Anyone pay for house cleaning?

[Rage187]

If so, how much do you pay? Is it by foot or room or hour?
How did you find them? Legal?
How often do you have them come?


Let me preempt the 1% comments.

My wife works 10 hour days. We have two very small children and both work well past 40 hours a week.

Cleaning has become a point of contention and with the stress of the holidays coming up, I thought I would get someone to come once a week and do stuff neither of us have time to do. At least until the holidays are over. I'm going to give up going out each day for lunch to defer the cost. Hoping this relieves some stress for my wife and we can spend more time together as a family instead of spending hours each weekend just to keep the house in livable condition.

 

[Slick5150]

Generally speaking they charge by how long it'll take them to do whatever it is you want done.

My cleaning lady charges me $75 per visit (which I do bi-weekly) and it takes her about 90 minutes to get everything done.

 

[sjwaste]

You don't have to justify it. If you both work and you have kids, how the hell do you find time to clean? We're in the same spot - both full time, have a 4 month old daughter. We manage to keep the place clean, but there's always clutter - and we kill a significant part of our weekend cleaning.

Anyway, it varies by location, company, etc. Use Angie's List to find someone with good reviews in your area, and they'll give you an estimate. Collect a few and go with whoever makes you comfortable.

 

[OlafSicky]

I have a live in housekeeper she cleans does the laundry and cooks once in a while

 

[Jeeebus]

I think we pay $100/week. Big house (3100 sq ft), two small kids, two huge dogs. It definitely helps. We were doing the cleaning on the weekends, but that's 4 hours or so that I'd rather be able to spend elsewhere.

 

[RossMAN]

If so, how much do you pay? Is it by foot or room or hour?
How did you find them? Legal?
How often do you have them come?

$75 per hour
It's a local cleaning company, my wife saw one of their cleaning cars plastered with ads.
Once or twice a year for things like spring cleaning

 

[Red Squirrel]

I've actually been thinking about this myself. It's not that I don't have the time, I just hate cleaning. Specifically the bathroom. It's just tedious to clean. I've thought of getting someone to come like once a week to do just the bathroom. Would probably not be that much.

 

[Gunslinger08]

We have cleaners come every other week. $100 per visit. Used to be cheaper with a different lady, but she retired. Totally worth it for us. It's great to not waste our free time cleaning.

 

[Rage187]

I suggested it to my wife tonight and she got somewhat upset. I think she took offense to the thought we needed help with the house. I think I've talked her into it though after rattling off all the stuff we do and how we spend a few hours together as a family.

 

[KentState]

We keep talking about it, but I just have reservations about someone coming into my house when I'm not home. I think it was something like $120 every two weeks to clean the bathrooms, kitchen and general vacuuming and dusting.

 

[RossMAN]

We keep talking about it, but I just have reservations about someone coming into my house when I'm not home.

You're not alone, that's why we only do it a few times a year and one us is always present.

 

[GasX]

$120 week for me, but it's a 6500 sqft house...

 

[vi edit]

We keep talking about it, but I just have reservations about someone coming into my house when I'm not home. I think it was something like $120 every two weeks to clean the bathrooms, kitchen and general vacuuming and dusting.

That's our same concern. Plus I'm just not real thrilled paying out what is essentially a car payment each month for something I don't want to do out of pure laziness.

 

[SaigonK]

So I was all about it, and my wife was not.
She said she felt like she could not keep her own house clean, lazy, etc. etc.

There are five of us, four girls and me, four bedrooms, three bathrooms.
3150 sqft of finished living space.

Its been 6 months now, my wife got over her misgivings and loves that we have the cleaner now. Every tuesday it's "does Sue come today...yes? Sweet!"

We pay $60 bi-weekly here (Maine, $20 an hour), so $120 a month. She will do the normal stuff:

Vacuum all rooms, wash down all counters and cleanup the kitchen, etc. clean all three bathroom completely. Wash the floors, etc.

Every so often (about once a month) if we put down something extra, she just does it. For example i have her wipe down all the trim around the house, baseboard, etc. or I have her wash down all the walls and doors.

We love it, with both of us being professionals at work, and with a kid in college, one in high school and the newest one in daycare...it makes life much easier.

 

[Rage187]

Well, only a 1700 SQFT home. My wife or I will be here the whole time.

 

[SaigonK]

Well, only a 1700 SQFT home. My wife or I will be here the whole time.

My wife could not be there the first couple of times, it made her feel weird, and she knew she would nitpick things..

My suggestion to you is to try it a couple of times and see if it truly makes life easier for you, if you enjoy it then just continue on.

The hardest part is finding someone you can feel safe with in your home.

 

[paperfist]

We keep talking about it, but I just have reservations about someone coming into my house when I'm not home. I think it was something like $120 every two weeks to clean the bathrooms, kitchen and general vacuuming and dusting.

That's why they (should) carry insurance and you should pay for the service afterward.

 

[Imp]

I'm burning stupid time making a dollar a day... I'd never be not cheap enough to use one.

I had a friend who hired her rich parents' house keeper because she felt that the parents didn't give the house keeper enough hours... Must have been her "helpful" nature that led her to get into relationships with two married men who eventually divorced wives and dumped her.

 

[sygyzy]

$80 twice a month, 3 bedroom, 3 bath townhouse.

 

[OBLAMA2009]

ive always had cleaners. you have to careful who you hire. a lot of these illegals will steal your stuff, throw away important things like your tax records or gift certificates, or put your drycleaning in the washing machine because they dont speak english

 

[DAGTA]

I second the recommendation to check Angie's List.

I've had cleaning done. In the past, a friend of mine would do it about once every other month for cash. It was extra income for her and I trusted her. She always did a great job.

On another occasion, I hired a cleaning company. They charged per hour / per person and sent three people out. They did a good job cleaning but damaged a small area of the hardwood floor in my office.

My preference is to work with someone I know (such as my friend) but that's not always an option.

 

[yinan]

I do. I hate cleaning, and it is more of a cost benefit analysis. It only costs like $90 a month and it is very worth it to me because they do a bunch of stuff I would never do.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

No, I've never paid for cleaners and have rarely paid for lawn work. The work is so easy and it doesn't take me long to do, so I generally just do it. There are a few things we hate doing (mopping is one), so the thought has occurred to me to hire someone to come in once or twice a month to do nothing but mopping.

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

Hell where do you guys live? I'll come clean your houses for $50 a hour.
For $50 a hour I'll even use a toothbrush for the toilets. lol

 

[vi edit]

No, I've never paid for cleaners and have rarely paid for lawn work. The work is so easy and it doesn't take me long to do, so I generally just do it. There are a few things we hate doing (mopping is one), so the thought has occurred to me to hire someone to come in once or twice a month to do nothing but mopping.

Young kids + dog + living in the country = house is dirty by the time I start with one end and finish up with the other.

The dog is really the worse of it. I can sweep & vacuum and 30 minutes later it still looks like a small fuzzy animal exploded on the floor. Plus muddy footprints coming in after bathroom breaks, ect. It's not a terrible amount of work..maybe 2 hours a week of pure cleaning up of the floors, and another 4 hours a month for dusting/deep cleaning/bathrooms/ect. So six hours a month. Which is just short of another full days work.

It's not hard work, but it's just...more work.