July 2013 Moms

House Keepers

House Keepers...or what is the correct term nowadays?  I've never had one but I'm figuring since I'm about to have a LO and I really don't enjoy house work...that I would hire one.  Maybe to come once a week to wash the floors and do the heavier cleaning.  If you have one, what do you do when they're at your house?  Would I leave or do you just kind of hang out?  I'm leaning towards leaving while the person would be here (wouldn't that make it a more comfortable environment for everyone invloved?)...but am unsure. 

I want to get the ball rolling on this but was just curious what other people do?

Re: House Keepers

  • I can't afford one- but my mom has a woman who comes in to clean. Hired via word of mouth from friends.

    She does pretty much everything, and comes when the family isn't at home- she has her own key. She puts the dogs out in the yard. She does EVERYTHING except windows. She'll do left over breakfast dishes and start a dishwash. She'll take clean stuff out of the dryer and put it away. She makes their bed with fresh sheets.

    She does all the floors, vaccuuming carpet and hardwood and washing tiles. She does all the bathrooms. She dusts and polishes and takes out trash if there is any.

     

    I think they pay about $75 an hour for her in NYC.

     

     

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  • SwetaVSwetaV member
    We have one, she comes every other week and does all the heavy cleaning, changes all our bed sheets, and even does any dishes that are in the sink. I stay at the house while she cleans, just out of her way in another room or opposite floor of where she's cleaning. I don't want her to have a key to our house bc she would then need the code to our alarm system, etc. so DH and I take turns staying home.
    Definitely think it's a good idea, if you can afford it to get one. Trying to clean the entire house while pregnant is challenging, I can't imagine with two babies or even one!
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  • Our cleaning lady, as that is what we refer to her as, has a key to our house and she comes two times a week... She splits it up into 4 hours upstairs and 4 hours downstairs. We are usually at work, but sometimes she is at the house until 8:00. It makes it somewhat uncomfortable when shes cleaning downstairs and i am putting dinner together or dh and i are eating... As i dont intend to cook for her too. Sometimes i work from home while she is there, and ill work on the opposite floor she is cleaning or sew craft in the basement. When the LO arrives and i am home more, it will probably be a bit trickier. I would likely schedule errands with LO when she arrives, but its hard to think that far not knowing what the babys schedule will be. I know she will understand being there while i am too the first few months pp... I am considering her coming another 4 hours for a third laundry and vacuum day if it works for her during that time.
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  • imagemaryoosa:

    I can't afford one- but my mom has a woman who comes in to clean. Hired via word of mouth from friends.

    She does pretty much everything, and comes when the family isn't at home- she has her own key. She puts the dogs out in the yard. She does EVERYTHING except windows. She'll do left over breakfast dishes and start a dishwash. She'll take clean stuff out of the dryer and put it away. She makes their bed with fresh sheets.

    She does all the floors, vaccuuming carpet and hardwood and washing tiles. She does all the bathrooms. She dusts and polishes and takes out trash if there is any.

    I think they pay about $75 an hour for her in NYC.

  • imagemaryoosa:

    I can't afford one- but my mom has a woman who comes in to clean. Hired via word of mouth from friends.

    She does pretty much everything, and comes when the family isn't at home- she has her own key. She puts the dogs out in the yard. She does EVERYTHING except windows. She'll do left over breakfast dishes and start a dishwash. She'll take clean stuff out of the dryer and put it away. She makes their bed with fresh sheets.

    She does all the floors, vaccuuming carpet and hardwood and washing tiles. She does all the bathrooms. She dusts and polishes and takes out trash if there is any.

    I think they pay about $75 an hour for her in NYC.

    I didn't even think about my dog being here.  I guess if I wanted to leave I'd just have to take him and the baby with me:) 

  • imageLinzbut113083:
    Our cleaning lady, as that is what we refer to her as, has a key to our house and she comes two times a week... She splits it up into 4 hours upstairs and 4 hours downstairs. We are usually at work, but sometimes she is at the house until 8:00. It makes it somewhat uncomfortable when shes cleaning downstairs and i am putting dinner together or dh and i are eating... As i dont intend to cook for her too. Sometimes i work from home while she is there, and ill work on the opposite floor she is cleaning or sew craft in the basement. When the LO arrives and i am home more, it will probably be a bit trickier. I would likely schedule errands with LO when she arrives, but its hard to think that far not knowing what the babys schedule will be. I know she will understand being there while i am too the first few months pp... I am considering her coming another 4 hours for a third laundry and vacuum day if it works for her during that time.

    Is it strange having someone else do your laundry?  I don't know how I would feel about that.  What's your take on it?

  • She does DH laundry and that is worth it alone. He starts it but never folds, and that annoys me when his clothes sit in the laundry room in a pile of cleanlyness. Ill wash most of my own stuff, but sometimes i dont get around to a load or two, and while it was weird at first, i really dont care if she sees my undies because that is 30 minutes of loading, switching, folding i dont have to do. And she folds like a champ! She washes our sheets, bathroom rugs, dish towels, table cloths, dog towels, etc. so its not just our clothes she is doing.
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  • EMF70EMF70 member

    Ours comes every other week. I leave when she comes but after the baby, I'll have to play it by ear.  It is so nice to have someone to do the deep cleaning. 

    I'm in Manhattan without a washer/dryer in my apartment. We take all of our laundry to a drop off service. I love having the clothes folded. They do a much better job than I do. We're moving to an apartment with a small washer/dryer combination unit so I'll do the baby's clothes myself.  I'll still have the laundry do our clothes. I was hesitant at first about someone else doing my underwear so I used to do it myself. That got old after a few trips to a crowded laundromat on the weekends so I now have them do everything. 

  • imageAsbromle:

    Is it strange having someone else do your laundry?  I don't know how I would feel about that.  What's your take on it?

    We have a lady who comes every other week. She charges us $25 an hour and will do anything I leave her on a list (clean out a closet, clean the oven/fridge/etc.) otherwise she does a general cleaning (vacuum, mop, windows, dust, change sheets) and it takes her about 3 hours. Sometimes I have asked her to do our laundry and while I thought it was odd at first, when I came home to a basket of clean folded laundry and I just had to put it away all weirdness went out the window; It was AWESOME! She is also great with our dogs and will let them out or give them a treat. I'm sure you can find someone who also doesn't mind dogs, we have several friends who use different people/services and the dogs aren't an issue. We are usually at work when she comes so we aren't in her way, but I'll probably confine myself to one room or run an errand when she comes during my maternity leave. I hate when people are in my way when I clean so I would expect she'll appreciate the space. 

  • Mine comes every other week.  We have her come on a day when I'm working outside the house.  (the two days I work at home I need quiet)  She has a key and our dog just hangs in our bed, she's used to the cleaning lady. 

    It's awesome.  She does the big cleaning and I just spot clean, sweep, and keep things tidy in between cleanings.  It makes life SO much easier for me that I'd cut entertainment from my budget before I cut my cleaning lady!

    So far I haven't had her do laundry yet because laundry is easy for me to do on the days I work at home.  I'd rather she spent her time doing stuff like scrub the shower than wash my sheets.

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  • fabkfabk member

    I was doing house cleaning for a few years, but quit this past fall. I live ina rural area, and charged $15/hr. I wish I could have charged $50!

    I did whatever they wanted me to do. Mostly vacuums and washing floors. I personally prefer when they are not home, mainly because I don't like feeling like I am in the way.

    One of my clients had a nasty mean dog, which she took with her out of the house while I was there. Another client had an amazing dog, and I had no problem letting him out to pee, etc when I was there.

    I am not a big fan of doing other people's laundry, but would if they asked me to.

  • My lady comes every other week to do the big stuff: sweeping, dusting, moping, windows, kitchen, bedrooms, and bathrooms. She also irons and is also available on an as needed basis. I have a 2 story home with 4 bd/3 bath, about 2200 sq. ft. and I pay her $100 every 2 weeks. If she comes to do a clean up on an off week, then I pay her per hour. 

    I stay home. She doesn't even notice me honestly, but I like to be around in case she can't find something or in case I need something in particular done that day, etc.  

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  • imageEMF70:

    Ours comes every other week. I leave when she comes but after the baby, I'll have to play it by ear.  It is so nice to have someone to do the deep cleaning. 

    I'm in Manhattan without a washer/dryer in my apartment. We take all of our laundry to a drop off service. I love having the clothes folded. They do a much better job than I do. We're moving to an apartment with a small washer/dryer combination unit so I'll do the baby's clothes myself.  I'll still have the laundry do our clothes. I was hesitant at first about someone else doing my underwear so I used to do it myself. That got old after a few trips to a crowded laundromat on the weekends so I now have them do everything. 

    Haha, this. I have no more underwear shame. I figure they must see stuff worse than mine!

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  • My mom has always had one. She usually waits for her to come and then leaves to go grocery shopping or for a visit to my grandma or a friends house.
  • Our cleaning lady comes for three hours every other Friday. We have a 3000 sf house so we just prioritize the cleaning duties and then pay for a longer deep clean twice a year. She does the kitchen, bathrooms, living room, dining room, and just the master bedroom. Floors, surfaces, appliances, toilets, tubs, furniture, moulding, door and window frames, pictures, makes the bed, takes out the trash, recycling, and compost. We "clean" for the cleaning lady by making sure to pick up and put stuff away so she can focus on the cleaning and not have to move stuff. Usually we're at work when she's here but once in a while DH works from home and sticks to the office, which is not on the list. I've also been on temporary bed rest or had the day off a couple times and I just stick to one room and ask her to tell me when to move. It's mildly awkward for me, I feel like I should pitch in, but I get over it. It's such a wonderful luxury, if you can do it, I highly recommend it.
    Me: 38, DH: 35
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  • klyannklyann member
    I have them come over other week, although I would love once a week.  I usually leave the house, but when DD came around we would stay home until she was a few months old.  I'm sure we will be home the first few times, but then DD will start preschool so we will be gone for at least part of the time that they are here.

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  • Liz4444Liz4444 member
    Our cleaning ladies (2 women come) do everything, including laundry and organizing closets, etc.  Sometimes I'm home, sometimes not, they have a key and come twice a week.  They love Li, so half the time when we are home she trails after them and I get to take a nap!  They will also watch her so I can run out and do quick errands.  They also work for my mother, grandmother, great aunt, and I got them jobs with 3 of my friends (and one friends mother) so I trust them implicitly.  They were also around when Li was born, they've seen me pumping, so we are pretty comfortable around eachother.
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  • Thanks everyone:) Liz...I want your people. They sound very accommodating!
  • Liz4444Liz4444 member
    imageAsbromle:
    Thanks everyone: Liz...I want your people. They sound very accommodating!

    If you move to NJ... They are also teaching li Portuguese. And, I swear when li says mama she's really trying to say Monica!
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