I'm drowning in housework, and I can't seem to hire someone to help

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I don't think I need to explain myself, but in particular I'm "drowning" in laundry - we are a family of five, including 3 young children, and since my last was born I've had horrible back problems that prevent me from being very active. I don't want to spend my little "active" time doing housework. Also three young kids are messy!

Anyway, we actually were going up to more like 20-25 hours a week to make it a "full" half time job. I can't imagine needing or wanting a full 40 hours a week.

Maybe I should break it into several smaller jobs that are more like 8 hours a week?

[/quote,]

Teach you childen to be clean. They are messy because you are a mess. Stop blaming them for you bring lazy!

[Anonymous]

I get it OP. I’m drowning too, it seems as soon as I’m caught up with the kitchen, it’s time to clean a bathroom, do some laundry, straighten up the playroom, then prep a meal, then clean the kitchen again, and it never stops!

[Anonymous]

OP, maybe you could make this a 3 day/week job that includes the weekly cleaning.

[Anonymous]

Why don’t you just get a laundry service? I recently did this and it’s been a big help. I was spending my entire weekend doing laundry. We started using rinse.com and it’s so worth it! We put out the laundry on the front porch, they pick it up, and 24 hours later it’s washed and folded and back on my porch.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DH and I finally decided we needed more than our weekly cleaners, and we're trying to hire a housekeeper for 20-25 hours a week (or as few as 12-15, if we also keep our weekly cleaners). I've interviewed (on the phone) like a dozen applicants from care.com over the past month and none are even willing to do what we want - and all I want is for someone to do what *I* and *most parents* do on a regular basis: clean up the kitchen in the morning, empty the dishwasher, make the beds, do some laundry, etc. We want four or five days a week, for 4-5 hours a day.

What am I doing wrong here? We're offering $20-35 an hour depending on experience, and we've only rarely gotten to the point of discussing pay because no one gets that far.

I get that this isn't a full-time job, but our weekly cleaners are only paid 180 per visit, and it's two women working 4-5 hours, or about 20 dollars per hour per person - and they work A LOT harder, physically, than someone just putting away dishes and doing laundry would.

Seriously, how do I make this job more appealing? Or do I just keep at it and hope someone eventually comes along?

If a home health aide is willing to wipe someone's butt for $12 an hour, your $20 an hour sounds like a godsend.

[Anonymous]

buy a second stackable washer and dryer

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t get it either, OP. I’ve been trying to find a weekly cleaning service that is willing to work on an hourly basis (instead of Paying a fixed rate per cleaning) for two reasons:

1. I have a large house and don’t want it all cleaned every week. I just want the main areas done and then depending on the week I would have them come up and clean on the 2nd floor or do the basement for example. I also want to be able to ask for certain special projects from week to week (e.g.-clean draperies, detail fridge, etc.).

2. I’m just effing sick of cleaners wanting me to pay a fixed rate “per cleaning”, and then after the honeymoon period their entire objective becomes “how do I get this house done in the least amount of time possible” and then they start doing a really bad job. Like she wants to charge $200/cleaning when it takes her 2.5 hours and she’s working by herself.

I’ve posted ads and I explicitly say in my ad the hourly rate and that you must be willing to work on an hourly basis. I get many dozens of replies but they all, by the 2nd or 3rd communication, say they charge “per job” not by the hour.

This is so true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op where are you located ? I’m a house manager that has free time during the day and weekends. I’m interested in the job .

Arlington

Im the PP , I’m located in falls church. How can I get ahold of you op ?

[Anonymous]

OP, this is an easy one. You can thank me later. Hire someone half time, and find someone else to take them the other half. The other family pays and contracts on their own, so do you.

OMG. How do you people tie your own shoes?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op where are you located ? I’m a house manager that has free time during the day and weekends. I’m interested in the job .

Arlington

Im the PP , I’m located in falls church. How can I get ahold of you op ?

Id also suggest to the OP about finding another family that may be in a similar position local to you and combine for like a "house share" so that the person works 5 days a week- 2 with you 2 with them and rotate every Wed for deep clean items?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I don't think I need to explain myself, but in particular I'm "drowning" in laundry - we are a family of five, including 3 young children, and since my last was born I've had horrible back problems that prevent me from being very active. I don't want to spend my little "active" time doing housework. Also three young kids are messy!

Anyway, we actually were going up to more like 20-25 hours a week to make it a "full" half time job. I can't imagine needing or wanting a full 40 hours a week.

Maybe I should break it into several smaller jobs that are more like 8 hours a week?

If laundry is your biggest issue, I’ll share my wisdom as a mother of 4 with a very demanding job. If your laundry room isn’t upstairs by the bedrooms, move it there. Location is key for convenience and regular use. Next: plastic laundry baskets in every bedroom. Train everyone to dump laundry in the laundry room. Only do white washes occasionally. No need to fold; toss in a basket and have kids put things away. Pro tip: under armour and similar athletic fabrics don’t need ironing. You can shove them in a drawer and they always come out wrinkle free.

If the kitchen is an issue: run the dishwasher each night and unload in the morning. Make a rule that plates and utensils aren’t used unless necessary. (A handful of grapes doesn’t require a plate/bowl—just use a napkin or your hand.) Train everyone to put things directly in the dishwasher. If all else fails, use paper plates, etc. (especially if you’re exhausted and don’t want to clean the kitchen one night).

I’d love to have an Alice, but there’s no way I’d allocate big bucks to hired help. We don’t even have a cleaning service. (We prioritize travel over housekeeping.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I don't think I need to explain myself, but in particular I'm "drowning" in laundry - we are a family of five, including 3 young children, and since my last was born I've had horrible back problems that prevent me from being very active. I don't want to spend my little "active" time doing housework. Also three young kids are messy!

Anyway, we actually were going up to more like 20-25 hours a week to make it a "full" half time job. I can't imagine needing or wanting a full 40 hours a week.

Maybe I should break it into several smaller jobs that are more like 8 hours a week?

If laundry is your biggest issue, I’ll share my wisdom as a mother of 4 with a very demanding job. If your laundry room isn’t upstairs by the bedrooms, move it there. Location is key for convenience and regular use. Next: plastic laundry baskets in every bedroom. Train everyone to dump laundry in the laundry room. Only do white washes occasionally. No need to fold; toss in a basket and have kids put things away. Pro tip: under armour and similar athletic fabrics don’t need ironing. You can shove them in a drawer and they always come out wrinkle free.

If the kitchen is an issue: run the dishwasher each night and unload in the morning. Make a rule that plates and utensils aren’t used unless necessary. (A handful of grapes doesn’t require a plate/bowl—just use a napkin or your hand.) Train everyone to put things directly in the dishwasher. If all else fails, use paper plates, etc. (especially if you’re exhausted and don’t want to clean the kitchen one night).

I’d love to have an Alice, but there’s no way I’d allocate big bucks to hired help. We don’t even have a cleaning service. (We prioritize travel over housekeeping.)

I like this list! I am advocating my DH to moving the laundry upstairs as well. We have 3 kids 6 years old and younger and we both work demanding jobs. I do laundry every day and run the dishwasher everyday. My house is clean and organized because I am ruthless about it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DH and I finally decided we needed more than our weekly cleaners, and we're trying to hire a housekeeper for 20-25 hours a week (or as few as 12-15, if we also keep our weekly cleaners). I've interviewed (on the phone) like a dozen applicants from care.com over the past month and none are even willing to do what we want - and all I want is for someone to do what *I* and *most parents* do on a regular basis: clean up the kitchen in the morning, empty the dishwasher, make the beds, do some laundry, etc. We want four or five days a week, for 4-5 hours a day.

What am I doing wrong here? We're offering $20-35 an hour depending on experience, and we've only rarely gotten to the point of discussing pay because no one gets that far.

I get that this isn't a full-time job, but our weekly cleaners are only paid 180 per visit, and it's two women working 4-5 hours, or about 20 dollars per hour per person - and they work A LOT harder, physically, than someone just putting away dishes and doing laundry would.

Seriously, how do I make this job more appealing? Or do I just keep at it and hope someone eventually comes along?

If a home health aide is willing to wipe someone's butt for $12 an hour, your $20 an hour sounds like a godsend.

Being a home health aide is a full time job with benefits. This job isn’t

[Anonymous]

OP also both have demanding jobs and we send our laundry out (pick up and delivery at front door) and have the cleaners come more often, only doing the main level except once a week.

[Anonymous]

Can your kids help out with chores? Are they old enough?