Do you have a cleaning person? How big is your place and how much do you pay?

[Anonymous]

We pay $125 for a 3bd/2ba house, 1500sqft. and I also tip them $10-20 per person per visit. That seems higher than most here, but we picked a company that, as best we can verify, pays fair wages and treats their workers well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We pay $125 for a 3bd/2ba house, 1500sqft. and I also tip them $10-20 per person per visit. That seems higher than most here, but we picked a company that, as best we can verify, pays fair wages and treats their workers well.

+1. We pay a similar amount for a similar-sized house for a weekly cleaning. We don't want to be cheap with these ladies, as they work hard and we want to pay them a fair amount, and not try to negotiate them down.

[Anonymous]

3,000+ ft sfh.

Twice a week. $75 a pop. So $150 a week. Cleans three bathrooms every time, cleans kitchen, mops all hardwood floors, vacuums two levels of house, takes out trash, folds clothes and puts it in dressers, recycles, collects dirty laundry and coffee mugs from every where, loads dishwasher, makes beds, washes bedlinens if required, dusts in a cursory manner.

Since she comes twice a week and has been doing that for many years...my house is fairly well managed.

Is she a 100% immaculate and perfect? No. She cleans like a normal person with normal energy level would clean. However, she does everything with a smile and she has taken ownership in making my house run smoothly, so I can say I am blessed.

If I keep the house relatively clean and she does not need to clean the house, then once a week she does other things - cleans garage, basement, windows. pantry, refrigerator, freezer, seasonal storage, cabinets and drawers, declutters, cleans cobwebs, chops veggies etc...

I am a SAHM and she likes working for (and with) me, because I hire her at her "off" time. She is free on weekdays late morning - early afternoon, and works a fulltime evening job. She works around her child's school-day and is a very involved mom who attends all the school events. She also drops and picks up her kid every single day to and from the school. Factor in school closings, school meetings, illness etc and she requires an employer who is super flexible.

If your house is not very well organized then you actually need more than just "cleaning". You can never be happy with someone who comes and cleans but does not organize or declutter, and eventually, you will be frustrated because without you being there to supervise they will only clean surfaces.

If you hire a cleaning lady, she will only clean. That means surfaces only...sweeping, mopping, dusting, vacuuming and cleaning the bathrooms and kitchen.

You need her to pick toys, pick shoes, pick clothes etc...you either need to do it yourself or have an understanding with her.

Also, understand that they will clean on a superficial level only. It allows your house to be sanitary but nothing more than that.

Finally, she is going to spend only "n" number of hours cleaning your house. She cannot spend the extra time that you need to do more than "surface" clean. If you need that done, you will need to pay more and call her more frequently.

For the amount you are paying, frequency you are calling her and the fact that you have kids/pets...you are getting a good deal.

[Anonymous]

$100 per week for 2900 square feet, but only one bedroom is occupied on a regular basis. Not in DC metro.

[Anonymous]

2500 Sq feet, and no.

[Anonymous]

1400 sq feet, and $130/week. We’re in Nyc so I guess it’s more expensive here. We’ve had the same woman for 8 years and she’s wonderful. Because our space is on the small side every room gets heavily used and the apartment is immaculate every single time.

[Anonymous]

I'm being totally ripped off. 100 dollars every other week for a 1 bedroom 1 bath 780 sq ft apartment. No kids, no pets.

[Anonymous]

I think prices for cleaning services vary widely by location, even within the DMV. I'm in downtown DC and I pay $75 for every 3 weeks for a 680 sq ft condo. However, all of the other estimates I got were $125 and up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think prices for cleaning services vary widely by location, even within the DMV. I'm in downtown DC and I pay $75 for every 3 weeks for a 680 sq ft condo. However, all of the other estimates I got were $125 and up.

This makes me feel slightly better as the PP above paying 100. I'm also downtown.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why did you have to change the sheets?

I wouldn't have changed the sheets just because shoes were on them. Unless the shoes were caked with mud.

[Anonymous]

$160 every other week for my 3400 s.f. home. The ladies change/wash the sheets and clean the house. They are older and are a bit slow but do a good job. I trust them and they also house/pet sit when we travel.

[Anonymous]

These are great prices. Posters, are you in DC or in the burbs?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm being totally ripped off. 100 dollars every other week for a 1 bedroom 1 bath 780 sq ft apartment. No kids, no pets.

I don’t think you are being ripped off. Many cleaners won’t even consider a job that is less than $100.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm being totally ripped off. 100 dollars every other week for a 1 bedroom 1 bath 780 sq ft apartment. No kids, no pets.

I don’t think you are being ripped off. Many cleaners won’t even consider a job that is less than $100.

I pay $100 every other week for 800 sq feet. Two bedrooms. I don’t feel like I’m being ripped off. She’s great and she goes with the flow of what the house needs. Sometimes she spends a good amount of time cleaning the fridge. She cleaned all the random stuffed animals and whatever underneath my kids bed last week, etc

[Anonymous]

We pay about $100 for someone who works pretty hard for four hours. We have a big house 5,000 sf but she only cleans the oft used rooms. I know we have a very good deal.