lynn Posted February 14, 2008 Share Posted February 14, 2008 Besides freeing up my time what can they do that I can't? I have a clean house. Beyond the everyday wiping, vaccum, sweeping etc. Everything else (i.e. baseboards, windows, doorframes,) gets wiped down weekly. I've read check lists on what they do and it's all what I do just about daily. I am never to sure what is meant by deep cleaning? Am I missing something? If blinds, baseboards etc get wiped down weekly what is there to deep cleaning. If you mean moving the fridge, wash and dryer to clean under and behind that's about quarterly thing here. Windows and spring and fall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted February 14, 2008 Share Posted February 14, 2008 ...for me, it's doing what you don't want to do, or freeing up your time to do something that you find more valuable. In my case, because I live in an inconvenient country, having someone who helps with shopping, paying bills, etc. saves me massive amounts of time. But it doesn't hurt that she also does all the cleaning you mentioned, plus dish washing and clothes washing. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynn Posted February 14, 2008 Author Share Posted February 14, 2008 Don't get me wrong I do what I want to do. I don't spend all day cleaning I have routines that work around my kids time, my personal time, my running time, my dh time everything just seems to flow and if something does not get done today because the weather is perfect and the park is calling or my son needs me to pitch the baseball or baby girl wants to blow bubbles or a sick child needs some extra snuggling I don't worry about it because tomorrow's another day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harriet Vane Posted February 14, 2008 Share Posted February 14, 2008 I *don't* naturally keep a clean/tidy house. I am terrible at daily discipline--I am more of a blow-through-a-big-project-in-one-intense-push kinda person. As such, I have an unfortunate habit of not noticing the cleaning needs of the house until it's just. really. bad. :eek: If you *do* keep a clean house already, and you are able to get done all that you want to do, then you may be one of those blessed individuals who doesn't need one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynn Posted February 14, 2008 Author Share Posted February 14, 2008 I guess my mother always had her cleaning routines down and with the help of flylady I found mine. I wasn't always like this, I am lazy person by nature. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danestress Posted February 14, 2008 Share Posted February 14, 2008 Besides freeing up my time what can they do that I can't? I have a clean house. Beyond the everyday wiping, vaccum, sweeping etc. Everything else (i.e. baseboards, windows, doorframes,) gets wiped down weekly. I've read check lists on what they do and it's all what I do just about daily. I am never to sure what is meant by deep cleaning? Am I missing something? If blinds, baseboards etc get wiped down weekly what is there to deep cleaning. If you mean moving the fridge, wash and dryer to clean under and behind that's about quarterly thing here. Windows and spring and fall. I'm not as disciplined as you are, but I do like things to look nice all the time, and I do think housekeepers aren't as useful in those circumstances. When I had one, the children were small and keeping up with housework was more difficult. She would come in and put fresh linens on all the bed (I stripped them) clean all the bathrooms, mop all the floors, vacuum, dust etc. Nothing that you aren't doing as part of your everyday life, but I loved having the whole house clean at once. But for me, I feel like I have to do all these things pretty frequently anyway, and that's why I eventually stopped having one. Other than making up bed (which is a once a week thing) the rest of these chores have to be done more often than once a week when you have young children, so I got to where she would leave one day, and the next day I would be back to scrubbing a floor that someone spilled on. It didn't feel like the best use of money. Now I treat my kids like hired help, that that works:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Remudamom Posted February 14, 2008 Share Posted February 14, 2008 I don't have a housekeeper but I grew up with one. She cleaned, did laundry, cooked some meals, helped raise and babysit us and ran the house with an iron fist. She helped with things like cleaning out closets. She "suggested" things to my mom. She made everyone clean their own rooms. She was worth her considerable weight in gold. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted February 14, 2008 Share Posted February 14, 2008 She was worth her considerable weight in gold. Although mine weighs around 100 pounds. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Remudamom Posted February 14, 2008 Share Posted February 14, 2008 Although mine weighs around 100 pounds. Laura Hmmm... my housekeeper can beat up your housekeeper! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted February 14, 2008 Share Posted February 14, 2008 Besides freeing up my time what can they do that I can't? I have a clean house. Beyond the everyday wiping, vaccum, sweeping etc. Everything else (i.e. baseboards, windows, doorframes,) gets wiped down weekly. I've read check lists on what they do and it's all what I do just about daily. I am never to sure what is meant by deep cleaning? Am I missing something? If blinds, baseboards etc get wiped down weekly what is there to deep cleaning. If you mean moving the fridge, wash and dryer to clean under and behind that's about quarterly thing here. Windows and spring and fall. You wipe down blinds, baseboards, windows, doorframes weekly?? OY! *I'd* need a housekeeper to keep up with you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kris Posted February 14, 2008 Share Posted February 14, 2008 I *don't* naturally keep a clean/tidy house. I am terrible at daily discipline--I am more of a blow-through-a-big-project-in-one-intense-push kinda person. As such, I have an unfortunate habit of not noticing the cleaning needs of the house until it's just. really. bad. :eek: Same here. I mean, how do you know you've accomplished anything if there isn't something you can see to begin with? I always wondered how people do that -- how do you know where to dust if you can't see dust? :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted February 14, 2008 Share Posted February 14, 2008 I'm not sure what the point of this thread is, sorry. If people want housekeepers, more power to 'em. I had one once and it was a huge blessing. As soon as there's money, I will again, but for a totally different reason. The first time I was too sick to keep house and NEEDED the help. This time I have a new, slightly, um, oversize house and would welcome the help. (as would dh whom it seems to get dumped on) It's totally up to the individual and their situation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mekanamom Posted February 14, 2008 Share Posted February 14, 2008 Oh, everyone has a different situation... My three kids and I are doing pretty well with the help of the Motivatedmoms planner right now. Things stay pretty clean, and the kids are learning how to clean, which I think is very important. But seriously, I don't think there is anything wrong with having a housekeeper... I did have a cleaning service when I had two toddlers and was pregnant with my third baby. It was a lovely feeling to come home to a clean house. It never had a chance to get really dirty with the weekly professional cleaning. I wouldn't feel bad at all about hiring a cleaning service again right now if I could justify the $$. There are always different circumstances to consider... there are a million different reasons to either have cleaning help or to not have it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Remudamom Posted February 14, 2008 Share Posted February 14, 2008 Well, in my case having a housekeeper when I was growing up was not so good for me. I didn't learn how to do anything when I was a kid. No laundry, cleaning, vacuuming, cooking. It was a disaster when we got married. Of course, I can blame that on my parents for not making me learn that, not the housekeeper. We've had help come in before just on a weekly basis, not daily, and when the triplets were born we had a nanny for a while. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted February 14, 2008 Share Posted February 14, 2008 My mother is a slummock (good dialect word) who cleans only just enough to prevent disease. On the housekeeper's day off, my boys wash dishes (by hand) and clothes. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sugarfoot Posted February 14, 2008 Share Posted February 14, 2008 about having a weekly housekeeper is that the whole house gets cleaned at once. We have a big house, and it takes about 5 hours of uninterrupted, steady-paced time to do what Flylady calls the "weekly house blessing." I actually like to clean, but with 4 kids, 2 of whom are under 2, I just can't get it all done in 1 day. That's not a necessity, of course, and I could clean a little each day, but it's so nice to get the weekly shopping done, come home, put it all away in the clean house, and have it ALL done for the week. There's still daily maintenance, of course, but it's so much easier to maintain a clean house.;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy loves Bud Posted February 14, 2008 Share Posted February 14, 2008 What Laura in China said. It's not that I can't do those things, it's that I'd rather be doing something else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mekanamom Posted February 14, 2008 Share Posted February 14, 2008 Well, in my case having a housekeeper when I was growing up was not so good for me. I didn't learn how to do anything when I was a kid. No laundry, cleaning, vacuuming, cooking. It was a disaster when we got married. Of course, I can blame that on my parents for not making me learn that, not the housekeeper. We've had help come in before just on a weekly basis, not daily, and when the triplets were born we had a nanny for a while. Yeah, it's important for kids to learn how to clean. I have to step back and after giving them some instruction, just let them do it, let them make mistakes, and let them learn from them... and get better the next time. Same with cooking. Same with a lot of the horse stuff and school lessons for that matter! One thing I've noticed with them is that since they are doing their own cleaning, they are more careful about not getting things too dirty in the first place. They're pretty good about taking their outdoor shoes off instead of tracking dirt through the house, brushing the hay off their clothes before coming inside, etc. I'd still hire a weekly cleaning service though, if I didn't have other money priorities right now. :D I'm sure I could devise ways for the kids to keep up their cleaning skills. Heh heh heh. Or at the very least, send them off to college with a copy of "Sink Reflections" and a basic cookbook. :p I think it is a very real possibility that we will hire a gardening service to take care of the landscaping in the front yard at least. DH doesn't do yardwork. I didn't plant all that high maintenance stuff, and it's really too much for one person to take care of on top of everything else... and it currently shows. :( I'm counting on my Earth Boxes to be a fairly maintenance free veggie garden this year and in years to come too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynn Posted February 14, 2008 Author Share Posted February 14, 2008 The neighbor lady couldn't stand that my mom's house was always perfect and she'd visit her during the day to try to disrupt her routine....LOL mother would sit and chat a minute get up and continue then sit down another few minutes and mrs. grande would just sit there knowing mother had her routines... those old ladies still laugh about that when they see each other. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freethinkermom Posted February 14, 2008 Share Posted February 14, 2008 My allergies prevent me from doing certain things. Dust is my nemesis. We have tried on several occasions to hire help, but in this smallish town we have not found anyone trustworthy. Dh has stepped up to do the things I cannot do (I have to leave the house while he dusts and vacuums! ). If I ever do find someone I will be thrilled and so will dh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishnoises Posted February 14, 2008 Share Posted February 14, 2008 I don't think I've ever cleaned the baseboards!!! (Except in the bathrooms.) I don't see the point of a housekeeper for us. We are home a lot, and the kids make messes daily. I could spend all day cleaning, and the next few days would undo all that work. I don't see the point. If I had that kind of time and money it would not be spent on having a perfect house. I would rather spend that time on relationships (either connecting withe people or with God.) That's just me. Besides, I know the kids will be out of the house some day, and I will have the house the way I want it. But I don't want my kids being freaks about having a perfect home. And don't get me wrong. I am a freak. I get very angry with how their rooms look. The mess is overwhelming. But I can't and mustn't let it interfere with our work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kat in GA Posted February 14, 2008 Share Posted February 14, 2008 If we didn't have our housekeeper coming, I think we'd let our clutter pile up so high Oprah would have an episode about us! I truly hate to clean...but I surely do like a clean house. BUT by the time I have dealt with our weekly clutter, the last thing I want to do is clean. That is why we have a housekeeper. I justify the expense in its direct correlation to my sanity :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Excelsior! Academy Posted February 14, 2008 Share Posted February 14, 2008 Hmmm... my housekeeper can beat up your housekeeper! ROTFL!!!!:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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