Reasonable expectations for house cleaner?

[Anonymous]

Is a week's salary the right Christmas bonus?

[Anonymous]

To OP ... we too live near Friendship Heights, and we paid our cleaning person (single) about $130 each week for 7 hrs of work. We also paid her share of FICA, DC unemployment, etc. on top of that.

That's $18-19 an hour plus almost all of her taxes.

She did an amazing job and was the only person I've ever worked with who cleaned to my standards, or better. She's out of the business now, so we're on our own.

My lessons learned after years of not-great relationships prior to this one:

1. Find a person with whom you can really communicate. If you don't speak fluent Spanish/Tagalog/German, I'd move on if you want this to be a long-term relationship that makes you, the employer, very happy.

2. Get references from 2 different current families. (If the reference "family" speaks only Spanish/Tagalog/German, but not English ... move on.) I was thrilled to give X a reference, using great detail.

***3. Make a checklist and have it ready at the outset, before you even call your new candidate. Print out the list and put it out EVERY WEEK, sitting somewhere near her check or cash if you leave for work before she gets there.

4. Give a minimum of a COLA raise every year. I can't believe people don't do this.

5. Speak up immediately if something is not done to standard and appears sloppy. Be kind when you do it.

[Anonymous]

I use Standard Cleaning Service for a 4 bedroom 2 1/2 bath house in NW DC and pay them $130 every 2 weeks. They do a really great job and include many extras that other cleaning services do not. Basically they deep clean the bathrooms and kitchens, wash and change the sheets and towels (love this!), clean the window sills and all hardwood floors, dust, mop, vacuum the sofas, and basically leave the place sparkling clean.

[HOUSERVICES]

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