Do you have a cleaning person?

Do you have a cleaning person?

  • Yes

    Votes: 43 27.7%
  • No not gonna happen

    Votes: 60 38.7%
  • I want one

    Votes: 52 33.5%

  • Total voters
    155
  • Poll closed .

CascadeClone

Well-Known Member
Oct 24, 2009
10,921
14,024
113
True. I just meant he has his own as in he has a solo LLC cleaning service. So he gets all of it (besides taxman) and he charges more like $100/hr.

That's great. Anything where you do physical labor there's money to be made. People talk about the trades a lot, but this is right there, and less skills/training required. Just work hard.
 
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NickTheGreat

Well-Known Member
SuperFanatic
SuperFanatic T2
Jan 17, 2012
10,806
4,775
113
Central Iowa
We've considered this but not sure how it would work for us. A big part of our mess is just random crap laying all over (floors, tables, counters, etc). A cleaner wouldn't know where any of that goes, what is important vs what is trash - so I fear my new frustration would be finding where the cleaner moved X, Y, & Z.

And if we have to pick all that up before each clean, it would kind of defeat the purpose for me.

My thoughts too. I already have to do that for the robot vacuums.

But the bathrooms and washing windows and things like that? I don't have an automated way to do that (and I'm aware of the robot toilet bowl thing that is out there)
 

rpcyclone2013

Active Member
Jan 4, 2017
109
121
43
Nevada, IA
For those people in the Ames area, who would you recommend? I would call our house "picked up" but need to take it to the next step since my wife and I both work and have three kids.
 
Last edited:

BigBake

Well-Known Member
Mar 17, 2006
6,768
628
113
49
U'dale
We do currently (just started back up). It was more of a pain when the kids were toddlers basically picking everything up so she could clean. It's not AS bad now to prep. Honestly feel like we do a better job not letting clutter build up if we start with it clean. Then it's just 15 - 20 mins one night a month to get ready. Kick the shoes in the closet, get some of the random crap off the counter tops.

What doesn't need to be put away she just moves, cleans the top and then puts it back.

We pay $95 for kitchen and 4 bathrooms to be cleaned. I don't miss scrubbing toilets or showers at all.
 

cowgirl836

Well-Known Member
Sep 3, 2009
51,466
43,342
113
We've done the through hearsay route as well. The first lady was good for awhile but I think she had some personal demons that got the best of her and we had to find a different one that was recommended to us but she's been great. I have a lot more faith in getting recommendations for anything from a friend than calling up a company and telling them what I wan.

Also went the hearsay route and pretty happy 3-4 yrs in. It's $140 a mth and it's usually 4-5 people for 90 minutes to 2 hours maybe? Friend who rec'd them has them do laundry too and I think once a week or bi-weekly. We just do once a month but it buys us so much time back on the weekends. Still have plenty of our own laundry, dishes, clutter, deep cleaning stuff to do that keeps us more than busy. Spouse was very sus about it and I said we will try it for 3 months and then we'll see. Haven't gotten a "let's stop" from him yet. I did recently up pay to $160 because....idk....no increase in price after 3 yrs seemed odd to me and I know they are just a small family thing and not a company.
 

stevefrench

Well-Known Member
Aug 7, 2011
1,923
898
113
Was referred a local person by friends. Idk what she costs but her and a couple others show up every other week and there’s 20 other things I would choose to cut out spending $ on before them. Its fantastic. We have 3 kids so just keeping the house half ass in order let alone deep cleaning anything is a challenge.

Recently also got a landscaper. These two things are expensive, sure, but they give you back time. No fun working 50-60 hours a week to spend a whole day on Saturday or Sunday keeping house and mowing
 

gocy444

Well-Known Member
SuperFanatic
SuperFanatic T2
Dec 15, 2008
2,831
6,076
113
Ames, IA
I don’t mind the main stuff, but someone to come in once a month and clean all the nooks and crannies would be great.
 

clonechemist

Well-Known Member
Apr 3, 2007
1,819
2,233
113
40
Philadelphia
The night before is always a whirlwind of picking **** up and putting stuff away so she can clean. It's honestly works, you have a specific day when you have to pick up all the toys, laundy, etc. so that she can come in and actually clean stuff.

Picking up stuff is way easier than having to scrub floors, clean toilets, and all that.
With two young kids and two stressed out working adults, THIS IS THE WAY
 
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cowgirl836

Well-Known Member
Sep 3, 2009
51,466
43,342
113
We've considered this but not sure how it would work for us. A big part of our mess is just random crap laying all over (floors, tables, counters, etc). A cleaner wouldn't know where any of that goes, what is important vs what is trash - so I fear my new frustration would be finding where the cleaner moved X, Y, & Z.

And if we have to pick all that up before each clean, it would kind of defeat the purpose for me.

Correct, you do have to do a tidy the night before. Hasn't been too big a deal for us. Sometimes the piles just sit on the dining table and they clean under/around it
 

cowgirl836

Well-Known Member
Sep 3, 2009
51,466
43,342
113
It was something that I had a very hard time with, initially. Growing up, my family was never in a position where we could have afforded a cleaning service. So, as an adult, it felt like a ridiculous luxury. But between my wife and I being fully employed and two kids with tons of activities, we don't get a ton of home time, and nobody really relishes spending the time we do get scrubbing a toilet. We pulled the trigger a few years ago, and I have to admit, it's been worth it.

I didn't mention it to family for years because it definitely felt like a foreign concept. Til I ran into a working mom, husband farmed, 2 kids and they had a cleaner. I'm like oh ok, we're doing this down the road.
 

cowgirl836

Well-Known Member
Sep 3, 2009
51,466
43,342
113
This is the main thing keeping it from me doing this. Honestly with roombas etc the picking up is the majority of my cleaning any more and I wouldn't be able to do that on a schedule.

The other side is I already feel like my kids are spoiled brats compared to how I grew up so like being able to occasionally have them vacuum etc.

Honestly I might make the leap once the kids are out of the house (I know that seems backwards) but would have a better chance of keeping things picked up.

Ours are a bit young but I do make the 4 yr old participate in tidying his room.
 

mcblogerson

Well-Known Member
Jan 19, 2009
2,252
886
113
Ohio
We pay $80 every two weeks, and she uses our cleaning supplies. Does the bathrooms, floors, counters and deep cleans one room on rotation. Usually takes her 3-4hr, and totally worth it.