I am wondering if anyone else has or is considering hiring a person to come into your home once or twice a month to clean? I am considering it as with my daycare kids and constantly having to be right in the same room with them most of the day, I am find that I am not finding the time to clean my home as well as I want it to be. I am a very clean person and like my home to be very clean and it is driving me crazy lately that I can't get done what I want or need to get done. I have maybe one hour to do things when they are napping, which isn't a lot of time, besides I am in my 50's and I don't have the energy I used to have, so sometimes I have to just sit for a few minutes after I get them down for their nap.
Also by the time I get the kitchen cleaned up from lunch, which is after I lay them down for nap time, that hour is no longer an hour.
So just wondering if anyone else has had a house cleaner come in once in awhile.

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I meant to say, clean your home, not you.

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I don't, currently, but I am considering it for next year when we move things to the basement and I can't vaccuum the downstairs while they play, or do laundry, etc. etc.

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I know what you mean. I can't clean while they play or do laundry also and I'm finding myself falling so behind with everything lately. I like my house a certain way and people will tell me my home is so neat and clean, but I KNOW where the dirt,dust and other stuff is and needs cleaning and it is just driving me nutty lately.

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I used to and I LOVED it.

If I ever get to capacity, I will be hiring another cleaning lady. I really miss it.

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I don't but I thought about it a few times.

After looking at prices and reading scary reviews I decided to downsize my *stuff* that needs routine cleaning instead.

Random tables/shelves/cabinets that tend to collect *stuff* went into storage first.

Anything that required dusting and served no purpose went next.

The linen closets were habitual offenders... If I don't use it monthly, off to storage it went.

Etc, Etc. until dusting, organizing and moving things to deep clean was no longer a struggle.

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Yes but since my numbers have really dropped I think Nov will be our last month. :-(

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I don't, but I am considering it. I know prices will vary considerably, but I was wondering how much people pay for a once per week cleaning?

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I did and I loved it!
It freed up my nights so that I can take my dd to her activities at night and I came home to a perfectly clean house.
I had someone come 3 days a week from 6pm to 8pm and I payed her $10 per hour .. I was going to add Saturdays to do some deep cleaning but I am too particular and ended up re-cleaning it after they left.
We had to put the house keeping on hold because of finances but I am going to hire a house keeper again in a month because of the holidays.

I highly suggest you make a list of what is important to be cleaned first, have a contract, and if you are not going to be home to lock up valuables in your room. Maybe even pop in and out randomly.
I always hated being home when the house was being cleaned and we always got in her way.
Look on care.com and ask for references.. but realize that those references could be her friends or family
another thing to remember is to set out your cleaners so that she doesn't have to go searching for them and also give instructions on what product to use for what surface... believe me , I actually had someone trying to use windex on my grand piano!

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I was paying $125 a week for a 4k sq ft house.

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this is really good advice!!!!
wish I can do this

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how many hours a week?

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I've thought about it to, but financially, right now it isn't an option.

Maybe when husbands busier season starts next year I will treat myself to it.

I clean my dads house twice a month, takes me 4 hours (he's lazy and messy) and he pays me $40-80 depending how much he can afford. He's on disability and I refuse his money but then it ends up in my mailbox or once he went to my bank and deposited it behind my back lol so now I just smile, nod, and accept it.

My mom can afford to and does pay someone to clean her house for 2 hours each time, every week and she pays $60 a week, or she can pay $220 a month. But her house stays clean. All that's done is dusting, sweeping and mopping and that's it.

My house stays very clean but I'd love to have someone just come in and clean the bathrooms, the nap room, sweep and mop twice a month. That would be awesome.

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I live in a high COL area and paid $200/mo, $100 each visit. She came every other Saturday and cleaned. That's my other problem, during the summer and early Fall Saturdays were perfect because we had soccer between 8:30-10 every week or we planned a family outing but now that it's cold and no sports, leaving at 8am on Saturday just isn't going to work anyway even if I could justify the expense.

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I pay $100 a week, she comes on Saturdays and stays until it's clean. I'd either do this or $25 an hour. I can't imagine a house cleaner accepting $10 an hour.

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where I live it's pretty common and I usually pay them more because they only ask for $10 an hour and I just throw in extra when I can.

the girls I have are all college students and very grateful to come and usually do a good job .. they love to clean and play with the toys

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I have in the past and am planning on soon again!! . I had someone come every other week for 2,000 sq ft and she did everything except bedrooms for $60. I am thinking of paying someone to come in for a day and just thou totally clean EVERYTHING once before I start the twice a month again- I am so behind!!! Between work and extra curricular activities I am not managing-
I have a dcb (SA) who comes at 6:30 (everyone else is 7:15) so I am planning on using his weekly fee to cover the cost- ill even have some left over... Hopefully it will make climbing out of bed so early worth it!

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I had one, but had to let her go. She charged $30 an hour and was really not that good.

However, the reason that I let her go was because she could not come on weekends and would have to come during the week. She was constantly leaving all of her cleaning supplies out and I would ask her not to. But she did it anyways. I only had her clean the daycare area and the kitchen. She would take 3.5 hours.

I finally decided that since the cleaning stuff was out, that if Licensing came, I am sure they would of had a field day with me. I stopped using her.

I have two employees, but they are working with me and the kids, that they don't have time to clean either. It really stinks when I am down on my hands and knees cleaning pee off the floor at 5am or 11pm......

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can you find someone to come after hours?
I had some college students that went to school all day and cleaned at night and it worked out perfectly.
I know what you mean by the cleaners left out. I always had to double check after they left.

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this woman had them strung down the hallway as she was cleaning. One time she left a mom out in the hallway and one of the kids was rushing to make it to the toilet and flipped over it. I was so mad..

I would not be ok with someone who is not licensed and bonded coming to clean my house. I would also not be able to claim it if they are not licensed. At night, I just want to put my feet my and watch a little bit of tv in peace.....so I would hate to hear all that vacuum and cleaning.

I am really trying to find someone who can come on saturdays.....

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Oh, ok that makes since
Saturday cleaners are out there..
maybe call your local church, they might have a job book..

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lol.....I meant to say mop.....lol

what is a job book??

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I have thought about it; but we just took at HUGE pay cut for me to make this life change (I worked a job in which I saw my kids under 5 hours a week and this pay cut was worth it solely in that respect!).

I have a pretty open floor plan (split level), my laundry is in the "daycare" bathroom and we use all of our living space upstairs and downstairs, as daycare space (that will probably change when my kids get older and/or I get a bigger group), but for now it works for us. With this floor plan, I am always in the same room when we are downstairs (other than bathroom) and my upstairs is all one room (kitchen, dining and living room, even the entry way).

When they are having their "free play" I will do some random picking up; especially during lunch prep time. I have a small group and this works well for us. All I have left to do when the DCK aren't there is the nitty gritty with cleaners, disinfectants, etc. That I would LOVE help with, but I am OCD when it comes to my house cleanliness, I just know I have to do it myself.

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I have a women who has been with me for six years. She comes weekly on Saturdays for about 4-5hrs $100 for a 2600sq/ft house. It's nice to have someone to do the more deep cleaning stuff.

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I don't have anyone to come in and clean although I dream of it often, but I did make a big splurge a couple of months ago and hired a professional organizer. We spent a Saturday together cleaning my garage out. My husband says I'm kind of a hoarder, but I'm really just a saver.All of my stuff was really overwhelming and I needed someone to come in and help me. It was $350! It was well worth it, I made it back in a yard sale I had the following weekend. Now I can actually park my car in the garage. It was the best therapy I've ever had! I highly recommend it if any of you need it!

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I did a while ago. I live in a lower COL area so it cost me about $65 for about 3-4 hours of cleaning every other week.
At the time, I had kids in preschool and PT kids, so the cleaning woman would come on those mornings when I didn't have kids. The last three years my schedule has filled in and I don't have "kid free" days.

What I liked: on the weeks she came, it freed up my evening/weekend. After a month or so of her coming, I could really see a difference in how my home looked on a daily basis. It made me more aware of all the things that should be on your cleaning rotation It's a tax deduction!!

What I didn't like: having to clear out so she could clean (that would be impossible now) all the picking up that goes on before she came in to clean - cleaning people are just that - they clean. They don't pick up clutter, toys, etc. If I wanted my dressers dusted, I needed to make sure they were clear for that and depending on how the week had gone, that was a job in itself. There were a few times I thought having someone to come in and clean was more work then just doing it myself.

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it's a big binder that our church keeps in the office that has job openings and also housing too.
It's for people looking for jobs or offering jobs that prefer someone from our church body but everyone is encouraged to apply.
I used to advertise my daycare in the job book.

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Almost ever, but I do have one coming this Friday, as we are going to be out of town all weekend, I am also having an open house/Halloween party this next Thursday, so I need things EXTRA nice, and have NO EXTRA time. I'm NOT telling my husband about the cleaner coming in, as he doesn't want us to pay for it, although we can afford it well enough, especially with me working. He wants me to keep it clean, and although he says he will help, or talks about helping, he does not do a lot. We have almost no free time in the evening, because I spend so much time cleaning, catching up on things, helping our kids with homework, washing them, getting them into bed. At the end of the day, I'm exhausted, and then I get up early, and do it all again. Lately, I'm disappointed to wake up from my sleep/dreaming, because dreaming seems so much better than reality. I wish my husband were more okay with me having people in to help clean. He complains about the mess, says it is because I don't clean up right away afterwards, and we have too much stuff, he feels overwhelmed by it all, and doesn't know where to start, nor does he really want to. Meanwhile, his desk is so overrun with junk and papers, if he doesn't clean if off by the party, I will put it all in paper bags, so it isn't like all of the mess REALLY is mine. Yes, I do almost all of the cooking/laundry as well. He works from 9-6:30. He doesn't help out much in the morning, because he takes about an hour taking his shower, getting ready for work... etc. Frustrating.

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I have someone come in every other Friday at lunch time and she deep cleans both bathrooms, and runs the sweeper upstairs, mops my front hardwood steps and my front living room. She doesn't touch my playroom or kitchen as that is where we are. I only pay $15 pr hour and it usually only takes her an hour, but I give her $20. It is so worth it me and cuts my load down tremendously! Plus, as a family the night before we make sure everything is picked up and put away so she can do the floors. It keeps the house tidy and my girls accountable for their bedrooms because they love when she comes, but if their room is a disaster, I close the door and it doesn't get done. I tell them she is there to help me stay sane, not clean their bedrooms! They are 12 and 13! I know we are lucky because her rates are extremely reasonable, but I would pay more if I had too! It's so hard to keep up with everything and do a great job at daycare so I have let go of my 'super woman' image!

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I had cleaning help for years when my numbers were up. Then it seemed I was "straightening up" before they arrived and cleaning up after they left so I stopped. I did what was advised here--learned to downsize--settle for less than pristine --and enlisted the help of my husband--who, as it turned out, was happy to lend a hand if it stopped me from vacuuming when he wanted to nap on the weekend!!
The cost became to much as well. In my area everyone wanted 35.00 an hour with a guarantee minimum of 2 hours per week. Okay--but if I have to pick up after them when they leave what is that?? And if I break down my hourly rate it was way less than that!!!

I have learned how to do what I can and settle for accepting what I can't get done...with my day care area (which is separate from my living area) getting my first attention.

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If I could afford it I absolutely would! Money well spent in my opinion.

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