Do you have a housekeeper?

[eclipse]

I'm going to be getting a housekeeper in the next couple of months. And, honestly, I'm thrilled! What does your housekeeper do? How often does she/he come? Do you clean before they come? How long do they stay? Are you home while they clean? If so, how do you keep your kids out of their way?

[Ellien C]

I have a couple come in every other week to do the bare minimum - floors and bathrooms. They vacuum and sweep. THey are supposed to do the hardwood floors, but I don't think they do. Mine are very cheap, but the deal is they don't do a whole lot. My house is really cluttered and I try very hard to pick-up before they come. But like - DH's whole side of the bed has crap on the floor, so they just vacuum up to the closet and stop. I am employed outside the home so I'm not here when they come.

[Stella_luna]

I looooove having a housekeeper. She comes once a month and cleans the hardwood floors, vacuums, cleans the bathrooms, cleans the mirrors, shakes out the (little) rugs, polishes the wood . . . basically gets the whole house sparkling! I do make sure I pick up before she comes because I reason it will help her do a better job.

She is here about 4 hours and I am home. DD is in school, but when she was little I would just play with her in a different area of the house than the one in which the housekeeper was working, or outside.

[Ideesmom]

mine comes once a week. They mop, vacuum, dust, clean bathrooms and kitchen. Change sheets every other week. Take out trash and straighten up. I try to get toys, clothes dishes put away before they come. They have been with me 7 years. I love them. Sometimes I'm home and I just stay in another part of the house with my little one.

[hillymum]

Once a week a team comes for about 90 minutes. I pick up before they come so all they have to do is the actual cleaning. They clean EVERYTHING as well as change all the beds. My children are in school when they are here so I either go into a different part of the house or go out for a while.

[Masel]

I had a housekeeper come for the first time this week. I was really hard for me to admit I needed help but being very very tired and my DH traveling a lot I just couldn't handle it all. I talked to two places that made me feel gross in the intial interview/house go through. I finally found a company that just seemed less froo froo, cost less, and I didn't have to sign a contract. They did a great job.

I found all of the housekeeping companies through Angie's List.

I was home for this first cleaning but I'll leave the key in the future. My DD was at daycare. Sorry, I'm less helpful with that part of your question.

It was much less stressful doing the surface decluttering when I knew I didn't have to do the deep cleaning. They vacumned, dusted, and did a very through cleaning in the bathrooms and kitchen. It took about an hour.