My cleaning lady starts today!

[Blonde Granny]

YeeHaw!! I hope this one does a better job than  the ladies from Merry Maids did.  She is a nice young lady who works for the builder and cleans new construction, she also takes care of our clubhouse.  Single and supports 2 "tweens" on her own.

I really thought that DH & I would be able to handle this much smaller house, but as things change, and sometimes rapidly as you get older, physical problems  are preventing me from some of the mobility and strength that I had before.  The cost per month is going to be money well spent.

[NoNamePerson]

Good luck with the new cleaning lady.

Mine showed up early this morning and the next thing I knew she was sitting at PC posting/reading away and playing games. Me thinks I'm gonna have to fire her      Oh, well she did renew books online so maybe that will be reason for giving her a reprieve for now!!

[Deleted]

Jan 26, 2015 8:22:55 GMT -5 NoNamePerson said:

Good luck with the new cleaning lady.

Mine showed up early this morning and the next thing I knew she was sitting at PC posting/reading away and playing games. Me thinks I'm gonna have to fire her      Oh, well she did renew books online so maybe that will be reason for giving her a reprieve for now!!

sitting at your PC?  how did she get the password to log on? does she have an account on there? 

[Deleted]

Jan 26, 2015 8:34:37 GMT -5 @singlemominmd said:

Jan 26, 2015 8:22:55 GMT -5 NoNamePerson said:

Good luck with the new cleaning lady.

Mine showed up early this morning and the next thing I knew she was sitting at PC posting/reading away and playing games. Me thinks I'm gonna have to fire her      Oh, well she did renew books online so maybe that will be reason for giving her a reprieve for now!!

sitting at your PC?  how did she get the password to log on? does she have an account on there? 

Even if you password protect your account, you can still log in as a guest.  At least on every computer I work on.

[NoNamePerson]

Jan 26, 2015 8:34:37 GMT -5 @singlemominmd said:

Jan 26, 2015 8:22:55 GMT -5 NoNamePerson said:

Good luck with the new cleaning lady.

Mine showed up early this morning and the next thing I knew she was sitting at PC posting/reading away and playing games. Me thinks I'm gonna have to fire her      Oh, well she did renew books online so maybe that will be reason for giving her a reprieve for now!!

sitting at your PC?  how did she get the password to log on? does she have an account on there? 

Uhhhhh I'm the cleaning lady                    

[Deleted]

Jan 26, 2015 8:37:04 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

Jan 26, 2015 8:34:37 GMT -5 @singlemominmd said:

sitting at your PC?  how did she get the password to log on? does she have an account on there? 

Even if you password protect your account, you can still log in as a guest.  At least on every computer I work on.

you can disable the guest account.

[NoNamePerson]

No one but me and the cleaning lady can access my PC - well our evil twin logs in on occasion.  YES I/we both have an evil twin too           

[Deleted]

Jan 26, 2015 8:53:56 GMT -5 @singlemominmd said:

Jan 26, 2015 8:37:04 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

Even if you password protect your account, you can still log in as a guest.  At least on every computer I work on.

you can disable the guest account.

I did not know that.  Then again, I don't even password protect my account, so I'm certainly not going to take the time to go in and disable the guest one too.

[Deleted]

Jan 26, 2015 8:46:51 GMT -5 NoNamePerson said:

Jan 26, 2015 8:34:37 GMT -5 @singlemominmd said:

sitting at your PC?  how did she get the password to log on? does she have an account on there? 

Uhhhhh I'm the cleaning lady                    

oh

[Blonde Granny]

Well, so much for the cleaning lady. She said between 9-10 and she hasn't shown up yet. As much as I thought Merry Maids didn't do a very good job, their people at least showed up.

[TheOtherMe]

I have a young woman now and she does a fantastic job.  She will be here tomorrow afternoon while I am at work.  

[marvholly]

Cleaning person or service is MUCH on my wish list along w/a 4 week vacation in mid-winter to some plae warm.

I NEED to win the lottery.

[Blonde Granny]

I called another service similar to Merry Maids. The rep will be out this morning to see the house and give us a price. This one seems to be a little more professional (so far) and more detailed than MM. We'll see.

Holly, I actually have little choice in this decision. Health problems have occurred that have given me limited physical ability and strength. Darn, this getting old is difficult.

[thyme4change]

Blonde Granny - I have found better service when I ask friends in my area if they have anyone they like.  It is usually someone who is the entire company, or maybe just a couple people banded together (often related.)  They have more at stake then corporations.  Plus you know who will be in your house.  There is a wide variety of outcomes - bad cleaning, people not showing up, etc, but it seems like once you find a good one, you are set for a long time.  Merry Maids changes staff every month, and it is a constant crap shoot.

I hope you get someone you like with your next quote, but if you are disappointed, go on a heavy duty campaign to solicit neighbors for names and suggestions.

[Blonde Granny]

Thanks Thyme, but let me tell you something about your average "older people". Cheap doesn't begin to describe how they live. Old George wouldn't let old Gladys hire a cleaning lady or not cook him dinner even if she was on her death bed.

My Grandfather (who was quite well off) kept a book...if my Grandmother took the bus downtown to go shopping, he entered the $.05 bus fare into his book.  They had a 50 call phone. There was a calendar hanging next to the phone and every outgoing phone call had to be marked on the calendar. Not only that, they had a party line (google that). When my DG died, the person who was on their party line wouldn't get off the phone so my DG could call for help.

Main point? No one that lives near me has cleaning people. At least if someone is with a service, you know someone will show up. This new company is more expensive than Merry Maids, but according to the person who just left, they will also clean more things than MM ever dreamed of....we shall see.

This is however going to screw up the YNAB that I've set up for February....lol!

[thyme4change]

I was very surprised at who had a cleaning lady once I threw a wide net. I got recommendation from the most unexpected people. Maybe some of those old people also have health problems, or their kids live close and have someone they like, or maybe their granddaughter is cleaning houses to earn money while going to college. You really dont know everything that everyone else knows.

[Blonde Granny]

I only know 2 other people who have had cleaning services. One live in Florida, but she can't seem to keep them and the other lives across the street from me and has the sale lady for the 25 years. After some of my neighbors see the little bright blue hybrid car splashed with the name Molly Maids on it, there may be a few more that take the big step.

The older I get, the less I can handle even this small house.

[thyme4change]

Jan 27, 2015 19:50:08 GMT -5 Blonde Granny said:

I only know 2 other people who have had cleaning services. One live in Florida, but she can't seem to keep them and the other lives across the street from me and has the sale lady for the 25 years. After some of my neighbors see the little bright blue hybrid car splashed with the name Molly Maids on it, there may be a few more that take the big step.

The older I get, the less I can handle even this small house.

Did you ask that cleaning lady for a quote.  If she has shown up for 25 years and not pissed off her employer in all that time - she might be reliable and a decent value.

[TheOtherMe]

I came home from work to a nice, clean house.  Only the cat's blanket was out of place.  I put it in it's spot.  Now Lucy will have to make it comfy again.

[spartan7886]

Jan 27, 2015 19:50:08 GMT -5 Blonde Granny said:

I only know 2 other people who have had cleaning services. One live in Florida, but she can't seem to keep them and the other lives across the street from me and has the sale lady for the 25 years. After some of my neighbors see the little bright blue hybrid car splashed with the name Molly Maids on it, there may be a few more that take the big step.

The older I get, the less I can handle even this small house.

We've had fairly good luck with Molly Maids, although I don't know how much the local offices differ. They clean about 90% as well as I would, but they do it every two weeks (my selection of schedule) instead of every two months   as I would, so net the house is much cleaner. They've occasionally gotten lazy about specific items here and there, but a quick call to the office solves it. That's maybe only a handful of things over 5 years we've had them. They broke one glass sconce, left a note apologizing, and the office confirmed they would reimburse us for a replacement if we provided the receipt.

[Blonde Granny]

I was very pleased with what I saw yesterday. The one young lady even dried our tile floors on her hands and knees. I can hardly see my knees, let alone get down on them ( )  The house is spotless and the owner of the franchise even came by and checked their work.  We're going to have them once a month, and I don't think the house has been this clean since it was finished and we moved in.

This was a very good choice.

So yesterday after these young ladies left, one of them had taken my kitchen towel and formed it into a fan and placed it on the countertop.  This morning, when I went to put my coffee cup in the dishwasher, I discovered the inside of the door had been cleaned in addition to the outside.  DH showed me the towel in his bathroom that were folded "classy hotel style".  They left a little rose on top of his Kleenex box.  A card thanking us and giving us the day and time of our next cleaning, and 2 pieces of candy.

WOW!  just WOW   they have set a standard I hope they can live up to.

[Deleted]

Ok, that makes my cleaners look sucky

[HoneyBBQ]

God, I want cleaning people so bad. But as you say, it's such a mixed bag of folks.

[yogiii]

How much do cleaning ladies get paid?  Honestly I'm a neat freak and I think I'd rather clean houses in a few years when my kids are both in elementary school (during school hours) than this engineering gig I've got going.  Seriously.

[ArchietheDragon]

Jan 29, 2015 12:26:08 GMT -5 yogiii said:

How much do cleaning ladies get paid?  Honestly I'm a neat freak and I think I'd rather clean houses in a few years when my kids are both in elementary school (during school hours) than this engineering gig I've got going.  Seriously.

We pay our $60.  We provide the supplies.   I think it takes her 2 or 3 hours. 

[kittensaver]

Jan 29, 2015 12:39:51 GMT -5 ArchietheDragon said:

Jan 29, 2015 12:26:08 GMT -5 yogiii said:

How much do cleaning ladies get paid?  Honestly I'm a neat freak and I think I'd rather clean houses in a few years when my kids are both in elementary school (during school hours) than this engineering gig I've got going.  Seriously.

We pay our $60.  We provide the supplies.   I think it takes her 2 or 3 hours. 

I use a local cleaning service, although I get the same crew every time (I requested them after their first visit and now they are assigned to me permanently). Two women, two hours, I provide the cleaning supplies because of my MCS, $75 per visit (4 bdrm, 2 bath, single story house).

[Deleted]

Jan 29, 2015 12:26:08 GMT -5 yogiii said:

How much do cleaning ladies get paid?  Honestly I'm a neat freak and I think I'd rather clean houses in a few years when my kids are both in elementary school (during school hours) than this engineering gig I've got going.  Seriously.

I pay $125 every 2 weeks.  3300 sq ft house.  she doesn't do the boys' rooms and does the basement every other clean.  I think it's a bargain.

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

Jan 29, 2015 12:26:08 GMT -5 yogiii said:

How much do cleaning ladies get paid?  Honestly I'm a neat freak and I think I'd rather clean houses in a few years when my kids are both in elementary school (during school hours) than this engineering gig I've got going.  Seriously.

Mine charges $20 per hour and I provide all of the supplies and tools. I can only justify two hours every other week. 95% of the time, I have her sweep and mop the floors--1400sf of hardwood floors plus two bathrooms. I am capable of mopping them, but for me to get them as clean as she does, it would take me four hours. Once, I had her wash the windows; dear goodness I didn't know windows could be that clean. I can leave her a list of what I want done. She'll start at the top of the list and work until the two hours is up.