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Post by Perfect Mess on Jun 10, 2008 16:09:27 GMT -5
After months of hemming and hawying over hiring someone to clean my house, I finally contacted a cleaning service this morning. The lady I spoke to sent out 2 women and they got here at 1pm today. They charged by the hour which I had no issue with until one of the women estimated that it would take 5 hours to clean the house! I didn’t think it was 5 hours bad, but if that’s what it took then I was willing to pay up.
After they got started tho, I found it really hard to just sit around watching so I got to cleaning too. I did a great deal of putting stuff away and throwing stuff away. I also reloaded the dishwasher 3 times and scrubbed the kitchen counter tops. So it was really 3 women, cleaning nonstop for 4 hours. That’s how bad the house was. This place is GLEAMING right now. I can totally see myself tackling things like organizing closets, doing laundry, finishing the kids room… if I didn’t have to worry about keeping this place clean.
So yea, I think this will turn into a regular occurrence around here.
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Post by Perfect Mess on Jun 10, 2008 16:15:52 GMT -5
The above was a copy/paste from my blog. I got the cleaning down yesterday. At the end of the day I was exhausted. And of course the kids and dogs have already made their messes but I've cleaned them up immediately.
It was both thrilling and embarassing when my 4 year old went into the bedrooms after they were done with that part of the house and said "woooooowwww! it's cleeeeeeaaaan...!!!!"
I'm trying to find someone to come in and clean bi-weekly but so far what I've found is ridiculous. $120 and $85
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Post by Script on Jun 10, 2008 16:24:55 GMT -5
I didn’t think it was 5 hours bad, but if that’s what it took then I was willing to pay up. Sorry, Perfect: but 5 hours is NOTHING. My sister's home is spotless 100% of the time. She has a weekly cleaning lady. Morra spends approx 8 hours EVERY SINGLE SOLITARY WEEK I read once that a home requires 1 hour per person per day. EVERY DAY. Luv from Script |
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Post by Perfect Mess on Jun 10, 2008 16:30:50 GMT -5
Gah?! One hour every day?! bejesus!! I guess keeping it perfect every day would take that long, but when you've got months of junk on the floor, I think it would only take a little longer to rake it all up and shovel it into the trash. yes, I raked, and shoveled. Also 8 man hours (your sister's one cleaning lady) < 12 man hours (3 women, 4 hours each) and you know after they left we found areas they didn't quite get, but I'm not complaining!  |
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Post by glowworm on Jun 10, 2008 17:44:56 GMT -5
Congratulations on the clean house!
The first cleaning always takes longer. Keep in mind I'm in a small house (1400 sq ft) but it took my maid 7 or 8 hours to clean my house from top to bottom for the first time. Now she comes in every 2 weeks and it takes her about 4 hours.
She charges a flat rate to come every 2 weeks, and she schedules houses that are close to each other on the same days so that she can fit in two in one day.
It seems like a lot, to pay someone $80 or $100 for 4 hours' worth of work, but there is no way I could get this house as clean as she does in the same amount of time.
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Post by crazycatlady on Jun 10, 2008 21:43:43 GMT -5
I'm so happy for you, PerfectMess! I have a lady come in every two weeks. I find that it helps me to crack down on myself and the kids to declutter every two weeks so she can vacuum, dust, and scrub. And every two weeks, just before she comes, I make sure the litterboxes are spotless (don't want her to find my house stinky!  !), and I make sure I have washed a rug for her to put down in the bathroom after scrubbing the floor, etc etc etc. Of course the actual cleaning she does helps a lot! But so does the fact that she comes on a regular schedule!
And I really like knowing that no matter what happens with me, the basics are done every two weeks! Do keep looking until you can find someone (or a service) to come regularly! You (and your family) are worth it!
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troubledmom
New Member
Put one foot in front of the other and soon......
Joined: June 2008
Posts: 26 
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Post by troubledmom on Jun 10, 2008 21:55:13 GMT -5
By that calculation... no wonder I can't keep a clean house! Six human bodies, 5 dogs, 2 cats, guine pigs, ferrets, chinchilla's, gerbils.... So thats 6 hours for the human bodies and lets say an hour for all the critters thats darn near a FULL time job all by itself. Add in homework time, bathtime, meal preperations, bedtime... oh and then there is outdoor stuff and car stuff and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on.
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Post by ramatama on Jun 11, 2008 8:56:37 GMT -5
I'm so happy for you, PerfectMess! I have a lady come in every two weeks. I find that it helps me to crack down on myself and the kids to declutter every two weeks so she can vacuum, dust, and scrub. [...] And I really like knowing that no matter what happens with me, the basics are done every two weeks! I too now have this luxury and i also tidy up so she can clean. She comes every 2 weeks( except in summer and December) and we both clean for 3 hours. Last week she exclaimed: "oh! less boxes! oh! clean desk too!" and made a thumbs up sign to me!" I felt happy (at least) she noticed!  |
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Post by puppybox on Jun 11, 2008 9:46:35 GMT -5
Interesting!
notice that one of the benefits everyone gets from hiring someone else to clean is that it motivates them to action as well.
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