Have to laugh at myself: cleaning up for the housekeeper

M1

Anyone else do this? A couple of weeks ago I bought a robot vacuum (love it but the dog hates it) and hired a cleaning service because this farmhouse is pretty big and I am nowhere near the compulsive cleaner that my partner was. Parts of it have not been cleaned since she left in March 2022. They are coming for the first time today, and I've been up since five cleaning up. Washed all the towels that cover the furniture where the animals sit. Washed the sheet on my partner's bed where the dog likes to sleep. Put away the junk on the countertops that needed putting up anyway. I guess there are parts of life I just don't want to share--but it feels pretty ironic. And definitely a first-world issue, i know I am fortunate to be able to hire someone to help. I guess it's a part of my own difficulty asking for help and lettings others help though.

Beachfan

M1,

Your post made me smile! Years ago, when the kids were small and I was working full time, we had a big house and a cleaning lady, “Janet”, who came in every other week. (She was so efficient that she once scrubbed the numbers off the oven timer). I always rallied the kids to pick up and straighten up before she came, and the mantra became, “Don’t p#ss Janet off!” I no longer have a cleaning person, but I do have standing hair and nail appointments with “Angie”, who is in demand and always very busy. People often ask why I would drive home from the ‘shore “just for a haircut” and I answer that Angie tells me when to report and I do so……..now my mantra is “Don’t p#ss Angie off”. Funny, the strange habits we develop.

jfkoc

Tidy clutter, yes. Clean, no.

I do have someone to help me keep my house clean. She is definitely in charge of baseboards, bathrooms and vacuuming. The rest I can do with the help of those Swiffer products.

Ed1937

Yeah, we gotta get the house cleaned. The cleaning lady is coming. It doesn't sound right, but that's the world we live in.

Jo C.

Ah yes; you are not the only one who is laughing at yourself for this, me too, but they will love you for your consideration. We have a large two story house, so it takes awhile for one person to clean; she comes every other week. We want the cleaning lady to be able to actually clean and not have to be hampered by stuff in the way or waste time having to do pick up. So there we are, running about "cleaning" for the cleaning lady.

(We do not have the cleaning person change the bed sheets due to time issue as she is already here four to five hours.) Before she gets here, the beds are made. Trash is emptied in each of the three bathrooms and kitchen. NO junk lying around. Countertops are checked and any items removed. In master bath dressing room area, I put away the hair dryer and other small grooming items that may have got left out. Used bath and kitchen towels are removed and are put in the washer and run. There are never, ever dirty dishes or such other items left in the kitchen. Cleaning person is not the daily maid for dirty dishes and pots and pans and such items are not appreciated by most cleaning persons and some have been known to quit because of big time messes left for them in the kitchen. (As told to me by cleaning persons.)

Not only do such preparations make it easier for the cleaning person, it also helps to retain them as the house is not a horrible challenge that makes it very hard for the person to have to deal with every time they come. Cleaning persons are much in demand and if a house is far, far, far too much of a mess to deal with, they will not stay.

As said, the idea is for the person to be able to get in and really clean and not have to do pick ups or do work arounds. We had a wonderful person who we just loved who was with us for a long time, but she retired a year ago; she was in her 70's. It took us a long time to find someone. We did not want a cleaning service with rotating three person teams that changed, (security issues; DH is retired police detective and has seen too much), and also because we are not bilingual, we needed someone who had reasonable communication ability in English. We now have someone and are grateful to have her. So hope it all works out. Both cleaning persons related their appreciation of the house being picked up and both related big time major nightmare stories of houses they could not continue with as things were so horribly dire.

How is the robot working out? DH does not want to have us buy one as he said things would get in the way and there are some cords, and he feels it would not get under a table nor would it skirt around the coffee table in the family room, etc. But I think it would work. What are your feelings about how it functions? Also, in your multi story house, which floor do you keep it on or do you move it floor to floor?

You are on your way - it will feel really good to have the house cleaned and in order. While all humans have a bit of clutter, I do not like a largely cluttered house and am much more serene feeling when that is not an issue. I also cannot stand dirty dishes in the sink or on the kitchen countertops - they keep calling my name, so that is not an issue here, but do have to say; thank heavens for a dishwasher!

For the cleaning persons, your respectful consideration is a BIG deal, so you are right on in some prep for them even though we laugh at ourselves for doing it. Gads; what I really need is a mother or a wife - WAIT - I AM the wife. But no longer the young wife with all joints working with no issues - difference there and bless the cleaning lady for sure. Good luck, M1, and so hope it works really well for you and makes home feel more, "homier."

J.

Jeanne C.

Our cleaner Hannah comes once a month. I keep the house reasonably clean but it's great having someone really give it a thorough cleaning. And yes, I do preclean. I straighten up, clear off counters, etc. My DH and I joke about how "Hannah Day" is our favorite.

toolbeltexpert

M1 I have that new house smell still. Disaster abounds. I took about 15 pictures for sil so she could see what it looks like. Just have bins and boxes and one room piled high with stuff. Lately I am spending my time with dw. I am going to a wedding today so I'll leave around 1pm. I have been here since 7.

Jgirl57

Yep! I have hired someone to come in every other week to do bathrooms, kitchen, vacuum and I definitely become a tornado before they arrive. I take my HWD out to lunch on housekeeping day so he doesn’t see them . I am glad M1 you are giving yourself a break by allowing assistance for you

ghphotog

Yep! I'm the same way. I do a preliminary cleaning before the cleaning lady, or now days the cleaning person, gets here.

ImMaggieMae

We used to have a housekeeper but after we moved, never got around to finding a good one. But when we did, we picked up a lot of the small stuff because it was often a challenge to figure out where Lisa put things.

Jo C, we have had a Roomba vacuum, old model 650 for about 5 years. We named it E-Sweepio. It works great at getting around most furniture and going from tile floors up onto area rugs. It goes under some furniture that isn’t too low. Our home is a large 2 story so we have some Roomba virtual barriers that keep it in one area at a time and another that keep it away from the dog’s dishes. It doesn’t have a super big dirt collection receptacle, so it has to be emptied after each cleaning. I understand some of the newer ones self empty. Our last dog didn’t pay much attention to it. We have to get the new ones accustomed so haven’t been using it for a few months. But it does a very good job.

it won’t take a dive off the stairs or step downs from some of the rooms.

ThisLife

I cleaned the toilet in master bath as H peed all over it. Really nasty. Put away clutter, counters clear, changed the beds and linens, put dog toys in basket, and shook the small throw rugs. I wanted her to really clean. I miss her. Since we moved states, I have tried several cleaners. Pay double cleaning bleep.

I have used Neatos for about eight years. Single story. I have two, a D5 and D10. With two goldens retrievers I run them every day. H glares the entire they run and will put them back on the charger. I check the bin to know if the run was complete. Couldn't live without them. It does take some work to set up rooms for a successful run. No cords on floor, small rugs up. I have a couple of pieces of furniture that they can get part way under and then they get stuck. You can program NO GO Zones for Neatos, but I've never successfully got them to work.

Gig Harbor

I had a lady who came every two weeks when my husband was home. I was like Jo C. I picked up things off the counter so she could really clean without moving things around. I also kept the house cleaner between her visits. That was our time to go for lunch and a drive. Now that I am alone I only have a little help with the yard work. You will find that once the house is organized and cleaned it will be easy for you to keep it like that between cleanings. Enjoy the help!

mommyandme (m&m)

Yep, that’s me. I actually want to have a house cleaner but I don’t want to do the tidying or I don’t have the time to do the tidying so … yeh…

toolbeltexpert

I find it amusing how we talk about the gadgetry. Roomba, neato, well I am old fashion. I have a corn broom and know how to use it! It was my wife's, now I have three dysons hahaha. 2 animals and a v12. They are my clean machines easy, to use especially when the whole house is laminate flooring, except for the 2 baths and laundry room. Now I only have 1 level 1300sq ft. House life is a little easier on me now. Of course it's all new still. When are they gonna come out with a drone that's dusts! I'd buy that.