Do you use a cleaning lady?

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Do you have a cleaning lady?

Nope. Never!

32%

[ 35 ]

Once in a [b]long[/b] while- before a special guest or Yom Tov

[ 7 ]

A few times a year, but less then once a month

[ 7 ]

Once a month.

[ 1 ]

Once every 2 weeks/ a couple times a month

[ 7 ]

Once a week.

47%

[ 52 ]

Total Votes : 109

hila

Fri, Feb 12 2010, 12:12 am

When I ahd no kids - I had no help. After having 2 kids in 15 months we decided cleaning help was a necessity. I work full time.

Now I still work full time and my kids are mostly out of the house I suppose a cleaner is a luxury. But I would much rather have my Yossi (a local student who is amazing) an not go out to restaurants or theatre.

When my girls were home and in their teens - first the older and then the younger were my "cleaner" because they knew I was prepared to pay someone..so rather pay the family. They would have had friday jobs anyway to earn money. ( they went to a high school that has no classes friday)

Trouble was you cant sack them Wink

and while the older is a neat freak and clean freak, the younger is a dreamy artistic type who does not see mess or dirt.. LOL

So we had a few interesting discussions about order and how to clean.

Funny thing is - my older ds never did much cleaning(he was expert at disappearing when you want him) - and now guess who does sponja on fidays in their caravan ? He cooks too Smile

gold21

Fri, Feb 12 2010, 1:15 am

pecan sometimes you need a cleaning lady even more when you stay at home, cuz your kids wreck your house instead of your babysitters house..

bliss1

Fri, Feb 12 2010, 4:11 am

amother wrote:

I have a cleaning for 3-4 days a week, for about 20-25 hours each week!

Does anyone else spend 20-25 hrs a week cleaning? I don't have a cleaning lady, but I would estimate that I don't spend more than 10 hrs a week cleaning, including laundry. And I don't think my house is dirty...

Raisin

Fri, Feb 12 2010, 4:29 am

mom_of_2 wrote:

amother wrote:

I have a cleaning for 3-4 days a week, for about 20-25 hours each week!

how many kids do you have is the important question here. And how much cooking etc you do. If you have 1 kid and eat take out or frozen pizza everyday, you house will be a lot tidier then someone who has several kids, and cooks from scratch plus makes a big shabbos every week.

I rememeber commenting once on my friend who had red raw hands a few weeks before pesach. She said she got from scrubbing. "I don't have a cleaning lady you know" She told me, insinuating what do I know about cleaning, I have a cleaning lady! yeah right. I have 5 kids, at that point taught every morning, plus do a lot of other part time work, including lots of shabbos guests, have an extremely busy husband, and no family around to help. This lady, who had 2 kids, did not work at all, her husband had a normal 9-5 type job, and had 2 sets of healthy young grandparents around the corner.

But, you know, I had the luxurious life becasue I have a cleaning lady (at that point it was for all of 6 hours a week I think, now I got smarter and have more)

Ruchel

Fri, Feb 12 2010, 7:26 am

Twice a week. 6 h.

amother

Fri, Feb 12 2010, 7:37 am

I have several times a week.

ora_43

Fri, Feb 12 2010, 7:43 am

Cleaning ladies make more than me. So no.

Our apartment isn't so big (2 bedrooms, one bathroom), so it's not too much work to clean, BH.

mominisrael2

Fri, Feb 12 2010, 8:48 am

I would be absolutely lost without my cleaning lady -- comes once a week for 4 hours, but does soooo much else for me...gives me rides to the grocery, translates at parent-teacher conferences, listens to my kvetching better than any therapist, gives me free reign of her kids to babysit and tutor mine...these days my apartment is too messy for even her to take a stab at so she's been helping us pack to get ready to move...

amother

Fri, Feb 12 2010, 9:16 am

I still remember the very first time I took cleaning help, many years ago.
The lady was very very slow, but she charged by the day, and at that time it was $5. an hour, or $40 for the day, plus $2. for carfare.
She stayed for more than 10 hours, because that is how long it took her to clean 4 tiny rooms, a small kitchen, and a bathroom.
But when she left, the house was sparkling from ceiling to floor, from wall to window. She had cleaned every single surface, moved every bed, vacuumed, dusted, polished, did all the light fixtures, the oven, the fridge, and left nothing undone.
When I lay down in my fresh linen that night, I was hooked.
I saw that there is no way a home can be that clean, when we are interrupted by phone calls, our family, and a million other things we have to do during the day. We also simply do not have the strength that they have, we are a weaker generation. And the following day, when my child messed up, I did not feel upset at all, because it was not my strength that was wasted, the work had been done by another, and that same woman would come back to redo it the following week. My husband loved coming home to a sparkling clean house, and felt the money well spent. So I budgeted my money to have enough for the cleaning girl.
After that one, I found a different one who would do the same apartment in 4 hours. A pleasure.
Maybe she was not as thorough, and didn't get to all the tiny details every week, but the house was fresh and clean and I didn't have to do it! I was a calm relaxed mother for my children, not feeling exhausted and without patience for them.
In conclusion, every Jewish home should have cleaning help, at a minimum of 4 hours a week.
Everyone could find the $40 in their budget. It is worth every penny for the mother's peace of mind.

GetReal

Fri, Feb 12 2010, 9:25 am

I didn't have one until I had two kids and a bigger space, and I realized that I had to prioritize. So I work a few hours a day, I am with the kids the rest of the time, I cook, I straighten up, but I have someone else do the floors and bathrooms. I am pregnant and I have limited energy and can't bend, so she is a lifesaver.

MrsDash

Fri, Feb 12 2010, 10:20 am

...Although at times I wish I did! lol

MiamiMommy

Fri, Feb 12 2010, 11:31 am

I work full time and have a cleaning lady once a week for 4 hours. If I didn't, the big, time consuming things would never get done. I'd like to have her come twice a week, cause I'd like to spend my Sundays doing something other than laundry!

If I wasn't working, I wouldn't have help. I enjoy cleaning my home and do a MUCH better job!

granolamom

Fri, Feb 12 2010, 3:48 pm

we have cleaning help twice a week. didn't have any before my second kid either
I clean on the days she isn't here, and my dh pitches in plenty too. its hard to keep up after 5 kids. I could do all the cleaning myself but then I'd be more exhausted than I already am. BH we can afford it, and I see no reason that anyone should be embarrassed that they make use of the resources available to them.

amother

Sun, Feb 14 2010, 9:17 am

pecan wrote:

My grandmother says, "The same way you have bread on your table, you should have cleaning help." It is a necessity for a mother.
The mothers I have seen without cleaning help are just not clean (from my experience)
I clean 6 days a week, as I have only one day a week.
I did not have until I had children, and there have been periods of time without one.
Because I am working part-time, I feel that it's necessary. There is a possiblity I would reconsider if I stayed home and money was tighter.
But it also depends on how many kids you have, and how close in age they are. There are many factors, including how much your dh is willing to pitch in.

And a very chashuve rebbetzin said, better you have tuna for supper than not have a cleaning lady.
Well, we have tuna for supper (and eggs too) and guess what, still can't afford one ;-)
But I do get some help before Pesach - a crew comes in for a few hour and does kitchen (stove, fridge, floor, surfaces), our one and a half bathrooms, and extra jobs that vary (have included spare fridge, basement floor, some dusting, but usually fairly minor). I'm hoping we can afford the approx. $140 this year.

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