Housekeeper

[Applesandpears23]

Is it possible to get someone to come in 2-3 times a week and just do normal housework stuff like tidy up toys, pick up clothes, put laundry away? I just got back from Center Parcs and we had a daily maid service and it was awesome. Now I am home and remembering why I never get to sit down, there is always something to be done!

Yes, friends of mine have a bousekeeper. She works every weekday morning, I think she must do about 15 hours a week. She cleans, irons, puts away the online shop which is delivered whilst she is there, tidies up, empties bins, changes beds, does a top up shop, runs errands like dry cleaning or post office collections etc.

I think they pay about the same as we pay a nanny - about £15/hour.

Sounds absolutely amazing.

I would hate anyone to pick up my clothes. I would never find anything.

Just an update - my friend says she does indeed pay £15/hour and the lady comes 4 mornings a week, 3.5 hours each day. So that is 14 hours a week. She does everything I listed above plus any mending (sewing on buttons, shortening things), collects parcels that couldn't be delivered for some reason, posts things on, takes returns back to shops, picks up and drops off dry cleaning, brings in bins and recycling after they've been collected, charity shop drop offs and the like.

Just posting to say this ^^ sounds amazing!

I know!!

Yes, we have one, she does whatever needs doing and I advertised for a housekeeper as opposed to a cleaner

Mine cleans out the fridge, irons, tissues cipboards, puts washing away, runs errands, feeds cats, cleans and tidies.

Tidies cupboards not tissues

Where did you advertise rightmove please? Our friends asked their existing agency cleaner if she was looking for more hours, but I don't know where you would advertise for a housekeeper. Can I also ask how many hours yours does and whether it is whole day (s) or X number if hours a day?

I'd love this. We're thinking of a move to a rural village with a relatively high maintenance home and I plan to hire a housekeeper because I don't want us to spend all our time cleaning. I'd say 90 mins in the morning three times a week to clean & tidy, make the beds, put on a wash etc.

Hi, we found our housekeeper on a local Facebook site. We pay £10 an hour (SE) and she does six hours a week. I took references.

Thank you.

I'd quite like to be a housekeeper! I love sorting and tidying and house stuff 😁. I'll work for you OP, £10 an hour plus coffee and cake when I've done the ironing.
Shuffles off *

Awesome, you’re on!

Haha love it! 😁

Out of curiosity, is there anything housekeepers specifically DON'T do?

Like how you shouldn't expect your cleaner to tidy etc?

We are still reveling in the 2h per week we have a cleaner, but one day dream of ditching the ironing and other errands not covered by her.

I'm a housekeeper, and there are only a few things I won't do - but it depends on how lovely the client is!

We have a housekeeper for 8 hours a week (4x2). She does most things, but I guess I've never asked her to do anything too controversial. Bizarrely she won't touch the dishwasher, either loading or unloading. No idea why, but it's been 6 years now so a little late to raise the issue. And she no longer washes woollens by mutual agreement (!). She does weekly cleaning, and more occasional jobs like washing bins, upholstery, oven etc. She does all laundry related jobs, although I put on washes throughout the week too. She is very flexible and it means that I can get on with running a small business and don't spend my weekends on housework. It's lovely and, if you have spare money, I'd recommend it over a new car or flash holiday any day.

Ooh, yes, I meant to ask, does housekeeping include cleaning, or are they considered separate?

I am rapidly adjusting all sorts of life expectations in the favour of hired help! (the pipe dream was move to the country, upsize the house etc etc - now I am purely about location, minimum house for needs, and HELP!)

Our cleaner is a gem of a woman. She has such great initiative, we've stopped giving her instructions unless we want something particular done. She just powers through as much as she can in her two hours, and the house always looks lovely.