How much cleaning help for a 2bdrm one bathroom apt

amother

Azure

Thu, Oct 19 2017, 11:00 pm

I have three kids in a 1000 sqft 2 bdrm one bathroom apt. I have a cleaning lady once a week for 2.5 hrs. She has opening now and I can make it once a week for 5 instead. Do you live in a similar size apt? How much cleaning help do u have?

Lani22

Thu, Oct 19 2017, 11:09 pm

I lived in the same size Apartment for many yrs with 2 kids. When my kids were Babies I had allot of Cleaning help, probobly about 15 hrs a week. As they got Older and were in school for a full day I cut it back to 3 hours a week. Honestly with little kids keeping a small space clean was so much harder then a large space!

amother

Ecru

Thu, Oct 19 2017, 11:14 pm

5 hours in one shot is a long time for a small apartment.

See if you can divide that in to 2 different days.

I have a large house and 4 kids ... once a wk my cleaning lady comes for 6 hours. Although I wish I had help spread out throughout the week, I cannot use her for longer than 6 hours at a time. She pretty much covers everything -- and I promise you, when she first walks in the door, the house in literally in shambles so there really is what to do.

allthingsblue

Thu, Oct 19 2017, 11:15 pm

When I lived in that size apartment I had cleaning help twice a week for three hours each time. I found three hours to be a little excessive but that was her minimum.

amother

Crimson

Thu, Oct 19 2017, 11:28 pm

amother wrote:

We did 4 hours at our apartment that was exactly the same size. We could have used 5 hours for more organizational and upkeep projects but I couldn't pay so much. 4 hours worked out really well. Then once we had another child we needed an additional time during the week, she came for 3 hours the second time during the week.

Teomima

Fri, Oct 20 2017, 3:08 am

amother wrote:

I have 3 kids in a 850 sqft, 3 bedroom, 1.5 bathroom apt. No cleaning help at all. So it's hard for me to imagine what someone would come in and do for 5 hours. But hey, if you can afford it, and you have enough for her to do, then go for it!

cuties' mom

Fri, Oct 20 2017, 7:57 am

I'm also in a 2 bed 1 bath. I switched from 2 hours to week to five when my kids were 2 and 4. I started gradually with once a month doing 5 instead of 2, and slowly moved up to every other week, until I started with every week. The main reason I switched was because my cleaning lady didn't feel it was worth her money to come down to my neighborhood for 2 hours. There are times that she finishes early and leaves early, but I'm fine with that. She still gets paid her 5 hours. Do you feel that she's doing everything you need in 2 hours?

amother

Coral

Fri, Oct 20 2017, 8:15 am

Teomima wrote:

Wow.
Do you have a job out of the home?
Even if you don't, not everyone is good at cleaning, and cleaning help is a need for them.

amother

Jade

Fri, Oct 20 2017, 9:13 am

amother wrote:

Wow.
Do you have a job out of the home?
Even if you don't, not everyone is good at cleaning, and cleaning help is a need for them.

A need? Really?

I have five children in a large house. I can afford cleaning help. I'm not good at cleaning but I don't want the hassle of having a cleaner/having someone else in my house. I don't view a cleaner as a need at all.

mommyhood

Fri, Oct 20 2017, 9:17 am

5 hours is way too much for one day in an apartment unless you want her to do all your laundry and ironing. My cleaning lady does my house (no laundry or dishes) in less than that.

Teomima

Fri, Oct 20 2017, 9:18 am

amother wrote:

Wow.
Do you have a job out of the home?
Even if you don't, not everyone is good at cleaning, and cleaning help is a need for them.

Not at the moment. But for ten years of our marriage, I was the main, and often sole, breadwinner in the family. I don't have a shiny home. To me it's more important to spend quality time with my kids when I have the time/energy than it is to clean. I'd be a perfect candidate for having cleaning help, it's just not something we can afford. So I, and dh, keep up with dishes and laundry as needed, and I try to tidy up as best as possible when guests come over. But often I live with more mess and disorganization than I'd like. So I just make sure to watch an episode of Hoarders every now and then and I feel much better about my home Mr. Green

pesek zman

Fri, Oct 20 2017, 9:28 am

Teomima wrote:

I totally agree with you. There are frequent debates on this site as to whether cleaning help is a need of a want (luxury) I'm firmly in the camp that it's a luxury. We don't have any. For my birthday one year I asked my husband to hire someone for a few hours of deep cleaning. But on a limited budget, we do what we can by our able bodied selves

amother

Oak

Fri, Oct 20 2017, 9:35 am

pesek zman wrote:

It is a luxury. There is also a vibe here that cleaning is beneath a frum lady and someone else should do it if at all possible. It probably helps that cleaning help is cheap in Brooklyn.

CatLady

Fri, Oct 20 2017, 9:55 am

Teomima wrote:

... I live with more mess and disorganization than I'd like. So I just make sure to watch an episode of Hoarders every now and then and I feel much better about my home Mr. Green

Ha ha. I do my major cleaning on Sunday mornings because Hoarders is on, and it inspires me. By the end of the first episode, the basics are done, and Episode 2 is when I tackle one area for deep cleaning and fold the laundry. This leaves me with a much more relaxed Thursday night.

amother

Aquamarine

Fri, Oct 20 2017, 10:25 am

If money is not an issue, go for it. Some weeks she'll have extra time. In that case, keep a list of projects you want her to do. Cleaning the fridge and freezer, oven, ironing, windows, all take a lot of time. You can also choose a project for the day she comes, like a cooking for the freezer day with lots of peeling and chopping to do...

Optione

Fri, Oct 20 2017, 10:42 am

I have 3 little kids and also 1000 sq ft apartment. My cleaning lady is done after 2.5 hours. (She does not do laundry.) Like others suggested, can you split it into two days? If not, what will she do for all of those extra hours?

amother

Crimson

Fri, Oct 20 2017, 10:51 am

In 4 hours my cleaning help was able to do the following each week in 1000 SF:

1. Wash dishes
2. Fold laundry
3. Remove 4 sets of linen from beds, wash, dry, fold and put away. Place new sets of linen on each bed.
4. Deep clean bathroom
5. Deep clean kitchen
6. Wash down all furniture in 2 bedrooms, dining room and kitchen
7. Clean up random toys
8. Sweep and wash all floors in the house

If I would have been able to have her for 5 hours each week I would have had her wash one of the following each week for better maintenance of our apartment: wash windows, fridge and freezer, oven, walls, light fixtures, clean out and reorganize drawer/shelf

amother

Oak

Fri, Oct 20 2017, 11:04 am

amother wrote:

That is a lot in 4 hours. How much do you pay her?

amother

Crimson

Fri, Oct 20 2017, 11:15 am

amother wrote:

That is a lot in 4 hours. How much do you pay her?

It's all relative to how large an apartment is, how many people live there and how clean you keep things throughout the week.
This was a few years ago when we were in our small apartment and paid her 12 when others were paying 10.

ETA: now I'm remembering that she didn't fold the laundry most weeks unless she had extra time. I usually end up doing it myself.