Not everyone was born with the neatnik gene
A lot of people feel the need to justify the decision to not clean their own homes. Licensed family and marriage therapist Jody Gilmore, LCSW says, "Women are especially susceptible to feeing guilty for wanting or needing help. Often they see wanting to hire a housekeeper as a weakness, when in fact, it should be looked at being very practical and even beneficial.""I could hardly function without my housekeeper. She is a tremendous help, and keeps our house running smoothly," says Diana Crabb, a Crystal Lake, Illinois mom of four who works full time outside the home. She adds that she's even more grateful for the help now, as her husband frequently works out of the country. "It's well worth the money."
Gilmore says, "There are many very good reasons to hire help, and regardless of your personal reason, if hiring a housekeeper is good for you and your family, there's no reason to feel guilty."
It's true: acknowledging that you want -- and deserve -- help around the house can be liberating.
Point and click your way to help
Following the example of website search engines designed at bringing two hearts together, several sites match prospective household employees with those looking to hire help. Although there are several localized options, these sites typically offer placement services throughout the US.
Angie's List
More than 500,000 members across 124 cities use Angie's List, an online peer referral service for household help, which is helping to level the playing field for many small "mom and pop" businesses. Big companies and small companies compete side-by-side on the List because it is based on caliber of work, not on an ad budget. 
"Angie's List its not about who's biggest or has the flashiest marketing campaign, it's truly about who provides our members with the finest quality service." [www.AngiesList.com]
HireHousekeepers.com
Here, you can post an online job opportunity listing the criteria you're looking for. You have the ability to determine the level of experience, number of references required, hours and whether you prefer a non-smoker or have no preference. The service finds matching candidates for you to choose from; however the candidates can only contact you via the manner you select and at the time and date that you included in your posting. The cost to find a full-time person is $65 and you are guaranteed five responses. Searching for part-time help costs $39 and guarantees three responses. [HireHousekeepers.com]
GoNannies.com
A 45-day membership costs $68, and gives you full access to the more than 7,500 US candidates' contact information. You can also post a job listing for a housekeeper, as well as other types of domestic positions such as child care or personal assistant. Members can also run background checks, verify employment or review driving records for additional fees detailed on the site. [GoNannies.com]
HousekeeperHelp.com
Offers free browsing of individuals who have listed their experience, contact info, etc. You're free to contact as many potential employees as you'd like, but remember, you're responsible for coordinating and conducting all background and reference checks. You can also post a help wanted ad on the site that costs $59.99 and will run for up to six months. [HousekeeperHelp.com]
| If you need help justifying it to yourself, here are a few great reasons to consider hiring a cleaning person: | ||
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DreamHomeStaff.com
Prospective household employers pay a membership fee of $39 to search the database of potential housekeepers. You select who you would like to contact and initiate the interviewing process. Also offering background checks for an additional fee, membership includes support services such as helping you establish an hourly rate or answer questions relating to hiring a housekeeper. [DreamHomeStaff.com]
Five local options to find a housekeeper
There are also a number of local search methods that can be highly effective when looking for household help.
- Word of mouth: Ask friends, neighbors and co-workers for referrals, but beware: Many people aren't willing to divulge the name of a treasured housekeeper for fear that they'll lose them to a new job.
- The newspaper classifieds: Place a help wanted ad or peruse the help available section of your local paper.
- Online classifieds: On sites like craigslist.org, find your local area and then browse the listings for household help. If nothing looks great, post a help wanted ad of your own.
- Flip through the phone book: If you prefer hiring a cleaning company, the phone book is a great resource that lists not only contact information, but occasionally, the services a company offers in their ad, which saves you time and aggravation. And, don't forget to check the coupon section in case the company you choose is offering discounts to new clients.
- Canvas the community: Local colleges often have students looking to earn extra cash. Contact the career center or guidance office to enquire if they have students willing to clean houses, or allow help wanted ads to be posted in the student center.
| What if something goes missing? Your watch, an antique silver spoon, a bottle of perfume. All are small enough for someone to conceivably sneak out of your house in a pocket or purse. So if, after your housekeeper leaves, you notice something missing, what should you do? First, take a step back and calm down as much as you can. Think hard about when and where you last saw the object in question, and whether or not you're fairly sure or absolutely positive it was in that particular spot. Next, check behind any furniture, under the bed, and in any nearby drawers. Consider whether anyone else could have moved the item -- and think about children and dogs, too. When you've exhausted all these possibilities, make a call to your primary contact. Do not accuse -- kindly request "help" to find the item that "may have been misplaced." If the item cannot be found and the cleaning company's explanation doesn't satisfy, then it's time to look into filing a police report, making a claim... or waiting to see if the item turns up on its own. |
The first meeting
Serra Deville, owner of DreamHomeStaff.com and a former house manager, housekeeper and nanny, says before having someone clean your home, you should first meet with them to discuss; paying wages per hour or per visit, experience, references, work hours and cleaning expectations.And, Deville says, both parties should have a checklist to compare during an interview. "Don't assume anything. You may expect the bed to be made, but your housekeeper may not offer that service. Discussing each other's list can avoid misunderstandings."
Deville says in addition to the level of cleaning you're looking for, some of the things to consider when making your list are:
- The areas of your house you want cleaned, and those you do not want your housekeeper to enter such as a room where your pet is housed or child may be sleeping.
- Less obvious tasks you expect to be performed, such as vacuuming heating vents, cleaning ceiling fan blades, moving furniture to vacuum, wiping down baseboards, making beds, dusting or vacuuming under the bed, etc.
- What you do not want disturbed, such as dusting around items on a desk instead of moving them, or not using glass cleaner on fish tanks or spider aquariums.
- Guidelines for where to place recycling, toss trash or dispose of empty cleaning product containers.
Don't forget...
When seeking home help, what are some of the most typical mistakes people make -- or things that they overlook? 
"A lot of homeowners don't make a list of things they specifically want to be cleaned and/or don't explain their expectations clearly," says Angie Hicks. "This leads to misunderstandings with the housecleaner, so it's always better to make the expectations as clear as possible."
One more thing that catches clients out: They don't check references, or they don't check enough references. Hicks says, "Checking with at least three references can help you get enough information on a company's level of service."
Hallmarks of a top-notch housekeeper
Providing high-quality service requires great communication. Hicks says that when you're interviewing companies, make sure they...
- visit your home so they can accurately judge the amount of time it will take them, so they can better estimate the total cost for you.
- provide several references and make it easy for you to reach those people.
- spell out in advance of doing the work exactly what services they'll be providing and what the cost will be, so there are no surprises.
- are bonded and insured.
After being hired:
- Consistently show up when promised.
- Consistently perform the promised service.
- Be meticulous about their work.
- Interact with you in the manner that you prefer. (Some clients like to chat with the housekeeper, while others prefer quiet. A high-quality housekeeper will know how to determine what you like and meet that preference.)
- Send the same cleaner each time.
Making it work
Once you find a housekeeper that you know you just can't live without, you want to make sure the relationship remains mutually rewarding. As the boss, there are a few tips you can use to keep everyone happy and your house sparkling clean.
- Pay on time (set up a direct-deposit or online billing if that makes it simpler).
- Discuss annual pay increases and offer holiday bonuses.
- Provide two weeks notice (when possible) for any changes to the cleaning schedule, such as when you're taking a vacation or need to change cleaning day due to an upcoming party or special occasion.
- Be respectful -- Don't ask your housekeeper to do something you know you truly wouldn't do yourself.
- If your housekeeper is not a native speaker of English, learn a few words in their language (most importantly "thank you").
It's just not going to work
What are the most common complaints people tend to have about a housekeeper?
- Cleaners not cleaning to the homeowner's standards. This is why it's very important to make your expectations clear to the housecleaner from the beginning.
- Housecleaners who make appointments and then never show up or call to explain their lateness or inability to get there on time.
- Staff that is unprofessional.
- Final prices that are higher than the estimate.
Breaking up is hard to do
Sadly, there are times when even the best relationships end. It can be tricky to navigate how to terminate the relationship with your cleaning person.
As a former independent housekeeper, and a mom who now employs such home help, Pam Norton has been on both sides of this awkward situation. "There are various reasons why someone might want to 'break-up' with their housekeeper," says Norton of Crystal Lake, Illinois. Some of the most common reasons Norton had clients make a change were because they were moving or for financial reasons.
Honesty is truly the best policy, even if the reason you're choosing to stop using your housekeeper is that you're dissatisfied with the level of service. "I was especially grateful for their honesty and any advance notice," says Norton, who know applies those same standards when terminating a relationship with a housekeeper or making a change in service.
If you have to end the service due to financial or personal reasons, many opt to offer a letter of recommendation. "When my husband lost his job, I had to stop using my cleaning person," says Susan Bartlett of Des Moines, Iowa. "I was so sad to let her go, but it helped to know I was sending her off with a letter explaining how much we valued her."
Relax and enjoy
Ultimately, having a housekeeper should help to contribute to your peace of mind. Sure, it may be a splurge, but the women we talked to said it was definitely worth the money -- one even noting that it's one of the few ways you can purchase true stress relief.
"The day the cleaning ladies come is my favorite day of the week," says a SheKnows reader from California. "I just love coming home to a totally clean house. It's heavenly."
