Among Friends

[fancy pantsy]

due to health issues, i have had to get someone to clean.  i lucked out and she is fabulous.

i "pick up" all of my clutter the day before she comes, but i don't clean anything.  

[queendiva]

@Shanus When I had housekeepers I always cleaned the house before they arrived. It's a matter of pride and respect for them and for myself. I got too stressed out finding the time to clean on the day before they were schrduled, so I dropped them and downsized to a smaller space that I can care for easily on my own when it works for me. I still think about hiring someone once or twice a year for deep cleaning, but I have been here just over a year and it has not been a priority yet.

[Shanus]

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@queendiva wrote:

@Shanus When I had housekeepers I always cleaned the house before they arrived. It's a matter of pride and respect for them and for myself. I got too stressed out finding the time to clean on the day before they were schrduled, so I dropped them and downsized to a smaller space that I can care for easily on my own when it works for me. I still think about hiring someone once or twice a year for deep cleaning, but I have been here just over a year and it has not been a priority yet.

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@queendiva  My issue is mostly dog hair/shedding...on shelves, hardwood floors, etc. I do a "once over" every  week & vacuum. When the cleaning ladies come, they do the stove, tubs, showers, deeper cleaning. It's a big house, but w/ the kids gone, we only live downstairs and that's all they clean. Once a month, DH and I go upstairs and give it a quick dust/vacuum...more if company's coming. Molly's not allowed upstairs, so at least the fur is contained. 

[Porcelain]

The cleaning lady doesn't know where everything goes. Also, the more junk she has to navigate around, the longer it will take her.

[Group 5 minus 1]

My Mom always cleaned for the cleaning lady.

[SandySparkles]

I don't have a cleaning lady because I am a cleaning, organizational, neat freak. If for some reason I need one in the future, I am SURE I would CLEAN before she came.😁

~~~All we need is LOVE💖

[shoesnbags]

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@Porcelain wrote:

The cleaning lady doesn't know where everything goes. Also, the more junk she has to navigate around, the longer it will take her.

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Bingo!  This is why I "pick up" before the cleaning lady comes. She can do a better job if surfaces are clear, and I won't have to search for anything that had to be moved.

[RedTop]

No cleaning lady, nor ever expect to have one, but I absolutely would not clean prior to her visit.   I would make sure she earned her pay.     

[ThinkOutsidetheBox]

I am with the majority of people here. If I had a cleaning lady, I would make sure all mess is picked up and out of the cleaning lady's way so that she could more easily do a proper cleaning job. By "cleaning", I (and most cleaning ladies you ask these days), mean removal of the everyday accumulation of dirt. Cleaning companies who are hired to come in periodically to clean your home generally do not include anything from the outside, nor do they clean and organize your clutter before they clean. Many homes these days can often be extremely cluttered and untidy. Life is busy. Cleaning companies do not want to deal with that. They are not slaves, and they also do not want to risk damaging decorative items, technical and electronic property, or be accused of taking something if it is moved while cleaning and then cannot be found. If you want to pay them for deeper cleans that take a lot more time, I believe they are happy to take more money up to a point.

I always actually wanted to be a cleaning person, because after serving in the military for twelve years, I can clean like no one's business. It is something I am good at and often enjoy. The problem was that so many people are just downright disgusting and have that attitude of making sure cleaners "earn their money". I don't need someone to make sure I do a thorough job because I am meticulous and self-motivated. What I do not want to do though, because I am no one's slave, is clean up vomit, diarrhea, blood, pet accidents that have been left for the lackey, etc. So many people just have no respect for themselves or the people they hire. You do not own someone just because you have hired them to do a job. Get a consultation, spell out what you want done, and get a price for that. It isn't nice to get a price and then leave as big a mess as possible so they "earn their money". Or, to expect them to magically know you want something extra done and then do it for free too.

Anyway, I would definitely, absolutely tidy up and declutter before a cleaner came in, just so that they could more easily and efficiently do the cleaning tasks for which I hired them. It is just proper etiquette. I would not "clean" though.

[Jinlei]

Ha!  This is a joke right.  I wish I had the problem of having to clean before the cleaning lady got here.  What is the purpose of paying someone to clean your house, if you are going to do it?  Wow!