Do you have a housekeeper?

[packrat]

pppffft. No. I have 2 kids and a husband so yeah. I'd need to have someone full time to keep up w/the crap here. I've learned to live w/things not being as situated and put away as I'd like them to be and as I think they should be.

 

[Gypsy]

I had one for years. But then we moved to an area where getting regular help was double the price. So we've had to go without.

DH and I miss it DESPERATELY.

 

[Dreamer_D]

I do. I have had a cleaner for the last 12 years! Well, three different cleaners in that time: One for 8 years, another for 2.5 years, then our most recent cleaners for about 6 months.

I got their names by referral from close friends and have always referred them on -- so we are linked to our cleaners through many people, so the connections are broad. I think it makes theft less likely. I also make a point of working at home -- or right now my husband is home working -- for the first few weeks when they come over, so I get a sense of who they are and vice versa. And logically I know theft is very unlikely. First, there is nothing of value worth stealing that would not be noticed immediately. And they would lose MUCH more than I would lose if they stole from me. It would be pretty easy to point the finger at a cleaner. And I don't think they are that stupid.

My cleaners have always been women who are self-employed, usually working part time with kids at home. I pay my current cleaners, who are a sister pair, $25 each per hour. I feel good employing them and knowing they are earning a decent wage working for me. Surely more than they would earn working another job that is flexible around their family responsibilities. That is how I justify the extravagance

 

[Dreamer_D]

Yes, and we travel a bunch so we would make a good target. Sigh. Guess I have to hire Kenny to fly out once a month or do it myself.

Don't let a police officer's impression of the frequency of negative outcomes guide your decision! If we all go by that, we would never leave the house. Remember, they ONLY get called in to see all the crappy things happen to people. It skews one's sense of how often bad events happen. (Same for watching the news by the way).

I have a cleaner as does nearly everyone we know for the past 10 years. I don't know anyone who has had a theft in that time. But I live in a different country than you. Maybe things are different here.

ETA: Not trying to bash cops! Just saying.... don't get scared off is all.

 

[SB621]

Yes, I have had a house keeper since DH and I got married. I work from home so when I'm not working I want to get out of the house not clean it. Pricing has changed through the years as we have moved to different states and had smaller or larger houses. Typically I pay somewhere in the $50-$70 range per week. And it is worth every single penny!

 

[Laila619]

Nope. DH is our housekeeper! He is a darn good one.

 

[Amber St. Clare]

I have a woman who comes in twice a month and cleans the living room, tv Room and bathrooms. My husband has a hoarding problem and by the time I had reclaimed my house {it used to look like a recycling center, no joke} my arthritis began and I could barely open a newspaper, let alone clean anything. He keeps all his crap in the dining room and she knows better than to touch anything there, and now that my kid has returned home, he's responsible for his room, not her. She's been with me four years and and I trust her completely---but I don't leave the house while she's there. And the financial records are buried under my husband's crap, so I don't think she could find something even if she tried.

I have come to really appreciate the smell of Chlorox bleach--I know the baths and kitchen are really clean.

I give her weeks pay when she goes on vacation and for X mas. She charges me $60. I might add we live in a small home.

 

[marcy]

We have a lady clean for 4 hours every other week. We pay her $90 each time. It is well worth the money.

 

[Indylady]

I wish! My place is pretty small, though, so I'd really feel a little decadent getting a house keeper.

 

[quaddio]

Yes, and we travel a bunch so we would make a good target. Sigh. Guess I have to hire Kenny to fly out once a month or do it myself.

Don't let a police officer's impression of the frequency of negative outcomes guide your decision! If we all go by that, we would never leave the house. Remember, they ONLY get called in to see all the crappy things happen to people. It skews one's sense of how often bad events happen. (Same for watching the news by the way).

I have a cleaner as does nearly everyone we know for the past 10 years. I don't know anyone who has had a theft in that time. But I live in a different country than you. Maybe things are different here.

ETA: Not trying to bash cops! Just saying.... don't get scared off is all.

Great point - of course a police officer is going to see the worst cases!

 

[chrono]

Our family cleans our home together every Sunday morning, where each person is tasked with a specific chore or chores. It helps the boys build character, learn to appreciate the home better and is another opportunity for togetherness. I think any future GF or DIL would appreciate them knowing how to keep a house clean and tidy too. If our work travel schedules gets to be too much, we may have no choice but to employ a housekeeper.