Anyway, I was not used to having someone clean. My younger sister lives in a big house in Denver and has had a cleaning service forever. She always said they never clean as well as you want. Since her house is huge she looks upon it as a necessary evil. My daughter, who has three children, a demanding job, and a nice little house, has two cleaning ladies that also make the beds and do her laundry! She also said that they tend to cut corners and not clean stuff as they should. So I lowered my expectations.
When I started the service the first time they sent two women who washed window sills, washed doors, and did a major cleaning...sort of. Then the service goes to one cleaner who comes weekly or bi-weekly or monthly. They actually thought my house was so clean with the two of us that we only needed a monthly clean! I went with the bi-weekly schedule anyway.
After two months of bi-weekly cleaning from a sweet young woman, I realize that they miss stuff. The recessed area below my kitchen cabinets in my kitchen is full of spider webs and dust and in one corner is a dead wasp. I will finally point that out to her. No one cares about the cleanliness of your house as much as you do! I did a quick test in the third week. She mops my floors each time and a day after she left I spilled a glass of water. I got my Swiffer mop to clean it and this is what I saw from a floor that had been mopped only the day before! AND I had watched her mop.
Each time she comes I find some little cleaning area that needs more attention and it does not add to her four hours. This service is expensive, but oddly I feel I am helping this young woman keep a job, perhaps influenced by a mini-series I watched on TV?
Netflix had/has a TV series "Maid" that I watched last month. The TV series is based on a book by Stephanie Land and has Andie McDowell as a bi-polar mother and Andie MacDowell's real daughter plays her daughter who is a maid. It is well done and really reflects the chaotic lives of some people. It is about a young woman with a small child who flees her husband's alcoholic violence and goes to a shelter and also finds a job with a company called Value Maids where she cleans various clients' houses...which of course, adds to the story.
Meghan is a quiet and gentle girl who goes about her cleaning with iPods in her ears listening to music so we do not talk much. Sometimes I hear her humming which reminds me of my Dad who used to whistle while he worked. Of course, I want to direct her to podcasts that will educate her and enlighten her, but I will mind my own business. I did give her some children's magazines that my children have left behind and she was pleased to take them.
I have mellowed on my cleaning expectations in my old age. I used to be one of those that polished and shined every piece of furniture.
Anyway, the title of this post reminded me of the coming Halloween and I will link to a nice little favorite poem of mine which is perfect for this time of year.
Have a great Halloween!
When we were working years ago, we had a maid service once a week for a while. We quickly learned to lower our expectations of the service they provided. When items were broken, we cancelled the service. It is hard to get good help.
ReplyDeleteInteresting to know about cleaning services. I guess I'll pass for now.
ReplyDeleteA service is one way to do it, you get people who are background checked and such, and you can complain to the service if they don't clean to your standard.
ReplyDeleteSince i just clean houses as a stand alone, almost everyone i clean for is a friend or church person i know, which is why they hire me. If i don't clean something right, they can call me and i'll come back and do it over, so i tend to work hard to do it right the first time.
Depending on what type of cleaning method she's using, your Meghan might not be able to do much more with the floors. The only thing i've ever found that really, truly gets everything up from floors and leaves them white glove test clean is two buckets, one with cleaner and one for rinsing, a cleaning rag, and a towel for wiping up. You get down on your hands and knees, and you clean every inch by hand. Yes, i do that for clients who ask, and i promise Ms. JAI actually takes a white cloth and checks behind me to make sure i got everything.
The day will arrive for many if us to have a cleaner, reach that milestone of old age.
ReplyDeleteAs for floors, it is puzzling why it is difficult to wash them to the clean mop stage. I began to suspect dyes in the flooring are the reason until I managed to wash the tiny kitchen floor clean as a whistle. Conclusion, dirt isn't what it use to be.
I've never had anyone clean my place. My hubby does a great job, and I help out once in awhile. :-)
ReplyDeleteWe must be the only folk not into MAID. We watched the first episode and moved on. We have begin to watch The Long Call on Acorn. We have just read the book by Ann Cleeves (not of Cleeves). She is also the author of both Vera and Shetland. Too bad it is only 4 episodes.
ReplyDeleteGoon onya for caring for your 'maid'.
I have had my housekeeper for 10 years. Her name is Lili and she is a jewel. I was the baby of our family and never had to learn domestic responsibility like my sister and brother, therefore help is mandatory for me. I too saw the wonderful movie MAID. It was exceptional and did give me an even greater appreciation of Lili.
ReplyDeleteI've never been much of a housekeeper having a full time job of running my studio and child rearing but it is more than that. A certain amount of dust and debris doesn't bother me. I justify it by claiming that it makes my immune system strong and I don't get sick. I'm old and so things are starting to go haywire with the body but I don't get sick. Mostly we have never been able to afford a house cleaner but the one time we tried they would come late in the day and still be there at 7 PM when we just wanted quiet and dinner. So they didn't last long.
ReplyDeleteIn the 1940's, mother had two. They came in five days a week, and they did it all. Mother went to work. The first few years I was with G, he hired a maid to "save the marriage." It did too. Yes, not everything get's done. I long to have the corners of the bathroom floor white, not grey. If I could get down on the floor, I would make them white. Even my desk surface has spots today. So I do the details that bother me and let the rest go.
ReplyDeleteI could write a book on the virtues of Lisa, the lovely young lady who comes every second Saturday. She also works 40 hours a week at a regular job, and cleans for four other old ladies. She just does the bits I find are getting too much for me - cleaning the bath, vacuuming, cleaning skirting boards, cobwebs that I can't see. And then the kitchen floor on her hands and knees. She's a ray of sunshine, always cheerful, loves a good laugh. I think she is as much social worker as cleaner, I always feel so good after she has been. I wish I could afford to pay her for more hours and help her. I had to stretch out watching "Maid", I found it really difficult to watch. So sad for those young ones who have such a hard time making it in life.
ReplyDeleteWe too are getting to the point where DH and I can't keep up with cleaning. We both do our share, and he thinks it's clean enough... but it isn't. I'm thinking of having someone come in at least once a month to thoroughly clean the bathrooms and kitchen. I'm not one who needs my house spotless, but the showers and bathtubs are getting to be too much for me. However, with Covid still hanging around, we have decided to hold out till Spring to start looking.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a great housekeeper, I'm afraid. My 92 year old mom is a lot more careful than I am. Then comes my husband who does the bathroom and vacuuming. My sister-in-law used to clean her house before the housecleaning service came. She didn't want them to think she was not tidy. Never could understand that. Happy Halloween!!!
ReplyDeleteI can't afford one...............
ReplyDeleteSince I’ve been alone I have gradually gotten behind on so much. Then it became even more challenging for me and I was prepared to hire some help, even had a neighbor woman I thought would be perfect. She was here for a couple hours, later cancelled when the beginning of the pandemic hit. I haven't wanted to bring a stranger in since so get further behind. I must do something soon. There are just some things I can no longer do.
ReplyDelete