RE: how much do most maid cleaning services cost?

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lizi -> RE: how much do most maid cleaning services cost? (3/23/2012 8:27:19 PM)
Sounds like the start of a plan. The test, like always, will be to keep it up. *Edited to add: The laundry. Forgot to mention that. He needs to do his own as was suggested earlier. He'll figure out in a hurry to get his work clothes clean and know where they are or suffer the consequences. I taught my kids to do theirs at 9 and 10 years old. If they needed clean clothes for school and had none they paid the price not me. The rule was that it had to be full loads so as not to waste water and energy, that way we'd also help each other out by going around to the others when we didn't have a full one of our own stuff.

Toppingfrmbottom -> RE: how much do most maid cleaning services cost? (3/23/2012 8:34:10 PM)
Yes, keeping the roll going is the test of the time. He does at least do his own laundry. quote: ORIGINAL: lizi Sounds like the start of a plan. The test, like always, will be to keep it up. quote: he test, like always, will be to keep it up.

hausboy -> RE: how much do most maid cleaning services cost? (3/23/2012 8:43:02 PM)
Hi TFB I worked as a professional housecleaner and of course, it's one of the ways that I serve. The cost of a housecleaner will rely on a variety of factors-- most agencies will have a varying rate, depending upon the size of the house--the number of bedrooms, full baths, half baths etc. Laundry (ad yes, windows) can also cost most depending on the agency. Many agencies are licensed, bonded and insured--and they bring their own cleaning materials. Usually teams of at least 2 (many have 4 per house) means they get done faster. The down side? Sometimes you get a different crew each time...many "hands" in the house makes some uncomfortable. When you have a regular cleaning person, you can establish a rapport, and if you have quirks about how you like things, you're more likely to get personalized attention. I charge $25/hour with a minimum of 3 hours per house. That is usually sufficiant for a 2-3 bedrooms, 1.5 baths, 1500-1800 sq feet. Okay...that's your first question. If you are on SSI.... but are physically able to clean your own place....hiring a maid is likely not the wisest use of your money. I get tremendous satisfaction cleaning my own place, and it always give me a little lift when the place is nice and neat. Clutter is the enemy. Bad for the spirit, bad for the soul...and makes cleaning impossible. A house that is uncluttered takes a lot less time and energy to clean and keep clean. I was a total packrat, and I have been uncluttering for the past 3 years. I've reduced my belongings now by almost 50%, and I'm hoping to reduce another 10-20% Start small--I started with just one drawer and built up momentum each week. I had two yard sales and made almost $500 It wasn't easy but it has been very rewarding.

sunshinemiss -> RE: how much do most maid cleaning services cost? (3/23/2012 9:19:16 PM)
I want to suggest TFTB that you get your thyroid checked. When my thyroid is acting up and my biochemistry is off, I know it because I'm just plain too exhausted to clean. If I drop a tissue on the floor, I actually have to heave myself to pick it up. Everything is like that, and I'm just unable to function beyond the bare necessities. It's like Sisyphus and the stone. It can never be completed because the task of X is more energy than I have. My meds were adjusted recently and I just today realized that my apartment is somewhat messy with work stuff - files, charts, etc. My sleeping area is messy with pillows everywhere, and my desk is somewhat messy - with books, papers, etc. Because today I'm more energized and not fighting my medical condition, I'm able to get this stuff done. I'm gonna go put on a playlist I put together called "Clean the House" with some of my favorite music. I'll sing and dance and distract myself from the actual cleaning. I want to suggest that you go to the FLyLady.net website and do what she says. It's step by step. Frankly, you grew up in the system. It's not the greatest place to learn the necessary day to day tasks that are needed to live your life. Use the tools available to you - including friends who can help you. When I needed to get rid of some things that I had trouble getting rid of, I asked a friend to come by and take care of it. He did. I don't know whether he sold it on ebay, kept it himself, threw it in the trash, or gave it away. It didn't matter. It was out of my life, and he had no emotional attachment to it so, poof! one of my boxes disappeared and I never had to worry about it again. good luck, sunshine

mynxkat -> RE: how much do most maid cleaning services cost? (3/23/2012 9:34:57 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: Toppingfrmbottom How'd you decide what to take and what to leave behind, it seems incredibly scary. I may start reading the books i haven't seen in forever and one by one getting rid of them, or shit maybe since i haven't laid eyes on them in a year or more, i may just get froggy an give the whole 2 45 gallon packers away. Maybe i'll even post pictures of my shiney new digs for you all when it's clean. How I decided what to keep when I cut my entire worldly belongings down to what would fit in a car was to ask myself a series of questions. First, how long has it been since I actually used the item? If the answer was 'less than a month', the item got set aside into a 'further consideration' pile. If the answer was 'more than a month, but less than a year' I asked myself if I would absolutely HAVE to replace the item if I needed it, or if I had something else that would work just as well. If the answers were 'no' and 'yes' respectively, I asked myself how much PERSONAL attachment I had to the item. If the answer was 'not alot' or 'none' it went into the 'goes away' pile. I had to remind myself pretty much hourly NOT to start going thru that goes away pile. That was really tough. If the answer to the replacement question was 'yes, I would have to replace it because nothing else would work' then it went into the 'further consideration' pile. If the answer to the 'personal attachment' question was 'a LOT' then it went into the 'further consideration' pile. For books, I asked myself if I'd read the book more than once. If the answer was 'yes' it went into 'further consideration'. If the answer was 'no' I asked myself if I WANTED to read it again. If 'yes', 'further consideration'. If 'no', 'goes away'. As you can maybe imagine, during the first sweep thru my stuff, the 'goes away' pile was not very large, and the 'further consideration' pile was staggering. I used standard banker's boxes for packing, and decided after going thru my stuff the first time that I was going to limit myself to ONE box of paperback books and ONE box of hardcover books. Seeing as how I had a set goal for the books, I decided to finish with those first. That winnowed my further consideration pile quite a bit. Clothes were next. Any item I hadn't worn in the past year- goes away. Any item that no longer fit me- goes away. T-shirts- pick out my favorite 8, the rest goes away. Sweat pants- keep 6 sets, the rest goes away. Underwear (socks, panties and bras)- any that were holey, or that the elastic had gone out of, or were unpaired (as in one sock missing)- goes away. Skirts- pick out my 4 favorites, the rest- goes away. Blouses- pick out my 6 favorites, the rest- goes away. Slacks, dress pants- pick out my 4 favorites, the rest- goes away. Jeans- keep the 4 in best condition plus the one most comfortable (always the most ragged pair, isn't it?), the rest- goes away. Shoes- dress shoes keep one pair black, one pair neutral; tennis shoes or sneakers keep the one pair in best condition; sandals keep the one pair in best condition (or most comfortable, NOT both unless it happens to be the same pair); house shoes or slippers keep the most comfortable pair; the rest- goes away. Sweaters and sweat shirts- keep the two dressiest sweaters and my 4 favorite sweat shirts, the rest- goes away. Coats and jackets- keep the most comfortable light jacket, heavy jacket and heavy coat, the rest- goes away. I had ONE exception to the rules for clothes, and stuck to it. The single ONLY exception I made was for renaissance garb, and even then I went thru my garb and got rid of stuff that didn't fit anymore. By the time I was done with my clothes, every piece of clothing I owned would fit fairly neatly into ONE laundry basket (including the renaissance garb!) Bedding I handled like clothes. Three full sheet sets, the rest- goes away. My 6 favorite blankets/comforters, the rest- goes away. Pillows, unless you have really expensive ones, are easy to replace so- goes away. I found myself assigning a lot of personal attachment to items, probably simply to keep them from landing in the goes away pile. It took quite a lot of personal agonizing before I caught myself at it and demanded honesty from myself regarding whether my attachment was simply 'it's my STUFF, man' or really something deeper (like for my teddy bear that has survived all purges thus far). Once I started that, more stuff started landing in the goes away pile. If you really start to think about it, you'll probably find that a lot of memento stuff you keep around doesn't actually hold that much meaning for you any more. Knicknacks and purely decorative items I decided to keep my 6 absolute favorites and get rid of the rest of them. That was actually an easy part for me as I've never been much into collecting such things. Kitchen stuff I pretty much kept, as I didn't have a whole lot at that point. Most of it I was able to pack inside the small microwave that I had and kept. There are two pieces of furniture that have also managed to survive every purge I've done so far, simply because they're so darn useful. A pair of folding wooden TV tables. Right this minute, they're being plant stands for my orchids. They've also done time as a computer desk, dining tables, and bedside tables. quote: ORIGINAL: sunshinemiss I want to suggest TFTB that you get your thyroid checked. When my thyroid is acting up and my biochemistry is off, I know it because I'm just plain too exhausted to clean. If I drop a tissue on the floor, I actually have to heave myself to pick it up. Everything is like that, and I'm just unable to function beyond the bare necessities. It's like Sisyphus and the stone. It can never be completed because the task of X is more energy than I have. My meds were adjusted recently and I just today realized that my apartment is somewhat messy with work stuff - files, charts, etc. My sleeping area is messy with pillows everywhere, and my desk is somewhat messy - with books, papers, etc. Because today I'm more energized and not fighting my medical condition, I'm able to get this stuff done. I'm gonna go put on a playlist I put together called "Clean the House" with some of my favorite music. I'll sing and dance and distract myself from the actual cleaning. I want to suggest that you go to the FLyLady.net website and do what she says. It's step by step. Frankly, you grew up in the system. It's not the greatest place to learn the necessary day to day tasks that are needed to live your life. Use the tools available to you - including friends who can help you. When I needed to get rid of some things that I had trouble getting rid of, I asked a friend to come by and take care of it. He did. I don't know whether he sold it on ebay, kept it himself, threw it in the trash, or gave it away. It didn't matter. It was out of my life, and he had no emotional attachment to it so, poof! one of my boxes disappeared and I never had to worry about it again. good luck, sunshine I second what Sunshinemiss said here, as well, especially the parts I've bolded. I, for one, would LOVE to see pics of your house nice and sparkly and clean!

LadyHibiscus -> RE: how much do most maid cleaning services cost? (3/23/2012 9:42:33 PM)
I remember The Debooking. It was very very hard. Did you know that there are libraries chock full of books? Yes. Still, if you are living in squalor, clutter is secondary.

mynxkat -> RE: how much do most maid cleaning services cost? (3/23/2012 10:03:57 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: LadyHibiscus I remember The Debooking. It was very very hard. Did you know that there are libraries chock full of books? Yes. Still, if you are living in squalor, clutter is secondary. And, most of those libraries would LOVE to have any books you don't want as a gift, if the books are in decent shape and not pornographic.

Toppingfrmbottom -> RE: how much do most maid cleaning services cost? (3/23/2012 10:32:48 PM)
Now why would you think I own any such things'fake shocked look' I keep all my books in pristine condition, or try to. They still look mostly brand new or brand new. I was thinking an old folks home or the children's receiving home, because the kids home gets tons of kids come through with nada, and books and entertainment is unfortunatly, not at the top of must provides. I've donated my unwanted stuffed toys to them too. quote: ORIGINAL: mynxkat And, most of those libraries would LOVE to have any books you don't want as a gift, if the books are in decent shape and not pornographic.

Toppingfrmbottom -> RE: how much do most maid cleaning services cost? (3/23/2012 10:39:33 PM)
Sunshine, I will have it checked out, but I suspect I am so tired and out of breath after work because I am inactive and not used to moving about a lot. Mynxcat, a lot of my attachment to my stuff is hey it's my stuff dude! I remember in one instance I held onto some old clothing I'd out grown by 100 pounds thinking one day I'd loose the weight an then wear them again. It was a wonderful day when I decided that, fuck old clothing, if I lost the weight I deserved new duds, and gave the old clothing away.

mynxkat -> RE: how much do most maid cleaning services cost? (3/23/2012 10:45:08 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: Toppingfrmbottom Now why would you think I own any such things'fake shocked look' I keep all my books in pristine condition, or try to. They still look mostly brand new or brand new. I was thinking an old folks home or the children's receiving home, because the kids home gets tons of kids come through with nada, and books and entertainment is unfortunatly, not at the top of must provides. I've donated my unwanted stuffed toys to them too. Hehe, at one point, back when I was married, I owned well over a thousand books. And those were just MY books, my husband had his own collection. You can easily spot my very favorite books in my collection. They're the ones that have been read so often that the books are held together with tape. I'm gentle with my books, but still, when you read an old favorite 10 or 15 or 20 times, it's going to get a bit tattered. A children's receiving home is a good idea if you have books that would be suitable for kids. A retirement home would probably be glad to get the ones not suitable for the kids. quote: ORIGINAL: Toppingfrmbottom Mynxcat, a lot of my attachment to my stuff is hey it's my stuff dude! That is EXACTLY the stuff you need to work hardest at getting rid of. If you can get over the whole 'it's my STUFF' mindset, it will be a lot easier to keep from reaquiring a lot of excess junk in the future.

sunshinemiss -> RE: how much do most maid cleaning services cost? (3/23/2012 10:51:32 PM)
I am more than my stuff.

Toppingfrmbottom -> RE: how much do most maid cleaning services cost? (3/23/2012 11:09:17 PM)
In the group home your stuff is always open to someone stealing it or damaging it, its just the nature of the beast. The only solution was to not have things you'd mind being stolen or damaged, or to keep it in a lock box in the office, if that particular place had that option.

littlewonder -> RE: how much do most maid cleaning services cost? (3/23/2012 11:33:58 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: sunshinemiss I am more than my stuff. This People always ask me why I don't have a lot of sentimental things. I tell people I have them, they're just in my head or that person is still in my life and so I have no need for the stuff. If they are no longer in my life, unless they died, then they obviously didn't mean as much to me and therefore no need for anything. So ask yourself, why do you feel the need to hang onto stuff? Sentimental reasons? Keep one thing if you really need something and toss the rest. As for keeping things because you think someone else could use it, then donate it now and get it out of your place and don't bring anymore in. When I've heard people say "but someone else could use it" it was just an excuse and they never ever bothered to take it where they wanted it to go. If you don't know anyone who could use it then obviously no one could use it. Otherwise you would have tossed it already. If I find something I think someone could use, I call them immediately and say "do you want this?", if they say yes I tell them to come and get it by a certain time or I'm tossing it or I take it over by the next day at the latest so I get rid of it. If I'm out and I see something someone could use, before I buy it I will call them or text them and ask them first before buying it. Otherwise I'm just wasting my money or will have to make another wasted trip to return it. You need to start organizing your head before you organize physically.

erieangel -> RE: how much do most maid cleaning services cost? (3/24/2012 12:16:13 AM)
I went to flylady.net last night. Shined my skin today. It looks almost brand new, which is something because it is nearly 50 yrs old and the one sink had paint stains in it.

angelikaJ -> RE: how much do most maid cleaning services cost? (3/24/2012 1:25:00 AM)
http://www.makeitfunanditwillgetdone.com/ This may help as well.

sunshinemiss -> RE: how much do most maid cleaning services cost? (3/24/2012 1:53:45 AM)
This seems an appropriate video. The Story of Stuff.

LafayetteLady -> RE: how much do most maid cleaning services cost? (3/24/2012 2:48:16 AM)
Ok, the group home thing has obviously caused you to develop an over attachment to "your" stuff. It can be tough to get over, but it must be done. As for craft things....unless you are going to do the craft immediately, it doesn't matter how "cute" something is, pass it by. As a single mother, I struggled constantly with getting my son to pick up after himself to no avail. The house was always a mess, and I was completely overwhelmed. Over the last year, I was a bit of a "couch surfer" and lived with friends. The first had a total of 20 dogs and cats. The house smelled and the dogs would steal food right out of your hands. I regularly vacuumed the house, the aunt regularly did the dishes, but I would not clean up after the dogs, who mostly weren't housebroken. Then I moved in with another friend. I knew he had some hoarding/cleaning issues, but we discussed it and I helped to get the house somewhat in order. The kitchen took me two days to clean and make presentable. Once I was living there, the landlord said he would re-furbish the whole house. He completely re-did the bathroom, new floor, walls, toilet, shower, sink. He was going to put laminate flooring throughout the house, do some serious re-modeling to allow for a stackable washer/dryer unit. It was a small house, but he was re-doing it to my specifications (within a budget) and it would really be nice when completed. As some will remember, my room mate had a cat. A dirty cat. A mean cat. My room mate, who had some psychological issues, including clinical depression could not manage to get him fixed, and he was spraying everywhere. He agreed to work with me to improve the cat's behavior. He agreed that together we would organize the house, i.e. keep the dishes done, put things away, etc. No sooner was the bathroom completed than his cat went in and sprayed on the shower wall. Closed the new, 6 panel door and he sprayed on that. My room mate's response? "Gee, that's too bad." Even if I told him the cat did it or he saw him do it, he made no move to clean it up or to reprimand his animal. When the cat sprayed on the door and some of it hit my new designer handbag, his solution was that I should hang it higher so he couldn't reach. When I bought a "nearly new" couch and love seat that went into storage until the re-model was completed, my room mate commented that it wouldn't stay nice for long in our house. That was the straw that broke the camel's back. I was not going to live that way and told my room mate that I was going to move out. When the landlord heard this, he said that all re-modeling was going to stop. My room mate didn't understand that the landlord wasn't going to invest good money just so his cat could piss all over everything. He also doesn't grasp how lucky he is that the landlord doesn't kick his ass out. I now live alone. I found a small cottage that consist of a living room/kitchen combination and a loft bedroom. That's it, two whole rooms. I had previously lived in a large two bedroom house with my son, so I had a lot of stuff. Of course, it was stored in a friend's garage, where a pipe burst and a good portion of my things were either destroyed or covered with mildew and in need of serious scrubbing. I hired movers to move the heavy stuff and put it in place (sort of in place anyway). I have a serious back injury, fibromyalgia, constant kidney issues AND a thryoid problem. Standing on my feet for more than 10 minutes brings on serious pain, let alone standing to mop floors, clean or anything else. Moving furniture will have me bedridden for at least a day. But you know what? I struggled through it and I moved the furniture to how I wanted it. I screamed in pain as I moved my bed to a different place in my bedroom. I limped as I emptied boxes, folded the empty boxes and either put them out for recycling or stored them. I've been here just about a month and nearly everything is unpacked, except for the boxes containing my books because I don't have anywhere to put them yet. I make sure the dishes are done before I go to bed at night. I sweep the hardwood floors at the very least every other day (or use my swivel sweeper). Clothes go in the hamper, getting carried upstairs after I shower. I took the time to put things away when I moved in. I didn't throw out "my" stuff, but I did pick and choose what stuff I needed, including keeping a 50 year old 32 cup coffee maker that was my mom's. I don't even drink coffee, but have moved that coffee maker with me for the last 15 years after my mom died. Funny thing. My house now is always basically neat and tidy. I pick up after myself and the only thing I don't do every day is make my bed because my current health conditions have me napping during the day. Clothes get put away the same day I bring them home from the laundromat. They are hung in my closet or folded and put in the drawers so when I get dressed I can find things without making more of a mess. If I was living with someone who spilled things and then left them, and it is was MY place (or in your case, your parent's place), they wouldn't be living there long. You have spent a good 5 pages talking about how he is "too depressed," "too lazy," "too tired" to pick up after himself. You, yourself can't manage to get up off your ass after drinking something to throw the bottle away. You have SEVEN baskets of laundry that no one can manage to put away. Five pages of how you live with someone who won't lift a finger to pick up after himself and is so damned depressed you don't even have a love life. You live in one freaking room Chris. When I was living with my last room mate with the cat, I was constantly sick because of the filth. Within a week of moving, I stopped coughing and my health improved (at least a little). My psychological outlook has improved because I'm not looking at messes all over the place and feeling overwhelmed about trying to pick up after other people. The way you grew up, you weren't taught basic life skills. Perhaps your disability makes learning them more difficult. But living in squalor like you are is impeding your health, both physically and mentally. Living with someone who is suffering from severe depression like you describe is imeding YOUR life and well being. You can pick one thing each day that you are going to completely clean, like putting all the laundry away and straightening out the dressers/closet. Once it is clean, it is less work to keep it that way, and move on to the next thing. The problem is that you really don't know where to start and are so overwhelmed by the current mess you can't bear to get started. Surely you must have one friend who can come over and help or at least keep you company? Play music, like you said and let it help motivate you. Your partner is obviously not going to help you clean, nor is he going to get help for his depression. You need to decide if you are so desperate to be in a relationship that you want to live like this. If you are, then this is going to be as good as it gets unless you resign yourself to trailing behind him and cleaning up his messes. If you aren't, then you need to kick his lazy ass to the curb and work on yourself. The latter would be a healthier choice for you, but I have my doubts that you will be able to do it. With your disability, you should still be in regular counseling, occupational therapy type things. Speak with your case worker and explain that you need some help getting your shit together and see if there isn't someone who can come and teach you some organizational skills. Part of being an independent grown up is being able to care for yourself. That means you need to learn how to keep house and cook relatively healthy meals for yourself. It also means having the maturity to know if someone in your life is inhibiting your ability to do that. I'm deleriously happy living on my own. Any mess that is in my house is of my own making and if I have any friends come over, they will not leave a mess or they won't be invited back. When there is clutter all around you, it clutters your mind as well. When living with a severely depressed person, it will bring you down, rather that you bringing them up. Is this truly how you want to live your life?

kalikshama -> RE: how much do most maid cleaning services cost? (3/24/2012 8:34:03 AM)
Chris, You may find that if you implement and stick to good habits he might do the same. At all but one of the gyms I've belonged to, most people put away their dumbbells and the staff does the rest at closing, leaving the place clean for the next day, which encourages people to pick up after themselves keep it clean. But at one LA Fitness, the free weights were always a mess and stayed that way. When I was doing the yoga thing and shared a kitchen with a bunch of people, I noticed that if some people started leaving things in the sink, soon everyone would, but if most people did their dishes right away, that encouraged the rest. If this doesn't inspire him, I would box his stuff and put it on his side of the bed. But you do have to get your stuff in order before you do this. Good luck!

kalikshama -> RE: how much do most maid cleaning services cost? (3/24/2012 8:43:18 AM)
quote: We keep our soda cans and our bottles until it's time to take them to the recyclers, they're supposed to be in a trash bag or a receptacle nice an neat but we usually end up letting them sit around on household surfaces, like a table for a while before they get into the bin to store them. Or we have enough so we just take them strait to the recyclers once we pick them up. m You need about 4 or 5 bags worth to make it worth while money wise to take them in. I am trying to change that they just get left laying around, and other dis organizational messes, that once i clean up a space on the floor today, a bin is going in for the water bottles and powerade bottles. I'm amused at how different our tolerance for clutter is. I have to take bottles in after I get about a dollar's worth. It would be different if I still had a garage in which to accumulate them, but I can't stand looking at them pile up. I also can't stand to see an empty container or dirty plate anywhere other than with the recyclables or by the sink. M and I have separate bedrooms. We watch TV in his. Most times I leave his room I collect something to put away. It just takes seconds and his room is much cleaner than his old place before we moved in together. ps - he bought all the recyclables - I don't drink soda or beer - but since I take them in, I keep the money. In my state, every place that sells returnables has to accept them, so I just spend a few minutes at the machines when I go to the supermarket.

kalikshama -> RE: how much do most maid cleaning services cost? (3/24/2012 8:49:08 AM)
quote: I keep all my books in pristine condition, or try to. They still look mostly brand new or brand new. I was thinking an old folks home or the children's receiving home, because the kids home gets tons of kids come through with nada, and books and entertainment is unfortunatly, not at the top of must provides. When I left my husband, I gave the majority of my books to the library, figuring that if I wanted to re-read them, most library systems would carry them. I put two boxes in Mom's attic.

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