I hope I don’t get any unexpected visitors over the next day or two. My cleaning lady has given up the mop for a new job and it has left me in a bit of a dither.
Pat helped me out for four years and became a friend, and before that Nicky took care of my domestic chores. I am now thinking that perhaps I should carry out these tasks myself.
I love my home, I love it looking sparkling clean and nobody can do it better than me; cleaners never get behind the sofa and in the corners. It was an indulgence I enjoyed. But I wonder how I will fit it in with my work, building up my client profile, blogging, chauffeuring the kids, visits to the gym, long country walks, etc
I used to justify it by saying I was providing someone with employment and enjoying the time I saved on other much more worthwhile activities. Pat was a good worker too, she didn’t sit around chatting and drinking coffee half the morning like some do. Mind you, I always used to spend a good half hour tidying away before she came, so the rooms always looked in pretty reasonable shape.
No doubt I will have to use plenty of "elbow grease". I can tell you a funny story about this. In cookery classes at school when we were asked to clean out the oven, our teacher told us to use plenty of "elbow grease". I searched high and low for a cleaning product called "elbow grease" in the cupboards before giving up and asking her where I might find it!
I’m sure I’ve got plenty of it left. And it does make you feel good afterwards, you can see what you have accomplished. Or will I give up and find a replacement within a month? I wonder how many of you treat yourself to a cleaning lady too. And what is the going rate these days?
I did try and this women not only was incredibly stupid, creating more work than she did, and spent her time gossipping about her other employers and their houses and lives. God only knows what she said about the mess I was in. When I say incredibly stupid I meant it – toys such as wooden track that had split into sharp points I’d put to one side in the kitchen or on top of the bathroom cabinet to take downstairs and fix were put back in my childs toybox, she didn’t even clean the dust off (it was pretty dusty on top of the bathroom cabinet). The remnants of some DIY job left on top of the cabinet were also put in the toybox – sharp screws my child could choke on. And no, she never cleaned the cabinet.
My mother also had a ‘cleaner’ and she drank more in coffee and ate more in biscuits and cake than she earned. Again she spent more time gossiping; Mum didn’t have her for long! But the discipline of tidying up before they come is what mum paid for I think.
I needed help due to ill health and I didn’t get it. My house is a mess and it feels like a huge mountain to climb but sod the thought of paying someone that basically takes money off people who can least afford it for doing nothing but create more work, judge and tittle-tattle.
If you get a good one I would hang on to her/him. Apparently there is a naked male maid service Ellee. Can’t say I’d go for that myself but it does challenge the traditional view of a maid!
Pip, thanks for your great feedback. I’m sure the naked maid service would be way out of my budget, that he wouldn’t come cheap, and would be hopeless with a hoover anyway. I’d rather spend that kind of money on my son’s driving lessons.
My house does look a bit of a tip at the moment, I need to be disciplined about cleaning again and somehow share out the chores with the family. That won’t make me very popular.
Do housework rather than go to they gym!. You will save yourself a small fortune, you cqan take pride in a job well done and you get fit too!
Snafu, the gym is my only retreat, and that is the kind of comment my husband would make too.
Having a cleaner is pure luxury the same as having a dish washer…I have neither of them and still manage all the daily tasks as well as working being taxi to my boys going to the gym and everything else i do.
She was a good cleaner as cleaners go, and as cleaners go, she went…I pay £8 an hour
I have two cleaning girls, aged 19 and 20. Would you like me to ask them to nip over and help you out for a while, Lady Ellee? They’re very good. 🙂
WW, I was paying less than £8 an hour. Pat only charged £5 an hour and I insisted on increasing it to £6.50, but as far am I am aware, nobody else paid her more.
James, why does a single man need two cleaning girls? Are you really so messy? Or are you just creating employment opportunities?
Sally, I know what you say, it’s pretty similar here, being isolated and stuck out of town is a pain at times.
Ellee, is your cleaning lady better off on benefits!?!
I think James is just being greedy!!
Snafu, you are such a cynic. Pat is going to work for a company which makes academic gowns. And she always declared her earnings, I used to sign a form each year.
I don’t have a cleaning lady as anyone who comes to my house could tell! But I blame it on the dog and the son and … well, me.
My husband would say the same as Snafu too!
My days as a student and a bachelor taught me one thing about house work – to reduce it you need to lower your standards.
The only attractive thing about house work was getting an early model Dyson so I could show my fellow engineers the centrifuge and the dust shooting around.
Hello Ellee,
I have not employed a cleaner on a regular basis but I have for a big clean once or twice a year. I do however, recruit a ‘handy-man’ that does all of my gardening, and man-stuff around the house. Thankfully my ex-husband helps me alot, which saves me money, but my ‘helper’ only charges me $20.00 per hour. He does anything I ask.
He forms part of the Grey Army. The Grey Army comprises of retired tradespeople who want to help and earn a few bob here and there without it compromising their pensions. I’m happy to pour my money into their pocket and avoid expensive bills therefore we both win.
I hope you find something suitable, otherwise, can I suggest that you instigate your own GRAY ARMY?
Cheers,
Smack
Ms Smack, The Grey Army sounds an excellent idea. There is certainly no reason why it couldn’t work here.
You have to clean behind sofas and in corners??! I must clean up so that I can get a cleaning lady in again!
Why am I washing the kitchen floor at 7.30am on a Saturday morning?
It can be tough to find someone that you can trust to do a good job and get it done quickly. I always suggest getting references, setting a 1 or 3 month trial and setting out a written agreement of what is expected.