Houzz Logo Print
sas95_gw

Your Experiences with House Cleaners

25 days ago

I have not had the greatest luck with cleaning people the last few times around. I had someone for several years, but after the pandemic her work deteriorated greatly, so I let her go. The woman that I hired afterwards did a few things that made her continuing with me untenable (for example, leaving the door wide open when I have 3 indoor-only cats).


I have just stared with a new person, and she has just left after her second time here. So here's my question: If a person doesn't start out all that great, have you been able to help them improve their work by showing them what you expect, or is someone who doesn't start out all that great a totally lost cause? My instincts tell me it's the latter, but I am hopeful to hear some experiences to the contrary. For example, last time I noticed some areas where she hadn't been thorough (pretty obvious, not obscure things), and this time I pointed them out to her. She did those things, but didn't do some other really obvious things. Such as move the various floor mats in the laundry room rather than mop around them.


It is really hard to find a decent cleaning person around here, and this woman seems earnest, but is it common to miss really obvious things? And by the way, I am not an obsessively clean person that notices every cleaning flaw-- I'm pretty much the opposite. I am almost driven to start doing my own cleaning, though I really don't want to.

Comments (46)

  • 25 days ago

    It's been a number of years since I've had any household cleaning help but my experience was similar to yours with different people over quite a stretch of time. Pointing out things that were missed resulted in either attention paid to those things but short attention elsewhere or a one time more inclusive cleaning that diminished right after. Although I don't consider myself obsessive I am picky. I don't love cleaning my house but I love a clean house and have never found anyone with my attention to detail, long term. I also expect reasonable care - don't bang the vacuum into baseboards, don't spray mirror cleaner on the adjacent wall - that kind of thing. In the end, it was never worth the money after the busyness of a full house changed to empty nesters. I would grit my teeth and put up with because it was off my plate in that season of life. Also, this was strictly for cleaning, not housekeeping - no laundry, no bed making, no cooking.

    sas95 thanked DLM2000-GW
  • 25 days ago

    It's less a question specifically about house cleaners, and more a general question about interacting with humanity and trying to guess the best path forward. (I go through these exact questions every time I hire someone, for almost anything anymore...)



    :)


    I try to give people the benefit of the doubt. But I also have things which are intolerable - stealing, lying, safety issues, etc..


    So, in general, if her errors aren't the intolerable kind, and you feel like she's trying, and she shows up when she says she will, and her prices are reasonable, and you plan to engage a house cleaner no matter what, then I'd probably work with her a bit longer.


    Pleasant but direct feedback should be provided about what you'd like done differently.


    If she accepts feedback well and shows she is trying, again, in general I'd keep trying with her too. Because again, in general, humanity disappoints me a lot these days.


    Good luck, it's never easy!!

    sas95 thanked Ally De
  • Related Discussions

    Experience with Vapor Steam Cleaners

    Q

    Comments (1)
    I have a Tidy Vap and I love it. I have severe asthma, and now I can actually get my floors and counters and shower and bird cages really clean, because it cleans without using detergents that made me wheeze. It does sound like yours may be defective, because even my $60 Scunci did a good job at cleaning - it was just very inconvenient. Sue
    ...See More

    Log house apprentice - hand joint pains - share your experience

    Q

    Comments (0)
    Hello, I am a 24 year-old apprentice to a small historical restoration company. I started this work in July. We are putting back together a log house in central Pennsylvania right now. My hands, especially the middle finger joint past the knuckle (I see it's called the proximal interphalangeal joint) and the pinky knuckle hurt everyday now. In the mornings I can't straighten the middle finger of my striking hand! I am young and never had problems with joints and bones other than once in my hip joint when I ran 4 miles with out building up to it. My hand pains must be caused by all the mallet pounding and lumber lifting. Has anybody experienced this, and how did you deal with it? How long did it take for you to heal, and did you change the way you hold tools or added soft grips to tools? I am taking off from work for a week in hopes of letting the hands heal. One of my friends, 26 years-old, told me to get gel-padded gloves and take dietary supplements glucosamine / chondroitan. I am going to see a specialist, but I would like to hear other peoples' experience with the injury.
    ...See More

    Do You Tip Your House Cleaner?

    Q

    Comments (19)
    House Cleaners are not Hair Dressers. Plus, it sounds like she's just a cleaner who doesn't work for a company, not that she's the owner of a professional cleaning company. Just becasue she's out on her own, doesn't mean you shouldn't tip her. Anyway, I wouldn't tip her every time but I would give her a nice "tip" or bonus at Christmas time. She's provding a service and probably would really appreciate the extra money. It's a thank you.
    ...See More

    Where can I cut costs on new home build based on your experience?

    Q

    Comments (28)
    Pick out the wow factor item in your house early in the process and then design around it so you don't have various items all competing for attention with each other. If you have the knockout fireplace, surround it with simplicity so it can be enjoyed. Use classic materials like oak floors, but don't go crazy and pick extra wide pieces that are more expensive to install. Use whatever roofing material which is typical in your area, not some unusual material that requires extra training to install. Keep the size on the smaller side of average for your area. There is always a good demand for well designed, normal sized houses. Combine functions where practical and avoid duplicate spaces...breakfast room, kitchen island with stools and a separate dining room is just unnecessary. Skip the guest suite if you don't have guests often and design a builtin Murphy bed in the den or office for occasional use. Don't go crazy with the master suite...a fireplace in the bedroom is not necessary, nor is a shower big enough to fit a queen sized bed. If separate closets are important to you, include them but don't just blindly add that item to the list because you have seen it in some model home Analyze your lifestyle and how you live in your current house as you will probably continue many of the same habits in the new space. No need for a fancy stove and scads of counterspace if you don't like to cook.
    ...See More
  • 25 days ago

    I too am in search for good cleaning service. I recently went onto my HOA FB page asking for recommendations. Someone that I am very familiar with gave me the contact info for the 2 women that she has used for 6 years. They came out yesterday & I am going to give them a try. My daughter ran a cleaning service for over 20 years & I helped her for a few of those years. She was excellent & when she retired from it she had to let go of many customers that she had been working for 15 years or more. I know what to look for & it is very hard to find.

    sas95 thanked girlnamedgalez8a
  • 25 days ago

    Nicole

    I used to use cleaning services for my rentals, inbetween renters....NOT any more. One service threw out the fabric shower curtains, the liner and the hooks. Then they threw out the heavy clear plastic shelf liners in the kitchen and didn't clean the shelving or sauce off the ceiling.

    Another service used heavy scents to cover up the cat pee smell. The carpet downstairs was soaked in cat pee. (I threw out the carpet)


    A carpet cleaning service dumped water on the carpet, then the machine was "broken", couldn't get the dirty water up...they charged me and left without saying anything....then I discovered the problem. :0(


    I'm pretty much DONE with them ALL. I purchased a carpet cleaning machine.

    There is NO WAY I'd let these people into the home I live in. They ALL came highly recommended.

    sas95 thanked HU-376768088
  • 24 days ago
    last modified: 24 days ago

    I am lucky for have found a good person, through a friend. Is she perfect? No. But certainly good enough.

    She works with her cousin, or it not another, so always two people. They get things done quickly as my home is uncluttered. When they come I emptybtrash and pick up accent rugs.

    I never had to tell her what to do. When she started though, I did ask how she cleaned granite.

    My gut feeling is the same as yours Sas. They should come in knowing the basics really well.

    I'm sure you’ e already asked your friends, but maybe some of your cl-by neighbors?
    Would it be weird to approach cleaners you happen to see coming out of a neighbors?

    I’m sure you’ve though about services, I don’t like how the workers wind up with so little.

    sas95 thanked eld6161
  • 24 days ago
    last modified: 24 days ago

    Just a thought for those that point out an area needing attention only to have something else undone. Do you think the amount of time is adequate for the size of the job? Or is it, great I'll do this but sonething else is being left off of the list?

    It has been decades since I had a housecleaner but DD has one recently. I know she was amazed at things that didn't get done which were obvious to her. Example, grubby toddler hand prints on sliding doors. Another of her peeves was that the rugs were picked up but then laid back down in totally random places!

    sas95 thanked RNmomof2 zone 5
  • 24 days ago

    eld6161, the two I let go before this one were neighbor recommendations!


    >Another of her peeves was that the rugs were picked up but then laid back down in totally random places!


    I wish that were the worst thing here. I can easily move things left out of place. I just want things moved when they need to be! For example, I have a cat box in the laundry room. I pick up after my cats compulsively so there is never a big cat mess down there. But apparently when she cleaned the floor she did not move the litter box, so she did not vacuum up the litter that was kicked behind the box. I mean, if you are going to vacuum and mop the floor, you don't mop around the litter box. And she didn't even do a thorough job of mopping around it.


    For me, it's not a matter of the amount of time, because she charges by the hour and I have not given her an upper limit. And she certainly works less time than the upper limit that I have in my head.


    I am going to try to work with her another few times and see what happens.

  • 24 days ago

    Maybe tell her how many hours you want her to work, increase the amount of time she has been spending, and she'll spend more time and do a more complete job? Maybe she thinks she is doing you a favor by staying a shorter time, keeping the price down, and rushing through.


    There are things I do not nit pick about with my house cleaner. She cleans the floors FIRST. WTF? But I say nothing because the house is spotless after she leave and the floors look great.


    She always rearranges our chairs, sofa pillows, throws. It looks great, she has fun doing it, and it crack us up. Our bed looks like a grand hotel after she leaves.


    WORST house cleaner ever? The guy who passed out in my bathroom with the tub water running for 20 minutes after stealing a raspberry lambic from the kitchen and taking it along with xanax from my medicine cabinet. I couldn't get him off of my bathroom floor and had to call 911.

    sas95 thanked Kendrah
  • 24 days ago

    I am close to biting the bullet and hiring a cleaning person again. I had cleaning people over the years when I was married and either working more than one job or working and going to school.


    I did have to curb my expectations and realize that I cannot clean my house the way I like it cleaned in 4 hours, so I can't really expect someone else to be able to clean to my satisfaction in 4 hours.


    I did like having a checklist of what needed to be done. I found it worked out better than leaving them to their own devices. I was pretty specific in my list of tasks after a few people cleaned things very inappropriately ie: Used pledge on an oil painting, used a brillo pad on a glass stovetop . . .


    If they couldn't follow directions they were gone. My philosophy on hiring is Hire well - Fire fast.

    sas95 thanked Jennifer Hogan
  • 24 days ago

    She did those things, but didn't do some other really obvious things.


    This person cleans for a living yet she doesn't seem to take pride in her work. It's a no.


    I have had very good luck with cleaning people. Basically never fired a cleaning person; we just moved. And they stay in touch. Wonderful people.


    In Maine, after 10 years, our cleaning person retired for health reasons. I used a service that was recc. They were awful and I told them so. They came back and were awful again. The owner tried to blame me but I was having none of it; and she didn't bother to come by to see the issues herself. She ended up apologizing and refunding my money. I think it was $750 so yeah, I will take it. My DH and I spent a very unhappy weekend cleaning. We had our longtime renters coming and they expect/deserve perfection. Ugh.


    Shortly thereafter, I was giving away some things on BuyNothing. When the woman arrived to pick the items up, she apologized for her attire, saying " I just came from housecleaning." I hired her, a stranger w/o references, on a gut feel. I love her! And I make sure to tell her.

    sas95 thanked mtnrdredux_gw
  • 24 days ago

    I must be extremely lucky. The first couple that worked for me I had for 30 years. Then the husband died of a sudden heart attack. It was devastating, as they had been through many phases of my life. (Their son was actually in Maritime school with my current stepson.) I got referred to someone who was very delightful, and thorough - but slow, since he worked alone. He had worked in restaurants and gave me great cooking tips.

    When we moved to TN my realtor referred me to my current cleaners. There were two women for a long time, then one of them got sick and the “head person” has brought others who are good. I have not needed to point out things that didn’t get cleaned properly - although they do move some things around that sit on bathroom and kitchen countertops. I’m okay with that because for 10+ years they’ve been reliable and thorough. Only the lead person speaks English but they can manage to indicate if they have a question or need something. I stay out of their way as much as possible though I work at home.

    Clearly, I’ve been very lucky. I hate cleaning my house, though I have to vacuum frequently with a lightweight stick vacuum in-between visits because we live on a horse farm and trek in dirt often. Small price to pay for excellent professional cleaners.

    sas95 thanked RedRyder
  • 24 days ago

    When I was younger my parents had a couple long term cleaning ladies in the outmoded sense. There's really no point in talking about them because only if you have more like a maid do they do that kind of work now.

    We don't have any kind of cleaners we do it all ourselves and do some things every day. Not having TV really gives you a lot of time.

    Anyway I know people who have cleaners and it's basically one or two people who come in after you have already "picked up" bang a vacuum cleaner around, wipe off some surfaces, scrub the toilet, clean the mirror and Swiffer hard surface floors. I don't think that's cleaning and they are rough on things. I can hear when the cleaners are next door slamming the vacuum cleaner into the baseboards and such and it sounds like they practically throw the vacuum cleaner down the stairs.

    When my painter finished up, he said "I will see you in a year or two to touch everything up" and I said "What do you mean?" and he said "You are busy, you are gonna have cleaners right? They are gonna bang the 5#1T outta all your door jambs and base boards and there's gonna be chips and you ain't gonna like it." And I said "Even with your good clients"(he has a mostly very wealthy clientele) and he said "Only the ones who can afford a house keeper don't get their houses beat up". And I said, "Well we are gonna clean it ourselves." and he said "Never mind then, I probably won't need to paint any of this ever again unless you get tired of the color."

    sas95 thanked palimpsest
  • 24 days ago

    I have two I'm considering calling first of the month after interviewing not housekeepers - but friends! Both women have worked for people I know for several years with no complaints at all. I don't mind cleaning and now that DH is retired he will help (not always quite to my standards but it is help). He does a great job on mirrors, vacuuming ceilings, washing windows both indoors and out. I can keep up my office, bathrooms, kitchen but its the darned floors! I have 3000 sq feet of flooring not being kept up like it should - makes my back hurt even when i do carpeted rooms one day and hard surfaced floors another. I may not dust as often as i should either, I was a little too used to the whole house air cleaner in our former house. This house has radiant in the ceilings and no duct work anywhere at all to add one,

    I'd just like someone to come maybe every other week and do my floors. And have my fingers crossed either of the two women who have been so highly recommended to me could find a part day a couple of times a month to fit me in.

    sas95 thanked morz8 - Washington Coast
  • 24 days ago

    I had a cleaning lady years ago and for most of the years that I had her she did great work. In addition to cleaning houses she also worked as a clerk at a grocery store. As the years flew by she either slacked off a bit in her cleaning or I became pickier. I kept her on though because even though she didn't clean as good as she once did, she was still reliable and honest. I knew she needed the money and I decided that "some clean was better than none" and I told my DH that she was our personal charity. In the later years of working for me, she was diagnosed with Parkinson's and continued working until she just couldn't and she tearfully told me she had to quit. I never regretted keeping her on as my cleaning lady even though she wasn't the greatest cleaner. I never hired a cleaning person again. I clean my house myself and still go by the adage that "some clean is better than none".

    sas95 thanked badgergal
  • 24 days ago

    I just started with cleaning people in anticipation of my hip surgery. I'm quite pleased with them. But DH wanted to make sure we got people who were bonded and insured and we didn't want to struggle with hiring and firing individuals and wanted the flexibility of having them come on different days at different times. So we went with Merry Maids (part of service master). They bring their own products which work incredibly well. They have been very responsive and accommodating. We are both pleased. They are probably more expensive than hiring a local individual, but we're happy.

    sas95 thanked Annie Deighnaugh
  • 24 days ago
    last modified: 24 days ago

    Such a personal relationship really. What makes us soooo crazed and picky with people we aren't paying per hour what we make and yet we expect them to do what we won't, flawlessly? Or we wrestle with the fact that we can't seem to REALLY expect what we want out of them? If this cleaning person were cleaning say your office would their work be acceptable or not? Do we expect more because it's our home and represents US so why not want it to be more than we would/could ever get it to be ourselves? I think if we spent more time doing the cleaning ourselves say for a year,then the adage above "some clean is better than no clean' would have deep meaning for us. I like the list approach. A certain number of items appear each week and a few 'extra' things needing attention at the bottom. And yes attention to time alloted is vital. Communication is key. Back in the day I was part of a University maintenance crew. I was cleaning a kitchen in student rented homes when the supervisor came and let me know I was doing what was already done but the previous crew. I said OK. Well here are the knobs I cleaned. Here are what the other group did. He compared jobs and told me to carry on. Understanding expectations, is HUGE for a person if you have a mark you want them to hit.

    sas95 thanked arcy_gw
  • 24 days ago
    last modified: 24 days ago

    I've been blessed by two very long term cleaning ladies, both about 10 years each now. The first one, moved away and she was actually the best. My current one, is very good at cleaning and the only drawback is she doesn't put my decor accessories back to where they were and I have to go through the house and straighten them. But, I really don't mind and I totally trust her and she always goes the extra mile on her cleaning and really cares. She cleans my Dad's house who lives in a 55+ community and she has a number of his neighbors now.

    Growing up, we had a cleaning lady who was very good and to me, became a part of our family. I've had very good experiences.

    sas95 thanked OllieJane
  • 24 days ago

    I had cleaning people once a week when I was working and DS was in grade school. Not the greatest experience, as things were broken (a rocking chair!) or skipped a lot. When we moved up here to the mountains it was even harder to get anyone. When DD was born two months prematurely, I quit working and cleaned everything myself so that I could be with her 24/7. When DH retired about 5 years ago, he was great at helping. We have brick floors throughout the entire house and he vacuumed and washed them himself. Plus 75% of all the “yard” work. Most of our acreage is natural vegetation and trees, but we do have 3 large patios and gardens. He also helped in the kitchen until I made it off limits for cleaning.
    Being a retired family practice doctor, he drove me crazy cleaning everything as though he was going to operate in there!
    But, he had a cervical spine surgery around the first of December, and then fell damaging both shoulders and his right arm. Ugh! He’s slowly recovering but he’ll never be able to do the floors or major yard work again. So, he wants me to hire a cleaning service to clean inside and another service for outside, as over the past few years I’ve developed arthritis in both hands.
    Two things that worry me, though.

    1. I have a lot of valuable jewelry, and
    2. We have two house dogs, a Doberman and a Terrier. I’d have to take them somewhere with me/us in the car while they cleaned. How long would that take?
    sas95 thanked LynnNM
  • 24 days ago
    last modified: 24 days ago

    I have never had one other than me.

    ETA: If I had to pay me, I probably would fire me.

    sas95 thanked Sherry8aNorthAL
  • 24 days ago

    Lynn, can you make one room off limits and put the dogs there? Also, a safe for your jewelry. I would make sure to be home while they were cleaning.

  • 24 days ago

    Lynn, find a place for your jewelry that is safe from opportunistic loss. I recommend a small house safe. Ours was probably less that 18" square and bolted into the floor. Call a local lock shop.

    And about the dogs. Put them in the car or garage but stay home while the cleaners are there. As for how long, it all depends on whether you have 1 person or a team of cleaners.

  • 24 days ago

    Lynn, we have a closet with a lock that I keep my jewelry and other valuables in. I generally don't lock it, but do when the cleaning person is there.

    Dogs may be a little different, but with our younger cats I close them in a room, have the cleaner clean "their" room first, and when she's finished I put them in their room so she can clean the rest of the house. This way, I am home with her for the first half hour or so, and then I'm free to come and go as I please.

  • 24 days ago

    I'm actually a really good cleaner. I find it therapeutic, and I'm fussy as well - so no one would ever clean my house to my standards. I do it all myself.


    However I did have to hire cleaners for my parents and I handled their affairs for a decade or two. Managing cleaners and personal care aides felt like a full time job all by itself. I know one aide stole money - she was fired as the agency she worked for confirmed the theft. I suspect another aide or house keeper did as well, and somewhere along the way certain things of value also disappeared, but since I didn't live there it was hard to know exactly who/what/when.


    I did finally get a house cleaner who was decent, on a recommendation from someone else. She never cleaned things to my (possibly unreasonably) fussy standards, but hey - she showed up, she never took anything, and she was a nice person besides. It felt like a home run to me.

  • 24 days ago

    I would love to not need a cleaning lady, but I have been trying to do everything myself and with working full time, often 10-12 hour days, living alone - no one to help and renovating the home I bought and doing that work myself I am just not able to make as much progress on the reno work as I need to make.

    Saturdays I pay bills, run errands and grocery shop and start cleaning and laundry. Sundays I finish cleaning and laundy, do any outdoor work that needs done and any regular maintenance tasks and cook for the week.

    I have been trying to split up cleaning and laundry, doing some each evening, so I can fit some time in for painting, tiling, flooring . . . but their just aren't enough hours in the week.

  • 24 days ago

    We have two dogs who hang out in the basement (DH’s mancave/office) when the cleaners are here. They are a team of 3-4 and are done within 2 hours so it’s not a long time.


    Our cleaners were recommended by our next door neighbors, who knew about them bc they clean her parents’ house, and they are fantastic. I worry that they might retire — the owners are a husband and wife who are at least mid-60s.


  • 24 days ago

    When I grew up we always had cleaning ladies. They would clean and I remember them ironing. I can remember we had some for years, and then when they left ( usually because they were retiring) that my mother had a hard time finding good help.

    When we got married and bought a house, ( it was 1981 and 17 1/4% mortgage) we were really house poor so never thought about cleaning ladies. As things eased up, I had a cleaning lady.

    When she was good, it was heaven. Then we moved and again in the beginning I didn't have any but when I went back to wrk we did. Mostly they were good. I remember the part that I miss the most, as I haven't had one since we moved here in 2018---- it was so nice to have the whole house clean at once.

    I'm a pretty cleaner and when I hear what it costs my friends who have cleaners, I have been holding back.


    I thought after some of our construction that I'd bring someone in but we've had 3 bouts and I've done it. I'm not THAT picky, and I think I'll likely have someone come in one of these days .

    I never was very good at setting forth what I wanted done- other than always emphasizing the kitchen and bathrooms.


    Lynn, our dogs did keep out of their way mostly and none of our dogs ever went upstairs. Occasionally we would put the dogs in the basement ( finished basement where they do hang out so they weren't too defeated). Regarding the jewelry, I'm crazy with putting it in bizarre places that no one would think of. Sometimes to the point that I get confused :)

  • 24 days ago

    I’ve never locked up my jewelry or cash and never had an issue. All of our cleaning people have come from neighbor’s recc so l trusted them. The latest hire … just a gut feel. sounds odd but i would feel bad locking things up before a tradesperson or cleaner came iykwim?

  • 24 days ago
    last modified: 24 days ago

    I am eventually going to have to find someone for outside . I would like to find someone for deep cleaning.

  • 24 days ago

    Thank you so much for all the suggestions and info! Here in NM 99% of don’t have basements because of all the boulders right under us (LOL). But, as many of you suggested, I can stay home with my “boys” in our large guest room while cleaning people are here, as it’s pretty much always in great shape. I’ll also post a question on our local NextDoor and ask my close neighbors. Until then, I’m just praying for the day when DH’s great physical therapist can get him rehabbed enough to dress himself again. . . and eat with his right hand again!

  • 24 days ago

    Lynn, I can only imagine how difficult that is for both of you. Hope his healing continues apace.

  • 24 days ago

    Oh Lynn……

  • 24 days ago

    > I’ve never locked up my jewelry or cash and never had an issue.


    I used to be like that, until I had an issue.

  • 23 days ago

    I guess I would feel bad if I locked up things before they came to clean, but even as I type that it sounds dumb.

  • 23 days ago

    Very interesting thread to read through. I have thought about trying to find some cleaning help, specifically for the occasional (monthly? semi-monthly?) deep clean of things like bathrooms, window shutters, baseboards, etc. I keep a fairly organized home and generally regularly clean and do yard work, mostly on the weekends. But I also work a lot of hours and seem to find myself working more and more hours. Working hard leads to promotion which leads to higher expectations and working even more, etc. I honestly don't even know where to begin to find someone, except maybe the lady that my friends' use. I know it's just stuff, but I would worry some about damage.

  • 23 days ago

    Good people are worth their weight in gold. If you happen to find good people, treat them well.


    Mtn - many of the VRBOs and such have a locked owner's closet. I would bet most service people who work in private residences have seen it before. :) And heck, it shouldn't be all that obvious to them that the door is locked unless they try to open it either. I absolutely understand what you are saying and I didn't think it would ever happen to me either. Until it did. It's an icky feeling.

  • 23 days ago

    I'm sorry that happened, Ally De. Is that how you handle it? An "owner's closet"?

  • 23 days ago
    last modified: 23 days ago

    Nicole

    We were in a hotel in Philly, I left my jewelry box out...my diamond earrings went missing after the maid came in. Left my name at the desk to no avail. Then in Glenwood Springs, I hung up my OP one piece orange swim suit while I dressed, forgot about it, next day it was gone. The desk knew nothing about it. Took my name, never heard from them. I just purchased a Dolphin brand red one piece, $3....💗💗💗 I'm pretty happy "donating" the old one...when a new one popped up. 🥰

    My home, has a walk-in vault that I can close the door to. The previous owner owned guns, had a 10 year old son. 💗

    Lynn...I'm so sorry. Wishing your husband a speedy recovery. That has got to be hard. I'm so happy he has you beside him.

  • 23 days ago

    I had a dogsitter come in for 2 weeks while I was out of town. The girl worked at the same place I was working and I had known her for over a year. She had a low paying position and always needed extra money and she was great with animals. (Both of us worked at a humane society.) I had 10 cats and 4 dogs, so I thought having her stay at my house and paying her $100 a day would help her and would be less than boarding all them for me.


    I paid her 1/2 before leaving and had the other 1/2 that I was going to pay her in my jewelry box along with a few hundred dollars extra that I kept on hand in case I needed cash for something. She was the only person with access to the house and was staying in the house while I was gone.


    Came home and the money and some of my jewelry was missing. She insisted that she didn't take it, but then told me that she had another couple over and the guy she was dating and she thought maybe one of them stole the money and jewelry.


    About a week after I got back I saw a cockroach in my laundry room. Had to get the house exterminated.


    She was pissed that I wouldn't pay her the other 1/2 the money and told everyone at work how I jipped her - it was pretty awful.


  • 23 days ago

    The very first house cleaner I had, many years ago, took some of my jewelry. I was pretty young and didn't have very much of value, but what she took had sentimental value and it felt awful. She blamed it on the young woman that she sometimes brought in to work with her and tried to comfort me by telling me that this young woman had also stolen stuff from her, but I didn't take it any further than that. Since then, I have put away jewelry and certain other valuables because I don't really want the opportunity out there. I totally trust our cat sitter, but still lock the valuables closet when we go away because if anything goes missing I really don't even want to think it was her.

    Several years ago one of our cleaning people told me that it was such a "coincidence" that my shoes all fit her, so if I ever wanted to give away any of my shoes...

  • 23 days ago

    Lynn, I am so sorry and did not mean to gloss over your husband's "excitement". DH also had cervical surgery several years ago and it was a long healing, but he's doing GREAT now. Really!


    sas story about the shoes, made me chuckle remembering my Aunt Minnie used to have Joy perfume on her dresser... She noticed it seemed to be "evaporating" and for whatever reason she moved it and kept it in a drawer. Her cleaning lady asked what happened to that lovely bottle of perfume she had.

  • 23 days ago

    We had a vault in one of our homes. We kept the instructions to the vault in it.


    No guns; I agree that is a very good use for a safe if someone were to have guns.


    I *do* use a safe when I travel with good jewelry.

  • 23 days ago

    We had one cleaning lady for about 20 years, and my parents were very understanding of her ups and downs. At one point she was also cleaning offices at night, and my parents figured out she was napping in a guest room on the day that my mother would be at work. I was young so I asked my parents how they were going to fire her, and my mother said that when I was older I would be a little more understanding and if she was that tired, they were going to give it a pass, she needed all the work she could get and they could afford to pay her for a few hours of rest. (And I could tell you stories about how some of her clients treated her).

    My dad said he could tell she had cancer or something really wrong with her, and he urged her to go to a doctor but she refused, and my parents were unfortunately away when she died, although my mother and father had visited her in the hospital a few times.

    At the funeral, one of her sons came up to my mother and said that our family treated her much better than her own family ever did and he wanted us to know that it did not go unnoticed.

  • 23 days ago
    last modified: 23 days ago

    Nicole

    I only travel with what I can wear now...no jewelry boxes at ALL. I purchased a fake wedding set for $3.75, a half size smaller...I'm wearing it now. I lost a few pounds when I had the flu last month. My "real" set won't stay on if I'm in the gym hot tub. 🫢 It would be a good "travel" ring too.

  • 23 days ago

    My cleaner moved to another state during Covid and for 3 years I did all the cleaning. It bothered DH to see me clean because there was very little he could do to help. So he contacted a professional service and asked the owner to come to the house to explain how everything would be cleaned. That gave us the opportunity to let him know our preferences - shake, don't vacuum the silk area rugs, only use the stone cleaner that I provide on the counters in the kitchen and bathrooms, dust in the direction of the grain on wood furniture.

    We agreed to his price, he gave us a copy of his insurance papers and a detailed list of exactly what what would be cleaned. There were options that we could choose from - cleaning the inside of the refrigerator, washing the interiors of the windows etc.

    We've had them now for 2 years and I am very satisfied. He usually sends the same two women, sometimes it will be one of the regulars accompanied by someone else. I honestly don't have any complaints. Of course every now and then they'll miss something, but it's usually minor.

    As for jewelry - when we moved we brought our fire/burglary safe with us. It's actually bolted to the slab and our insurance company gives us a discount on our premium. I'm just in the habit of keeping valuables locked in the safe. It's easy enough to retrieve what I want to wear and I don't have to worry about anything disappearing.



  • 23 days ago
    last modified: 23 days ago

    The first cleaning crew I had was a lovely woman & her mother. They were Hispanic, and spoke a little English. Her husband came with her when we interviewed each other. He translated. She did a fabulous job and I never had any complaints. Then we had a long construction project on the house that lasted about 10 months, and I had to suspend the service. I knew that she might not be able to come back to us, as she was in high demand. Sadly, she wasn't available after the remodel.


    It's important to note, they only came every 3 weeks. (Just hubs & me-- and we're not dirty.)

    So for awhile,we had no one other than me. Then I had to have full knee replacement & the next year hip, so during this time, I hired someone recommended by a neighbor.

    The 1st time, she did a good job - she was here for nearly 4 hours. 2nd time she was here for 2.5 hours and did a decent job. There were some things she missed, and we discussed it.

    Seems like it was about the 4th visit, I noticed the kitchen sink hadn't been cleaned. ??? Then I found some peanut M&Ms under the dining table. (They'd rolled under there from my g'kids unbeknownst to me and apparently the dog) which told me she hadn't done much cleaning. I checked the security cameras to see what time she had arrived & left. From the time she got here - "cleaned" and left, less than 1 hour. I was paying her over $200 for 1 hour of work.

    She texted me wanting to set up the next date, I replied, thank you, but we won't be needing you anymore. She called and wanted to know why, and I explained the reasons. She offered to come back and clean the sink. Uhm... no thank you, I already took care of it. Seriously.

    I now am the housekeeper. I don't do it all in one day. I spread it out. And while it may not be pristine, it's not dirty. The money I would pay a cleaning service, I squirrel away every month. When it gets to a healthy amount, I'll splurge on something special. These are perks to keep me incentivized! LOL