Who Should Hire a Housekeeper? Who should not?
Do you clean your own residence? Most people do. After all, it’s a basic responsibility of life, right? “Pick up after yourself!” We have all heard it. But many East County residents are learning the value of having a housekeeper or cleaning service scrub the toilets, mop the kitchen and vacuum the carpets for them. Ahhh…a maid service may be for you!
“Isn’t that just for the upper crust in La Jolla?” you ask. Not necessarily. Let’s get down and dirty (sorry!) with the subject and see what makes sense.
Do you work? Busy, busy, busy, aren’t we all? When the weekend comes, do you look forward to housework? Some people do! Many folks find solace in making sure their home is clean their way, gleefully and peacefully washing their windows and mirrors on Saturday morning, or knocking down cobwebs on Sunday afternoon. Some enjoy the time alone (or with someone) staying home, turning on some tunes and dusting bookshelves to the sounds of the the oldies-but-goodies they bought from a late night infomercial. When it’s over, a cold beverage and something on the grill is a well deserved reward!
Further, many people feel that no one can clean as well as they do and believe that hiring a maid service is decadent or a sign of laziness. If you are one of those people, hiring a housekeeper would probably be more a source of worry or perception of waste for you; don’t do it.
Can you afford a housekeeper? Maybe it is simply not in the budget. No one will be impressed if you have a clean house but cannot afford to go to the movies. Instead of going to the movies, clean your house! Look for the fun and satisfaction in ensuring that your living environment is clean and clutter free. Know that you are using the products that are pleasing to your senses and methods that work the way you want. For some good input, pick up the book “How to Clean Almost Anything” and make the chore of house cleaning an enjoyable release of creative energy. It can happen!
But if getting real with the dust of East County in your home is not your idea of quality leisure time, and you can afford it, by all means consider a housekeeper! In fact, depending on what you do for a living, you may be able to justify the expense very easily by the time saved…
For about $40-$80 per visit (depending, depending), you can easily find a housekeeping service (or maid service, same thing) to do the dirty work for you. Some show up with their own supplies and equipment (deduct that expense, and save that trip to the store when you run out of Pledge in the middle of a polishing frenzy) and spend anywhere from 2 to 4 hours cheerfully scrubbing your kitchen, bathrooms, floors, counters, etc., while you are at work, doing what you do for a living! Or, maybe you are retired and figure you just deserve the luxury…
It is a wonderful feeling to come home to a sparkling clean house (every week, 2 weeks or once a month are the normal choices), smelling fresh, dishes washed washed (yup, most services clean up whatever is left in the sink, within reason) and those telltale vacuum tracks in your carpet or rugs. Clean, clean, clean!
Then, if you “pick up after yourself” keeping the clutter to a minimum, you have your leisure time free to live your life in the enjoyable ways you choose! After all, life is all about choices, right?
Speaking of choices, like in any service-for-hire business, rates and qualities of workmanship vary. You might like knowing that your cleaning service is bonded, in which case you can expect to pay more. Oh, and please don’t be shocked if you experience the accidental breakage of an occasional wine glass, or picture frame; it happens when you clean, too!
This week’s reader questions:
Q: Do have any tips about home security? We are retired, live in East County and are looking for inexpensive ways to make our place safer. –L. Robinson, Santee
A: Here’s one! Keep your car keys by you at all times, even on your nightstand at night. Since most people have car alarms on their key fobs now, you can activate your car horn (HONK! HONK! HONK!) and flash your lights by pressing the car locator button…no increase in household expense, but a great deterrent if you think someone is snooping around!
Keith Woolgar