FT working women with a cleaning lady- how?

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amother

Fri, Aug 15 2014, 1:59 pm

How do FT working women have a cleaning lady? When do they come? Do you instantly trust a new cleaner in your house alone?

I was luckily able to find someone to come for a couple hours after 6 once a week. But if her current schedule changes she wont be available and then what do I do?

amother

Fri, Aug 15 2014, 2:09 pm

My cleaning lady comes when I'm not home but my mom uses her too so I trust her. Go by word of mouth.

morah

Fri, Aug 15 2014, 2:34 pm

I she stays long enough for you to trust her and she knows what to do, you can continue to use her.

amother

Fri, Aug 15 2014, 2:37 pm

Do you give them a key? It's not always ok to leave a door unlocked while you're at work, depending on where you live...

self-actualization

Fri, Aug 15 2014, 2:39 pm

I know that no one is going to like this answer, but I have my babysitter keep an eye on the cleaning lady, and instruct her throughout the day (and make her a sandwich for lunch, etc). I've got it outsourced to a fine science.

amother

Fri, Aug 15 2014, 2:48 pm

well if you have a babysitter in the home that's fine... but for those who outsource the babysitting and have no one home...?

would cleaners from agencies be safer in this regard? They cost MUCH more tho.

Would I be able to ask (and maybe compensate) my neighbor (in an apt building) to drop in randomly here or there... like I have done to prevent yichud issues. or is that totally obnoxious? (we do each other favors fairly often b"h)

Thanks so far Smile

OOTBubby

Fri, Aug 15 2014, 2:51 pm

You put up a few nanny-cams in different places to monitor what she does.

amother

Fri, Aug 15 2014, 4:50 pm

I wouldn't use a new cleaning lady if I wasn't home. I use my moms cleaning lady that she has for many years. So I feel comfortable.
Only if she has a really good name- I would let her mayb after a few times.
It's sooo easy to steal if no ones home.
Good luck!!! It's tough!!!!

debsey

Fri, Aug 15 2014, 4:52 pm

OOTBubby wrote:

You put up a few nanny-cams in different places to monitor what she does.

Word of mouth FIRST. Then nanny-cams. BOTH necessary. I work from home, but when I'm at work, I don't go upstairs at all. So the nanny cams help me monitor what's going on.

OOTBubby

Fri, Aug 15 2014, 4:58 pm

debsey wrote:

Word of mouth FIRST. Then nanny-cams. BOTH necessary. I work from home, but when I'm at work, I don't go upstairs at all. So the nanny cams help me monitor what's going on.

Agree 100%

tichellady

Fri, Aug 15 2014, 5:04 pm

I would not put up a nanny cam without warning my cleaning lady first. I feel that it's a big violation of a person's privacy.

OOTBubby

Fri, Aug 15 2014, 5:05 pm

tichellady wrote:

I would not put up a nanny cam without warning my cleaning lady first. I feel that it's a big violation of a person's privacy.

I think it is even more useful when they do know about it.

ElTam

Fri, Aug 15 2014, 5:07 pm

My cleaning lady comes before I leave in the morning (15 mins before). I pay her, set up the next time she is due to come, and leave. She locks the door when she leaves. I wouldn't ever worry about her stealing. She once found $40 that had slid behind my husband's dresser. I didn't even know it was missing. It was in a birthday card from my husband's grandmother that I hadn't even seen. She put it right on the dresser. Stuff like that has happened more than once in the six years she has worked for me.

My two prior cleaning ladies had keys to my house. I left them a check. I never even saw them. I have never had anything stolen. I only get people by word of mouth, I pay slightly over the market rate, I give a cash gift for her holidays, and I go out my way to be kind and respectful and grateful. Respect is a two-way street, in my experience.

OOTBubby

Fri, Aug 15 2014, 5:09 pm

ElTam wrote:

I agree completely. While I've never been in OP's position where I wasn't home at all while the cleaning lady worked; I was often out for significant periods. And over a period of more than 35 years, I have never had a problem with stealing. Yes, problems with people who didn't do the job well or weren't reliable, but not stealing. And like this poster, I am very careful to treat my cleaning lady very well.

I would also add that my cleaning lady always has a key to my house -- she comes very early in the morning -- before I am up (sometimes DH is around, but not always).

debsey

Fri, Aug 15 2014, 6:24 pm

tichellady wrote:

I would not put up a nanny cam without warning my cleaning lady first. I feel that it's a big violation of a person's privacy.

I disagree. ESPECIALLY if she's babysitting my kids. I want to be sure nothing dangerous is going on , and if she's putting on a show for the camera - what happens when she's away from the cameras? But my cleaning lady babysits for me as well, so that's why I'm extra sensitive.
debsey

OOTBubby

Fri, Aug 15 2014, 6:57 pm

debsey wrote:

She doesn't need to know where cameras are located, just that she is being observed. The cameras are very easily concealed and that way she needs to observe she is always being observed as if you were there.

Tablepoetry

Sat, Aug 16 2014, 2:18 pm

I think it's incredibly violating to install nanny cams without informing your cleaning lady or babysitter. What if it's really hot and the cleaning lady, alone in the house, decides to strip down to her bra? What if she dances as she cleans? What if she picks her nose?

Everybody deserves their dignity and their private space. You want to watch what they do, tell them they are being watched.

amother

Sat, Aug 16 2014, 6:49 pm

I am in a circle of women who all get their cleaning done by the originator's live in help, as a kind of shared job, as the lady who has the live in doesn't need her most of the day, and we help pay her wage.

We have had a few, each one vetted v carefully by the lady she lives with, obviously, as she needs to choose who stays in her home, she teaches her the basics of kashrus, so she is safe in the kitchen (supervised, obviously, or once they have been there a while, I let them wash up, do surfaces, floor etc on their own), the house key gets kept by the first lady and she gives it to the cleaner just on the day she comes.

I feel it is pretty safe, just because if she steals she loses everything, place to stay, all her jobs and never get another job locally. But there is a risk, I would never leave money out or a big temptation.

HonesttoGod

Sat, Aug 16 2014, 10:14 pm

My lady started coming before I went back to work after I had a baby. Now she comes as I am leaving so I give her the money, show her what needs to be done in addition to regular work and leave. I come home my house is spotless and so far I havent missed anything. She worked for my mil for a while too but my mil never left her at home alone. She is a friend of my mils regular cleaning lady who my mil does leave alone so I trust her.

I don't have another choice so I make it work.

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