If you have housecleaning help...

[Tranquility7]

Is a maid service worth the expense?  I'd really like to find someone to come 2-4 hrs/wk to do specific tasks for me - probably regularly clean bathrooms, dust, and mop, and then also have a rotating list of other activities that do not need to be done weekly. 

 

If you have housecleaning help, what do they do, how many people is it, how long do they work, how often, and (if you are willing to disclose) how much does it cost?

 

Also, any advice on interviewing potential candidates?

[SKL]

We have two women come in (together) once a month for 3 hours (so 6 total hours of cleaning per month).  They vacuum, dust, clean the bathrooms, wash the kitchen floors.  They will concentrate on something in particular if we ask, but not too much of that, because they don't have that much time.  (Though they will come for more hours if we ask.)  We have a 5-bedroom, 3 bathroom colonial with a finished basement (which is included in the cleaning).

 

It is worth it to me, because I don't have to stress about that stuff when time is very tight due to other commitments.  Before maids, I used to have to do a marathon cleaning whenever I heard someone was coming over - often with less than a day's notice.  Not fun.  It created a lot of resentment since the other adults living here did not pull their weight in the cleaning department.  Much more peaceful to just pool together and hire someone.  There is still housework to do, but it's a lot less stressful/negative than it was before.

 

We pay about $20 per hour per person.

 

As far as how we found the people, initially we hired a service.  Our cleaners decided to quit and start their own business.  When one of them dropped off, the remaining one would find a replacement etc.  They also have other friends who will do handyman type work etc. if we ask.

[maize]

I have a teenage mother's helper come twice a week for two hours. She does whatever I ask, usually cleans the kitchen, sweeps and mops floors, sometimes laundry. I pay $9.00 an hour, better than a teenager can make at most jobs around here.

[SeaConquest]

I have a housekeeper come weekly in San Diego (twice per week when we lived in Mexico). She cleans everything for about 4-5 hours, does our laundry (and puts it away), changes linens, does dishes, etc. We pay $75 per week. Our marriage wouldn't survive without it.

[MollyAnn]

I have a housekeeper come in every other week. She is here for about 4 hours, she charges me $60 but I pay $70. The house has to be tidy before she comes, she does NOT pick up after us. She comes in, gets her bucket and cleaning sprays and starts scrubbing and dusting. Look at FlyLady's detailed cleaning list and that is pretty much what she does.

She always does the kitchen, but the rest of the house is on a rotation that she decided on. We have 2300 sq ft hat included 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, kitchen, office, dining room, living room, and den.

I get so excited on the day she comes because I know my house is going to look fabulous. I love her and she is worth every penny.

She was recommended to me by my neighbor. If you know anyone who has housekeeping start there. Ask everyone you know if they have anyone or if they know someone who does. Interview them first, if they make you uneasy do not hire them for even 1 cleaning. A service will cost you 3 times more than an independent. Make sure they are OK with you being there, some insist on the house being empty.

That is all I can think of.

[Isabella]

My daughter has a housekeeping service, which I help in when needed, so I can tell you what we do.

 

Mostly it's just my daughter cleaning, but when she has to many jobs on in one day, two or three (usually one of my other daughters)of us go to each job that day.

 

We charge $35 per cleaning hour, that is... if they want three hours of cleaning done, if there is three of us, it only takes one hour, but three hours of cleaning have been done.

 

Our clients have differing requirements of us. Some of them pretty much just leave the house as is and walk out the door, and like us to pick up and tidy, as well as clean. Others do a pick up before we come. Either way it's fine by us, but it's nice if we don't have to pick up used tissues, cotton balls, personal products etc! Some get us to change bed linen, others don't, some get us to wash clothes and iron, etc.

 

Mostly for a four bedroom, two bathroom house, we clean bathrooms, dust, clean kitchen, vacuum hard floors and carpets throughout, and mop hard floors and if there's no tidying, it would take about 3hrs.

 

Most of our clients are fortnightly, but some are weekly, and others monthly.  Every few weeks we get a once-off.

 

A good way to try them out is just book them for a once off clean, then if you like them, continue. If not no one loses face! Most of our business comes from recommendations from our clients.  We haven't had any interviews as such.  Most people just book us immediately for regular services, but some have asked for a one-off, then continued as regulars.

 

 

 

Let me know if there's anything else that you might want to know.

[Heather in Neverland]

Worth every penny! Of course, a penny goes a lot farther here...

 

We have a full time maid/nanny/cook. Monday through Friday she does literally everything... The cleaning, the cooking, the laundry and childcare in the afternoon for my dd while I am at work. She leaves on Friday at 5pm and comes back Monday morning at 7pm so I'm on my own for the weekend.

 

This service costs me RM1600, or about $500, per month.

[craftyerin]

I have a service who comes every other week.  Linda is the owner and she brings 3-4 other girls with her.  They clean my house super thoroughly floors, bathrooms, dusting, kitchen, changing sheets, etc, but we have to have it tidy before they get here (which is the hardest part!!).  Because there are so many of them, they are FAST which is what makes the difference for me. I have tried a few other people that I didn't stick with, since they worked by themselves and had to be in my home a lot longer. I like to get out of the house for them, and I just can't vacate the house for 5-6 hours on a weekday.  I pay Linda a LOT! About $150/cleaning, but she is, IMO, 100% worth it. 

 

eta: I found Linda by asking around in my homeschool group. She cleans for at least 4 of us. 

[momto10blessings]

I just don't think it's worth it. Prepping before they arrive is so stressful to me. And I have to prep a lot! It was stressing me out! Then there's the whole part of stranger being in every part of my home. Nope, not for me

[Happy]

The prepping before they arrive is vital to us. :) Otherwise we get swamped in our own clutter. This way, at least once a month, we are picking up old newspapers, books, and magazines, folding piles of forgotten clean laundry, and figuring out what to do with x that's been sitting on the counter for the past three weeks. (do we have a blushing smilie?)

 

We pay K 100/month. She usually brings a partner. They work a couple of hours focusing on the kitchen, bathrooms, and floors. She tidies the stuff on the coffee table and my desk. It's worth it to me because I'm working full time these days and I still have health related energy issues. None of us have the desire to do cleaning anyway. If I could afford it, I'd have her come once a week. The pleasure of living in a clean house would be worth it.

[NavyMommy]

I have someone who comes every other week. It's a team of 2 people for 2 hours and I pay $45 a time. They're amazing, and have made my life SO much easier!

 

I actually found them on Groupon, they're a highly recommended service and once my Groupon cleaning was over they had an ongoing special for the same price, otherwise I couldn't afford it. I so look forward to it. They move quickly so the best thing is for us to get out of the way. We head to the library or gym for a couple of hours and I come home to a sparkling clean house. Totally worth it!

[dirty ethel rackham]

I have one person who comes for 4 hours every two weeks.  She cleans bathrooms (cleaning tub/shower, mirrors, counters, fixtures, toilet inside and out, blinds, vacuums and washes floors,) kitchen (cleans outside of appliances, counter tops, cleans the stove, vacuums and washes the floor), and every room (dusts surfaces including blinds, vacuums and washes the floors, baseboards, windowsills.) She also cleans the glass on my front storm door. Each week, she does a little deeper cleaning of one room (like about 3-4 times a year, she washes the cabinets in rotation, cleans the patio window, scrubs the tile a little more thoroughly, gets the light fixtures, etc.)  I try to have the house straightened up for her so she can clean.  There are times that I haven't straightened as much as I like so she has to get my stuff out of the way.  Not preferable, but it happens. 

 

In between, we do wipe down bathrooms every couple of days, sweep, clean up the kitchen - more so if company is coming ;). 

[Spryte]

We have a weekly service.  They do the bathrooms (we have 4, it's ridiculous, really), kitchen, floors, vacuum furniture (under cushions, etc), change linens, dust, spot clean walls, inside of windows where the dogs noses make streaks, clean all glass (windows/sliding doors, etc).  I didn't list out everything they do to clean the bath or kitchen but when they leave - both sparkle. They will do extras as I request if they are small, or for a fee I can schedule ahead for bigger extra jobs (cleaning out the fridge, cleaning the oven, all the windows, etc).

 

We do the pick up routine before they arrive.  Sometimes it is stressful if we're in a hurry, but the pay off is worth it.  It is not a big deal for me to ask the kids to pick up their rooms and help make sure that random stuff in the common areas is put away, and this means we absolutely get to it, and don't let it pile up.

 

Our service charges a flat fee per house - $80 a week.  Our house is small (despite having 4 baths!  We only have 1300 feet!) but my friends with very large McMansions pay the same fee.  I tip the cleaners each week, because I know they are working on a fairly low hourly wage, and they work hard.  Very hard.

 

Is it worth it?  Yes.  It is to us.  We have allergies and asthma here, and this means that I am free to do other essential cleaning each week that other people might not do weekly (we remove all curtains, etc and wash in hot weekly; I wash all bedding materials, pillows and stuffies in hot weekly, and there is more).  It helps cut down on the indoor allergens.

 

DH feels that if the DC were in school, they would have a salaried teacher, full time.  So he views homeschooling as a full time job.  He wants me to be able to focus on that, completely.  He's a sweetie, because I could do both - but it's a gift from him.  

 

I should add, too, that I have had chronic health issues for ... hmmm, 15 years now ... and having a cleaning service means that when my energy is limited, and I only have so many "spoons" per day ... that energy is spent on the kids, or DH, or something else that matters.  Rather than, say, the bathroom.   :)

 

ETA: We found this service via word of mouth.  We've tried others, some much more expensive, but this one's the best by far.  Asking around and finding good recommendations from happy clients is definitely the way to go.

[Alyeska]

Last month I had every intention of hiring a twice a month cleaning service for the three bathrooms.  But my teen wanted to earn some extra money so I gave her a list of expectations and we agreed on a dollar amount ($7 per bathroom).  It takes her about 30 minutes per bathroom.  She still does her regular daily chores for her chore money.

 

It has been working out well!  She is particular (just like me) and she gets to earn extra money towards a vehicle.  : )

 

If she ever decides she doesn't want to clean anymore, I will definitely hire out.  Having clean bathrooms is worth it to me. 

[Beth in OH]

 

 

We pay about $20 per hour per person.

 

 

Same.  Sometimes they (team of 2) work extra hard and finish early.  Same total price.

[VeganCupcake]

Worth every penny.

 

I have someone who usually comes once a week, but we do sometimes skip weeks. She charges $20 an hour per cleaning person, so usually with two of them, what I have them do costs $40 and they're done in an hour. They do our two bathrooms, our tile and laminate floors in kitchen, living room, laundry, entryways, and staircase. They also vacuum the upstairs and often have time for a project, which is anything I choose, like one window with its blinds or wiping down the outside of kitchen cabinets or whatever.