What is a problem you need solved either personally or in your community?

[Anonymous]

Yes, motorcycles and emergency vehicles need noise for safety, but living by a road with a lot of traffic noise is not fun. Related to that, inflation and the outrageous cost of homes (human greed) needs fixing. People need to be able to afford essentials (including housing) to live. Also working full time is too exhausting for many people. The whole rat race needs fixing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Immigration paperwork

I left home country as a child and I have no documents aside from a birth certificate and expired passport. I’m an adult now and I also have American citizenship. However, to get citizenship for my children I need my own civil affairs in order: This means getting the equivalent of my country’s social security card, voting registration (it’s mandatory) and valid passport and ID card. And THEN I need to apply for my children and get them passports!

I really really don’t want to deal with all this, but can’t in good conscience let my kids not have citizenship especially since American citizenship is becoming increasingly worthless.

Can you help?

Feel free to emigrate back to your home country. Get that process going and get out, pronto! Wouldn't want to keep you here suffering.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I want housecleaners who don't steal, don't break things, don't judge, aren't intrusive, don't pretend to clean but really clean, don't slack off after 6 months and don't make me feel like I need to clean or tidy before they come over. Will pay top dollar. But it doesn't exist.

I work from home 3 days a week and have observed the behavior of 3 of my neighbors’ “house cleaners.” Long story short: (1) one spends most of her time smoking outside and always leaves in less than an hour; (2) one is in and out in 30-40 mins; and (3) one is typically there for two hours but spends a lot of time sitting in her car on the phone.

I know what my neighbors pay (it’s a lot), and there’s no way these people are really cleaning a big colonial home in under an hour.

They have all dealt with things disappearing. One had her engagement ring stolen and the cleaner disappeared (phone cut off).

I would never hire a cleaner. Never.

There must be an epidemic of emboldened housecleaners. Maybe it's the economy or ice. IDK. Everyone has ring cameras so they know how long (or how short) cleaners are actually at their house. Everyone needs indoor cameras now to keep tabs on what they clean and what they steal I guess. I don't think this is going to play out well at all. The egalitarian American attitude doesn't really go with making sure workers are afraid of repercussions. And housecleaners don't have fear of repercussion in this country (except for maybe Lucille Bluth's).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Finding reputable home repair companies and contractors. I used to use Angie’s list and it was great

Yes! I’m so tired of researching companies, reading reviews, scheduling estimates, etc. I have a laundry list of things I need done around the house, but it requires managing multiple types of contractors.

I need an electrician to fix some outlets and hardwire some light fixtures. My HVAC is incredibly old (have kicked the can 2x with repairs) and likely needs to be replaced soon. I want to have our sewer line scoped. There is some carpentry work (e.g. shelving and such) I’d like to do. I need someone to do a bit of drainage work and put in a walkway in my side yard. My driveway needs repaving. And on and on.

Obviously paying for this stuff isn’t fun, but I have the money. What I don’t have is time to arrange all these things. And if your project is too small there may not be interest or you won’t be prioritized on the schedule.

I wish there was some centralized contracting service that could come to your house and write up an estimate for everything and send out the people you need for each project. It feels like as soon as I knock 1-2 projects off our to do list another few pop up. I’m always looking around at the things that need fixed but I don’t have time to schedule to fix.

You need a property management company if you don't feel like managing it yourself.
They will then go out and hire for each individual trade.

I'm a renter who is trying to save the owner from property management company. Now I need to contact better business bureau so I can get them off my back.
The owner ended contract with them. They told me that, but I still get charges left and right as new month just started.
The company also never cleaned the home before showing it to me. When they finally discovered that nobody cleaned the place, they promised to do so and contact me when it was ready. They never did. I can go on and on how bad they are.
Nobody is doing the job they promise they would do.

[Anonymous]

I would like the idiots in close-in Bethesda - where there are many, many pedestrians - to learn to drive, but I don't think you can solve that, OP.

People gunning through stop signs, running red lights, racing each other to see who can make the right/left turn first, not stopping at crosswalks even when the light is blinking. I wish the county would install cameras on every damn blinking light and stop sign on or within 2 blocks of Wisconsin Avenue between Old Georgetown and NIH. They would make so much money in tickets.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I want housecleaners who don't steal, don't break things, don't judge, aren't intrusive, don't pretend to clean but really clean, don't slack off after 6 months and don't make me feel like I need to clean or tidy before they come over. Will pay top dollar. But it doesn't exist.

We have been happy with Huff'n Puff. They are very good. Also very expensive. But they have never broken anything and they are always reliable. We schedule them on days we work from home so I can't speak to what they'd be like if we were not here.

However, you do need to tidy before they come. That is the case for all cleaners unless you have a personal housekeeper who works only for you. We call it "cleaning for the cleaners" and view it as a good thing because it makes us keep the house tidier than we otherwise might. Honestly, if you didn't do this, you'd be relying on the cleaners to move your stuff and put it back, and do you really want to do that? No one will ever put it back exactly how you had it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I want housecleaners who don't steal, don't break things, don't judge, aren't intrusive, don't pretend to clean but really clean, don't slack off after 6 months and don't make me feel like I need to clean or tidy before they come over. Will pay top dollar. But it doesn't exist.

We have been happy with Huff'n Puff. They are very good. Also very expensive. But they have never broken anything and they are always reliable. We schedule them on days we work from home so I can't speak to what they'd be like if we were not here.

However, you do need to tidy before they come. That is the case for all cleaners unless you have a personal housekeeper who works only for you. We call it "cleaning for the cleaners" and view it as a good thing because it makes us keep the house tidier than we otherwise might. Honestly, if you didn't do this, you'd be relying on the cleaners to move your stuff and put it back, and do you really want to do that? No one will ever put it back exactly how you had it.

NP- thanks for the recommendations.
I've always had cleaners for when I'm at home and I think they don't like it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I need a miracle to happen...for Trump + Vance + the whole clan to be thrown in jail where they belong.

STFU

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How to remove Trump from office.

STFU
Butt hurt

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Immigration paperwork

I left home country as a child and I have no documents aside from a birth certificate and expired passport. I’m an adult now and I also have American citizenship. However, to get citizenship for my children I need my own civil affairs in order: This means getting the equivalent of my country’s social security card, voting registration (it’s mandatory) and valid passport and ID card. And THEN I need to apply for my children and get them passports!

I really really don’t want to deal with all this, but can’t in good conscience let my kids not have citizenship especially since American citizenship is becoming increasingly worthless.

Can you help?

Feel free to emigrate back to your home country. Get that process going and get out, pronto! Wouldn't want to keep you here suffering.

If your kids were born here, they are automatically citizens. I'm confused.

[Anonymous]

Universal healthcare. Trump is taking away tons of Medicaid benefits.
Also, elder care should be free (not just for the poorest) and one could choose private if they want to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ll give you a real one - I want a company to come and power wash my garbage and recycling cans regularly. I know we can do this but no one in my house does it.

My parents live in an area where a company charges $30 to do this. They constantly complain “who would pay $30 to have someone do this?” They advertise a lot. I want this service.

I love this idea!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How to remove Trump from office.

Yes, please. He is the biggest problem this country has ever had, hands down.

[Anonymous]

REAL IDEA: I want to pay a company a monthly retainer (I realize this would be $$$ - maybe $200-300/mo? Maybe even $5000/year?) to maintain my house inside and out. I want them to come once a month and just take care of the things that need to be done - replacing filters, cleaning gutters, sweeping pollen from my screen porch in spring, emptying the dryer vent - and take care of more annualized stuff on a schedule - washing windows, painting shutters, maintaining HVAC… I don’t want to think about any of this stuff or research and find a contractor to do each individual thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op here. I'm not sure what problems people are having that they don't have the time or wherewithall to solve so I thought I'd ask.

I'll give a personal example of a problem that I recently had solved and when the company that I hired solved it I thought wow that's a pretty cool business.

A few weeks ago we set the trash out the day before we were scheduled to leave for vacation. Of course our usually dependable trash pick up company did not come to our neighborhood during the scheduled time to pick up the trash. So we had to haul the full trash bins back into the garage and they sat there festering the whole week while we were on vacation. I was so scared to open them up when we got back bc I thought there might be maggots crawling everywhere. Long story short our trash bins stank, our whole garage stank, and every time we opened the garage door the funk was starting to creep into the house.

So I get online and search for a trash bin sanitizing company and sure enough there were a couple good ones to chose from. I scheduled with a company that didn't have availability to come until 2 weeks out but when they finalize came to clean and sanitize the bins I was so happy. They did a wonderful job and now the bins smell like fabuloso everytime I open them.

I was hoping people would share their problems small or large that could potentially be outsourced.

Why are you making such a simple task so complicated? We always take neighbors' trash out when they are traveling and keeping an eye on their house. They are doing the same thing for us. It takes less than 5 min to roll their trash bin out and then back. All it takes is to be a good neighbor.