Do you have cleaning help?

tikva18

Thu, Feb 03 2011, 3:20 pm

If so, how often and how much do you pay?
Was it after a certain point (ie. number of kids you have) or did you always have it stam?
If you don't have cleaning help, how do you manage? how do you keep the house clean? and lastly, when do you start cooking for Shabbos?

saw50st8

Thu, Feb 03 2011, 3:28 pm

We don't have cleaning help, but we talk about getting it all the time.

Our house isn't spotless. There is plenty of dust under beds and stuff. We get the basics done. Sunday is often a cleaning day.

yo'ma

Thu, Feb 03 2011, 3:31 pm

I, b'h, have cleaning help 4 times a week. The first time we had on a steady basis, we were married for 5 years and 3 children. We only had her come once a week for 8 hours. Then we moved to another country where it's the norm and somewhat cheap to have cleaning help. We found someone we liked soon after we moved 4 years ago. She used to only come twice a week and then 3 times and now 4. She stays until she's done. How much we pay her not much, but we also pay part of her health insurance because she's on the books.

Mystery Woman

Thu, Feb 03 2011, 3:35 pm

Twice a week. Once a week for about 6 or 7 hours, and another time for 3 hours. I work full time and it's the only way I keep sane.
I start Shabbos cooking Wednesday morning, if you don't count the baking, which I do on Sundays because it's my day off.

mamommommy

Thu, Feb 03 2011, 3:37 pm

We started with cleaning help after our third child was born. It got to the point where the house got too messy everyday for me to keep up with it in addition to the heavy duty cleaning. Now, we have help once a week (although we probably could use more) and we pay $10 an hour. I don't really worry about the heavy duty stuff anymore, and I can get away with just wiping down surfaces in between the times she comes.

maofboys

Thu, Feb 03 2011, 3:41 pm

I have help on day a week for 4 hours we pay $60 and to be honest she is not such a help, one day is not enough. she does the sheets, folds laundry (I leave for her) washes floors and bathroom. but really I do a lot all week. I am thinking of either firing her or taking her more days?

Britmummy

Thu, Feb 03 2011, 3:42 pm

No, but I sure wish I did!

I'm a full-time grad student and work part-time freelance, plus I'm a single mother of 3 kids (age 11, 8 , 6)... Before my divorce we had a cleaner AND an au-pair :-/ Since I've been on my own, I've tried to juggle everything myself.

I met a homeless girl recently who would love to find work and I got her number (she lives in a shelter). Hopefully when I move house (March 1st, B"H), I'll be able to to pay her to come a few hours a week and clean for me!

Last edited by Britmummy on Thu, Feb 03 2011, 3:43 pm; edited 1 time in total

tikva18

Thu, Feb 03 2011, 3:43 pm

I forgot to ask if you do have cleaning help are you a WAHM or a SAHM...
Lastly, if you do have cleaning help - how do you afford it? to me it's just over the top what I can pay. I have, knaina hara, 5 children, the youngest are twins, my dh is a mashgiach, I'm a SAHM and am homeschooling one child. There's no way I can pay extra to have help, but my house is flying - and I love having things organized exactly. I've decided that I must just be lazy, not working hard enough (evidenced by me posting here - lol) since I can't keep it done. I am the only one who does any work in my house.

yo'ma

Thu, Feb 03 2011, 3:46 pm

SAHM and a very lazy one at that. I also really don't like to clean. I don't mind straightening up too much, but that's about it.

obagys

Thu, Feb 03 2011, 4:23 pm

I'm a SAHM with 5 kids and another on the way - oldest is 9.
I don't have any cleaning help, I do everything myself. We can afford it but I'd personally feel like I was wasting money if I hired someone when I'm home all day and can do it.

Most of my friends do have cleaning help, I can think of only 1 friend who doesn't.

I start cooking for Shabbos Thursday night usually, but don't do much. Most of the cooking gets done on Friday cause I like everything fresh (and I have the time to do it since I don't work).

Last edited by obagys on Thu, Feb 03 2011, 4:28 pm; edited 1 time in total

Liba

Thu, Feb 03 2011, 4:27 pm

I started getting cleaning help when I was in a high risk pregnancy with my second and working 40+ hours a week with an hour commute each way if there was no traffic.

At that point I had 4 hours of help a week.

I have had cleaning help off and on ever since.

At this point I am disabled and need more help even though I am not working. My lady who does heavy cleaning cut back from three hours a week to two hours and it really isn't enough. I have a second person who comes weekly and washes up the shabbos dishes. She is here about an hour and it is a mechaya.

So total, 3 hours of help, four kids. I pay for it with my disability payments.

morah

Thu, Feb 03 2011, 4:31 pm

DH and I are full-time students and big-time slobs who can't get our act together when it comes to cleaning, so we've had help from the start. How do we afford it? My mother has full-time help, and in exchange for me picking my brother up from school and doing homework with him a few times a week, she sends her cleaning lady over once a week for 4-5 hours.

amother

Thu, Feb 03 2011, 4:58 pm

I am the mother of eight, all b"H married now. We always lived in a small house, and never had full time cleaning help (not enough place for the kids to run around while she was trying to do the cleaning). I'd just get extra help when things got out of hand, like before a yomtov or special occasion. Even then it would be for a couple of hours once or twice a week, as I was a SAHM and money was tight. Now that everyone is out of the house, we b"H have grandkids visiting, so again I only get help on occasion when things get out of hand - mostly I have her do a thorough job in the bathroom and the kitchen. I like doing my own laundry, and there's not that much linen to change these days.

amother

Thu, Feb 03 2011, 5:07 pm

Those of you with cleaning help, how did you find your housekeeper? Do you use a housekeeping service? I had a housekeeper for a while last year-- someone I found through a friend. She wasn't doing a great job and quit after a few months. The housekeeper before her (we had a few years ago), someone I found also through my acquaintances, became very "needy"-- she was always telling me her personal problems and asking me for more hours so she could earn more. I fired her and felt bad because I knew she wouldn't be able to pay her rent without her job at my house. Anyway, I'm pregnant and know in a few months I won't be able to keep up with the cleaning so I'm thinking about trying to find a housekeeper again. This time I'm thinking about using a housekeeping service. It just seems it might be easier that way.

amother because I'm not telling I'm pregnant yet

mummiedearest

Thu, Feb 03 2011, 5:29 pm

I have a cleaning lady for two hours a week. I have two messy kids, and a husband who works long hours. we only started having cleaning help this past summer. we pay her 10 per hour, plus five transportation. I do the majority of the cleaning myself, she cleans the bathrooms and mops a few floors for me. I start my cooking thursday night or friday morning. I'm a sahm.

SingALong

Thu, Feb 03 2011, 5:38 pm

when I was first married, we had zero cleaning help. DH was in kollel and I was working and in school. we both did stuff around the house.

after I got too busy with work and school, I got someone to clean 2x week for about 2 hours each.

when I started grad school, I got full time help mostly because I needed the hours for babysitting and it worked out cheaper to have that instead of day care, plus she cleaned.

recently graduated and now staying home studying for certification and due soon. no more need for full time help so now I have someone for about 5 hours daily. I really don't need so many hours but I'm hoping she will be a help after the baby is born, and possible also babysit when I go to work.

MiamiMommy

Thu, Feb 03 2011, 5:39 pm

I work full time and have cleaning help once or twice a week. We have a family stay with us for Shabbos every other week, when they are coming I have a cleaning lady come on Friday. Otherwise I have my cleaning lady on Tuesdays for 4 hours. It's not enough but it helps a ton, I really feel it when she doesn't come.

When I wasn't working I didn't have help, I just didn't see the point, I do a better job anyways!