Have you ever hired a maid service? Would you ever hire a maid service? What are your thoughts on residential home cleaning services? Questions, questions....
I often tell my husband that if we started making significantly more money, I would definitely hire someone to come in and clean my house once or twice a month. If it were in the budget, it would make my life so much easier if I had someone who would come in every couple of weeks, or even once a month, and just clean the entire house. And then I could do the upkeep in between. It would take so much weight off of my shoulders, and I would feel more free to enjoy myself on the weekends. Have you ever hired someone to clean your home?
When I was pregnant, I was unable to do my housework for a few months, and we did hire someone to come in and clean every two weeks. And after I gave birth, while I was still in the hospital, we made arrangements for her to come in and clean the house, so that we got home and everything was clean and ready for company. You have no idea how much better that made me feel!
We have also hired a maid service once when we were on vacation celebrating our 5th wedding anniversary. My sister came to our house and babysat our children and she brought her three children along. Well, I don't know about you, but I like to come home to a clean house after a vacation, and I knew with six kids all week, the house was probably a mess, so we had someone come in and clean on the last day before we came home, so that my sister didn't have to worry about it. After all, she did babysit for use for free all week!
I have a friend who had a maid service come in every Friday. And she actually cleans with her! They work together as a team and get her house sparkling each week. I think that sounds like a great idea!
Many people are initially hesitant about hiring a residential home cleaning service. Perhaps they think it is only something that very rich, "high society" types do. Maybe they feel uncomfortable with the perceived power dynamics of the arrangement. They are worried that others will view it as not progressive and socially outdated. On the other hand, some folks are worried about having a stranger touch their personal belongings. The possibility of theft or damage may also be a concern. What are your thoughts on the subject?
While these concerns are all understandable, they can each be largely put to rest by taking a careful, informed look at the modern residential cleaning industry. Rather than being an exclusive practice of the very wealthy, families and individuals from a wide range of backgrounds and economic situations hire maids. You don't need to live in a mansion or drive a luxury car to have a need for or benefit from a home cleaning service.
Many busy, hardworking families, in particular, find that hiring a maid is an excellent investment. It removes the stress of having to worry about keeping the house presentable while juggling a career, family, and other obligations.
I couldn't resist this image!
A Respectable Service Like Any Other
While some people associate hiring a maid with the "bad old days" of oppressed and mistreated servants, the reality is that cleaning a residence is just a job like any other. There's no reason to feel any different about hiring a maid than you do about paying someone to make your coffee at Starbucks or carry your food to your table at a restaurant. Maids are skilled, experienced professionals that take pride in their work and are compensated fairly.
No Need to Worry
Finally, concerns about theft and disrespectful treatment of property tend to be quickly alleviated once a person actually hires a maid service for the first time. Maids know that their success is dependent on their reputation and that that reputation is affected by each and every job they do. Consequently, few would risk their future employment and earning potential by acting in an unprofessional way. Hiring from a reputable company will ensure that you only deal with proven, vetted, and trustworthy maids that you can feel comfortable having in your home. A good example of this type of company is Maid Right.
I still have hope that one day hiring a maid service will be something that is in our budget. Because there is no doubt that it would make my life, and LC's life a whole lot easier, and we would have more free time on the weekends to go out and enjoy ourselves as a family, rather than constantly feeling like we need to spend at least one day cleaning and keeping up with the housework.
I would love to know your thoughts about hiring a maid service. If you have, or have had a maid service come in and clean for you, I would love to know your personal experience. Feel free to share away in the comments!