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Is There Such Thing as a Premium Housekeeper?
Good Questions
Q: Maybe I've been watching too much Downton Abbey, but what I've been dreaming about is someone who goes beyond the weekly cleaning service by proactively cleaning and de-cluttering places that I never have time to deal with.
Things like cleaning crumbs out of silverware trays, sorting out the refrigerator, organizing closets...I'm imagining a cross between a housekeeper and a professional organizer. Is there such a category of person?
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31 Comments
Great idea, but it needs an educated housekeeper to make sense of what a relatively privileged person would want done with all those cluttery things. Seems like some college grads who can't find work might want to start a business like this. Although college kids don't seem to 'see' dirt... hmmm
I clean my own house, BTW since I work from home and house cleaning is my #1 form of procrastination. #2 is AT :)
A regular housekeeper will clean the refrigerator, organize the pantry, etc. if you pay them a little extra; all you have to do is ask. I'd imagine they'd be happy for the work. As far as organizing papers or your office goes, that's at your own risk. You know the saying "If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself"? Well, there's a reason why it's so popular ;-)
I grew up in Brazil, with a lot of help around the house, and while I agree that having those extra hands can relieve us to other things in life we'd rather do, it's always a trade in. You have the human relationship in place, you constantly have someone in your home and you have to monitor the work non-stop. I had a hard time transitioning and still not enjoying having all the chores of the house, but having a regular housekeeper (once or twice a week), is perfect and I get the best of both worlds: clean home and not having to deal daily with someone in my home. I learned to have routines in place and they free me up to have more time to do what I like. :-)
There was an article in the New York Times this month about a service called Task Rabbit -- where you list a job or home chore you want done and "rabbits" bid to do the work. Rabbits will do things like set-up your printer, refinish vintage furniture, or organize an ignored closet -- any chore you want done. I am sure that you could describe the tasks you want done and see if you get any takers!
Read more here: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/21/nyregion/the-app-taskrabbit-outsources-chores.html
I know what you mean! My house cleaner actually quit another client, telling me, "They simply didn't understand I was not their maid, but their house cleaner".
The longer you keep a house cleaner, the better she gets to know you and what you like. After 4-6 visits of 'general house cleaning', simply offer her another $20 per visit, and ask her to tackle a task outside 'general house cleaning' each week. You'll learn whether she would prioritize the deep-cleaning and/or organization/decluttering spaces the same way you would, and if not, direct her. If after 4-6 visits she seems to not know your preferences, you may have to find another organizer. I share a house cleaner with three friends, and our house cleaner, Linda, actually put up holiday decorations and rearranged home accessories for my 'decorating challenged' friends - who REALLY appreciate it!
I have a small home redecorating/organization/decluttering business, and have done home offices, but generally ask the client to collect all the papers before I start. I don't mind setting up and organization system for files, but I don't want to look through all their stuff. TMI. I'll do closets, but I ask clients to take everything out before I start so I don't accidentally 'find' something I'd really rather I hadn't seen.
You will have to let go, just a bit, because inevitably the organizer will think differently than you do about what goes where. If you don't like system the organizer has implemented, try it for a couple of weeks to see if it could actually work for you before changing it. Conventional wisdom says after you do something three times, it becomes a habit so you may just decide it works great after all.
When I house-sit for friends and their pets, I generally clean out kitchen drawers, the refrigerator, and neaten cupboards, storage areas and closets. I do not go into any of their personal spaces, like clothing drawers and closets. Everyone appreciates my cleaning/reorganizing efforts, with the possible exception of one friend's husband who is, ummmmm....slow to warm up, though I haven't heard that he's undone anything I have done.
Let me know if you live in the Tampa area; I'd be happy to provide references and offer my services to you! Good luck.
Hon, it's a big wide world out there; ANYTHING your imagination can come up with, there's someone out there who will do it. And all it takes is money ;-)
crumbs in the silverware tray!!! it's the bane of my existence.
When I lived in NC, a friend ran a business called Once Upon A Clutter where she helped people organize their homes. She didn't clean, but she did work with people to de-clutter, better organize, and get rid of things not needed. A service like that might work for you.
I also grew up in Brazil and I completely agree with what Helena said. It's awesome to have someone be in charge of tasks such us doing the dishes, folding (and pressing perfectly) the clothes, picking up your shoes from the living room, etc. But it also sucks to have a person following you around, knowing every single thing about your life and not having their own lives themselves. In Brazil house keepers work a lot!!! But well... it was nice... lazy and nice...
One of the reasons to have a house cleaners is that it makes everyone pick-up and put away the clutter before he/she arrives. That way they can just clean.
I'm a retired executive with a graduate degree in the Decorative Arts and an obsession for organization. Out of boredom I decided to apply my skills and take on a cleaning job. I based everything on what would have been a perfect solution for me when working the 8-8. After a month my client told me, "Please forget the organizing and stick to cleaning". My point being, for every "type" of cleaner there is a "type" of client and you need to be certain from the beginning it's a good match.
My sweet hard-working mom has been a housekeeper for quite some time now, I had the privilege (okay, okay, she made me come along) of going to one of her "houses" this past week, I tell you, her detail and professionalism left me speechless. She is considerate of all of the homeowners request, she cleans and ORGANIZES and told me a little secret she said, "an excellent housekeeper will pick up items and dust under them, one who dust around them, will not be detailed enough to do other things right." So, take it from my mom, you can ask a GOOD housekeeper to organize for extra pay/
How the heck do crumbs get in the silverware tray anyway? I only put clean silverware in! I swear there must be kitchen crumb fairies.
I don't think that breed of housekeeper exists anymore. If I could find a maid like the ones I grew up with, I'd hire her/him in a microsecond. They would have met with Mr. Carson's hearty approval.
It depends on the cleaner -- my friend has used the same person for years and it's to the point where the cleaner organizes things, decides on all cleaning products, makes decorating comments, recommends peditricians and even painted the baby's room when it needed it.
I say, if you would like someone to do more that simply "clean" but get into the realm of anticipating the "flow" of how you live your life and need your things AND help declutter? That's the job of a Professional Home and Office Organizer! :-) (Like me!) You can find local members of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) here: http://www.napo.net. From there you can also find a page for the local chapter in your area. Yay decluttering! <3 Jenny Yang (http://www.organizedbyjenny.com)
For enough money, I'm sure you can get someone to do pretty much whatever you want. But, premium housekeepers probably come at a premium cost.
There was an article in the Times about a woman named Barbara Reich (1/7/2011). She was expensive but you might enjoy the article.
As mentioned several times, a good housekeeper can and will do these things, after enough time to really get to know the household's needs and preferences..
I would add that when you offer extra cash to tackle extra work, you should consider the time involved, as well. Having the housekeeper come in an extra day to overhaul your closets is one thing, asking him/her to just go ahead and do it during their regular visit, which has surely been planned out like clockwork, is another.
I've wondered this myself. I've considered hiring a cleaning service, but what I really want is someone who does the laundry, puts away the stuff I've spread all over my house, washes dishes, organizes my closet, etc. Paying someone to sweep floors and dust doesn't quite seem worth it when it's the STUFF that's the most annoying mess.
I personally I like to pay for someone to really clean the house and not spend time on putting things away or organizing. I think you should pay extra if that is what you want your cleaning person to do. I put everything away to make it easy for them to clean.
Some times I have my cleaning lady wash my back windows and clean up the leaves out back but I pay her extra for that.
I do have rotating cleaning projects each time they come, these are areas that need attention at least once a month not each time they come so there is just one to tackle- like cleaning the laundry room, cleaning open kitchen shelving, cleaning the inside of pantry, or inside bathroom cabinets, etc.
Question: Is there such a thing as a premium housekeeper?
Yes there is and today redefining skills is the standard foundation for specialized jobs offered. What your asking for is what I call the "Illusion Bee" and the major qualifier is a balanced personality.
1. Person who grow up doing household chores (who is not an only child) they have a trained eye and honed skills.
2. Intuitive about reading a room: the tone, items, details, good memory and order of flow.
3. Common sense: time management, personal appearance, conversation, manners, and sensitivity to others belongings.
4. Extensive task experience with fabrics, sewing, cleaning products, organizing, arranging, and quality control.
5. Education curreartwork life experience in art, smartphones, iPhoneography, interior design, social media, colors, light, scale, and current events.
It's really about finding a well rounded person whose personality is sensitive in the cleaning needs and relationships active in homes of others. Plus paying this person extremely well for a service that has been around for ages and skills that are valuable.
Believe it or not you can, do, find, and get exactly what you need by having excellent research skills and initiative.
This "key" to finding a "Premium Housekeeper" is to employ the same skills we use when we receive other great services..same rules apply...observe, analyze, evaluate and decide.
I highly recommend Task Rabbit to find a person to do this task for you! Sounds like it is right up their alley.
This is what I do for a living! When the Great Recession rendered my business degree nearly worthless, I advertised my services as a cleaner, organizer, and assistant. I'm well compensated and treated quite nicely by my clients; in return, I handle pretty much anything they need done.
Much of what I do involves cleaning. I also organize closets and pantries, care for animals (to date, there have been dogs, cats, fish, birds, ferrets, a rabbit, chickens, and a hive of honeybees that I have looked after.) I've done minor home repairs, helped coordinate a wedding, chauffered a visually impaired client around town in my car, done secretarial work, gardening, carpentry, and run errands such as grocery shopping and picking up dry cleaning. Occasionally, I've even prepared dinner for super-busy clients. I really only draw the line at babysitting.
My absolute favorite task was helping a Wiccan priestess set up a large, marble altar on her property. She needed someone with muscles (which I have) and a knowledge and respect for her faith (which I also have.) It wasn't the sort of thing she'd have felt comfortable asking a landscaper to set up for her, and I was honored to assist her.
I imagine there are plenty of others like me who do this sort of "personal assistant" work. I would suggest dealing with an individual, as opposed to an agency, since a self-employed individual has more freedom to negotiate rates and decide how far out of the box they are willing to work. And always check references for anyone with that much access to your home and life.
Interesting posts everyone. Esmeralda ~ fascinating! And Mary17, I'm reading that Barbara Reich article right now.
Interesting. I'm another one of those people who organizes stuff for my friends and families without them asking me to. If I open a spice cabinet or a refrigerator my OCD kicks in..
I've thought about doing a "personal assistant" gig. I'm kind of a "jack of all trades" of domestic skills. and I actually ENJOY doing most of these things. Anyone in Minneapolis need my skills? ;)
In response to H32R,
I would love to know more about your graduate degree in decorative design! I have been looking into several programs and would love your feedback. Would you be interested in talking to me about the program you attended? Thanks!
"I'm a retired executive with a graduate degree in the Decorative Arts and an obsession for organization. Out of boredom I decided to apply my skills and take on a cleaning job. I based everything on what would have been a perfect solution for me when working the 8-8. After a month my client told me, "Please forget the organizing and stick to cleaning". My point being, for every "type" of cleaner there is a "type" of client and you need to be certain from the beginning it's a good match."
I actually hired a high school student from the youth group at our church. For $10/hr she did any cleaning or organizing I asked her too and took initiative if she saw an area that was noticeably out of sorts. It was her responsibility to pay for her own car and car insurance, cell phone, etc, so she worked at a restaurant in the area along with cleaning a few people's houses. She was diligent and very detail oriented. Just another alternative if you know a responsible high school or college student who needs some extra money. You get a deal and they get a good reference for future jobs.
My mother has had a housekeeper for fifteen years because she has a moderate disability. She can walk, but can't deep clean, or even clean very well. The ones that have worked are the ones that adapt to what she's needed. Her current housekeeper has been with her for years and years. She treats her very well, and the housekeeper understands that although their relationship is very friendly, and although she's become one of my mother's close friends, there is still a line. She does everything, though, from cleaning to cooking occasionally to organizing to laundry to taking care of things when my mother's gone. It exists, it just takes money and lots of time and the right relationship to make it work. =) Even on Downton Abbey there's a relational fit between Carson, Mrs. Hughes and the Crawleys.
If anyone in the Seattle area needs this sort of housekeeper/organizer cross-breed, I offer those services (among others)! Check me out at: etceteraseattle.com It is my mission to help people and their homes be more awesome! Michele
I am very expensive, most people cant afford me. If however you do wish me to clean your house, I have some ground rules
. I don't start before 10am
. I stop for coffee at 10 30am
. I have lunch from 11 15am to 2pm
. I finish at 3pm
. I stop for tea at 2 45pm
. I must be paid in advance
. If you complain at all, I will double the price
. You will collect me or provide a taxi
. I don't like cleaning
. Your useless excuse of a teenage son will be press-ganged into my cleaning service
. Phone 1890 C-l-e-a-n-g-e-t-a-w-a-y.
all calls are charged at inter-planet rates, if you phone from a mobile device you may be charged more (oouuughhahaaaa) <and some hand rubbing, and a Ming the merciless look.
Disclaimer. No use of any cleaning products will be used.


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Comments on NIH State-of-the-Science Conference - Press Release and Briefing TypePad 2010-04-28T19:43:38Z Mona Johnson http://www.tangledneuron.info/the_tangled_neuron/ tag:typepad.com,2003:http://www.tangledneuron.info/the_tangled_neuron/2010/04/nih-stateofthescience-conference-press-release-and-briefing/comments/atom.xml/ Richard Taylor commented on 'NIH State-of-the-Science Conference - Press Release and Briefing' tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d83451d58669e20133ed24e5c4970b 2010-05-03T06:25:26Z 2010-05-03T06:25:26Z Richard Taylor http://www.richardtaylorphd.com Hello Yet another "yes, but" or looked at another way "no, but" conclusion from a group of folks we expect...
Hello

Yet another "yes, but" or looked at another way "no, but" conclusion from a group of folks we expect to be telling us a flat out yes or no. Is it us who are expect too much or them to expect too much of themselves?

People living with dementia are now faced with the task of having to decide for themselves is there is "light at the end of the tunnel" that they will see and feel before they die, or is there no light, or is there no tunnel, or are there lots of dimly let tunnels all of which at the current time lead to a rocky conclusion?

In th eend we are left with ourselves and by ourselvs to make the most of a difficult set of symptoms that get worse no matter what we do, but may get worse slower than they might have had we not done this or that. Sometimes I wonder to myself "is it worth fighting, resisting, plotting against a condition that I don't understand, have not idea how it is suppost to impact me, at what rate, at what severity - and thus I have no standard to measure against my on going efforts to stay ahead/slow the progress/etc. the symptoms.

There is no consesus about anything. There are a number of growing/resisting consesusesus about most everything.

And people say I'm confused - what about them?

Richard
 Gail Rae Hudson commented on 'NIH State-of-the-Science Conference - Press Release and Briefing' tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d83451d58669e2013480496c63970c 2010-05-01T06:23:30Z 2010-05-01T06:23:30Z Gail Rae Hudson http://themomandmejournals.blogspot.com/ Mona, Hi! I read the review of the NIH draft report on Medscape this morning. That article was specific about...
Mona, Hi!
 I read the review of the NIH draft report on Medscape this morning. That article was specific about the daunting problem of adequate research involving long term studies and the cost of doing it, just as your report states. I have to admit, though, I also had a similar reaction to Michael C. Patterson's. My experience tells me that quality of life, even in the face of cognitive decline, is easily enhanced by the "relatively inexpensive, safe interventions" about which Mr. Patterson writes. When quality of life is enhanced, I think, cognitive operation is enhanced, no matter what one's state of cognition. Such simple matters as dehydration and undiagnosed pneumonia can also severely affect one's cognitive operation; both of these can reach epidemic levels in certain cognitively challenged populations without adequate oversight.
 I'm so glad you wrote about this. The article I read this morning is specifically why I dropped by this evening...to see if you'd written anything on it. I'm not surprised that you have and, frankly, you've written much more completely about it than Medscape did. As always, thank you, Mona!
 Michael C. Patterson commented on 'NIH State-of-the-Science Conference - Press Release and Briefing' tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d83451d58669e2013480455cb0970c 2010-04-30T15:52:47Z 2010-04-30T15:52:47Z Michael C. Patterson http://mindramp.org I attended the NIH conference and find the panel conclusions somewhat baffling and disturbing. There were numerous presentations from such...
I attended the NIH conference and find the panel conclusions somewhat baffling and disturbing. There were numerous presentations from such respected researchers as Art Kramer, Carl Cotman, Yaakov Stern, Laura Fratiglioni, Martha Morris and Jennifer Manly, that discussed interventions that have proven effective in reducing the risks of cognitive decline and even AD. Granted, the research message is mixed and confusing. Most pharmacological approaches have failed. Many promising interventions have failed to be verified through randomized control trials. True. But, as reported at the conference, there is also a substantial body of evidence that many lifestyle and behavioral interventions are effective, particularly when done in a "combinatorial" manner. Dr. Bell says he doesn't want to take away people's hope, but I fear that is just what will happen as the "nothing works" headlines get spread by the media. I heartily agree with Dr. Patel that people have to be warned not to spend money on useless interventions. But they also need to be encouraged to get more physical exercise, to avoid isolation, to treat depression, to continue to stimulate their brains, and to eat healthy meals. These are relatively inexpensive, safe interventions that have been show to affect the progress of cognitive decline and the onset of dementia. I suspect the panel, like the rest of us, was disappointed that there is no magic pill. But we can make behavioral changes that will reduce our risk of cognitive decline and dementia and the sooner we start doing them, the better.