My cleaning lady didn't show!!!

amother

Thu, Oct 01 2020, 11:25 am

watergirl wrote:

Why cant they polish the silver? What am I missing? Mommy, what can I do? Here you go shefelah. Here is Tatie's esrog box and kiddish cup. Go for it!

They'll scratch the silver, get it full of polish and walk away. Not worth the "help".

amother

Pumpkin

Thu, Oct 01 2020, 11:26 am

amother [ OP ] wrote:

They'll scratch the silver, get it full of polish and walk away. Not worth the "help".

DH can polish it when he prepares the arba minim. It takes 2 minutes with silver gloves.

amother

Pumpkin

Thu, Oct 01 2020, 11:26 am

thunderstorm wrote:

What happened today? Did all the cleaning ladies have a meeting and conspire together not to show up?

My neighbors cleaning lady has been coming all through covid. Today she decided she's only coming if the entire family gets tested!!!!!

amother

Thu, Oct 01 2020, 11:29 am

thunderstorm wrote:

OP,
I have the same list and I don’t have a cleaning lady and I’m working full time today as well as tomorrow. But I’m not pregnant 😀. Succos will happen. Sometimes, even if we don’t like it, we need to cut corners. We also need to delegate jobs.
Your DH can finish the Succah and still polish the silver.
The kids can wipe down the kitchen cabinets.
The walls waited this long, they will continue to wait.
The linen could be put on by you and DH together.
You need to get everyone on board with you and don’t panic. The more calm cool and collected you are the more you could accomplish in a reasonable time frame.
Hatzlacha. It’s not easy. But doable.

I'm not panicking yet. It anyway doesn't help, just saps my energy from the adrenaline rush. Because I'm having guests for YT, I wanted the house to be cleaner than it usually is - hence the walls and kitchen cabinets. I'm not looking to impress per se, but I want to feel balabustish IYKWIM. But yes, those things did make it to the bottom of the list right now.

amother

Thu, Oct 01 2020, 11:30 am

amother [ Pumpkin ] wrote:

DH can polish it when he prepares the arba minim. It takes 2 minutes with silver gloves.

...assuming you have silver gloves. I don't. DH prepares the arba minim a minute before the zman, sometimes even a minute before shkiyah. It's just what happens on erev Sukkos, every single year. I'd rather be a bit more ahead of the game.

amother

Thu, Oct 01 2020, 11:32 am

Going to do some more dishes and then eat lunch.
I'm glad I started this thread. I started it as a vent really, but it's keeping me motivated to keep working. Be back as soon as I have an update.

amother

Pumpkin

Thu, Oct 01 2020, 11:32 am

amother [ OP ] wrote:

You should be able to find it in the grocery store. It's perfect for erev shabbos erev yom tov rush. Make it DH responsibility and you just tune out of the arba minim preparation. It's DH department.

Another mom

Thu, Oct 01 2020, 11:47 am

thunderstorm wrote:

What happened today? Did all the cleaning ladies have a meeting and conspire together not to show up?

Covid? My dh preferred her not coming... It's ok, lowering standards.
Who wants to catch the virus bc of that?

amother

Firebrick

Thu, Oct 01 2020, 12:02 pm

Dunno if this helps u but my cleaning lady also cancelled and I'm 22 weeks pregnant .

I'm happy she called early afternoon so I kept on washing while cooking

My kids also only had half day . I prepared them lunch and then let them colour and cut

I do have 2 teenagers so that's a big help

My husbands brother moved in for entire month . He was a bit in the way and forever hungry but he got the message and went out for a few hours .

I also stripped all the beds today for cleaning lady to put the linen back on. 1 more room left to do .
Right now I locked myself up in my room and taking a break
Dh should b home soon and he is buying supper

cbsp

Thu, Oct 01 2020, 12:09 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

Can you do the baking soda /aluminum foil trick to polish the silver?

https://www.apartmenttherapy.c.....31048

(this one uses vinegar as well but it's not necessary)

amother

Oak

Thu, Oct 01 2020, 12:46 pm

I feel for you op...

Not pregnant but other things going on plus- I’m minus 2 nights of sleep this week & a sewer backup so dealing with the mess, cleanup and huuuuuuge expenses. Bh it’s only this.
No cleaning lady on the horizon & oh, no flushing toilets & use minimal water to avoid another backup till the plumbing work can get done next week. (No washing laundry at home either & loads of sewage filled soaked laundry as that was on the basement floor just sorted ready to wash when we got flooded).
Yom tov will somehow happen, sukkah needs to be built, food & semi cleanup & all. (And I still need to work too)

Chag sameach!

Last edited by amother on Thu, Oct 01 2020, 2:33 pm; edited 1 time in total

amother

Thu, Oct 01 2020, 1:02 pm

Thanks everyone for your commiseration and advice!

Here's my update:
Did a batch of dishes
Ate lunch
Did another batch of dishes - now there's only one more batch left
Processed the lemon sorbet
Prepared dinner: chicken, cubed potatoes, and sliced carrots with water and spices into one pan and into the oven.

Now taking a break before my kids come home.

Also someone said I could have her cleaning lady later for 2.5 hours, so hopefully I won't get to YT feeling like a total shmatte.

amother

Thu, Oct 01 2020, 1:04 pm

thunderstorm wrote:

What happened today? Did all the cleaning ladies have a meeting and conspire together not to show up?

Seems like it. I just spoke to my sister and her steady cleaning lady didn't either show up, but she promised to send her "friend" to her tomorrow.

amother

Apricot

Thu, Oct 01 2020, 1:14 pm

thunderstorm wrote:

What happened today? Did all the cleaning ladies have a meeting and conspire together not to show up?

No, but you're close thunderstorm!
It's Erev Yom Tov. There are two reasons cleaning ladies won't show up now-
They often take a day off when they know it's going to be a hard day with lots of work. I've had this in my house when it was busy for different reasons- new baby, simcha... Just when she saw there was alot going on and I'd need her most she didn't show up.
Also like someone else said, people steal cleaning ladies before Yom Tov. Pesach is maybe more common but this time of year it happens too.
There are so many women here, someone here has either done this or knows someone who did. Please read this and take it to heart. It's a terrible thing to do. I don't think I should have to explain. Please stop this and spread the word. Even if it means you'll have a muddy kitchen floor on Chag or the possibility of a tiny crumb behind your fridge on Pesach- don't do this to your sister!

amother

Thu, Oct 01 2020, 2:15 pm

Last batch of dishes done - yay!!! I don't remember when was the last time I washed so many dishes in one day! Smile

Got a kid to strip the linen in the guest room and shoved into the washing machine.
Peeled and chopped tons of onions for two things I'm cooking.

amother

Tan

Thu, Oct 01 2020, 2:26 pm

amother [ Apricot ] wrote:

If there’s a lot of extra work, think about paying her a yom tov surcharge.

amother

Thu, Oct 01 2020, 2:37 pm

Whoever is liking my posts, thank you! It gives me encouragement that someone is actually reading and following my progress of the day.

Another child asked what they could do to help, so I asked them if they want to polish silver. DC jumped up that they loooooooove to do it, and it's their best job. Well, that was five minutes ago. 30 seconds ago, a neighbor showed up, and they both went outside to play. Help