Help needed- defining tasks for a new housekeeper

[BoogleMcGroogle]

Good morning. We are planning to employ (as opposed to self employed or casual) a housekeeper for 12 hours per week on a good rate for our area. It’s a largish 5 bed house. Both work full time, two tween kids and a dog. As this isn’t just a cleaning job (hence 12 hours) we understand (learned the hard way) that we need to be clear about roles and expectations. We want to be supportive and reasonable in what we expect someone to do in that time. I’d be very grateful for any thoughts about the tasks we might be asking someone in a part-time housekeeping role to do. Our last lovely housekeeper did tidying, cleaning, ironing, bed changing in 7 hours, but it seems we were extremely lucky for 9 wonderful years! Any thoughts would be very welcome as we need to get this right for them and for our family.

I have v little idea about what to expect of a housekeeper, but the idea of someone doing all that sounds heavenly. I'm not sure about tidying, I guess it depends on whether you mean putting the odd book back on a shelf, or you're expecting them to do a full on tidy up of the kids rooms.

Only other jobs I'd want to delegate are unpacking the online shop, making sure the right bin goes out, organising window/bin cleaning and making sure they were happy to supervise things like boiler servicing etc (I hate wasting a day off for it)

Laundry (including towels, bedclothes, putting away). Clear out and clean fridge before putting away online shop. Deal with booked repairmen, window cleaners, boiler services etc.

When she has time, tidy and clean cupboards, wash net curtains / cushion covers / throws, clean inside windows, go through children’s drawers for find outgrown clothes and take to charity shop / put away for younger child (kids will need to help with this).

Thank you. Definitely not a full kids room tidy, but picking a few things up off the floor so the hoover can go round ( piping them up on the side), and putting away crockery on the side etc. Our old cleaner used to smooth over the beds to make them look lovely, which I got a bit too used to!

My friend suggested unloading the online grocery shop and that sounds amazing. I hate that job!

Is it one 12 hour shift or two lots of 6?

When we were lucky enough to have that much help, I gave a list of tasks I needed doing and at what frequency - e.g bed, weekly, shutters dusted fortnightly. Then I left our helper to it and she made her own routine.

For 12 hours of definitely get food prep thrown in. Cooking is so much more enjoyable when your onion and garlic is diced already! I used to leave a recipe out for what I was cooking, or just the ingredients I wanted prepping with an instruction.

If she is doing laundry then worth having a separate basket she doesn't touch for any delicates/dry clean only. I learned the hard way!

Be clear about phones, so many cleaners think it's okay to talk on their phone hands free for an entire shift. I don't think that's acceptable and have seen it lead to accidents/carelessness.

NotOnMute thank you, that’s really helpful. DH does the laundry and is happy to keep doing so, but jobs like sometimes folding towels, ironing school uniform and changing and laundering hand towels feel fair.

goldpendent point taken about phones. I hadn’t thought of that.

We also learned the hard way about laundry and our last lady didn’t go near the laundry bin, by mutual consent!

We were thinking either 2 6 hour shifts ( to suit someone with kids at school perhaps) or an 8 and a 4.

Be clear about phones, so many cleaners think it's okay to talk on their phone hands free for an entire shift.

It is as long as it isn’t disturbing anyone and the work is being done.

My cleaner strips the beds, puts on fresh bedclothes and washes the old bedclothes, which I find really helpful. Means I can do the normal laundry the rest of the time without needing to fit in time for multiple loads of bedclothes. I do the towels, though, as it’s not possible to get those done as well in her hours unless she does the very quickest wash, and I prefer the eco setting.

I have occasionally asked her to do a quick meal for the kids, but always something simple like heating soup and making some toast and fruit to go with it. I do make it clear she’s welcome to eat lunch out of the fridge, as she’s here for so long.

Another possible type of task is things like going to the dry cleaners or Post Office, or to pick up some milk.

Ok this is what I'd love to have help with beyond cleaning:

Charity shop runs (I have about a dozen bags of good clothes)
eBay items - I'd keep a box full of items that need to be sold
Bookcase tidy
Utility room is a disaster - long term 'sort out' project

Sadly I only have a cleaner for two hours once a fortnight. (I know I know - still very lucky!)

I would want a flexible approach.
Basically someone who was willing to do things they would do in running their own household, within reasonable limits and abilities.

Thank you everyone, this is so helpful. We are going to try to get an ad/ job description together today.

FindingMeno you got it in a nutshell! But it seems that not everyone agrees on what this entails ( I’m looking at you, current cleaner. She has a list but ‘forgets her glasses’ each week). Hopefully the right person for us will be asking soon.

You may need to rethink your ‘employed’ plan, especially for 12 hrs, most cleaners/houesekeepers are SE and fill their diary for the week.
Suggestions of doing ebay and charity shop runs are laughable, housekeeper not personal skivvy!

@BoogleMcGroogle the right person is out there.
I would agree to those terms for the right prospective employer, particularly with someone who was prepared to demonstrate they would, and will do, when available, everything asked of me.

There will be weekly jobs and those less frequent. I would expect things like periodically emptying kitchen cupboards, cleaning and putting everything back in, wiping skirting boards monthly, insides of windows and windows ledges monthly, dealing with window cleaner for outside, laundry, sewing on name tags etc if needed, checking fit school uniform in the summer and giving you a list of what's needed (my friends housekeeper takes the kids to buy it and shoes, but she does more hours and has a family credit card.) Definitely weekly fridge clear out and clean. Periodic kettle, dishwasher, washing machine clean.

I want one!