Does anyone use a cleaning service for their home?

[maslex]

I've been tossing around the idea of hiring a cleaning service this year to tackle the spring cleaning. I just don't have it in me this year LOL

I'm talking washing all walls, floors, windows, tubs, sinks, etc. I have a small 3 bedroom ranch (and I would only have them do 2 of the bedrooms) Anyhow, I was curious how it all works? Do you stay in the house while they are cleaning? Do you give them a list of what you want done? Do you tip them?

Thanks!

 

[tvguy]

I don't have a cleaning service, and I think I am the only one on my street that doesn't......or a gardener.
I think a list of what you want done........and more importantly what you DON'T want done.......is essential. A former co-worker had a cleaning service and they used some sort of cleaner on her big screen TV and took the anti-glare coating off essentially making the TV unwatchable......even after telling them not to touch the TV. Never heard the resolution, but they were asking the service to replace the TV.

 

[Minnie1222]

A maid service can certainly tackle all the interior cleaning on your list above. For outdoor window washing, you will need to hire a power washing company.

When interviewing potential cleaners, you should present them with the full list of tasks you expect them to complete and they will give you an estimate.

You should stay home during the service, especially if this is a one-time thing. You do not need to tip them.

Edit: you can hire only window cleaners to clean the outside glass surfaces. For a complete exterior surface "hose down", a power washing company is highly recommended.

 

[kdonnel]

We have a service come every 4 weeks for $120 each visit.

It is generally two people and it takes them two to two and a half hours. They clean about 3500 sq ft of space that includes four full baths.

I generally wait for them to arrive and then leave, running errands or killing time and return in three hours to give the mopped floors time to dry. We have used the same service for 10+ years.

 

[Minnie1222]

We have a service come every 4 weeks for $120 each visit.

Wow! That's an exceptional rate! My cleaning lady comes once a week and she makes $250 for 2.5 to 3 hours.

 

[kdonnel]

Wow! That's an exceptional rate! My cleaning lady comes once a week and she makes $250 for 2.5 to 3 hours.

$1000 to $1250 a month? Wow!

 

[Minnie1222]

$1000 to $1250 a month? Wow!

No, only $1000.
It's a flat rate of $250. She can stay as long as she wants until the job is finished. There are also weeks where I'm not home or she can't come.

 

[mom2rb]

I pay $90 for the downstairs and $120 when she does the upstairs too. She does the upstairs every 3-4 weeks. 3200 sq ft, 4 bedrooms,formal dining, study, game room, 3 1/2 baths.

 

[RedAngie]

I’ve had a cleaning service for close to 10 years. Two women, mid 50s, own the business but occasionally only one of them comes, sometimes alone, other times with a part-time helper.

They clean practically every week, except when I’m away, like this week. $130 per week; it takes them an average of two hours.

I tip at holiday time and if they do a little extra outside their normal routine. For bigger extras (windows and walls, etc) twice a year, they charge more.

I felt bad when covid started and temporarily discontinued them, but I still paid for two months. I rehired them in fall of 2020.

 

[Aimeedyan]

We use a service; they come every other week.

My previous cleaners had a list of items that they did every visit and anything more than that would need to be negotiated. It was basic housecleaning, not what I would call spring or deep cleaning. We paid by the visit.

My current cleaners are awesome in that they have the standard list but they will also do anything else you'd like - their pay scale is by the hour vs the visit. So, I can text them ahead of time and ask them to do the baseboards, clean interior windows, deep clean the fridge or freezer, do laundry, etc and they'll add that task to the regular schedule.

Currently, they come on the day my DH is working from home so he steps out of the office for a bit so they can clean his space. Before he was working from home, they had a key and came and went on their own.

 

[Sleepy425]

Mine has a key so I leave when she's coming if I'm not working that day. I also take my dog with me (I used to leave my pointer mix who was older and chill, but now I have a rescue chihuahua mix who can be....very chi like. And he occasionally escapes his crate so I just drop him at my parents' house on cleaning days. My dad loves hanging out with him). I pay $150 once a month. I give them Panera gift cards around the holidays as a little bonus.

 

[lowlight]

Well I feel very poor after reading this thread.

 

[kymom99]

A maid service can certainly tackle all the interior cleaning on your list above. For outdoor window washing, you will need to hire a power washing company.

When interviewing potential cleaners, you should present them with the full list of tasks you expect them to complete and they will give you an estimate.

You should stay home during the service, especially if this is a one-time thing. You do not need to tip them.

Edit: you can hire only window cleaners to clean the outside glass surfaces. For a complete exterior surface "hose down", a power washing company is highly recommended.

My windows tilt in so they can be cleaned from inside

 

[mjkacmom]

We have a service come every 4 weeks for $120 each visit.

It is generally two people and it takes them two to two and a half hours. They clean about 3500 sq ft of space that includes four full baths.

I generally wait for them to arrive and then leave, running errands or killing time and return in three hours to give the mopped floors time to dry. We have used the same service for 10+ years.

Wow that’s inexpensive! I paid $120 years ago for two women (not a company) to clean my 1800 house (and they weren’t great).

 

[mjkacmom]

Wow! That's an exceptional rate! My cleaning lady comes once a week and she makes $250 for 2.5 to 3 hours.

That’s sounds about right here. And the typical Christmas tip is the cost of a cleaning (I see some mentioned tipping above).

 

[CaptainAmerica]

I've tried a few different companies once each but I couldn't find one that did a very good job so I gave up. Everyone in my area markets themselves as a "green" or "Earth-conscious" whatever whatever, which is code for "we don't use the cleaning chemicals that actually work."

 

[1GoldenSun]

Everyone I hire does a fantastic job the first visit, a fairly good job for a few visits after, and then just an acceptable job after that.

I know I should say something, but these are people who have intimate access to pretty much everything in my home. I don't want to tick them off; who knows what they might do to my toothbrush? Haha. Anyway, I just hate complaining.

The funny thing is, when my current ladies first started they quoted me a price that I thought was on the low side; I think they wanted to be sure to get the job. They are an independent mother/daughter service who are just starting out. I actually raised it a bit to what I thought was more fair, based on the fantastic job they had just done. I was even considering asking them to take on a few more of the household tasks (laundry, etc.) for more pay. AND I recommended them to several people in my community who also hired them. But then their work went downhill. The first visit they spent close to four hours and my home was spotless. Now they spend just under two hours and miss quite a few things. Nothing major, but still. And I'm paying them the same.

I'm going to keep them because it's still worth the cost to me, I can afford it, and I know they need the money. But I'm no longer considering expanding their duties for further pay, and I won't be recommending them anymore.

 

[Mysterian]

Which home? Today, I will have Jeeves spruce the place up while I'm galivanting about in my Aston Martin. Ciao, babieesssssss!

 

[KMCL0610]

We employ a cleaning service that handles both home and commercial/office cleaning.

 

[Cheburashka]

I've been tossing around the idea of hiring a cleaning service this year to tackle the spring cleaning. I just don't have it in me this year LOL

I'm talking washing all walls, floors, windows, tubs, sinks, etc. I have a small 3 bedroom ranch (and I would only have them do 2 of the bedrooms) Anyhow, I was curious how it all works? Do you stay in the house while they are cleaning? Do you give them a list of what you want done? Do you tip them?

Thanks!

Yes, I use a service as my life is way too busy and stressful right now for me to clean house myself. They come in once a month, and I stay out of the house while they're working. There is a list of what they clean on the company website. If there's something on the list I don't want them to do (for example, I don't want them to make my bed), I tell them.