As I have said before I write so that I don't have to pay a shrink. In addition, I have a cleaning lady so that I don't have to pay a marriage counselor. It's another form of cheap therapy that I subscribe to.
See, when the Hubs and I got married, we quickly realized that neither of us enjoyed housework (who does?) and we both sucked at it. We spent our free time doing a half ass job cleaning our house and bitching at the other to clean better. It was awful. We decided that in order to save our marriage we would need a cleaning lady.
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| Photo courtesy: Anne Taintor |
It made sense to us. We're both in the service industry and we believe that we're experts when it comes to selling real estate and everyone who needs to buy and sell real estate should hire a pro. We don't try and fix our furnace when it goes out - we call a pro. We don't change the brakes on the car - we call a pro. We needed our house cleaned - by a pro.
We asked around and we found a lady we liked. Rosa would come to our house every other Friday and single-handedly save our marriage. In order to afford her we vowed to forgo travel and entertainment and only eat out at restaurants with buy one/get one free coupons and dollar menus.
Rosa was wonderful. Not only did this woman clean my toilets and mop my sticky kitchen floor, she wasn't afraid of any dirty job. One day I was sobbing over baby Gomer. I couldn't get him to latch on and we were both crying. She dropped her mop, rolled up her sleeves, grabbed my boob and helped me feed him. My beds didn't get changed that day, but she earned her money.
About 5 weeks ago she called me and told she was taking an extended trip to visit family in Mexico. She does this a couple of times a year. She goes by herself to visit her mother and leaves her husband in charge of the kids. She said she'd come and clean my house on April 20. I marked my calendar and then watched the dust bunnies pile up in the corners of the living room.
Yesterday I started the frantic rushing around that's called "cleaning for the cleaning lady." I was freaking out, because Gomer's room wasn't ready, I was busy with my real estate clients, and my Pinterest account was in bad shape and was begging to be updated. I decided to call her and just make sure she was really back in the country and planning to come.
I tried her cell and got her VM. I left her a message and asked her to call me. A few hours later I still hadn't done much except organize my Pinterest boards and try on summer clothes (if I'm cleaning up I might as well clean out my closet, right?) and I still hadn't heard from Rosa. I tried her again and she answered:
Rosa: Hello?
Me: Oh! Rosa, you're there. How was your trip to Mexico?
Rosa: Hi, Jen. It was good. I'm glad to be back.
Me: I bet. So, are you coming over tomorrow then? I'm trying to get ready, but I don't know if I'm going to make it.
Rosa: Oh. Yeah. No. I'm not coming tomorrow.
Me: (a bit relieved) OK. Maybe Saturday then or Sunday?
Rosa: No. I don't think that will work either.
Me: OK. Well, what do you think?
Rosa: Hmmm.....well...I moved.
Me: You moved?
Rosa: Well, my husband moved. So I moved. I came home from Mexico and he and the kids had moved to Omaha. He put the kids in school and everything.
Me: Omaha?!
Rosa: Yeah. He said, Come here and live here with us. So I did. The kids love it.
Me: Omaha?!
Rosa: Yes. Omaha.
Me: OMAHA?!
Rosa: Yes.
Me: Wow. Because I was planning on seeing you tomorrow.
Rosa: I know. But I live in Omaha now.
Me: Yes. You mentioned that. Good luck, Rosa. Bye.
Rosa: Bye.
I hung up the phone with mixed emotions:
1) I got a reprieve. I can get back to my Pinterest boards and forget about Gomer's room.
2) Crap, I need to find another cleaning lady. STAT. The dust bunnies are taking over the living room. 3) WTF, when were you going to tell me, Rosa??
4) Shit, now my marriage will be in trouble.
5) Is she lying to me, because my house is such a pain for her clean and she's trying to let me down easy?
this would send me into cold sweats. Thanks for the cleaning lady = marriage therapist reference. I just found justification for my "every other week habit."
ReplyDeleteI put myself through college cleaning houses and many of my clients said I saved their marriage. I'm thinking of hiring someone myself now and trust me who ever it is will be saving my marriage too!
ReplyDeleteYIKES!...just kidding, you suck clean your own damn house like the rest of us ;D I'm sending my cleaning lady(me) out for margaritas!
ReplyDeleteI've been meaning to write a similar post. But I do have a good one and she is so frickn' hot it makes me sick.
ReplyDeleteI have a great one I will share, but you'll have to move to South Caroline to save your marriage!
ReplyDeleteI will die if my Rosa moves to Omaha!
ReplyDeleteWho goes on vacay and comes back to their family moving??? That is just plain strange!! Sorry about you losing a great cleaning lady. I have never had one (maybe I should get one, might help my marriage) but I have friends that complain about how hard it is to find a good one. WOW I just can't imagine that she really came home to her family moving... but then again this is what I envision would happen to me and wreck of a home. Good luck :-)
ReplyDeleteThe emergency move to Omaha is probably immigration related.
DeleteIf she travels freely between Mexico and the US, she's legal. Ugh, I just want to punch ignorant people in the throat...
Deletesuch an ignorant comment! "probably immigration related!" WTF?
DeleteMaybe she is legal and he is not ....
DeleteThis is the most racist thread this blog has ever had. Wow. ^Throat punch to these people.
DeleteWrong. Not racist or ignorant- many Mexican cleaning ladies and their families are not legal. That is a fact, not a prejudice or a judgement of any kind.
DeleteIt is an assumption and as your 2nd grade teacher said. Assumptions make an ASS out of U and I.
DeleteEasy killers. She and her whole family are legal and legit.
DeleteI had a cleaning 'family' when we lived in another town. We loved them. They came every other week for 3 years and it was a total marriage saver. My son and I have asthma and allergies so dusting must be done everywhere (fans, lights, etc), but i can't do it. My husband does a really poor job and my daughter is only 4 years old. This was the best compromise for everyone.
ReplyDeleteBefore we were due to move, I called our cleaning family and told them we were moving in two months and could they clean weekly while the house was being shown 'for rent'. I gave them the date the packers would take all our things so they could do an entire whole house scrub down for the new renters, whoever they might be. We planned on coming back in 3 years (Military) so we were renting the house and would suggest the new people also use their services. They said 'sure' then never showed up and never returned my calls. 3 years of what I thought was a great relationship obviously wasn't that great. Live and learn.
I've thought about cleaning other people's houses on the side for some extra money! B/C for me, cleaning is my form of therapy!! :)
ReplyDeleteAnd where do you live? ;)
DeleteI agree! There is something really satisfying about taking something dirty and knowing I made it clean.
DeleteI think I would enjoy cleaning other people's houses more than my own. Ya know? LOL
DeleteTotally relate Betsee T!! I HATE cleaning (and picking up) after people in my house, but clean the sink at work, no problem! Maybe it's the fact that we don't have to watch it get messy two minutes after we're done cleaning :D
DeleteI totally get that you hired her and it helped save you rmarriage. I have never had a cleaning lady (nor did my Mother, who is supremely domestically endowed; cleaned every house we had). I am somewhere in the middle. When the kids were smaller I was much better. Now, I suck at it too, and worse, I hurt all over afterwards! Wah wah wah, right? We have houses. I guess we shouldn't be complaining....
ReplyDeleteNow I'm the one with mixed emotions:
ReplyDelete1)laughing because it's funny...and not me.
2)curiosity where you live that makes Omaha the place to move to.
3)hope that you find your new cleaning lady quickly enough to save your marriage!
I'd sell a kidney before I'd get rid of my cleaning lady. We even finagled her to come on Fridays so I can invite people over on the weekends! Spoiled. Cleaning lady and Charmin Ultra - would rather starve than live without either luxury!
ReplyDeleteTotally Agree!
DeleteAMEN! I threw in an extra $20 for my cleaning lady to make the trip on Friday's as well! nothing like walking into a home after a long week that smells and looks great! I'm shocked to read people only have their cleaning lady come every other week... Im a single dude and I have it weekly! LOL wait.. what does that say about me? haha!
DeleteI love that you say this is to save your marriage! If I wanted to keep my marriage safe, I'd need to hire a maid, cook and a prostitute. They could do all the work that my husband thinks I have all the time in the world to do.
ReplyDeleteOmg Lmao! That's hilarious!
DeleteI hate to laugh - but that was just damn funny!! And I assure you - you're not the only one to ever feel that way!
DeleteHahahah LOVE this!! EXACTLY!!
DeleteOh my god, freaking hysterical! My life in just a few words! Love it!
DeleteROFL - now that's a great wife right there! Do you have any sisters?
Deletehahahaha!
DeleteLOLOLOL!
DeleteI am INSANELY jealous. I have a cleaning lady as well. She strikes an amazing resemblance to myself. She is incredibly underpaid, under appreciated, and she bitches constantly. And she, like you, spends entirely too much time on Pinterest and Facebook. I can see how it would be a marriage saver, or in my case, a sanity saver.
ReplyDeleteMy cleaning lady and your cleaning lady must be related.
DeleteI am home with the kids now, so unfortunately can't afford a cleaning lady. But I often remind my husband, when I go back to work we're getting one, bc I'm not going to be doing the heavy cleaning on top of working FT!
ReplyDeleteI do sympathize but I am so anal that NO cleaning lady (or man) can clean like me. Do I like it, not really but when I clean, you can eat off the floors. I have hired "people" but IMO, they suck. They miss things. One steamed our laminate floors? You don't do that. She couldn't figure out why our tiled kitchen floor wasn't getting clean? Well, contractors were in - the tarracotta grout was brown. You want to clean a floor, hands, knees, bucket of soapy hot water, scrub brush, a sponge and ELBOW grease! Not one of those steamers. Use those after you get them where they need to be!
ReplyDeleteI could even hit Rosa - hubs is a Marine and he told me my cleaning alone, I would have been Comadant in 4 years.
That's exactly why I don't have one!!! I'm WAY too OCD and I know I would just end up going over whatever they did! In fact a few days ago my DH told me to look around for someone to come in to do the yearly spring cleaning (windows, carpets, mop the hardwood/tile) so I wouldn't have to...while I appreciated his thoughtfulness I just assume save the money and do it myself! At least I know it will get done the right way!
DeleteI right there with you. I used to have a cleaning lady when my kids were little and the house would just get away from me. She would come twice a month to help me catch up on what I couldn't get to myself. The thing was that I HATED cleaning for the cleaning lady and I was frustrated by how she cleaned. We moved into a new house a couple of years ago and after the initial move I let her go. I do a way better job cleaning my house and am now teaching my kids how to do some of it to earn "extra credit" allowance by helping me... my friends are usually surprised when they learn that I am the one keeping my house so clean!
DeleteAgreed! I like to clean a specific way and maybe it's not the awesomest to others, it's darn clean in here and between our often open windows in the summer and our dog, I clean twice a week! I could give a care less about germs but I hate dirt! I can't afford to have someone come over twice a week! And mostly, I'm a little scared of what they could be stealing!
DeleteYou are so totally awesome! I now have a legitimate excuse to get a cleaning lady!
ReplyDeleteAnonymous because I'm lazy
Gwen
My absolutely wonderful cleaning lady moved back to Brasil a few years ago. I am still mourning her loss! She was phenomenal! Have not managed to find anyone better! So depressing! I feel your pain! Ugh!
ReplyDeleteI had a cleaning lady... once upon a time. I used to hate the "cleaning for the cleaning lady" part. Like you don't want her to know how you reaaaaallly live. Funny.
ReplyDeleteAlthough, I love your "saving the marriage" reason for the cleaning lady. I may need to use that line and get some help again!!
DeleteJen,
ReplyDeleteJust do what I do, I have a friend who is a clean freak, once a month I ask her to dog sit & come home to a clean house :)
Ok, that is awesome AND mildly insulting at the same time.
DeleteJen, I must ask...in the beginning, how do you get comfortable having someone you don't know touch your stuff? That is what stops me from hiring a cleaner.
ReplyDeleteI know I have issues, but this is one of the minor ones.
You will get over it the very first time you have your house cleaned. Because the second you walk in the door and you're house looks and smells sparkling clean, and it wasn't YOU that did it, suddenly the last thing on your mind, is what was "touched" by the housekeeper.
DeleteWell, I know I sure as hell wouldn't have someone I KNOW see my crap. Just sayin...
DeleteIt's like a massage. At first it's a little weird, but then you find out that you really really enjoy it!
DeleteI'm a "cleaning lady". Believe me, we don't enjoy touching your stuff... ;)
Deleteshe already touched her boob, so what's the big deal with anything after that?
DeleteThere is a lot of cultural strange in that Jen -
ReplyDeleteI do think it's kinda odd that she didn't call you, or even say right away,
I moved - instead of, "I can't come tomorrow"
And she was gone a month and her husband moved?
hmmm....anyway, I tell my hubs - "babe, if you made me choose between you and the cleaning lady - I sure would miss you"
I HATE to clean. I would rather do anything else than that. We have the Amish to clean our home. They get dropped off in a van, do a couple of houses in the neighborhood and then leave. The house smells go good! Totally beats my husband having to clean. Jen, you'll find another one and she'll be better than the last.
ReplyDeleteOkay, I may be missing the entire point of the blog, but what is with your cleaning lady's family?! "You should come here and live with us" ???! Seriously? "Heck, why not? After all, we ARE married...thanks for letting me know where to get off the plane!"
ReplyDeleteRight?!?!? I was thinking that same thing. Then again, if he was that much of a jackass to just up and move while I was gone, I'd go get the kids divorce the bastard and let him pay for me to live wherever the hell I wanted. Seriously?! You packed up my house and my kids and left? I think not.
DeleteI agree this is a first world problem and one I've been too ashamed to admit recently--thank you! :) We also would be knee deep in counseling debt had we not hired a cleaning lady. We loved the one we had and I felt we finally had a routine done when....She started calling because she was sick, then three weeks went by and we didn't hear from here (house becoming a mess because...well we were waiting for her!) We still haven't heard that she isn't coming anymore, but have hired a fill-in. She is great--does more for less!
ReplyDeleteWow - talk about devastating news! It's too bad that her husband moved and actually told her where he went. If had kept his mouth shut, you'd still have a local cleaning lady, and your concerned self could have offered up your place as a temporary home, with the benefit of an easy commute for her. Plus, she couldn't just up and move on you without you knowing it.
ReplyDeleteToday is my cleaning lady day, and I did the day-before-the-cleaning-lady-comes ritual last night and some more this morning. I swear, I would eat Ramen noodles for dinner every night before I gave up mine. She saves my life, my marriage and my sanity every two weeks.
Hey Jen, I live in Omaha; I am looking to change up my cleaning lady and would love to see if Rosa would come help me! I agree with you it has helped my marriage, I now hate my husband a little less when I see him ignore the mess he makes and when he missed the toilet... If you can get m her number and I can see if she really did move here! If you are in the market for a new lady try Care.com we posted on it for a cleaning lady and got a ton of resumes in our price point. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteI joined care.com to find some babysitters and wound up finding a cleaning lady. :)
DeleteI don't think people necessarily judge you for having a cleaning lady so much as wish they could afford one. We don't even have a dish washer at my apartment, or a microwave. Cheers!
ReplyDeleteI live in Omaha, maybe Rosa can come clean my house!
ReplyDeleteI called Roas first!
DeleteI don't judge you because I have one too.
ReplyDeleteEvery single person I know has a cleaning lady in Buenos Aires.
It helps the economy. It keeps me from killing myself.
I just can't imagine the husband packing up the kids and moving to Omaha and she didn't know before hand... so she lied to you.
This happens. You have my sympathies.
When we move back to the US, I might not have a cleaning lady and I will be very cranky.
love
C
I absolutely agree with the helps the economy part - as long as the cleaner(s) are getting a decent wage, and not being exploited I don't think you should be ashamed at all.
DeleteI think a lot of time in the US there is this mentality of 'do it yourself' or the image of the 40's housewife (that now also has a full-time job) which makes us feel bad about contracting other people to do labor round your house. I really liked Jen's point on hiring a professional, and I think that sums it up. By hiring someone else to do something that causes stress in your life you are not only making yourself healthier by re-leaving stress, but also making everyone you come in contact with better because you don't have that extra stress of worrying and/or fighting being carried around with you.
No judging here. If I didn't have a cleaning lady, nothing would get cleaned. i mean it...nothing. I would shit if this happened to me.
ReplyDeleteHey, I live in Omaha. What's her number? ;) Kidding, I'm still at the stage of doing a half assed job at cleaning my house.
ReplyDeleteWhoa, Jen, that sucks!
ReplyDelete1. No one goes on vacay and comes back to a moved house without knowing first. She knew her family was going to move before she went there. She just didn't want to tell you.
ReplyDelete2. If that was really the conversation you had with her, then it was (at least in part) because of you. She just didn't want you to punch her online.
3. Your new cleaning lady will probably not hold your boobs... ever. Just to let you know.
What? Not all cleaning lady's hold your boobs?? **walks off to have a chat with the cleaning lady.....**
Deletei don't understand. was her husband trying to secretly leave her? how did he just pick and up and move while she was away? lucky thing she found them... maybe rosa will pick up on his not so subtle hint and come running back to you soon enough.
ReplyDeleteI miss my cleaning lady. After I had twins, I had one for about 1 1/2 years but I can't justify the cost anymore. I stay home with them and feel I need to be the one cleaning a bit.
ReplyDeleteYour articles are great!
Also, I live in Atlanta but grew up in Omaha. It's a great town!
I'll punch you in the throat when you come on here and talk about how your cleaning lady and your nanny don't get along and you don't know what to do about that. Until then, you're still cool in my book.
ReplyDeleteWTF? That is so bizarre. I wouldn't believe this was true, if I hadn't experienced similar situations with "help" my in-laws and their friends have had over the years in southern California. Don't punch me for using the word help. I grew up poor in a small town in georgia and I don't refer to or think of my housekeepers that way, I'm using it sarcastically, to make fun of my elitist snobby in-laws.
ReplyDeleteI pay my sister to clean my house. She needs the money and I hate to clean. Works out for us perfectly :)
ReplyDeleteMy sis has a live in slave... I mean "nanny". And she bitches nonstop about the house not being clean enough. I will have to tell her the story of Rosa and maybe she will remember how lucky she is to have a slave... Err "nanny".
ReplyDeleteI totally read Rosas part of the exchange with Zoilas (from flipping out with Jeff Lewis) voice.
ReplyDeleteMe too!
DeleteYou rock!
DeleteI am a "cleaning lady" and I have lied to get out of cleaning a "too nasty for me" house without hurting anyone's feelings... But never with an "I moved" excuse. (too dangerous - might run into you at Walmart)
ReplyDeleteHa, ours is an imaginary cleaning lady named Lupita on whom we blame everything that doesn't get done around the house. Honstely, I am not sure why we still have her because she tends to sleep on the job...a lot!
ReplyDeleteGlad I'm not the only one who cleans for the cleaning lady...my family thinks I'm nuts, but I want her to come back and if she saw the state of affairs here before pre-clean? Wouldn't happen.
ReplyDeleteMaybe she needed more lemon pledge?
ReplyDeleteThere is no way I could make it without my Veronica..I am a divorced mom with two teenage piggies..I sacrifice a good bit to have her but my sanity is worth it! She is amazing!! Every time she comes I do have a sick feeling that this might be her last time (along with my pigs (girls), I also have dogs!) I am always so relieved when I receive her text the day before! I definitely believe it was an immigration issue! I am so sorry for your loss..I feel like I should send flowers or a casserole :(
ReplyDeleteOmaha?!!! That means I can call Rosa now! Now to get MY hubby on board.
ReplyDeleteI wish I had a cleaning lady. My neighbor (who lives in my old house!) has one and justifies it as a mental health saver. Hope you find a good one!
ReplyDeleteOh dear. What a bizarre story. Who just moves to Omaha (or anywhere, really, without notice)? Good luck finding a new lady. I want a cleaning lady one of these days. Just how much prep cleaning do I need to do?
ReplyDeleteJen, theres lots of people.on here from Omaha willing to call her and see if its true. You should take them up on it!
ReplyDeleteI want a cleaning lady....we can't afford it because I am a SAHM. But someday I'm going to have one, even if I have to save my pennies!! Hopefully its before I lose my husband or sanity!!
I'm Lmao at the above comment about needing to hire a prostitute, I need one too! Maybe even more than a cleaning lady!! Lol. You need one too Jen, then your hubs can stop making lists of reasons, "why you should get with me." =) (This is where annoying people would add in "just sayin." I hate that, own your comment damn it!!!)
I ADORE my cleaning lady. We've had her for 12 years. Now that my DH is a SAHD, we love her even more! Lol. She was talking about "retiring" and my heart just about stopped. I dread having to find a new one!
ReplyDeleteI had an awesome cleaning lady for about 4 years. I hardly ever saw her, save for a few chance meetings in the elevator lobby (she was the cleaning lady for the common areas of my condo). We had a great relationship. I left the money on the counter every other Friday, and I came home to find a sweet smelling bachelorette pad. She barely spoke English. I barely spoke spanish. But we worked hard (me slaving away at my desk to afford to pay her, she mopping and vacuuming) towards a common goal of keeping my home clean. When I moved away for a new job, I had to have a friend "fire" her because I didn't know how to say it in spanish. I miss you Gloria!
ReplyDeleteThanks for letting me "pine" for my former cleaning lady on your blog.
wtf? You ALL have cleaning ladies? really? I must be doing something seriously wrong. I have a full time job and a degree. Husband has a masters and a full time job. We in no way live above our means. We have a TINY house and 2 decent vehicles. There is no fucking way in hell I would be able to afford a cleaning lady! I bust my ass and can barely afford to pay the bills and keep us fed and clothed. Are the services inexpensive or something? I guess I am just completely blown away that so many people can afford such a luxury. It sounds awesome and I am curious to know more about this world where you don't have to add cleaning to the list of shit that needs done everyday. 2 kids, 1 dog, 950 sq feet. Living in the mid-west. How much?
ReplyDeleteIn some places cleaning services are much less expensive than in others. Now, of course I only ever find the twice a month for $80/pop cleaners when I daydream about hiring one, but I know people who pay $35 every other week.
DeleteI pay mine $120 every two weeks, for six hours of heavy duty cleaning. Worth. every. penny. My only regret is not getting one sooner. As a working mother of three, it's a life saver.
DeleteI feel your pain, Jen! I was in my third trimester with a 17 month old baby when I called to let my cleaning lady know that I'd leave the back door open because I had to go to the doctor and that's when the b-tch QUIT! Talk about a hormonal meltdown!!! I cried and blubbered to my OB and anyone else unfortunate enough to cross my path for the next few days! Seven years later I still haven't forgiven! LOL
ReplyDeleteI live in Omaha!! Maybe I could track her down for you, just to make sure she really did move and is not just trying to get out of cleaning your house!! Or better yet, maybe she needs to come to my house,clean up after my hubby and kiddos and save my marriage!! :-)
ReplyDeleteI am so glad I am not the only one to get "fired" by my cleaning lady! She claimed her back hurt too much so she wouldn't be working - plausable, BUT NO ONE ELSE GOT FIRED BUT US! Oh yes, of the people WE REFFERED her to and the one we met her through - We are the ONLY ones who got the boot! It really sucks. And yes, we did the maniac "clean for the cleaning lady" night before rampage. And I so love the marriage counseling reference - VERY true. I don't usually do all caps, but we are going on 7 months without and we def are headed for counseling. It sucks to get fired. Good luck. Love your blog.
ReplyDelete"Cleaning for the cleaning lady." <---Haha! I've never had a cleaning lady, but this is what I picture anytime I've ever thought of getting one. I could never have someone come and clean a DIRTY house! That's just out of the question. Lol.
ReplyDeleteSorry you're losing Rosa!
I have Kathy. Every other Tuesday at 10am I look around my house, take a deep breath and say "Ahhh, now my house is Kathy clean!" As for Rosa, I think I'd alert the authorities - she goes on vacation and her husband moves her kids away? And then says "Come live with us"??? Sounds like a kidnap and ransom to me!
ReplyDeleteWow...you ARE fucked!
ReplyDeleteWow that is pretty random!
ReplyDeleteThe 2nd time my cleaning lady visited, my husband was showing me his arranged/orderly dresser drawers. "see how organized?!" He looked so smug, and happy... from another woman! I then quipped back, "I bet you wanna marry her now" He then said "I think you wanna marry Irma too!" He was sooooo right. She is my first wife. His third. But we dare not say anything b/c she is from Peru... i think polygamy is forbidden.
ReplyDeleteBut gosh darn it i love that woman! Great story Jen...
This post made me frantically call my Rosa. Thankfully has not moved to Omaha but I'm pretty sure she now thinks I'm crazier than Celia Foote!
ReplyDeleteI have never had the time or "know how" to find a good cleaning lady. Instead I use a cleaning service which costs way to much but, like others have said, is definitely worth my sanity.
ReplyDeleteThis is such a great post! I would die if my cleaning lady left me, and I'm a stay at home mom with only one child. She only comes once every two weeks, but I depend on her so much. My husband laughs at the "cleaning for the cleaning lady," but every one of my friends goes through the same thing!
ReplyDeleteI clean my own house. Single mom & three kids and keep my $$ for a little aggravation . I'm jealous of anyone that can truly afford a luxury like a cleaning lady :(
ReplyDeleteWe've had a cleaning service for years. I told hubs if he would pay for it that I wouldn't bitch about what he doesn't do around the house. And trust me he and manual labor are mortal enemies. It works great for us. I don't get pissed and my house gets cleaned every two weeks. Total marriage saver.
ReplyDeleteI had a cleaning service for 6 months when our house was on the market and loved it, but could only reconcile it in my head with that for sale sign. I felt elitist and guilty. I tipped big time. I LOVED having the whole house clean because with 3 kids and work, I sure as hell can't do it. Funny thing is, I don't think my friends that have them are snobs so I'd love to shake off the guilt somehow!
ReplyDeleteWhenever we are particularly tight with our budget, we consider cutting our cleaning service, and then I suggest dropping cable TV, or maybe just stop all meals on Tuesdays. Can't live without it. I have a service where the cleaning people are swapped around at times. Once, I had an older woman who was HORRIFIED at the state of my house. Every time she walked in a room, she'd make a disgusted "Uggghhhh" noise. She kept glaring at me and asking, "You clean two weeks?" As in... how can your house be this disgusting if you just had it cleaned two weeks ago? Plus she also kept muttering that I needed TWO ladies. TWO. I made a very icy call to the owner of the service, explaining that the whole purpose of using a cleaning service was because my house was DIRTY, not clean. I need help, I admit it, and maybe that lady needs some serious customer service training. I make the same Uggghhh noise when I walk into most rooms in my house, but nobody's paying me to restrain myself.
ReplyDeletePS... once my son posted on Facebook: "When your cleaning lady has a better phone than you do - white people problems."
DeleteYikes. A moment when you immediately begin counting how many of your friends are reading your child's clueless teenage post that is embarrassing on at least two levels.
1) Judging from the posts, Jen, your loss is Rosa's gain. Looks like she could have a waiting list in Omaha.
ReplyDelete2) Also judging from the comments, Mommyontheedge is a bitch and a jealous one who needs lessons in punctuation, at that.
When I got married the last time, I half-jokingly told my husband I needed a maid. I can clean, but I hae to do it, because honestly, there's much, MUCH more fun things to do... like taking care of the kids, or blogging, or... whatever.
ReplyDeleteHe got upset. In fact, he remained upset that I had even *dared* to say that... for 11 years.
It turns out he's pretty good at housework, but doesn't like to do it alone. Frankly, he doesn't have a lot of stick-to-it-iveness for anything, including house work.
You'll be unsurprised to learn he's now an "ex" husband.
You’d be amazed at the relationships we’ve saved over the years :)
ReplyDeleteThank god I am not the only one to get fired by their cleaning lady! She told me that I kept cancelling on her and that she needed more consistent work. This came from a woman who wouldn't show up half the time after I had done the "cleaning before the cleaning lady comes" and she wouldn't even call! I think it was totally the fact that I have four kids and two 100 pound dogs. It was so out of the blue though! She had been with us for like 8 years... Maybe she got tired of all of the food wrappers she would find stuck in the couch cushions..She left about six months ago and the house has never been the same..I would NOT take a bath in my tub...
ReplyDeleteI am always telling my hubs that EVERYONE has a cleaning person except us. And we both work FT and have 3 school-age kids. Problem is the cleaning people out here try and gouge my neighborhood and charge us ridiculous rates. 3000 sq. foot house should NOT cost $400 per cleaning. I think marriage counseling might be cheaper. Love, Bitter Housekeeper
ReplyDeleteSometimes when I am doing the "clean the house for the cleaning lady" routine, I think "DANG, I am this far, I may as well clean it myself and save the money...." Of course, I don't - I go ahead and let her come and am ALWAYS VERY HAPPY I did!!!! She does OH. SO. MUCH. MORE. than the pre-clean!! And my house is so clean and fresh for a while. I don't do every two weeks, just periodic (4-5 times a year), and I think it's that time again!
ReplyDeleteGreat post Jen!
We have three kids, two dogs, I am in law school, and my husband will never clean OR agree to having a cleaning person come because he's not comfortable having someone else touching our stuff. He's addicted to Vespa scooters and is on a ride across the United States for two weeks. I'm sure you can guess what I scheduled for the day after he left, and the house looks AMAZING. This is an occasional luxury I will not be able to give up. (To save money, I bought it through Groupon: $51 for 5 hours!!!)
ReplyDeletesomeone at book club tonight said her cleaning lady broke up with her by telling her that she was allergic to her cat. She's pretty sure she's messy and the cleaning lady didn't want to tell her.
ReplyDeletehaha! My housemaid just had to go home to Sri Lanka for a death in the family. She was suppose to be gone a week, which ended up being two weeks.Two weeks of hell. Me sh**ting my pants for the last week thinking I lost her. She is back, but I am moving back to the US where I will be swabbin my own deck. CRRRAAAAAAP! I have no jobby other than being at my house doing domestic and maternal stuff....so I am suppose to be the pro! ewww.
ReplyDeleteOur last cleaning guy drove a BMW sedan. I on the other hand drive a beat-up 9yo Toyota with dents and no hubcaps. Clearly, software isn't as lucrative as housecleaning.
ReplyDeleteI don't like to clean house either; however, I have developed a daily piddling routine that helps me manage the housekeeping chores. If you don't know what "piddling" means, then you're not from the south.
ReplyDeleteMelissa
I'm not paid enough to be my house cleaning.
ReplyDeleteMy husband and I have owned/operated a national franchise residential cleaning service for 19 years. Do yourself a favor and hire a service for your home cleaning needs. We are in the business of hiring/training the right people for the job of cleaning customer's homes. In addition, they will most likely have been background checked and drug screened. And we won't tell our friends about what we find in your home...we're professionals.
ReplyDeleteHi Jen - We at the Anne Taintor, Inc. Brooklyn office were so excited to see Anne's work (domestically disabled illustration) featured in your blog post that we blogged about it too! Here's the post: http://annetaintor.com/ati/2012/07/31/anne-taintor-sighting/
ReplyDeleteSince this is Anne's original artwork, we would appreciate if you would credit the image to Anne Taintor, Inc. Thanks!!
ReplyDeletei just want to share my experience and testimony here.. i was married for 6 years to my husband and all of a sudden, another woman came into the picture.. he started hailing me and he was abusive..but i still loved him with all my heart and wanted him at all cost?then he filed for divorce..my whole life was turning apart and i didn't know what to do..he moved out of the house and abandoned the kids.. so someone told me about trying spiritual means to get my husband back and introduced me to a spell caster?so i decided to try it reluctantly..although i didn't believe in all those things? then when he did the special prayers and spell, after 2days, my husband came back and was pleading..he had realized his mistakes..i just couldn't believe it.. anyways we are back together now and we are happy..in case anyone needs this man HELP FOR ANY THING , his email address prophetsalifu@gmail.com, his spells is for a better life. again his email is prophetsalifu@yahoo.com