Do you use a professional service or just someone you hired yourself? I used to have a young lady I knew come in once every couple of weeks and do the big yucky stuff but it's been a while.
Where do you find your cleaning lady? How do you know that she is honest? I am weird about having strangers in my home. But I would sure love to find someone trustworthy to come in a couple of times a month and do stuff.

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The political system is broke and it's a joke.

I AM the cleaning lady.

me too. I just wish I was able to afford to pay someone to go do my laundry. That is the only job I don't like to do.

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~~~~**Maryann**~~~~

I just got a firm grip on reality....
Now I can strangle it

I have used a service in the past, but I now have someone that I found on craigslist. I found a number of postings on craiglist, emailed or called them, then decided to have a few different people out. I had one come each week, then evaluated their services. I ended up going with Maria and I couldn't be happier. She comes every Wednesday and it makes my life so much easier. It's worthwhile for me because I can spend the time I would have spent cleaning either working or with my family. Either way, it is a bonus. I do the laundry and change the beds. She would, but I actually like changing the sheets, so it works out. Anyway, I'm home during the day so I could kind of get a feel for how and what Maria does. At this point, we are comfortable giving her a key and she comes over to care for our animals if we are out of town. I totally trust her.

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Kim

Never did and never will I am too personal about someone being in my home and touching my stuff besides living with mister clean my dh he actually does more cleaning then I do and also with our children doing their own rooms it works for us. I would how ever love love love to have someone just do the laundry I hate hate laundry. Good luck . Peace. Catherine

I like my house immacutlate and cant find a maid that does a good job.

Family Living

I'm so sorry to hear that. I own/operate a cleaning business and I love what I do. While I've just made it a full time position, I've done it part time with a few select clients for years. In seven years, I've only had one client drop me and I simply couldn't please him. However, I am NOT a maid, and neither is my staff. There's a difference (at least, on the southern east coast) between a maid and a housekeeper. As housekeepers, we thoroughly clean your home. But there are things we do not do: change kitty litter, "fetch" things for our clients ("bring me a glass of water"; "Bring coffee to our guests"), things of that nature.

That being said, we have dropped clients before. Most notably, one client decided to smoke pot in our presence. One client's husband draped his used prophalactics over the edge of the unlined trashcan. One client left nude photos of himself where we'd be sure to find them (keep in mind, this particular client is 82 years old...and the photos were RECENT!)

We pride ourselves on doing a job so great, our clients will brag to their friends about us - best advertisement there is.

Anna, be sure to check references - ask how long the crew has been working for the homeowner. See if the crew has access to the reference's home - do they have a key? Security combination? While negative answers aren't necessarily bad (some homeowners prefer to be home when their cleaners come), a positive answer is great. Ask if they're bonded and insured. While bonded/insured crews will cost you more for the most part, you're much better protected. Will the same person come everytime? How long has the crew been in business? If you have to skip a visit due to illness, vacation, etc., will you be charged?

Good luck to you and don't forget to pay attention to your instincts.

Mariah

Thanks you guys and Mariah I will take all those things into consideration. And Kim I never thought of craigslist.
Catherine I am kind of that way too but I want someone to do the stuff I don't care to do.

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The political system is broke and it's a joke.

Anna dear friend I know how you feel because like I said while my dh does do alot of cleaning laundry is not one he tried , I am so fussy with the laundry I separate everything and only wash delicates and whites only with whites and I soak overnite the whites in bleach. But its truly a a job that is never done even when you do it every day there is always another load and socks they are a nightmare lol. I do believe cleaning houses for a living is a very hard job and I also believe and know cleaning ladies do a wonderful job, my mom has someone come every 2 weeks and she does wonderful for my parents again Anna good luck. Peace. Catherine

that's why I had kids Honestly, it's not that hard to pick up a house. The yucky stuff...well, my DH does it or I field it out to the kids. Laundry and dishes are the biggies here and no big deal to me. Easy to do while I do other stuff. I thought about hiring someone but the thought of having to clean before the cleaning person comes (I know people who do this because they are embarrassed to have a dirty house) just doesn't do it for me.

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Proud to say I haven't shopped at a Wal-Mart since Sept 2003

I'm thinking more of things like cleaning down the walls, taking everything out of kitchen cupboards and cleaning them, moving furniture to clean floors underneath, individually cleaning each blind of the blinds and other stuff like that.

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The political system is broke and it's a joke.

You are right. It's not that hard to pick up, but it is much easier to keep it that way if that is your focus, rather than the vacuuming, dusting, mopping, etc. My DH travels all week and I work about 50-55 hours per week at home, so I just don't want that to be a focus. I do have an 11-year-old and I am slowly getting him to help some, but he also spends a lot of time at his dad's and has to help there, so I don't want him to have responsibility for 2 houses. We do make sure everything is picked up, but I don't really "clean" before she comes. I make sure the counters are wiped down, toilets clean, etc., but I do that on the days she doesn't come, too. That's just part of keeping the house clean. I really appreciate and enjoy not having to spend the time cleaning the showers and tubs, floors, etc. She moves the furniture to clean underneath, wipes down the blinds, cleans the windows and windowsills, too. I can't ask for more.

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Kim

I would love to be able to afford to hire some of the heavy stuff done. I started my spring cleaning a couple of weeks ago because due to health issues, I am soooo slow. I have the living room done except for polishing the floor, the kitchen is entirely done. Today, I sure hope I finish the family room/home office as my grandson is coming to stay with me and daughter for the long school weekend. I will still have to clean the windows and blinds in spring. But, I can get outside sooner and enjoy coming out of the winter cave. lol Before health problems, I used to spring clean both spring and late fall. At almost 56, I just can no longer do all that. My fall cleaning is a deep cleaning but not as thorough as spring cleaning. Getting older is actually a wonderful thing if it just didn't hurt so badly. hehe Three bedrooms, 2 baths and a small hallway to go. If I go slowly, I don't cripple me up and wind up in bed most of the time for weeks. I have always went like fighting fire and this slow business takes some getting used to.

Forgot to say that my almost 8 yr. old daughter loads the dishwasher, keeps the small trash cans emptied, cleans her own bathroom and bedroom, takes dog out to do his business, and folds and hangs her own clothes. She does a great job. I have to remind her of her chores sometimes, but for not quite 8, I sure can't complain. She is a great help to me. Cheerful and efficient.

When I first got married we had a cleaning lady come in twice a week - (at the time we were both working full time plus several hours overtime and neither of us had much energy left to do serious cleaning plus it was only $40 a week to have her come in 2 days a week for 2-3 hours a day)

But I was so paranoid about having the girl think we were slobs that on the days she came in, I ran around the house picking stuff up and dusting off.. etc. That lasted about 2 months, then pressure of having to have my house clean for the cleaning lady was too much...and we had to let her go

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Mary

Anna, you need someone to come in and give you a quote for a "spring clean". Typically, we charge about twice as much for spring clean than we do for a "regular" clean. You'll get things done like what you've mentioned above, as well as"

Clean the oven, fridge, etc.
Move the fridge to sweep and mop underneath
Clean & polish, if required (IE - they're a glossy wood) the fronts of the cabinets
Clean the insides and outsides of the trashcans
Deep clean the baseboards (WASH the baseboards, not just dust them)
Clean the panels on your doors (by washing, not just dusting)
Vacuuming under all your sofa/chair cushions
Moving all movable furniture (I won't allow my staff to move something that may potentially hurt them OR my client's floor) and vac/mop underneath
Take down light fixtures and wash and replace

Things of that nature. Be sure to ask for a list of exactly what the service provides on a spring clean, that way you know what to expect.

Mariah

I use a Brazilian husband and wife team who were referred by a friend from work. We picked up their slot when she and her husband divorced and couldn't afford to have their house(s) cleaned anymore. This couple cleans house for a state trooper who lives in our town; I felt good about that.

cj/

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I was walking home one night and a guy hammering on a roof called me a paranoid little weirdo. In morse code. -Emo Phillips

We saw our cleaning lady coming in and out of our neighbors house and took his recommendation.

Thanks for your input in this thread -- you've provided some great information.