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Why does your house need to be cleaned 8 hours a day EVERY day? Are you that filthy? Is anyone that filthy? Also why is she cooking breakfast and lunch for you? What the heck are you doing that you cant poor your own bowl of cereal and make your own tunafish sandwich.
that is a true statement though, how dirty could it possibly get if it is cleaned 8 hours a day every day, really?????
I don't think you could put a timetable for each of her responsiblities, but you should discuss the frequency that you want things cleaned. Do you want her to change the sheets daily? Weekly? How often should she scrub the tub, wash the floors? Is she going to do heavy work such as cleaning out the frig or the oven? How often do you expect that to be done? Is she doing the laundry as well or picking up the dry cleaning for you? Do you expect her to do the marketing? Also discuss the cleaning supplies that you want her to use. Do you want her to only use "green" cleaning supplies? Do you have any allergies to chemicals?
Regarding cooking, it would be a good idea to find out if she can prepare meals that are compatible with your family's needs. For example, if you need someone to prepare special diets for food allergies, health diets, etc., the potential candidate should be able to meet those needs. Should the candidate not possess the skills for specialized meals, but is capable of general cooking, a question as to whether or not she would attend a cooking class, at employer expense, to better meet your needs would be something to consider. It would also be good to establish who would be responsible for shopping/ordering for lunch, and when the menus need to be prepared. A complicated menu, or a dish that involves more time consuming preparation should be discussed well in advance. Also, if you tend to entertain at lunch, establishing responsibilities as to preparation of food, and even service, should be worked out in advance.
Since she would be preparing breakfast, I am assuming that she would be working early morning to mid-afternoon. You could end services for the day early, provided the schedule for maintaining the living space is met. You could ask for a schedule of what needs to be completed by day, but in light of the fact that you have a live-out housekeeper, that duty may fall upon your shoulders regarding expectations and desired schedule -- or a collaborative effort between the two of you. Are you going to require assistance with shopping for household items, cleaning supplies, etc.? If so, you should find someone who is willing to undertake those assigned duties, or you will need to do that yourself. For example, I prefer that harsh chemicals not be used when cleaning my living space, so I tend to purchase the products I would like used, myself, or order them directly. Determining who is responsible for checking the supply of available products to perform said duties should also be outlined, which is mainly a factor if you have special requests that may not be easily found at the local grocery store.
Since it seems you are using an agency with multiple staff in the building, the agency should screen candidates to meet the basic expectations of their clients. Having a housekeeper in the house may require getting used to, but it's easier than having a live-in staff member, since you're not sharing living spaces day and night. Age should not be a factor, especially since an agency would be sure to send candidates that are able to perform the standard housekeeper duties that they provide to their clients, which are pretty much the same, save for some requests/specifications that are tailored by each family.
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All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages.
~William Shakespeare (As You Like It Act II, Scene VII)
First and foremost, that she is legal with a green card.
Second, that she is Americanized. If she isn't, which is most likely, YOU will have to be careful in your instructions, requests and expectations. She will be new to this country and to the ways and values of people and families of your income and/or class.
I'll give you a sample true story, someone I knew, instrusted her help to do the laundry, one of the Help's duties. Of course, the Help had never used a washing machine before, let alone seen one built by NASA.
Took awhile for the help to learn to operate the machine, and the mistress of the house was none to patient. By awhile I mean a couple of WEEKS or more.
But the real problem came in sorting the clothes. Help was instructed to sort and did, whites here, colors there, jeans here, t-shirts there. So far ok, time to do the t-shirts, Help threw the pile of Tttt-shirts into the washing machine.
Disaster occurred when Mistress discovered Help sorted her $200 plus T-Shirt into the wash pile rather than the dry clean pile. $200 designer t-shirt made by some flu flu designer in SoHo, there was some event Mistress attended, all on the news. Limited number, personally individually made, I don't even remember exactly how much the thing actually cost, somewhere in the hundreds! At the time it was a status item.
So, obviously t-shirt ruined.
Moral of story, what does Help know about such items? A t-shirt is a t-shirt, they don't have such kinds of things in her country. No dry cleaners either!
How did Mistress react? Like an Atom Bomb! When Mistress discovered the mishap, she threw help out, locked her out, in the middle of the night, in the middle of upper class suburbia, no money, no car, nowhere to go.
All could have been avoided, if mistress had the foresight to comprehend the perspective of Help. For Help, life as a servant in America was like going from an Amazonian native village to life on the Space Shuttle. She knew how she got there, but beyond that EVERYTHING is incomprehensible.
So, check if the help is fresh off the boat, and assess her capabilities accordingly. Be patient.
Oh, and hang or put some marker on the sliding glass doors, they ain't got those in here village either! BAM! Opps.
that is a true statement though, how dirty could it possibly get if it is cleaned 8 hours a day every day, really?????
Not really, some people have a higher standard of clealiness.
Your view is presumptuous, that clean is the same for everyone.
Moreover, some people's lifestyles, social and/or work, demand a very high standard. Some have lived that standard all their lives. I guarantee you NYC is the worst and hardest place to maintain such a standard. I can also tell you that NYC is the only American city where people of such divergent cleanliness interact on a daily basis.
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For example, native to NYC, lived here into young adulthood. Visited FL for long periods, finally moved there, lived for a time, acclimated to a middle/upper Floridian lifestlye. One of the main attributes to West Coast Florida life, at that time, is that EVERYTHING is CLEAN!! I cannot emphasize how dirt and grime simply didn't exist.
Now, here's the rub. Upon a return visit to NYC and for a great time after, I was repulsed by the filth of this city. Check this, I fly into JFK, short on pockect cash, I took the train to the plane, for the first time, into the city.
I stepped into the subway car at some station in the Rockaways, normal modern subway car, normal seating, totally empty car. To my Floridian transplant acclimated eyes, everything in that car was filthy and the seats were DISGUSTING!
I stood the entire way, refusing to sit upon filth, from Far Rockaway to midtown, about a two hour subway ride. It took me roughly a year, upon retruning to the city, to adjust and actually sit on a subway seat.
Now, if you are a native and/or truly long time NYer, and you think the dirt and grime stops at your doorway, you are deluding yourselves.
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Here is another true story, for the unknowing:
Help, same Help as before, was required to clean the white marble custom kitchen floor, costing in the mid five figures, on her hands and knees with brush and bucket. Takes time don't you think?
Also, consider the completely white kitchen that matched the floors. It took half a day every day to keep that kitchen spotless.
Now, before you all think too poorly of Mistress, Mistress used to get on HER hands and knees before she got a live-in.
Like I said, there is a whole standard of cleanliness which many have no comprehension. Seems some of you are among the many....
Why does your house need to be cleaned 8 hours a day EVERY day? Are you that filthy? Is anyone that filthy? Also why is she cooking breakfast and lunch for you? What the heck are you doing that you cant poor your own bowl of cereal and make your own tunafish sandwich.
I was thinking the same thing --- unless this is a nanny/housekeeper/cook type deal.
I would love to have a housekeeper come in once or twice a week, no less 5 days a week for 8 hours a day!
Not really, some people have a higher standard of clealiness.
Your view is presumptuous, that clean is the same for everyone.
Not necessarily, I think he's more getting at there's an upper limit on house cleaning duties that most people can agree on. 8 hours a day everyday is quite well outside this upper limit.
I've used house cleaners many times in the past, including in a house full of twenty something guys, and I can't imagine what sort of messes I'd have to be making to actually give them something to do during that time.
Now if the maid is making three full meals every day for the whole family, and taking the kids to/from school and acting as a full time babysitter as well, then maybe, but just making breakfast and lunch and cleaning up, I don't see how she won't just end up sitting on her hands for a large part of the time.
I am new to all of this. My husband and I have always lived well below our means and saved/invested. We have no children, making things easier. We have forgone vacations. We always loved NYC and want to settle here when we retire. Both luck and frugality seem to have made it happen.
From what we have heard, people in the building had had a four hour a day service and gathered together, insisting that they wanted full time help offered, as well. I am just going along with what seems normal there, and imagine my life will change immensely.
I think the reason why they do business with this one company is that they vet their employees well, making sure they are here legally and bonded, etc. The fees are set and fine with us.
I read in some magazine that a survey was once done and found that most employers of full time help thought of them as friends, almost family members but the help, polled separately, did not feel the same way, felt a bit resentful.
I have never before had a place too big to care for myself, but my husband is not a type A when it comes to routine household matters and we have two cats and I am not getting any younger. As well, I should not wish to be the nail that sticks up among my neighbors. They seem to have many/several activities - daily jogs and walks every morning, regular shopping expeditions to malls/major stores, several days in New England on nature tours (in the autumn especially). I want to fit in. It will also be reassuring to know someone is there if we leave for a few days. It will be nice not to have a cat sitter.
This will be a big transition for me and I totally understand some of your questions/criticism. It is quite a change in lifestyle.
Oh, from what I am told a housecleaner is not a housekeeper. A housekeeper has expanded duties (this group wants to call them household technicians). This is a part of my reason to post this. I guess she runs errands, takes pets to the vets, does the food shopping, makes breakfast and lunch, changes bed, does laundry, brings clothing to dry cleaners. I am assuming all this. I was looking for duties and conformation.
Geeze, it will be something like being a little kid again, with a mommy doing all the work for you and just playing all day. I think, as an adult having responsibility all our lives, playing will be something we will have to re-learn.
Frankly, if the place is clean and there are no errands to run, she can sit on her hands all she wants or go home. Is that spoiling her or treating her as a responsible adult and rewarding her for her effectiveness at her duties? In exchange, I thought perhaps she could look in on the cats when we leave for a few days.
Last edited by goldengrain; 07-01-2011 at 07:22 AM..
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