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[chessylady]

I have never had help in the home. Do you have a housekeeper? Are you happy with the work? What do you ask them to do?

[Annabellethecat66]

No but I need one. I just have so many personal papers around I'm worried about finding someone I trust.

[Barbara in Virginia]

I do. I always had one when I worked. But after we both retired, downsized, and moved, I didn't have one for several years. But recently hired one to come in for several hours a week. I found her on care.com and have been very happy with her. They will do a preliminary background check for you. In addition, I got and contacted references.

She will do whatever needs to be done!

[Annabellethecat66]

Barbara, I live in Va too! I've probably talked to you! I'm the weirdo who walks up to people and starts conversations! Ha!

I joined Angie's List for different reasons. They list housekeepers. I just keep putting it off because I have sooooo much ummmm stuff she'd have to wade through.

I do have a company that does lawn maintenance. It is so easy. I know I should get a housekeeper. I guess it's a matter of getting started.

[TRUE]

Yes I got her through a friend who is her brother.... shes excellent a single mom in drug recovery. She comes once a month since I'm OCD.... and its only me here but when she leaves even though the house is what most would deem ""clean"" its just a really good feeling to know shes dusted everything and I mean everything and done all floors she is excellent and will change my sheets if I want her too. I change mine twice a week just for me...shes so good I pay her an extra 2 dollars an hour and an extra 20 to make it 100 for 4 hours once a month as I said. My sister just hired her so am anxious to see how she likes her. My back has been bad and had 2 TKR's so I deserve it...I still will vac since I have a wood stove and load wood in here so shes such a blessing I hope I never lose her.

[ennui1]

I have three. Me, myself, and I.

[JeanLouiseFinch]

We have cheap labor here - my DH and me!

Seriously, though, no we don't have a housekeeper. There's no reason for us to, we do it ourselves. I have to admit, DH is often a more conscientious housekeeper than I am. He'll do anything that needs doing.

When I was in my early twenties, my mom had a housekeeper. My mom was very good to her, in her salary and also in making coffee for her breaks, providing lunch, generous Christmas bonus, etc. Mary was a big bosom-ed lady. One day my mom noticed her fidgeting with her cleavage quite a bit. She didn't say anything, but thought it was odd. Later that day she was calling to Mary to come down for afternoon coffee. Mary didn't come and didn't come, nor did she respond. The house wasn't that big to where Mary wouldn't be able to hear. Mom went looking and found Mary sleeping on one of the beds. She woke up and came down for coffee, making some kind of excuse. That evening, my mom passed that same bedroom where Mary had been napping and she discovered a basket of clean, folded laundry on top of the bed. That was unusual. Mom removed the basket and as she smoothed out the top of bedspread and noticed it was wet/damp. She concluded that Mary had an accident during her nap and was trying to cover it up. She also concluded that Mary's fidgeting was because she had a little bottle of booze concealed in her cleavage. Needless to say, Mary didn't return.

[Deadeye Daisy]

Have had housekeepers most of my life. At one point, when we lived in South Texas, we had a live in. Unfortunately, none of us could get used to that at all. DH didn't like the idea that he would have to get dressed in the middle of the night if he wanted to go the kitchen at the other end of the house. Was always afraid that Blanca might be up and wandering. She was great, though. Didn't speak English, but that was never a problem. Besides, she wasn't much older than our then teenage sons. We decided to have her live and work for friends who didn't have kids at home. Still had her come in once a week for us, though.

Rest of the times, the housekeepers we hired were based on recommendations from friends. Since we've moved many, many times over the years, have always had to get used to new bodies. Over the years, only had two that didn't mutually work out.

God created housekeepers for a good reason - so we don't have to clean house. Besides, most did FAR more work in one day a week than I could ever get around to doing if I stayed home all day. They cleaned things I wouldn't even dream of. Light bulbs, ceiling fans, light globes. One drove my visiting mother nuts when she came to clean. Mother could never figure out Gloria moved so fast and got so much work done. We always have coverage under our homeowners insurance to cover independent workers who worked in the house and/or yard.

I never had any do laundry, other than ironing, as I'm too picky for that. When DH was wearing white shirts all the time, one of them would take the laundered ones home to iron. When our kids were very small, (had 4 under 5 years of age) we had a lady (wife of a migrant worker) come in when they were in town. She would come one day a week to clean; also did our ironing - only reason she did it for me and four friends was so she could watch her soaps every day while she ironed as she didn't have a TV. Also, made THE BEST sweet potato pie EVER.

I have a close friend that I've known for 47 years. Looking at her, she would be the LAST person you would ever think did housework. (One of those people who looked better in sweats than most of us do when dressed to the nines). She started cleaning homes when our kids were in kindergarten. Her husband was a licensed plumber and electrician. Eventually, her business became the prime income for her family. She had a staff of housekeepers. Hubby gave up full time plumbing to handle miscellaneous handyman, carpentry, plumbing and eletrical chores for her clients.

They retired at 50 & 51, and for the last 20 years, spend most of their free time traveling the world. Nice.

[jackthebear]

I do, and she is extremely lazy sometimes I'd like to fire her, but I can't fire myself

When my kids were little I had a cleaning lady, it was great then but now it's just 2 of us and it's 2x the cost and I'd like to spend that money somewhere else.

[151949]

I have a very nice lady who comes in every 2 weeks and cleans. I am not able to be down on the floor doing thins like getting under the furniture and dusting baseboards anymore, or get upon a ladder to do the the things like the ceiling fans and tops of the furniture. My DH has no desire to help me so he chose to hire some one instead. Fine with me. She dusts and polishes the furniture, mops the floors, cleans the bathrooms and the kitchen,vacuums,dusts the ceiling fans and the shutters on the windows, empties the trash.Last week she wiped the fronts of all the kitchen cabinets.She will change the bed if I set sheets out - but I usually do that myself. Before she comes I usually put the rugs from the bathrooms in the washer, then she puts them into the dryer and back on the floor after the floor is dry. She has given me some really excellant advice on a few decorating tips too.