r/housekeeping

So l've accepted a job as a housekeeper but I'm so nervous as I was told at the interview they're strict and expect good standards understandably. I forgot how many rooms you have to clean but I think it's 10 with 15 mins per room.

I'm really nervous because I don't think I'm the best cleaner but I'm practising making the bed quickly. Is it as scary as everyone makes out? What advice would you give? Any cleaning advice? If you work as a housekeeper how do you find it?

Thank you!

I've picked up a job cleaning holiday lets, which I used to do years ago. I know I'm not the fastest but I am very thorough and working on speed again, however the times for these cleans seem SO unrealistic, and I end up doing extra work where other people have very clearly cut corners.

I'd love some professionals views on if these times are actually achievable for the standard f clean their training outlines.

- skirting boards all wet dusted

- clean linen collected and often sorted ourselves at beginning of day

- all linen changed and into bags (then dropped off for laundry end of day)

- shower and sink traps pulled out and scrubbed

- all drawers and cupboards wiped down outside and inside

- usual dusting/surface cleaning/coach check and cleans

- towels rolled and put out

- windowsills cleaned and I believe windows as necessary

- bins changed and cleaned inside and out, often rubbish is left and has to be taken to outside bins

- fridge shelves and drawers pulled out and cleaned

- wipe down light switches etc, door handles

- oven and dishwasher wiped down and cleaned but usually nothing gross

- all kitchen cupboards and drawers wiped down inside and out

- hoover, mop, any other usual cleaning bits that are part and parcel.

Then you have to lug all your cleaning stuff, mop, hoover, linen, between properties/vehicle. Some properties are on a large site so next door to each other, some are a drive away in a very busy town.

The only one I can see being feasible is the glamping pods at an hour each.

Recently 3 bedroom large apartments ( one king and 2 twin bedrooms ea) with large living rooms and 2 bathrooms plus stairs, 2 hours each allocated including set up and decamp to next one.

Tomorrow there are 2 of us set to do 2 x 5 bedroom houses in 2.2 hours each house, plus another smaller one

Another day next week I've been given a 5 bedroom house to do on my own in 4.3 hours.

I actually love cleaning, but hate feeling like I am to rush and cut corners, I've been so exhausted after some of these shifts that I've been unable to do the stuff for myself that life is about, like go to the gym, go climbing, do stuff around my own house!

So be brutally honest with me because I want the reality - do I need to suck it up and be way faster? Or are these times as tough as they seem to me?

Thanks 😁

Hi! I got an offer for cleaning in a medium hotel with fixed schedules, or cleaning apartments for tourist who stayed in the city with more flexible (I take the apartments I want) but not fixed schedule.

I have never done cleaning before haha the payment is the same (15 euros per hour) so I am not sure which one is better. Any opinions here?

We have a cleaner who comes every week for 2 hours. She's been with us a year, and although she's been great, she's been going through some very had personal times. She's asked to get paid weeks early, she's called off 3 times in the last 8 weeks. We've started to notice things are really slipping. She also is having a huge custody battle for her kids. We've tried to communicate but it's like she isn't hearing our concerns.

She's essentially really going through it. Unfortunately, our household relies on having our home cleaned routinely and well. We are so incredibly busy, between our careers and our kids, we need the house cleaned.

We've decided to go with a company so they will ensure they are adequately staffed and able to clean the home as scheduled. It's actually a little cheaper because our cleaner is $40/hour in a VERY low cost of living.

So, I'm not sure what to say. How do we let her know? We loved having her clean but we cannot operate our house is the cleanings aren't getting done. I feel awful, but it is no longer a good fit.

Hi there
My cleaner was a stand alone women who now had grown a business which is wonderful for her! That being said, quality has gone done since then.

Also since she’s gone into a full business is us needing to supply all cleaning supplies which is fine. Since then I’ve had cleaning supplies (not required by them) left behind. I leave them back out when they come and they take them back. No big deal. I just assume sometimes specific cleaners have preferences for products.

Now the issue.
I have had the issue the last 2 times of her employees taking some of my things. I understand stand she isn’t always the one here but it’s now her business. First it was my long swifter duster pole. I texted her next day and she said at first they would drop it off soon (she’s not local to my exact town just serviced it) but then said she would have it brought next clean after I followed up a second time. She didn’t bring it. The next clean it was when my wall cleaner and window cleaner went missing when I know for a fact they weren’t almost used up or anything. They also left behind a cleaner I already had which just then further my confusion on why they were bringing stuff we were asked to have. I texted her and waited over 24hours to not get a response about the swifter (which we already talked about) and then added in the 2 missing products and questioned of if we are still suppose to supply supplies and if so can we find a way to keep my things at my house. Am I a jerk for being mad about this? We were asked to supply our own products but stuff it being taken we were asked to supply. It took me texting her after a full business day had passed to get a response.

I like 7th Generation scent free. What else is out there? I like to protect my own body and the families I clean for.

I’m hoping to get some advice from the professionals here because I feel like I'm doing something wrong.

I've hired several cleaning companies and people through Taskrabbit. Every time I ask for a deep clean and explain exactly what I want, it still ends up feeling more like a basic maintenance clean.

Some examples:
- Dusting is skipped.
- Edges and corners don't get vacuumed.
- Baseboards get a quick wipe instead of a thorough cleaning.
- Fingerprints are left on light switches and other high-touch surfaces.
- Lightweight objects get cleaned around instead of being moved like plant pots, cat water fountain, cat tree, etc.

My condo is already mostly tidy and clutter-free, so I'm not looking for someone to pick up after me. I pay by the hour and would much rather someone spend 6 hours doing an exceptional job than 3 hours rushing through it.

The other issue is the final walkthrough. I'll notice things that were missed, but by then, they’re already packed up and ready to go. I hate confrontation (which I know is a me problem), so I usually just thank them and don't hire them again, or sometimes leave a less than great review (which I honestly feel bad about).

I'd really appreciate a cleaner's perspective:
- How would you want a client like me to communicate these expectations beforehand?
- Are there specific words or phrases I should use when hiring someone?
- Is it normal for clients to ask you to touch up areas during the walkthrough before you leave? And how would you prefer a client handle that conversation?

I'm genuinely not trying to be difficult. I just want to find someone who's as detail oriented as I am, and I feel like my last few cleanings have left me disappointed.

Hey all!

I really want to branch out and just do a bit of solo house cleaning so looking for some advice.

I started working for a company for a few months to get a feel of how they do it. I’ve done hotel and hospital cleaning before but never homes.

I do have a part time job still at the hospital with shift work and the days are never the same.

If I wanted to start with one or 2 clients, how would you approach this? Like I wouldn’t be able to commit every Friday etc. is it feasible? Just do move in and out cleans?

Moving into a new complex so hoping to just start there and post a business card or something.

In Ontario, Canada.

Thanks everyone!

I have seen Cleaners on Facebook use them and I would like to try them out. Is there one where the head wont fall off with robust scrubbing, or the mop stick will not bend or break that you can recommend please?

I’m doing my first move out clean this week, it’s of a 730 sq ft condo with almost all furniture and personal belongings removed. The client asked for a deep clean, but didn’t really give specific instructions. How much time would be reasonable to give myself to finish a job like this? I was thinking about 4-5 hours but I don’t know if that’s enough. For context, I’m a beginner and have only done two cleans by myself so far (all my experience is from helping my mom with her cleaning jobs growing up, and from cleaning I’ve done as a caregiver). Should I ask the client for more information before I go?

hi everyone! i’ve been doing housekeeping for about 2 months now and have quickly grown a client base because of my attention to detail through word of mouth referrals. it was completely unexpected and now i’m trying to figure out how to raise my prices? i currently make $22/h CAD and live in a decently sized city (approx 500k population). i feel as though i’m not making enough money, especially because multiple clients have fired their cleaners to hire me instead, and they express that not many housekeepers show the attention to detail that i show. how do i go about raising my prices and how much do you think i should raise them by? the houses i clean are 2-3 million dollar homes and have 3-5 bedrooms and usually take 5-6 hours for a full clean. thank you in advance for any advice

*******Update:
I think $325 initial clean and $220 to follow up monthly is more reasonable. I’m also new at this. It’s only been a year so I’m still trying to build my clientele. Thank you all for the input

I’m new-ish to running my cleaning business and I want to make sure I’m pricing this correctly.
I have a potential client (family friend) in Virginia for with a 2,096 sq ft home with:
3 bedrooms
2.5 bathrooms
Living room, dining area, kitchen, bonus/book room

One dog in the home

About 35 minute drive each way

I provide all cleaning supplies

This would be a monthly client.

First Clean:
This will be a more detailed clean as it’s the first (about 5–6 hours).

It includes:
Dusting throughout home
Bathrooms fully cleaned
Kitchen surfaces cleaned
Inside microwave
Vacuuming + mopping all floors
General tidying
FULL baseboard cleaning (first visit only)

No oven or fridge cleaning included.
I quoted $265 for the first clean.

Ongoing monthly clean:
After that, it would be a standard maintenance clean (no baseboards), priced at:
$215/month

My question:
Does this sound fair/underpriced/overpriced for my area and workload? I want to make sure I’m not undercharging myself but also staying reasonable for a family friend.
Any feedback from experienced cleaners would be really appreciated!

I work with public restrooms and the traffic is not that high. I clean it every night.*

I’ve dealt with used feminine product smells before and they never smell for over 24 hours(or at least at all). It’s been over a week with the smell. But a particular person had thrown away their pad in the open trash instead of the closed napkin disposal. The whole bathroom smelled pungent even after I have thrown it away. I tried wiping the surrounding area with neutral disinfectant, hydrogen peroxide, and Lysol. Is there a product that can cut through that smell?

The parts that they did clean were great, but there were a few things I noticed. They forgot a room, which may have been just a miscommunication because I told them not to worry about the clutter in that room (it’s all on the bed) and just do the floors, but the floors and baseboards weren’t done. This was a first time deep clean btw. My kitchen sink still has a little gunk in the upper crevices, the sink drain thing that’s above the garbage disposal wasn’t cleaned, the master bath sinks weren’t cleaned, baseboards still have dust on them, vents weren’t cleaned around the house and bathrooms, and they didn’t clean under the couches in the living room. I mean obviously it’s stuff I can do myself but I mean I just feel like it’s stuff that should’ve been done and it wasn’t stuff I noticed until a couple hours after they left. I know I can call them back but I don’t want to. I have family coming tomorrow and will just do it myself because I can.

Are my expectations just too high or should this stuff be standard in a deep clean? I’m not a person to ever hire help so it’s new to me and I’m also not one to ever complain because I know cleaners work their butts off, so I just wanted to be put in check if I’m in the wrong. Thanks so much for your professional insight!

we recently moved into our first proper house in australia and it has been nonstop boxes and mess since we got the keys. i am trying to unpack room by room but the laundry and cleaning supplies are still all over the place and it is making everything feel more chaotic than it needs to be. i have been running on coffee and pure determination for the last two weeks.

i went to victoria's basement and grabbed a big set of interlocking storage bins plus a sink organiser to finally sort the cleaning stuff and everyday items. it has helped a bit but i am still in the middle of deciding what goes where and the house is far from looking lived in. has anyone else moved into a new place and felt completely overwhelmed by the organising part? how did you tackle the cleaning supplies and daily stuff without losing your mind?

I usually try to avoid this problem entirely by getting lunch from somewhere out of the house but lately I've been running low on funds and can't afford to eat out as often. Now I have to eat from my selection of foods from home but I won't lie, it always makes me really anxious and nervous to try and make myself lunch while someone else who isn't family is doing something in the house. Feels rude or inconsiderate...

But I'm so hungry-

What do you think?

So, I am terrified of lightning mostly when I'm outside. Im fine inside, unless I am touching wired electronics, or washing my hands. I dont shower during thunderstorms. Do you guys just keep vacuuming? What if there's a storm all day? Do you use a surge protector?? Its supposed to thunderstorm all week and Im so nervous. I hate walking in and out of houses with METAL supplies. I also hate driving my car in thunderstorms. I know this sounds silly but I'm so scared for the week. Idk, any advice?