My late Nana Pauline had a cleaning woman come in on a regular basis (I don’t recall how often that was.) But Nana would always insist on doing some sort of cleaning before the lady came. That was odd to me, but then again my Nana always insisted on washing her hair right before she went to the beauty parlor…where the first thing they did was to wash her hair. Neither of those things are ones I could see myself doing. 
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We have had an every other week cleaning service for 20+ years. While we were still living in Boston and we were both working a single mother with impeccable references came in. After a few years she won USD $5 M on a lottery ticket so her sometime helper took over.
When we moved to a 55+ golf community in FL we hired a “commercial” type cleaning business but they were never reliable. After noticing 2-3 women working in our neighborhood we asked about them and it turns out they have many customers in our 1000 home community.
We make it a practice to NOT be here so we aren’t in the way, that’s our excuse to go out to breakfast. Never had a problem with anyone we know coming in our house when we aren’t here.
No kids, no pets so the house is usually pretty clean. But in addition to general cleaning they do the stuff I don’t want to like ceiling fan blades, scrubbing bathroom tiles, etc.
For the record it’s three cleaners for two hours and we pay $110.
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LOL. She was one of the nicest, hardest workers I’ve ever met. I later learned that before she started working for us she was living out of her car at one point as a single mother with a 9 yr old daughter.
I don’t often buy lottery tickets but I always said if I couldn’t win it I’m glad she did.
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My husband has been after me the last few years to hire house cleaners to make our lives easier. So most of you unknowingly sided with him. I really appreciate all the input and will give it some thought. Thanks everyone.
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Srsly if it’s financially feasible you won’t regret it. Especially if you find a person who does a great job.
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Reading some of these responses knocked loose a memory. About the time I started college, my mom took a job that required an hour commute every day, and since my dad was somewhat limited in how much he could manage to help around the house, she hired a woman - let’s call her ‘Christine’ - to come in once a week to clean. She was a charming woman with a heavy Southern accent and a wicked sense of humor - both these latter points are important to the story.
I came home from college for Christmas break, and one of the friends I’d met in the dorm decided to call me. For some reason, Steph was laboring under the extreme misconception that I came from wealth, and would not be convinced otherwise. When she called, I wasn’t home, but Christine answered the phone. Steph asked where I was, and when I was expected to return, and Christine, in her thickest Southern drawl, told her, “Ah surely don’t know…Ah’m just the maid, honey!”
It took me months to live that down.
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This is the key, but like dating, you usually have to go through some duds before you find the right person!
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#worth it
I took over the house cleaning from my mother in my teens because she did such a lousy job. I have continued to clean my house myself, whether single or married, once a week for many, many years. I don’t know what I’ll do if I am ever unable. I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it.
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