https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sun, 03 May 2026 23:49:20 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/cleaning-service-amp-covid#post-2917467 Mon, 20 Jul 2020 13:53:31 +0000 Mommy Finger 2917467@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We use a woman who is on her own and not with a service. We stopped having her come over when the SIP started but kept paying her. We just had her come back about a month ago. She sanitizes like crazy so I'm not too concerned. Usually the nanny has the boys out of the house or they are in the basement, where she doesn't clean. DH and I hole ourselves up in the office so we barely see her. I feel like it's low risk </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/cleaning-service-amp-covid#post-2917461 Mon, 20 Jul 2020 10:48:46 +0000 periwinklebee 2917461@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We're pretty cautious and did have our service come back. Ours wear masks, gloves, and shoe covers. When they are here, we open all the windows that will open, go outside for the duration, and leave the house to air out for half an hour after they are gone. We are in MA and did not have them here in Mar/Apr/May when cases were surging, but did once things got under control... </p> <p>I think the combination of them wearing masks and opening all windows to improve ventilation makes it low risk. It is important to me that they wear masks, as if not there will be more of whatever they are exhaling to linger in the air... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/cleaning-service-amp-covid#post-2917442 Sun, 19 Jul 2020 15:20:38 +0000 Pollywog 2917442@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I've had mine come when we've been on vacation. We've been out of the house at least 48 hours and won't be home for another 3-4 days. </p> <p>I'm not sure what we will do this fall. I think I'll have them come if schools are open and I can open the windows </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/cleaning-service-amp-covid#post-2917436 Sun, 19 Jul 2020 12:04:07 +0000 Mrs. Carrot 2917436@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We use a service and we suspended it in April and May but then in June decided to let them come back. The company was very proactive about masks and gloves and using fresh cleaning cloths and we made sure we weren't home when they came (in June we did a day trip to strawberry pick and in July we went to a small beach, both during the week to avoid crowds). It's been nice to have it again and I feel like the risk is fairly small with the protections they take and us not being here when they are. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/cleaning-service-amp-covid#post-2917405 Sat, 18 Jul 2020 09:08:19 +0000 mamabolt 2917405@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have not had ours come back yet, but mostly because there’s nowhere else for me and kids to go while she’s here. But I read in an interview that Dr. Fauci allows his cleaning person to come still so I would feel pretty good about the risk if we could be out of the home or closed away from her. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/cleaning-service-amp-covid#post-2917404 Sat, 18 Jul 2020 06:57:24 +0000 wrkbrk 2917404@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@jennlin821: We have had the same woman for about 7 years. We asked her to stay home (still paid her) for the first 12 weeks of COVID. She’s been back now 2 times. We leave the house while she’s in it and I figure she’s following her own self with disinfectant ... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/cleaning-service-amp-covid#post-2917402 Fri, 17 Jul 2020 23:42:08 +0000 MenagerieMama 2917402@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Ours has been back in once it was allowed - we had about a 3 month breath (ugh! first world problems). They mask and we leave the house before they come in, and come back once they're done. They're super good about sanitizing their equipment and actually do a specialized high touch area disinfecting. I feel like our house is better off with their regular decontamination than not. So I'm happy to let them in to clean as long as it's okay with the phase our county is in. Also I realized how spoiled our family is when my kids kept being confused by me scrubbing the toilets! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/cleaning-service-amp-covid#post-2917401 Fri, 17 Jul 2020 21:59:56 +0000 LemonJack 2917401@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@jennlin821: RIGHT?! I was dumbfounded. I have a really hard time with confrontation, but this was/is ridiculous. It made me feel uncomfortable thinking of all of the other houses she must go into. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/cleaning-service-amp-covid#post-2917400 Fri, 17 Jul 2020 21:47:17 +0000 ALV91711 2917400@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We just hired cleaners for the first time and they started in June. Best decision. Working from home with two young kids is no joke! I struggled to find time to clean before this. It has really helped. I either take the kids outside or to the basement while they clean to keep us out of the way. And if they get sick or we get sick they won’t come for two weeks. </p> <p>I think in your case the risk is low and you should do it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/cleaning-service-amp-covid#post-2917399 Fri, 17 Jul 2020 21:18:54 +0000 PinkElephant 2917399@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@jennlin821: We allowed our cleaner (actually cleaners; it’s a woman who brings the same two women with her each time) back three weeks ago. I’m pretty okay with it. We split our cleaning service basically between floors (upstairs bathrooms only + downstairs on A weeks, upstairs + kitchen/1st floor bath and high traffic spots on B weeks), so it’s easy to stay out of their way. They mask the whole time they clean, and we mask if we need to pass through their area. But having a team means they are only here 1.5-2 hours, so it’s not hard to have the kids avoid them. Other precautions they take include cleaning their indoor only shoes between homes with bleach wipes (changing in the garages), wearing masks/gloves, and changing vacuum bags between homes in cases where they bring their own equipment. We have central vac so that doesn’t apply to us anyway. Fortunately for me, a decent number of her other clients are my friends, so I know where she’s been! 🤪 </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/cleaning-service-amp-covid#post-2917398 Fri, 17 Jul 2020 21:06:35 +0000 JJ2626 2917398@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@jennlin821: if you leave while the cleaner is there, it is extremely unlikely you would get sick! Like borderline impossible unless she was coughing everywhere without a mask and not wiping down (which would make no sense because she is a cleaner!). I think it sounds so worth it. That said, I totally get the “what if” feeling and struggle with it constantly. We are being very careful overall (don’t go to grocery store or really anywhere inside, wear masks outside, only have seen 1 or 2 friends wearing masks from 10 feet apart) and I feel cleaning safe. I work in public health. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/cleaning-service-amp-covid#post-2917397 Fri, 17 Jul 2020 20:57:21 +0000 muffinsmuffins 2917397@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@jennlin821: I’m in Ontario like @erinbaderin and we had our cleaner come back twice now. I feel comfortable with our provinces progress and masks are mandatory in indoor spaces in our city now, and I feel their precautions are enough. Like you, I had a rough time the first two months of the pandemic. I struggle with health anxiety so this is/was a nightmare for me. But over time, I have come to accept that getting back to life means accepting risk and all I can do is try to keep as low risk as possible. My younger son started back to daycare last week, I went into a grocery store for the first time a couple weeks ago, we have our cleaner come and I’m back at work 5 days per week. We wear masks, limit as much as we can, wash hands, change clothes, etc. Having the cleaning service come again has been extremely helpful and I think in your case I would do it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/cleaning-service-amp-covid#post-2917396 Fri, 17 Jul 2020 20:37:06 +0000 bhbee 2917396@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@jennlin821: nothing is risk free, but if cases in your area are low, I would go for it in your circumstance. We stayed in a hotel on a long road trip and I thought based on research it was a reasonable risk, even though at least one cleaner had probably been in there. It seems pretty unlikely to get it if you are not sharing airspace for any of the time. In addition there’s some research that severity may be influenced by how much time and how closely you share airspace, both of which would be super low. Although experts don’t seem too worried about transfer from hard surfaces, we did take 5 min to wipe high touch surfaces with Clorox wipes. That could be a backup plan if it made you feel better, and would be a good exchange vs actually doing all the the cleaning! </p> <p>You are doing something really hard, so don’t discount mental health! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/cleaning-service-amp-covid#post-2917395 Fri, 17 Jul 2020 20:17:48 +0000 jennlin821 2917395@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@jhd: @Jess1483: @JJ2626: @LemonJack: @erinbaderin:<br /> Thank you all for the input. </p> <p>My husband works in health care, so has had to go into work this whole time and I'm home with my toddler during the day, and doing my banking job remotely at naps and through the evening/night. I was having trouble finding time to clean the house before all this happened, and now its impossible; because i'm basically working two full time jobs back to back every day.<br /> I really need this for my mental health, and it will SIGNIFICANTLY reduce conflict in my marriage. But how do I weigh that against the possibility that we could be needlessly exposed? Mental health vs physical health risk?<br /> I mean, if we get exposed through the cleaner and someone dies - am I going to say "I'm so glad my house was clean for a month though?"<br /> This is worst case scenario thinking, but i'm so burnt out with no relief in sight. (and I was burnt out before all this started, I had a really rough 2019 fall and winter) </p> <p>@LemonJack: I can't believe your cleaner didn't have a mask! I suppose this varies state by state all the cleaning companies around are wearing extra PPE including a mask, always wearing gloves, some even are wearing booties, and those that use rags have designated rags for each house. but I would ABSOLUTELY call and state you do not want that person back, and that you are surprised that mandatory masks are not part of their COVID procedures. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/cleaning-service-amp-covid#post-2917391 Fri, 17 Jul 2020 19:04:05 +0000 erinbaderin 2917391@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Ours came back for the first time today. We’d been paying them but not having them come since March but in Ontario we’re down to about 110 new cases a day, and my area only had 6, so I feel ok about it. The cleaner wore a mask And gloves the whole time, and we stayed in the basement or the backyard while she was here. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/cleaning-service-amp-covid#post-2917387 Fri, 17 Jul 2020 16:39:12 +0000 LemonJack 2917387@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We let ours come back, but we left while she was here. It’s through a service though, and I’m considering requesting someone else for our next cleaning. She came to the door sans mask, and when I asked her to put one on she didn’t even have one with her. Luckily we have extras, but it makes me really leery of letting her come back in again.</p> <p>The next time we’re scheduled to have it cleaned, we’ll be going out of town for a week right after, so I definitely plan on keeping it scheduled since we won’t be around to touch the surfaces or breathe in the air for days afterward. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/cleaning-service-amp-covid#post-2917385 Fri, 17 Jul 2020 15:54:56 +0000 JJ2626 2917385@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We just had our house cleaner come back since they were prohibited for awhile here. We leave while she is here and she wears a mask so I don’t think there is much risk. We trust her and know her well. As PP said, the risk is higher for the cleaner since you are constantly touching your own surfaces. That being said, the virus doesn’t spread very easily via surfaces and although there is talk of it being “airborne” that is in very enclosed spaces with a sick person and is still unlikely. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/cleaning-service-amp-covid#post-2917380 Fri, 17 Jul 2020 15:40:27 +0000 Jess1483 2917380@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have a lady who has cleaned my parents' house for...20 years? We had her stop coming for the first month or two (and still paid.) Then numbers were way low in our area (none for over a month) so she started coming again. Now, cases are rising (though we are still in a very low-hit state), but we really trust her (and she us). We've been very communicative about what we've been doing and she comes if/when she's comfortable (and we leave the house while she's here, just in case.) She is older and high risk, so I'm much more concerned with exposing her than with being exposed. We had a potential exposure a few weeks ago and she just skipped for a bit. But I wouldn't feel comfortable with a stranger. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/cleaning-service-amp-covid#post-2917378 Fri, 17 Jul 2020 15:36:27 +0000 jhd 2917378@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We had just started using a service before shelter in place began. We have not let them return yet. I hate not to be able to use them, but the case counts in our area are steadily increasing and we just don't feel comfortable. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/cleaning-service-amp-covid#post-2917375 Fri, 17 Jul 2020 15:15:05 +0000 jennlin821 2917375@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Those who have a cleaning service, have you let them come back in to clean? </p> <p>I may be receiving a monthly cleaning service as a gift, which is something I've wanted for a VERY long time. But does it really make sense during this time? </p> <p>So those of you that currently have a service, when did you or when will you let it resume? </p>