having focus days is free, though, and it’s hard to find a trustworthy babysitter so I try to be productive each day in addition to the basic everyday stuff like doing the dishes.
LOVE IT! The best thing you said: “But for real, I’m all about doing what needs to be done without letting “shoulds” get in the way.” YES! Whatever works. That’s the motto! I do NOT have a housekeeper right now, and it’s KILLING me, and our quality of life is *for real* so much worse. I don’t care what it takes to make my family’s life better. If it’s a housekeeper, it’s worth it, if you can afford it.
Just for your amusement, Nony… My email filter thought “(Clears Throat)” sounded dirty and dumped this into the spam folder. 🙂
Oops!!!
For those of you who might be interested, many years ago I read an eye opening book, Nickeled and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America. (look it up, Wickipedia will give you an overview). It was by a journalist who undertook to see what it would be like to manage on minimum wage type jobs. For instance, she worked at Walmart, as a waitress, I think, and, the job I am thinking of now, she worked for a cleaning service. That was eye opening because it showed that they generally did some minimal surface cleaning and spray some stuff in the air to make the clients think it’s clean. It really showed how little the actual cleaners were paid, it was the management level who made some money and were exploiting the workers.
Now, I’m not saying that most cleaning services are like that, and I can’t recall the location where she worked at that time (it was the late 1990s), but it certainly made me more aware of what’s going on behind the scenes in some work environments, and it definitely made me want to never use a service, only a person working for herself (which is what I did at that point–the “service” I had used previously was some nice ladies who had other nice ladies working for them, and I knew some of them, and when they retired and stopped working, I had to find someone else, which I did by asking friends who they used to clean their houses).
Cleaning houses is very useful work, but it’s hard (which is why my body is telling me I can’t do my own too much longer) and those who do it deserve respect and a proper paycheck, I believe.
Years ago I worked for a cleaning service. We worked hard. They pay was low – very low – we were paid by the job based on the owner’s estimate of what it should take to do the job. But I learned a lot and only worked there for 3 months, so not too bad. We were also bonded, which gave customers peace of mind.
My Mom has had a cleaning person/helper for several years now. Different ones, but only because she moved. She still feels a little guilty, but I encourage her to have someone come. It gives me peace of mind to know she’s not doing some things a lady her age shouldn’t be doing if she can afford to pay someone.
I’d hire someone in a heartbeat if I could afford it and if I could get hubby to agree. Glad so many people posted in favor. And Jen, please let go of the guilt. You are should-ing all over yourself and you don’t deserve that.
I agree with everything you said. If you can afford it, hire one. I always said that if I ever worked full-time, I’d hire one without hesitation.
I would cry myself to sleep with JOY every night if I could afford to hire a cleaning person!!!
Personally I hate cleaning so if we could easily afford to give someone who needs/wants the job of cleaning my house I’d be all in. It would free up time to spend with the family having fun and making memories. Although, yes, you can make memories cleaning together, it’s just not as fun as the beach, hiking or anything else. Unless, you are incredibly rich and could afford a live in that knows you well it would not remove all responsibility for taking care of your own crap. It would just allow time while someone else does the “real” cleaning. I honestly believe that every person has the right to live their own lives, make their own decisions and who cares what others think! If you or anyone can afford it and want to hire someone then by all means do it. You free up time, help out another family (person) and the economy at the same time, sounds like a win-win to me.
I would love someone to come clean the house-however I would have to clean this place for a month before I could have someone in to clean!!!
I have a lovely maid, who comes once a week, we honestly need her at least twice a week, but we can only afford to have her once. I am always surprised at how much she can get through in a day. and i’m always embarrassed letting her in each week, since it’s become almost a pigsty within the week. she is always re-assuring when I appologize on the really bad weeks, but in my mind if i didn’t have to do that, then I wouldn’t need her help. Here in South Africa, it’s quite common for people to have domestic workers to help clean up, and it’s also quite common for those who work for you to steal, so it took me 3 years to finally cave in and get someone in to help, and somehow I managed to get someone honest, who for the past 2 years hasn’t taken anything. It really is a life saver, and It doesn’t meant that I don’t clean at all, but it means that i can clean once a week and she cleans once a week, and then the house is generally ok! I also wouldn’t want a full time maid, because I think it’s also important for the kids to learn to clean up after themselves, like packing their toys away, putting their laundry in the baskets, etc. but for me, not having her at least once a week is not an option. not for me, since i am unable to keep the house clean by myself. as much as I’d like to, in the end it matters more that the house is clean, not who’s cleaned it.
Wow, that’s a lot of comments. Dana you need to do another post on this topic! (maybe you have – I’m still catching up)
Here’s what I have to say on the whole topic.
Why is getting a cleaning professional any different from getting a handyman?
I lived with someone who would NOT clean at ALL. Their contribution was to pay someone to come once every 2 weeks. She did the bathroom, floors and the dishes if there was time in 2 hours for $50. That was about 15 years ago, I’d expect to pay about $60-$70 for the same service today. I would do other cleaning/tidying chores whilst she was there and we had loads of fun. She was a single mum and the extra income impacted her budget enormously. I would do this again in a heartbeat if I had the money to.
By having figured out just what chores she would do I felt better because I knew the bedrooms were off limits, that the piles of clutter weren’t her problem, that the chip packet on the coffee table from movie night was not her problem either. I did a lot of laundry whilst she cleaned. It was really motivating and provided a specific schedule for getting things done. It also meant the pre-cleaner pick-up was achievable as it was floors and bathroom focused so she could do her job. And the bonus was her doing the dishes if there was time. She would go above and beyond the call of duty at times and when I was asked if flowers were an appropriate thank you I said no – a $10 bonus was, (single mum!) I miss her (not just the cleaning)
As for why we often call cleaning professionals ‘the cleaning lady’? Well I think that has something to do with that song ‘Sadie the Cleaning Lady’. I like: Grime Technician | Grout Buster | Floor Fancier (boom tish) | Hygiene Expert | Mop Manager | Dust Destroyer | Scum Assassin | Dirt Eradicator and other heroic titles.
My mother had a housekeeper come once a week. Originally she came to do the kitchen and two bathrooms. That evolved to vacuuming, dusting and laundry, which she and her husband come do. When my mom passed, I pushed it to every 2 weeks. Mom had stuff EVERYWHERE and the housekeepers would just pile/fold/box/stack things as neatly as they could in a corner. Then the next week there was another pile to go on top of that. I felt like we were closed in by piles everywhere. I also felt bad that the poor housekeeper was dutifully polishing all this stuff over and over. Slowly I began getting rid of stacks of stuff. Sometimes I’d find that those stacks were of empty or mostly empty boxes! That only took 5 minutes to break down the boxes and toss or put away the couple of other items in the stack. Then I started getting rid of other things that I found would bother me just to look at. Then I started eyeing all visible ‘real estate’ and found cupboard/closet/garage space for things that usually just sat out on the counter because that’s where they landed. The giant roasting pan I only use at Thanksgiving? In the garage! The tea kettle that kept playing musical burners as we moved it out of our way several times a day? In the garage! (Nobody here drinks coffee or tea.) Anyway, it just became easier to get rid of things – especially knowing that once it was done, it was DONE for good. My place is nowhere near perfect, but I do definitely have an easier time getting started by doing things that are a one-time deal to get them off my plate. Now the housekeeper cleans the entire house, changes bedsheets, does what laundry she can in the time she’s here… all for the same money because she doesn’t have to spend time stacking our crap first. It’s awesome.
I’m all for hiring someone to clean. It’s how some people make their living or supplement their income to make ends meet or save for a vacation, etc. I hate cleaning and I’m horrible at it and just can’t keep up with it like I want to. Even if it is just once a month or two. I feel much better when my house is really clean and while I am perfectly fine with a ‘lived-in” house, I don’t like a dirty house. It seems as if I work hard all week and have a full schedule, then spend my weekends cleaning or gearing up for the next week. If I can be a blessing to someone looking for some extra cash while helping myself – I think that is a great investment.
I may be in the minority here…I have nothing against house cleaners – I think they must be the ultimate servants to be willing to do that sort of hard work. But, there is this whole neighborhood in my town where the people don’t mow their own lawns, paint their own houses, tend their own landscapes, cleans their own houses etc. It’s really weird. It’s like they are not connected to their homes at all. I could never afford to hire someone to clean my house. Not that the need isn’t there – I just barely make ends meet. But, I think cleaning your own home keeps your connected to your belongings, to your space. Just my own two cents.
My goal is to be able to hire help in two ways: someone to mow my lawn and someone to clean my house. I don’t see anything wrong with wanting to come home and enjoy my home instead of coming home to an endless to-do list. I would like to have a nice flower bed and vegetable garden. I find that by the time I deal with mowing the lawn I no longer wish to be outside working with plants in any fashion. I am 54, single, no children and not a clutter bug. And those facts make no difference whatsoever. I hate cleaning house and I hate mowing. Enough is enough and I have sure had enough.
Thanks for giving me a place to voice my dreams and frustrations.
Why do we as women expect ourselves to be maids no matter what?
My friend sent me this post. I was curious….so I started to read several posts…. I can totally agree with everyone’s comments on to have or not to have a cleaning lady, I hope when I need one that God will put the right person in my path. I have learned that not every service is for everyone, and you can’t please everyone and you can’t have it all or do it all so if asking for help get’s you to the next day then ASK! You never know where it will take you.
Hi my name is Pam, I am probably the last person to think I would have ever ended up cleaning toilets! See I came from the corporate office world. For over 15 yrs. I worked side by side big money makers, office meetings, executive travels, planning corporate functions, tons of perks, ect. and I LOVED IT!!! …and one day I became a mother of two…I soon found myself quitting my corporate world to stay at home to raise my kids and would do whatever it took to do so. I did just about everything from ironing for ppl. to watching other kids, and car pooling for parents who couldn’t do this. This wasn’t paying the bills nor was it a lot of money. Then one day I was asked to clean someone’s home. Well, after realizing how much money I could make and still raise my kids it was a no brain’! Now 20 yrs later I’m still doing this. I never wanted to have a big business, employee’s and all. My heart was in another place. I wanted to empower other mom’s to do this too. So I trained mom’s to do what i did…gave them referral’s and charged them a fee for each referral and the training. This way they didn’t feel they owed me anything and I was not responsible for their work. Plus I myself thought…why would I clean a house for someone else and not get all the money..So before I knew it I was an entrepreneur. I used my corporate skills to help me make this business grow like it has. I now work 20 hrs a week and I am completely in control. My kids are on their own and I don’t regret my choice to be the one to raise them. Now that they have moved on I found I had extra time on my hands so I started another business. I’m now the owner of a fashion boutique which is my empty nest hobby. But my real dream is to teach hundreds of women to do what I do because there is always an easier way to get the job done!
I am a stay at home mom with 3 kids ages 8 months, 2 years, and 4 years. They can make quite a mess on top of what was already there so we really needed a cleaning lady. After 4 years I finally caved and got one. It took me so long because I felt like a failure because I couldn’t get my house clean on my own. I’m also extremely sensitive and self concious about my messy house and it took a lot for me to have someone see it.
Well we finally hired someone off craigslist. She’s 60, very energetic, very good at cleaning, but extremely opinionated. At first she was pretty nice, and insisted on taking my laundry home- which was weird, but I’d never had a cleaning person so I let her. After a few times she started making comments about the messes. It’s gotten to the point where she just outright laughs in my face if I say I’ll try to get to something. Or she’ll hold up a bag of baby socks and interrogate me about them, and when I say I’ll try to get to them at some point- she says, “Okay so I expect to not see these next time I’m here.” And when I finally do make the time (and by that I mean getting a babysitter to take my kids away) and I clean/declutter out my closet or something and I tell her then she still just replies with something negative like, “Oh that’s great but it’ll just get messy again!”
I’m struggling like a girl struggles when she thinks she can’t get another boyfriend so she’d better just deal with the jerk she’s with. I don’t think there’s anyone else out there who will clean my house with all the crap everywhere- and who will do as good of a job- but I”m going depressed/crazy with the way this woman treats me. I’m so stressed out when she comes because I feel like I need to get everything done that she suggests and I just keep failing at it.
Is this normal behavior for a housecleaner? Do they all get fed up with clutter or do most of them refuse to clean it?
OK. Wow. I don’t have a cleaner, but I’d say this is inappropriate behavior. You’re paying her to clean, not to be your mama. I’d get rid of her. Or, if you’re scared to do that, try leaving the house while she cleans, if you trust her. Go to the park or add the cost of a snack at a place with an indoor playground to your budgeted amount for having the house cleaned. And if you don’t trust her, she needs to go anyway. Get yourself out of the situation where she has the opportunity to nag. You’re the one paying her. And BTW, I’m not usually as bossy as I am being in this reply, but this truly makes me mad.
You don’t need to pay someone to be emotionally abusive and judgmental. If she wants to clean a perfect house and micromanage everyone she can stay home in my opinion. She’s not right for you. There are plenty of other cleaners out there who get it. They don’t judge. Find one of those 🙂
30 years ago I bought a gorgeous Victorian home in sad need of repair. (Read “money pit”.) Kitchen remodel made whole house plaster dusty and living area first floor looked like a bomb exploded! I hired someone looking to help her family. Spoke little English, my spanish non existent. Brought out all cleaning supplies and the only thing she asked for was a TOOTHBRUSH. found one and left to work on bedrooms. Came back a little over an hour later and all my 30 plants had bed dusted, the living room looked pristine, trash had been carried out. Mariella worked for us weekly for three years even staying with our dog overnight. Have never had anyone like her. Unfortunately she had a cerebral hemorrhage one afternoon in the living room . The seven families she worked for by then paid for her funeral. We all loved her–just wish there were another Mariella in my life now. I pray for her and miss her every time I look at drawers she organized, pictures of the dog she taught to understand Spanish, and her lovely family who adored her. I keep looking tho and when I find another Angel I will find ways to cut budget to keep her. A pearl of great price deserves so much.
I’m embarrassed to post this but I’m at my wits end. I bought some old end tables and to my horrifying surprise they had cocktail nests in the cracks of the wood. Yes, disgusting and now a problem that is making me want to sell my home and move out! We’ve tried to control the situation by spraying at night and not leaving food etc but the problem keeps to be getting bigger. I’ve been contemplating getting a housekeeper way before the end tables scenario but now I’m ashamed and can’t bear the thought of having people come to my home and see these gross pests :/ Do housekeepers help with this type of problem as well as clean?
I totally agree. Having a maid has helped me keep by slobbiness under control because I have to pick up before they come.
I prefer to be called a housekeeper. Over 11 years experience. If you can afford one, get one. It really is a win win. I read a lot of posts though about how it keeps you guys accountable for picking up your clutter. I wish everyone thought that way! Picking up and putting away your clutter definitely helps your housekeeper be able to clean what needs cleaning. It is almost a waste of your money if you don’t; and for me, if I’m unable to get to things that need cleaning, then I’m leaving my job incomplete. I hate that! I wish more people thought of it that way. Most people I clean for just continue bringing in more crap. They don’t get their money’s worth, I’m defeated by their clutter and have no sense of accomplishment because my short amount of precious time was wasted on trying figure out what goes where and I’m left to rush the actual cleaning time. It’s nonsense. Please continue picking up your clutter, it’s for your benefit as well as your housekeeper’s.
One thing that helped me declutter was having a housekeeper. She worked for my mother, who had way too much stuff, and we kept her on after Mom passed. This woman came with her husband every week. They would clean top to bottom and would neatly stack anything that was in their way. This meant eventually having a leaning tower of boxes – some empty, some with new appliances and other items – in every room. Sometimes in multiple corners. They never complained, and we never felt judged. I started a major purge once Mom passed. Now the housekeepers are able to clean much more of the house with each visit. There was plenty of “perfectly good” stuff remaining that I had trouble getting rid of even though all the stacks were gone. I finally started noticing how many things the housekeepers were faithfully polishing every time they came – dusting my extra stuff that I never used. I decided that was a waste of their time and started finding it easier to let those things go. Or I’d find a long-forgotten cupboard of stuff in the garage and clear it out to make room for occasionally-used stuff that was taking up counter space. Sorry this is so long… but eventually I started seeing my stuff and especially Mom’s stuff in a different light. I don’t think I’d have come to that on my own had I been judged or berated. It’s not up to you to to decide if the people are getting their money’s worth. You get paid the same one way or the other, yes? I’m still working on my stuff, (they still can’t dust my computer desk) but now there is more of the house getting clean (and every TWO weeks rather than weekly) than there is uncleaned. I feel great about that!
hello! Great post!!! Love it! May I share it on my Facebook page?? I’m starting up my own housecleaning business and this is a great article to post!!!
Thanks:)
Sure! Just share the link to the post and don’t copy/paste the article!!
We used to have a housekeeper – we could afford one then, and can now. I found it MUCH easier to have a housekeeper when my kids were little, and we had a few foster kids as well. There were quite a few people in the house, and cleaning just felt like everyone was getting in your way. I worked, kids went to school, and when we all converged at the house, there wasn’t room, or time with everything going on. Now, my children are teens, the fosters grown and gone and having their own lives (and housekeepers) and my teens are more than happy to help with the chores. I just don’t feel the need to have one anymore! But, if you can afford it – go for it. It’s great income for someone that likes cleaning/organizing, and it’s a load off your shoulders! You’d be crazy not to if you can swing it!
I’ve hired someone twice so far. Hubby travels for work a lot and to tell you the truth, he’s a recovering emotional abuser and I’m trying to heal while staying in my marriage, because he IS trying and DOES see. Also I’m totally ADD. all that = tired after a long day wth the littles on my own, maybe didn’t eat well (or at all, I’m working on that) and frankly, I’d rather spend those times that it’s hard to do anything, at least doing something fun like working on a project I have 1/2 done (like painting the stairs) or decluttered a room. I need to do things that make me feel better and is progress …. By the time I’ve cleaned the kitchen and bathrooms I’m done and drained and there’s nothing left for those other things that make the place look crappy, “clean” or not. What I needed was a cleaning fairy to clean those mundane things while I did the jobs only I can do …. Like decluttering the kitchen table and finding home for things (some that I don’t have a clue where to put them but they seem important) SO, I got a maid to clean WITH me! She does the kitchen (including my dishes that I hate and haven’t done in days cause hubby is not here anyway so I’m not doing them blah. I can’t afford to hire one regularly but once a month maybe. Or when I’m so overwhelmed I just want to curl up and cry. I love her *sniff* she washed my windows and walls too.
I thank my lucky stars we can afford a housekeeper. Can I clean myself? Yes! Do I want to spend my weekends cleaning? No! Are my husband and I more than a bit slobbish? Yes! I followed enough of Flylady (before finding Nony) to be able to declutter now and again, and that felt good. I also took much away from the idea that ‘you can’t organize clutter’. But not much feels better than walking in after work and having the entire place done. I do pick up some before they come because I don’t like having to search my kitchen or closet for something that was put away in the wrong spot – so there’s my motivation there. I used to feel like I would be considered snobbish for having a cleaning service. I got over that real fast. I have no problem picking up after my husband (who really hates to clean) and there’s nothing to fight about because it’s still getting done – and not by me! This is one of the few blogs I’ve seen that advocates having a service. Thanks – it’s really great to see.
Like many others who commented I too cleaned houses. I enjoyed the satisfaction of how much each member of a family appreciated when you did some extra task just for them. As a result many years later when we were busy working long hours for our own company I was very appreciative of the woman we hired to clean our home. Their efforts kept our home a welcome sanctuary after long hard days and left those precious hours I did have free to spend quality time with my daughter. I say hurray for cleaners and those who hire them!
I completely agree!!!!
Outsourcing some house cleaning just makes sense and gives someone else a job.
I have cleaned home for 10 yrs. and know how much relief my clients have for having me. It is hard work, but rewarding knowing someone appreciates your work. On the plus side I have raised 3 children on a housekeepers salary and have rarely any complaints. I wish this housekeeper had a housekeeper!
Here in South Africa, the majority of homes have a full time domestic or at least part time help. It is unusual to have no help at all. There are a lot of cleaning services that come to your house as often as you schedule them and do a full clean. You can always tell yourself that job creation is important to the economy (which it is) if you feel guilty.
YES!YES!YES! If you can afford it (maybe even only periodically through the year for a really deep/thorough clean). Let me say this again YES!!!!
The reason I am so emphatic about it is I have a house-cleaner who comes usually every 3 weeks when I can afford it to do a deep clean. The funny thing is, while he and his helper are here, I pick up the clutter. My husband works 3 jobs, 1 work, we have a 16 year old in 2 competitive sports (gymnastics and cheerleading) and seems like we travel every weekend for one or the other 6 months out of the year. So basically, nothing but absolutely necessary things get done during competitive season without my house cleaner. We have a gardener (who also paints – odd combination, I know, but he does a great job at both). I am so grateful for our gardener.
But I digress. When my house-cleaner comes, I take the day off (if at all possible) and he cleans and I put clutter AWAY! I am devoting my whole day to picking up clutter! It is truly a motivator when you look at your beautifully clean home and still see clutter, this is my day of to pick up clutter. If it has a home in this house, it gets put away; otherwise it goes in the donate, recycle or trash. Trash and recyclables are easy to take care of, put them in the bins. I make a once a month donation run to our ASPCA thrift store (we are huge animal lovers) and ASPCA is a no-kill shelter.
So there it is, my soap box for the day.
Thank you Nony!
I felt ashamed too and I tried so hard to be a flybaby.
I’m a divorced mom of 3 with a 3 bedroom house and kids in sports. Boy was I crying purple puddles. 😉
My house wasn’t dusted for years and when my elderly mother stays with me for months at a time, the house would become a disaster. The little bit that I cleaned was ok and I could put up with my own mess and leave my mess to continue later, but with her very disorganized way of living it increased the mess at least 5x. She saves containers, packaging, paper bags, re-uses clean paper towels (drying hands with paper towels) and it just piles and piles. So when she left out of town, I decided to hire somebody to clean. I was so over being ashamed, and I do laundry, organize and put away clothes while she cleans. So wih kids in sports, you can imagine after working 8-5 and going to practice, I hardly have time to clean. So yes, I admit I have a housekeeper and she is a blessing. I pass on the blessings by keeping her employed and she wins and I win.
Now my mother has to clean up her stuff before she gets there, so it works! yay!! My mother has a companion too because they have a lot to talk about.
During the 2 weeks between visits, I do my best to put laundry away, hang up clothes, clear the paperwork, I do a fling-boogie, swish and wipe here and there, so its decent during the weeks that she doesn’t come to clean. I’m so very happy and relieved I found her.
I had to get over the stigma of getting a cleaner, especially since my late husband and I didn’t have children. But he worked long hours, I still do, and one day I said I KNOW we can do it ourselves, but I am cleaning the most of the two of us, and why should I? I don’t want to, I’m too tired after work, and the place is not clean enough to my standards. So we agreed to find someone to come in twice a month for two hours to focus on deep cleaning shelves, floors, and the bathroom. We found our cleaner through a friend. It’s great. She is so quick and efficient. I definitely clean before she cleans–making sure surfaces are clear, laundry is put away, etc. A real benefit is that I am encouraged to purge because in 475 sq ft it’s a lot easier to get rid of clutter than to try to find a place to keep it, so I often quickly purge clutter before she comes.
Daily tasks like laundry and running the dishwasher and putting things away in their places are things I rarely get behind on, and I am very organized, but still. I am learning that it’s not a good thing to organize clutter. Still working on that.
Having everything clean at the same time at least twice a month is such a relief.
And I hate doing floors. Like, really hate. Now I know that at at least twice in the month they will be properly cleaned.
I recently hired a friend who needed some $ to clean for me once a month. I have a dust allergy, chemical irritants, and a bad back – so I can’t dust, mop, sweep,vacuum or clean the bathrooms – I do laundry, cook, clean kitchen counters and sinks, declutter, pick up, etc before she comes. I’m a messy by nature. I nest wherever I sit – books, mail, catalogs, magazines, snacks – I have to pick it all up before she comes so she can get to the surfaces!
My hubby was doing the bathrooms, and still does on the weeks she isn’t here – but it is staying cleaner than before…I’m hoping she wants to keep coming!
I have had a housekeeper come every other week since I got married twenty-seven years ago. In the beginning it was because we both worked outside the home and didn’t want to spend our weekends cleaning. Then I had kids and it helped keep the stress down. I didn’t worry if there were little messes or spills because I wasn’t exhausted from doing all of the heavy cleaning. Through the years I have tried to always hire individuals so that I know I am helping someone, and they become almost like family. In all of this time I am only on my third person. First one retired, second moved away and still have the third. Another benefit is that it encourages me to keep the surface clutter under control (doesn’t do much for closets, drawers, etc). My husband laughs that I “clean for the cleaning lady”, but it’s not cleaning, it’s dealing with stuff. I would rather she spends the time dusting and cleaning than moving things out of her way
I wanted to hire cleaning help for years and years, but held back not only for financial reasons, but for the same reasons you touched on. It’s admitting defeat. It’s being lazy. It’s needlessly shelling out money to have other people do things you could easily do yourself.
BUT. I finally realized that it’s not admitting defeat any more than hiring an expert in any other field is admitting defeat. Is hiring someone to paint your house admitting defeat? Sure, you COULD do it yourself, but you’ll save a ton of time and get better results if you hire professionals. Once I framed it that way, the idea made so much sense. Am I CAPABLE of cleaning? Yes. But is it something I enjoy? Something at which I’m naturally talented? Absolutely not.
I think the other thing that made the idea okay for me was knowing how overcomitted and overbusy I was and wanting to cut back on some things. Someone wise told me to figure out what tasks only I could do, and what tasks could be delegated to others. I am the only one who can be wife to my husband and mom to my kids. I am the only one who can write the books I’m called to write, and the only person who can do exactly what I’m called to do as a musician.
But am I the only one who can clean my house? No.
We’ve had monthly cleaning for over a year now, and it is seriously one of the best investments I’ve ever made. Yes, it’s costly (although not nearly as costly as I’d feared!), but it is ABSOLUTELY WORTH IT. I will cut back on just about anything else, budget-wise, to make room for the cleaning. It is so refreshing to know that no matter what happens in our home in any given month (illness, busy-ness, kid disasters), once a month I get a fresh start. A clean slate. Once every month I get to start from zero with a spotless house. And for me that means the world.
Reading these comments is really interesting – I don’t think I would be embarrassed to have someone clean my house at this point in my life (although I am embarrassed when friends come by sometimes). I think of it like my Ob-Gyn in that way – a professional non-embarrassing situation.
However, I do have the hang-up about hiring someone when I am a stay-at-home mom. Seems hard for me to justify. I have done it twice in 9 years, once pregnant and once before a huge event. I don’t think my husband would mind but I feel silly (this post is giving me pause for reflection though, honestly).
Secondly, my home is more untidy than dirty. Of course the baseboards and such are dusty but nothing terrible, at least not compared to my unmatched sock pile and overflowing nerf gun bucket and piles and piles of mail. I wish someone could come deal with my day to day war with socks and dishes – I do not mind scrubbing toilets and vacuuming.
Interesting thought. Here in France, it is not so common to have a maid (although almost all women have a full-time job). It is sometimes considered capitalist exploitation… I myself was not at ease with this idea. But having full-time job, a small child, very long commute hours (3 and a half hour each working day), plus back problems, and an husband with health problems too, it was a mess and dirty. We discussed, agreed that we could afford one maid 2 hours a week.
It was such a relief!
The house was clean, and as she had few time to clean, it motivated everybody to tidy (at least the surfaces) before she went. Even my small girl. The night before she came, we decluttered the floor and removed the trash. My husband made the dishes and put the trash bag into the outside trash bin. I had to tidy the kitchen counter. If we had more time, we were motivated to tidy a little bit (the flat surfaces). I had more time to enjoy my family (instead of cleaning all the Sunday…) . And I had time to declutter and tidy the house. So gradually my house improved.
Few years later, my income lowered and I had more time, so we stopped with the maid.
Recently, new changes, and I have a maid again.
I love this perspective. I also want to point out that it is possible to hire a housekeeper that can deal with clutter. I’m so thankful I’ve found someone who does my laundry, dishes, clean bathrooms, etc AND will put away random clutter. We can even work together sometimes to come up with organizing solutions. The first time she was here, I went around the house and showed her where things should belong and she does a great job of clearing clutter from our family of 6. I don’t understand why some housekeepers refuse to do this, especially if you are paying per hour. Please consider asking if they would be willing to learn where thing go to help alleviate the stress of a cluttered home. My housekeeper also helps with decluttering. I tell her what size my kids are, and she can come up with a bag of suggested donations (clothes that are too small). She also went through my towels and suggested which ones could be donated or used as rags. No need to stress out before the housekeeper arrives, you guys!!
Yes! A cleaning person has helped me so much! And then I discovered getting rid of all my crap and not buying any more crap and throwing away all crap that makes it in the house that I don’t want… and that’s the secret to it all. I even hired someone to help me declutter and it is a beautiful thing. I don’t really clean! There are dishes and counters and bathrooms, but the rest can wait for the cleaning person. Who is so sweet and does it on the side of her part time job for extra money. And now that there’s not a bunch of extra stuff everywhere, I have to do a 20 minute tidy here and there and that’s really all I have to do. I even drop off my laundry when it gets to be too much.
I’ve never had a cleaning lady but I’ve lived in a house as a guest for months that had one and I do know several people that have had one come in.
Most have bi- weekly .
Here’s the thing everybody straightens up before the lady comes . Toys books clothes shoes you name it it gets put away. The reason is because the cleaning lady will put it away where it’s convenient not where it belongs. I have seen thing in strange places. Anything on kitchen counters goes in the nearest drawer. But, then you learn to straighten up and put away your stuff. Having someone else clean your floors and dust is so fabulous. Someone else Cleaning the bathrooms is heavenly . Vacuuming is so back saving. Go for it but remember uf you don’t tell them specifically which puke stays put you’ll never find any of it until you look for a red marker or a shrimp fork then tah dah .
As a cleaning lady, I either move & put back, or just do 1 layer deep. I don’t put stuff away. If people want the whole counter cleaned, they will find a way to clear it before hand.
In some houses, like the Mom w/ 3 littles I’d stack snacks in a bowl already on the counter, then only move the bowl. But I don’t always t get to move every little knick knack, because I have a whole house to dust & clean.