On Tuesday, I had my house cleaned by Molly Maids. I've never done this before because I gave myself some kind of stigma. I spend frugally and could never rationalize spending money on this instead of on my family. What was I thinking??? It might have been the best thing I've ever done for my family. :lol: I've come home the last two nights so relaxed and without a long to do list (bathrooms, floors, etc.). I can't wait for them to come back (every other week)! Why do we put so much pressure on ourselves to do it ALL?
Can I ask what their rates are? I have been thinking about doing this but I could never justify the costs. I'd love to have someone come in regularly to clean my house.
I could never justify it either. Our home is 2500 square feet and they charge $99 per week or $125 per alternate weeks. I chose the $125 for now because I pick up/wipe down regularly. I just would like help with the deep cleaning. It was great to watch a movie with my son, however, and not be preoccupied thinking about all I needed to do.
That's great!! I wish I could afford that right now! Hopefully, one of these days, I'm going to treat myself and do that for me.
I would love to be able to afford that! Of course, I have a teacher salary...not an administrator salary! I'm really going to look into that and see if the rates are comparable in this area. I'm glad it has made you so happy!
I just started two at the beginning of the summer having my house cleaned. I just started graduate school and I knew I would not be a nice person to be around if my house wasn't clean. It really was for our sanity. $55 for 1725living
Do they wear booties? I would love to have people come in and clean, but the last thing I need is them track in dirt on my carpets. That's the only reason why I wouldn't go for it.
So what do they do when they are at the house? Sweep and vacuum? Anything else? How long are they usually there?
They stayed for 4 hours on Tuesday, cleaned it top to bottom (dusted bottom of dressers, tops of ceiling fans, etc.). I have wood floors so booties were not a concern. I came hope to a hotel-style presentation. Towels had been folded in a cutesy way. Kids blankets on beds were wrapped up burrito-type style. Very neat. I appreciated it a great deal as it took a load off of my plate.
Oooh.. nice! I am so envious! I think that will be my first splurge as soon as I get my first teaching check. My dust bunnies are going to have to find homes elsewhere!
Swept, mopped, vacuumed, cleaned tubs, sinks, did all glass, dusted everything, cleaned kids rooms and my room, cleaned slider, cleaned microwave, wiped down all cabinet doors and drawers, polished faucets, cleaned windowsills, scrubbed kitchen sink, microfiber on big screen TV's. Then....added hotel-like touches to finish it off (towels folded a certain way, bed blankets folded a certain way). When my 16 year old son doesn't want to mess anything up, I know they did a good job. Then again, I'm not a picky-type person. I appreciate anything anyone does for me, even if I did pay for it. Rarely will I inspect someone's work just to verify it is up to par....I'm more of a pat yourself on the back kind of person rather than a critical one. So my standards were completely met but another person's may not have been. I plan to leave them a plate of cookies next time they come (I don't stay home when they are present so they can do their thing). Oh, and no I did not have to sign a contract. I can cancel at any time.
Tiffany, you sound like the kind of Principal I'd like to work for. Did you provide your own cleaning supplies or did they bring all their stuff with them?
I have a cleaning service...just 3 ladies, all sisters, and they've been doing my house since before my 10 year old was born. They charge $65 every other week, and it's only been raised once, when we moved to this house 5 years ago from a much smaller house. My current house is 3000 square feet, 4 bd, 3 full bath, 2 half. No one is home while they clean. At first, I was around, but after a while, I decided that I totally trusted them, and it's been a decade now. They bring all of their own stuff, and take their shoes off on the front porch. Tiffany, isn't it such a huge relief to step through the front door and smell clean? It has made a huge difference in my family's quality of life. I'll never go back.
I looked into getting a cleaning service for my apartment. It's small: 750 sq ft, just me and my cats. However, it was 100 bucks every other week. If I had a house it would've been worth it, my little apartment...I was expecting under 100. (I live in a large city, this makes a difference.) Once I have a house..in the burbs..I'll spring for the cleaning service.
I have a housekeeper that comes every other week...and I am single and live alone. Best money spent ever! I have a townhome, so it's not as expensive, and I use an individual instead of a company, but I love her - very trustworthy. Love coming home to a clean house...especially when I don't have to do it!
I love my cleaning lady. If I ever moved cities I would be so upset to leave her. I can't be around chemicals so it became a necessity to have one. She does everything down to removing the knobs on my oven and cleaning underneath them. She does laundry sometimes and she has even offered to iron for me (although I feel that I should at least do that). I want her to run my life.
I need someone to come help me organize and get rid of stuff I don't need. I seem to be able to justify why I should keep everything. UGH
I'm pretty mainstreamed. I have a box for each child of keepsakes. Otherwise, I may have a digital photo cd of some things but I let the actual physical item go. With kids, it would be impossible to stay uncluttered if I kept it all. And a cluttered house is so difficult to clean. We picked up very well on Monday and the kids were cracking up. They kept telling my husband, "Uh, Mom is having us clean the house from top to bottom so it can get cleaned by the ladies tomorrow!" LOL!
I almost had my husband convinced we needed a cleaning lady when I started grad school this winter. He agreed to it and then came back to me 2 days later and said, "$50 every other week or for the month?". That was the end of that. Apparently my time is only worth $50 a month in cleaning costs...grrr... and I really do have a sweet hubby!! I didn't press the issue, but I will tell you, when we have kids and I am working (not my first choice) some of that "extra" money I bring home will be spent on a cleaning lady.
This idea of having my time back to share with my family keeps me decluttering. When the surfaces are all clear, I will bring someone in to clean it - wash and dust, vacuum, glass, everything sparkly clean. If only I could break the idea that I can't give myself 100% to my family UNTIL the place is clean...
I have Merry Maids come every other week. It cost $110 for a 1400 sq. ft. house. They are worth it. And, yes, I clean before they come. If you want them to clean anything, the clutter has to be put away. They have a very detailed check list of items to do, and each week they deep clean an area. The other luxury is taking DH shirts to the cleaners.
Oh I am so jealous! Many moons ago when money wasn't so tight I too had a cleaning lady. I am a cleaner, love to clean, but it was so nice to come home twice a month to a spotless house. Someone else wiped the cat nose prints off the sliders and scrubbed the showers. It really boosted my moral. Good for you!
I had a cleaning lady who was great- she'd come once every 3 weeks or so and do a great cleaning....Despite doing a great job, she's a bit erratic in her personal life and 'disappears' sometimes only to re-surface a few months later...I'm desperate to find her!! Paulina, where are you? I read 'Nickeled and Dimed' a few years ago which made me a bit wary of 'cleaning corporations'....The cleaning people who work for these companies get VERY LITTLE of the fee you pay. I'd rather pay a reliable private 'contractor' to clean my house (I pay Paulina a similar fee to that quoted by the OP, but ALL of it goes to her. I do provide the cleaning supplies) Paulina!!!!! where oh where is Paulina??????
I read the book Nickeled and Dimed too, and they also confess that they use the same sponge to clean the toilets and kitchen tops... *eeps*
TiffanyL, good for you on giving it a try! Who's to say that things like this aren't worth it. I say if you can afford this little luxury, do it! My parents aren't the type to do this kind of thing either, but as my parents get older, they'll see that they can't do things like they used to & will realize thay have to use a service such as this.
Have him clean the house, then. Seriously. Tell him you'll pay HIM the 50 bucks twice a month to thoroughly clean the house, and that money will go into a pot to be spent on a splurge....a trip, a dinner out, whatever. I'd bet after a month, he sees how much time it takes and he decides that $50, 2 times a month, is a bargain. Kim
JEALOUS! I just googled one from my area and emailed about rates. =) That would be absolutely WONDERFUL!
I do use a smaller "company." It's one lady and her sisters. I like that it's always the same people there...it makes me feel more trust in them. And we've been through a lot together - I have had two kids and moved two times while these ladies have cleaned for me.
