Kitchen

[NYC Susan]

On 2/16/2015 Sooner said:

I think that whether people do or don't do chores doesn't make them a saint or a sinner. I also don't think about that--other than thinking about it would be absolutely none of my business. What possible difference to me would it make whether someone does their laundry or sends it out, or mows the yard or goes to Disneyland?

[NYC Susan]

On 2/18/2015 PeterDM said: I can't leave for work until the bed is made, the kitchen is tidy and everything is in its place. But, I cannot stand cleaning the bathroom, dusting, cleaning all my floors, baseboards, and all the other things my cleaning folks do for a reasonable price. My job is stressful and I enjoy coming home to a fresh smelling home and not having to worry about running into the bathroom to tidy things up if an unexpected visitor shows up. The salary I pay the couple who cleans my place pays for their son's private, high school education. It doesn't take them long to do the cleaning, and I'm happy that it helps their family.

Exactly! I agree with you. It's really a win/win.

And I can never leave the house without making my bed either. As a child - even though we had a live-in housekeeper - we always had to make our own beds and keep our rooms tidy, and that's a habit that has stayed with me all this time.

[Sooner]

On 2/17/2015 Deanie said:

On 2/17/2015 Desertdi said:

On 2/17/2015 Sooner said:

What I really want is a butler. That person would take my calls, get the mail and sort it out, manage the supplies we need and see that we have them, take my car to the car wash, take the cleaning out, pay the bills, deal with people like plumbers and other repair people when they need to be in the house, bring me food and drink, etc. etc. Oh, and manage the "maid" and cook! LOL!!!!

The butler would meet me at the door and take my coat, purse and bag, have a drink ready for me, update me on the days mail and such and bring me the paper. Then leave. The butler would have tidied up, hung up a few clothes etc. So there would be no clutter of mail and such.

In the mornings, the butler would meet me at the door, hand me an iced latte, hand me my purse and bag and note what kind of sandwich I was having that day, and have added a yogurt and a cookie or two to the bag. The butler would then be there to deal with all the "stuff" during the day--the stuff that eats up your day and you hate doing. Not the cleaning, that other "stuff".

That's better than a housekeeper to me.

Hilarious! But if you could afford a butler.....why would you be packing a lunch?

One must cut corners where one can

Well, there are two concerns: health reasons, and there's no lobster at the coffee bar in the building. Life is difficult to navigate isn't it?

[Gayle2]

I always cleaned my own home. My spouse thought it would be nice to get someone to give me a break. We used 3 different women (all referred by friends etc) over a 4 year span. I now clean my home again. What I learned during that time is that everyone starts off good, doing a good job and then it seems to be human nature to slack off or take some shortcuts. I prefer to have the money in my pocket and since it is my home I know the process is just as important as the end product.

[NYC Susan]

On 2/18/2015 EGW said:

I always cleaned my own home. My spouse thought it would be nice to get someone to give me a break. We used 3 different women (all referred by friends etc) over a 4 year span. I now clean my home again. What I learned during that time is that everyone starts off good, doing a good job and then it seems to be human nature to slack off or take some shortcuts. I prefer to have the money in my pocket and since it is my home I know the process is just as important as the end product.

That hasn't been my experience at all. I understand that it happened to you, but it's too much of a generalization to say that about "everyone". There are a lot of hard-working people who consistently do a good job for many years, and that includes domestic workers as well as people in businesses outside the home.