# Well...decided to hire someone to help with cleaning



## Marie5656 (Mar 13, 2022)

*After a lot of reflection, and pushes from my niece, I have decided to hire a house cleaner.  My apartment is not big....but I am going to do what a friend here does. She has someone come in once a month to do a deep cleaning.  Floors, tub, stuff like that.  I am finding it is harder for me to keep up with the bigger stuff.  My friend provides the supplies for cleaning, and pays in cash.  The girl charges her $25 an hour for general cleaning.  I guess the girl will do laundry to if people want, but I am OK with that..may just have her help me put it away and stay tidy.
With my issues with my hip lately, I have not kept up with big cleaning the way I should. So, the first time, I think I will pay her more. Then her regular rates after.  
I am sure after the first time, I will not need her regular, except for right after my hip replacement surgery..to do stuff I cannot.  *


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## Jules (Mar 13, 2022)

Good idea to get help for the big stuff, then you’ll be able to keep on top of it.


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## timoc (Mar 13, 2022)

*Good for you Marie*, very sensible idea.  

I too may get some help in....   
Yes, I can imagine sitting there swigging a drop of my favourite brew in one hand and a cat of nine tails in the other, giving my new helper the occasional gentle flogging.  I jest.


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## Jan14 (Mar 13, 2022)

I think that’s a good idea, if it’s gotten too much for you.  And you will enjoy the feeling of a nice clean apartment afterwards


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## OneEyedDiva (Mar 13, 2022)

I'm glad you decided to and are able to do that Marie. I had a friend who had a housekeeper come a couple of times a month but he was just lazy.


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## Aunt Bea (Mar 14, 2022)

Sounds like a good deal.

It will take a little time to learn how to use the additional help to your best advantage.  In the beginning, you will probably have trouble keeping her busy and after she leaves you'll think of a hundred things that she could have done to help make your life easier.

My mother had help once a week for four hours.  The woman stripped the bed, put the laundry in the machine when she arrived, did the running/lugging to load the dryer, made the bed, etc... between other routine chores like dusting and mopping.

It took them a while to get used to each other, but eventually, a schedule emerged and they got used to each other's way of doing things.

Try to relax and enjoy the ride. 

You've earned it!


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## Ruthanne (Mar 14, 2022)

Best wishes that it all goes as planned Marie.  That's a very fair price to pay.  Many years ago I did housecleaning for a living and didn't get paid nearly as decent as that even for being long ago.  It is hard work to deep clean and deserves the amount you want to give her.  Good luck with it.


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## Lee (Mar 14, 2022)

There's a bright side to this Marie. If you have one of those people who drop in to run a finger over a table to see if there is dust you can blame the housekeeper.....grin


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## Shalimar (Mar 14, 2022)

Lee said:


> There's a bright side to this Marie. If you have one of those people who drop in to run a finger over a table to see if there is dust you can blame the housekeeper.....grin


Lee, I hope it is not out of line for me to mention that you resemble pretty Margaret Atwood in her younger days.


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## Della (Mar 14, 2022)

Aunt Bea said:


> The woman stripped the bed, put the laundry in the machine when she arrived, did the running/lugging to load the dryer, made the bed,


That would be my main reason for hiring help someday.  I can still vacuum, dust mop, clean the bathrooms, wash windows, even clean the outside of the house's vinyl siding -- but making the bed is a daily trial and putting the fitted sheet back on after washing is almost impossible.   Why did they start putting the elastic all the way around?


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## bingo (Mar 14, 2022)

i'd  love to have one ....my problem would be..
thinking  i  need to clean before  they  get here


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## Victor (Mar 14, 2022)

$25.00 hour is low. Professionals charge much more near me and they want easy work, not dirty.
I gave up looking. Senior helpers charge more for light work. And you cannot be choosy.


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## JustBonee (Mar 14, 2022)

Where I live,  we are getting  a yearly  "Management/Maintenance"  check-up  on all of the apartments in the complex.
They are very thorough too.
  ...  everything has to be 100%  clean and working correctly ... all doorways and windows open properly,  and electric sockets,   smoke detectors, and sprinkler system all working.  They check for any clutter and hazardous items.   

I see people taking more trash  bags than usual out to the dumpsters these days..


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## Jules (Mar 14, 2022)

Bonnie said:


> Where I live,  we are getting  a yearly  "Management/Maintenance"  check-up  on all of the apartments in the complex.
> They are very thorough too.
> ...  everything has to be 100%  clean and working correctly ... all doorways and windows open properly,  and electric sockets,   smoke detectors, and sprinkler system all working.  They check for any clutter and hazardous items.
> 
> I see people taking more trash  bags than usual out to the dumpsters these days..


That seems like an excellent idea to me.


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## Jules (Mar 14, 2022)

Marie, make a list of all the things that you would like done and if there’s anything specific methods for some items.  Never count of the cleaner remembering your instructions.  One day we came home to every bit of furniture waxed, except wax was never to be used on it and she’d forgotten.  Also, prioritize.  

We also went through and picked up newspapers, etc before she came.


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## Kaila (Mar 14, 2022)

OneEyedDiva said:


> I'm glad you decided to and are able to do that Marie. I had a friend who had a housekeeper come a couple of times a month but he was just lazy.


The friend was, _or the housekeeper?
 
Nevermind, *we* do not need *that* answer. _


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## tortiecat (Mar 14, 2022)

I have a cleaning lady who comes every other week(in fact she's here now) and cleans kitchen,
bathrooms, dusts other rooms and damp mops floors.  She changes bed linens , towels and
washes and put them away.  I have had someone for about 5 years and would be lost without
their services.


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## OneEyedDiva (Mar 14, 2022)

bingo said:


> i'd  love to have one ....my problem would be..
> thinking  i  need to clean before  they  get here


Yep!! LOL


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## hollydolly (Mar 14, 2022)

Della said:


> That would be my main reason for hiring help someday.  I can still vacuum, dust mop, clean the bathrooms, wash windows, even clean the outside of the house's vinyl siding -- but making the bed is a daily trial and putting the fitted sheet back on after washing is almost impossible.   *Why did they start putting the elastic all the way around?*


..to stop it slipping off when you're making the bed, and to stop it coming undone during the night, but if you're struggling to make the bed with fitted sheets, perhaps you might want to invest in ordinary flat sheets. 

If I had a cleaner I'd want them to do the things that cause my back to hurt... cleaning the bath..vaccing the stairs, changing the beds... cleaning the stove and the oven... cleaning the windows ( not cuz the latter makes my back hurt but no matter what I do I can't ever get my windows streak free)


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## OneEyedDiva (Mar 14, 2022)

Kaila said:


> The friend was, _or the housekeeper?
> 
> Nevermind, *we* do not need *that* answer. _


Don't know why you changed your mind about the answer but you opened the box baby.  No our friend (he was my husband's too) was lazy. I used to tell him he needed to get more exercise and he kept putting it off. He bought this big ole house but unless he was letting family members crash there, he mostly lived alone. Unfortunately, he passed away unexpectedly Jan 2020, 11 months after my husband. But he lived the kind of life he wanted and treated himself well...except he certainly could have taken better care of his health.


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## Gaer (Mar 14, 2022)

An intelligent decision!


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## Murrmurr (Mar 14, 2022)

Marie5656 said:


> *After a lot of reflection, and pushes from my niece, I have decided to hire a house cleaner.  My apartment is not big....but I am going to do what a friend here does. She has someone come in once a month to do a deep cleaning.  Floors, tub, stuff like that.  I am finding it is harder for me to keep up with the bigger stuff.  My friend provides the supplies for cleaning, and pays in cash.  The girl charges her $25 an hour for general cleaning.  I guess the girl will do laundry to if people want, but I am OK with that..may just have her help me put it away and stay tidy.
> With my issues with my hip lately, I have not kept up with big cleaning the way I should. So, the first time, I think I will pay her more. Then her regular rates after.
> I am sure after the first time, I will not need her regular, except for right after my hip replacement surgery..to do stuff I cannot.  *


It would be awesome if your medical insurance and/or medicare will help pay for this. Wouldn't hurt to call and ask.


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## Della (Mar 16, 2022)

hollydolly said:


> ..to stop it slipping off when you're making the bed, and to stop it coming undone during the night, but if you're struggling to make the bed with fitted sheets, perhaps you might want to invest in ordinary flat sheets.


I understand the purpose of fitted sheets, but only recently have the makers started putting the elastic all the way around rather than just at the corners -- which was always sufficient to stop it coming off in the night.

  With the elastic all the way around the sheet turns into a scrunchy that pops off the first side while trying to make the second side.  Worse, inside the dryer, it turns the entire sheet into a drawstring purse that collects the rest of the load inside so that it doesn't dry.

As for investing in flat sheets, well I've always bought sheets in sets that include, one fitted sheet for the bottom, one flat sheet for the top, and two pillow cases.  I've tried using flat sheets on the bottom, but, as you said, it comes undone in the night.


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## hollydolly (Mar 16, 2022)

I see what you mean... I just checked all my bottom sheets and they're all elasticated all the way round.. never had a problem, and I think that might be in retrospect because I buy deeper than average sheets.. . I have a fairly deep mattress anyway but I buy extra deep fitted sheets, so I never do have a problem with them coming undone.. perhaps the solution for you ..


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## horseless carriage (Mar 16, 2022)

Good for you Marie, my wife and I have had domestic help long before old age crept up on us. We have a cleaning fairy, she's very good, we have a husband & wife team who are our gardening fairies and we have an ironing fairy. 

Back when both of us were working we took a view that what precious time we had together we should enjoy, that's how it all started. You could say that we have a window cleaning fairy and a car maintenance fairy too. Who said there's no such thing as fairies?


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