Housekeepers | Arthritis Information

How many of you have hired housekeepers? I really feel like I need to get some help. But getting started is overwhelming because things have gone so far that I hate to make anyone clean it the way it is now. I have a crew who comes once a week to clean and do laundry for my family. It was way too much for me to do by myself and I am the first to admit that I am domestically challenged!! It is sssooo worth the money. I would highly recommend getting help....don't worry about how it is now. Once you get someone started they do a big clean anyway...and trust me, from what my housekeepers tell me...they have seen alot worse!!

Jen

I would love to hire a housekeeper...even if just once a month to do some deep cleaning. I definitely think it is worth it if you can afford it. My husband was on vacation this week and spent it cleaning (poor guy..what a way to spend vacation), but now we will try to keep it this way. It is so hard to keep things clean when we feel the way we do.

And like Jen said...I'm sure they've seen worse! Don't worry about that.

I was housework challenged before RA. That's one thing I can't blame on RA. I've had a housekeeper for years. I spent 10 to 12 hours at work and traveling through out California at least twice a month when I was single and trying to reach my goals. I had a housekeeper then and continued until Stan and I retired this past year. I highly recommend it. A clean and uncluttered house leaves your mind clear and uncluttered. I feel it's more important to spend what energy we have on our loved ones and not on housework. Go for it.

I don't have one - and I end up waiting for days like today, when I'm feeling really good (Celebrex kicking in?), to do all of the laundry, the housecleaning, etc. That means in between, things can get kind of bad around here. It also means I spend my good days doing housework. Wow, a housekeeper, I'd love to have one, just one day a week. With our budget I can't forsee that ever happening. It's nice to dream though. Let them clean it. You are paying them and it's there job. Don't feel it is nescessary to clean before the cleaner's come.

I don't have one; but I'm seriously considering it. It's well worth it if you can afford it. I say go for it!! Like Linda said it will do so much for your mental state just to have the house clean and uncluttered. (Course she said it much better than I did)

Roxy broke down and got one and seems real happy with it.

We have a cleaning crew that comes once a week. Up until now I have worked full time so there is no way I'd have the energy to clean on weekends. I also am allergic to dust so they do the cleaning while I'm out of the house. Now that I'm only working half time we may have to cut back the cleaning services to every other week. It's something I highly reccommend.

If I continue to be able to increase my work hours I may be at the point that I could afford to hire someone in another 6 weeks. Since many of you have experience in this area, could you share some info?

How often do they come? How long do they stay? How many people? How big is your house? What kind of things do they do? What wont they do? Are you home when they are there? What do you pay for this service? Any other advice???

   I'm on my second housekeeper and it's the best thing I ever did.
   The first one was the housekeeper for my apt. manager's sister. She is very fussy about how things are done. He was very good and he would come bi-monthly. The fee was per visit. He, God bless his soul, took on my dirty bathroom. It was awful. I had mildew and a tub that looked black. He scrubbed the mildew and restored the tub. He even scrubbed my kitchen walls! Finally he had to let me go as his older clients were demaning more from him.
   My second housekeeper is a female and she's the wife of a person who drove me to my doctor's appt. after my surgeries. She's even better than my first one. She comes in bi-monthly and it's per visit. I was only paying but when the price of the gas went so high, I started to give her the . She starts at 9AM and leaves around 2PM. She moves things and doesn't just clean around them. I can't even make up the bed as she won't let me. Yes, I'm home and I've left money out in plain site to see if it will be there after she leaves. She's soooo good and I can trust her.
My apt is very large and it's two bedrooms. Alot of people have told me that my place is bigger than their house. She doesn't clean my roomies room.
Crunchy, it's so well worth the money. The place smells so nice and clean when she gets done. The only thing that I don't let her do is clean up after the cats. I clean out and change the litter boxes. Each have their own. I clean up when they spit up their fur balls that look like fur bombs!
   So if you want a housekeeper, GO FOR IT!!!!

   Marisa

We began having a housecleaning service come the summer I was diagnosed when it was just impossible for me to do it. I have since improved with the meds but we kept the service. It is soooo worth it for several reasons. I find I enjoy my house way more now that it is always in decent shape. When it's time for them to come again, the rugs need vacuuming etc but nothing like how it used to get.

We have a team of Polish ladies come every other week. There are sometimes 2, sometimes 3 of them and they come while we are at work. (Husband and I only - no children at home anymore). I trusted the owner with a house key and have never regretted it. She was referred by a trusted friend so it was a non issue. Our house is 4 bedrooms, hi-ranch typical of the NE suburbs. 2 levels. I've been home a couple of times when they've come (home sick or whatever) and they go right to work as soon as they arrive. One starts vacuuming, one starts on the kitchen etc. They are here for about 2 hours so if there's 3 of them that means we're getting 6 hours worth of work from our 5. I have left notes for them with special requests (tile behind the kitchen counter needs attention etc and they always accommodate. The owner is herself polish and she has 2-3 teams that she manages. They are fabulous.

Worth every penny. I am able to invite friends in at any time without hesitating to worry about the bathrooms etc. We've been married for 35 years and I still work full time so I figure I've earned this luxury and it allows us a much more relaxed weekend.

Thanks guys, I know there are others of you who have housekeepers, come on share your tips now! It helps to know what to look for. I would need someone at least once a week. Maybe twice a week.

Shoot, I need a live-in that can cook!

I have had a housekeeper for several years. When it became impossible for me to vacuum the house, my dear husband took over cleaning as well as everything else he does. I couldn't bear to let that go on for too long, as we still had our business at that time.

I asked a few friends and neighbors about housekeepers and I now have a wonderful lady who comes in every 2 weeks. She does a wonderful job. I basically need her for the big cleaning things, like big, deep scrubbing of bathrooms, kitchens, vacuum, dusts and polishes everything in the house. During winter, she keeps my fireplace cleaned out. She changes linens when she's here. Actually I don't have to tell her anything! She knows what to do and does an excellent job with everything. My house sparkles when she's done.

If I have to go out for any reason, I have no problem leaving her alone in my house. I trust her completely. I wouldn't have anyone clean for me that I didn't trust! We have a 3 bdrm. ranch in Calif., and she charges .00 per visit. Occasionally, when I find that she has done something extra, like wash windows, I'll give her something extra, but she never asks for it.

Between visits I just use Clorox wipes, or something similar to touch up bathrooms, and we spray the shower with Tilex Fresh Shower every time we get out of the shower, so things stay livable.

I would definately recommend a housekeeper. Having you house clean is good for the morale.

OMG I LOVE MY HOUSEKEEPING SERVICE

I always feel like my privacy would be invaded, having strangers know so much about me. I have 4 dogs who would go nuts if someone were in my house, so I would have to take them with me out of the house, or figure out how to lock them up, and then they would bark the whole time! I would also be embarrassed by all the dog hair and pee stains you get when you have pets (I have an old dog who just can't hold it sometimes!). It's like letting down that wall and exposing yourself and the things you feel most insecure about! Did any of you feel that way?

Hillhoney, I have two dogs and had four cats, now have three. Last night was horrendous, the kitten had diarrhea everywhere I am going to do it. I need to have a friend come help me move things and get a lot of my stuff boxed or stored. I have to "declutter" but I am convinced by all your posts. I will probably do every other week, but with the initial deep clean.

Thanks for the encouragment. I think it will make my life easier.

My clearning service I found through one of my former ESL students who started her own business. She sends 2 0r 3 cleaners each week and they stay about 1 1/2 to 2 hours and charge .00. I tip them at Christmas or when I've asked them to do something special not normally in their repetoire.They don't usualy speak English which can be a challenge but then I'm an artist so I leave little diagrams around showing what I want done if it's not something they routinely do. We have a huge 1906 house which is 2000 sq feet. There are 3 bathrooms, 3 bedrooms, a computer room, my studio, a laundry room, living room, and TV room. They thoroughly clean the kitchen including all apliances, the 3 bathrooms, vacumn and wash all the floors in the house, and dust. They don't do windows or pick up clutter. I have a dog who goes out in our court yard when they come. If we're away on vacation, they will water my plants that are inside.

They come on Fridays so I come home to a clean house at the end of a work week and it' one thing I don't have to worry about.

I can't imagine going back to the responsibilty of taking careof this huge house. We'd probably have to move if I didn't have their help.

I need someone to "de-clutter" like on that show Mission Organization. I would pay big $$$ to have someone organize or throw away all of our junk. I have thought about hiring a proffesional organizer.I think it is going to take a network television program AND an act of Congress to get my house de-cluttered. This place looks like a tornado hit it. I would really let one of those people come in and help me on those shows if they wouldn't air the program! I don't want all the world seeing my messy house. It has never been this bad before.

I am going to minimize by getting rid of some things though, like my entertainment center. I don't need all that extra shelving, etc. I want to go minimalist. I have friends that do that and their houses are always simple and CLEAN.
My house looks clean just so long as you dont open a closet or drawer! I want to go through it, I just need someone to do the grunt work...packing up boxes and loading them up to cart off. If only I knew some teens that were willing to work for a couple of days...

Oh, and I need someone to keep me on track...when I start going through stuff I get distracted with memories and looking through every little thing. I need someone to make me get rid of stuff...I tend to be a pack rat.