cleaning service

[celticdragonfly]

So we're actually looking into getting cleaning help for me occasionally. (Why yes, this does make me feel like I'm not achieving enough. But... 2 kids under 2. And if I want to homeschool someday, I can't have housework be my top priority.)

The lady offered to send me references, and I accepted. I've never called references before. I'm sure I really ought to.

Anyone? What do you ASK these people?

Comments

[kd5mdk.livejournal.com]

Were you satisfied with her work? Did you have any problems, missed appointments, anything?

[ciorstan.livejournal.com]

No, it's not a question of underachieving. It is having help to assist you so you have the time to address things that are higher priority than housecleaning, while still being able to maintain your standards of cleanliness. I found mine when she was an employee of a cleaning agency-- she left the agency and stayed on with me; she was then pregnant with her second child and he is now about to turn three.

Admittedly I'm biased. It will be blissful to come home to a home with freshly made beds, everything neat and tidy and in its place, all carpets vacuumed, the hardwood floors swept and the kitchen spotless. It is SO worth the money not to have to do it myself. After 20 years of typing my wrists are bad enough that it is painful to make a bed and run a vacuum cleaner.

Good thing!!

[meerkat1.livejournal.com]

I don't have any kids and I have a maid who I call to come in a few times a year.

I my mind I would rather spend $45 and have somebody come and mop all my floors, scrub the tub, the oven and do toilets, than spend $45 for mom and I to eat out one night. And we do the eat out thing at least a couple of times a month. You should try to remove this from the "personal value judgment" place in your mind into the "is it worth the money to *me* and my family" place in your mind.

The maid was just at my place today... and it is wonderful!! I am having her back to dust, make beds and touch up before Dan comes to crash at my place for RadCon next weekend. The place will still be cluttered and messy, but at least it won't be icky dirty.

As for what questions to ask the references....

Ask about anything that is specificly important to you, like if you have a thing for how tasks are done you might want to ask if he/she takes instuctions well, or do they listen to loud music while they work etc.

And Ask for any overall impressions they would like to share. Like what is his/her best qualification, and/or what did you like least about their work etc.

Re: Good thing!!

[celticdragonfly.livejournal.com]

Ah, but you're employed. My guilty feeling is that as a stay at home mom I'm "just a housewife" and ought to get it all done myself. And I can't.

For my own sanity, and especially if we want to homeschool, this would be better. Although I'll feel better about spending the money when we get out of debt.

Re: Good thing!!

[ciorstan.livejournal.com]

I'm not employed. She'll be here today while I'm at the doctor's office. My comment about bliss was that I'd be coming home from Il Dottore's today to a clean, tidy house and that I would not have had to lift a finger to get it that way.

Worth every penny.

[archangelbeth]

Yay housecleaning!

I'd call them up and say, "Hi, I'm considering hiring X for housecleaning, and she gave me your name as a reference. Can you tell me how satisfied you are with her? Are there any quirks that I should know about? About how quickly does she work? Does she expect people to be out of the house when she's there? Great, thanks!"

That help? O:>

Re: Good thing!!

[archangelbeth]

You are not "just a housewife." You are a childcare specialist. Full-time, even, without time off for sickness or holidays.

As I told a friend of my mom's, with a new kid, "That To-Do list you have? Take one thing from it. That's your victory condition. You do anything else on it, that's gravy."

I'd have someone in to clean if so much of it were not clutter that needs to be put away by myself and spouse and our lack of time and inclination.
O:/

Re: Good thing!!

[celticdragonfly.livejournal.com]

> Full-time, even, without time off for sickness or holidays.

That's the worst thing about this job - I can't even go to the doctor's office alone. When I've got Jamie crying and I'm crawling under an exam table to retrieve a fussing Maggie, and the doctor walks in, it's so embarrassing.

Of course, I can rarely get to go to the bathroom alone.

I was telling Karl last night that it's easy to see that I get deprived of adult conversation and social time - it's harder to recognize that I also get deprived of what we call "cave time", completely alone time when nobody's bugging me.

I need to get to where I can put down occupation "textile artist and child development specialist" without feeling so embarrassed. Heck, two of the kids have developmental delays, that oughta make me a specialist!