https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Wed, 29 Apr 2026 08:13:25 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sahp-amp-housecleaning-services#post-2818989 Fri, 27 Apr 2018 14:01:11 +0000 psw27 2818989@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>If I'm at home for some reason, I always seem to go to Costco while she comes. It takes me about 20 to get there, I meander around with the kids for about an hour, maybe eat a piece of pizza and drive home. She can clean our house in about 2 hours max and I seem to be able to find enough errands. Usually I'm at work while she comes though. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sahp-amp-housecleaning-services#post-2818931 Fri, 27 Apr 2018 11:43:17 +0000 Silva 2818931@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MissKriss19: Your house is WAY bigger than ours. We have 3 bedrooms and 1.5 baths. The 4 hours was an estimate, but maybe I'm way off?</p> <p>@MamaCate: I'm looking forward to that mind shift! What will I do with myself!</p> <p>@YogiRunner: its going to be so good for my mental health .I feel so overwhelmed and anxious about the state of thing sometimes!</p> <p>@gingerbebe: I definitely plan to clean up the night before, make sure dishes are done and put away, laundry and toys are put away, that kind of thing, as I'd rather have her focus on the deeper clean stuff I can never get to. I have no idea what a realistic amount of time will be, but she's coming over on Tuesday so I will know more then.</p> <p>@Mrs. Champagne: that would totally be my daughter, too.</p> <p>@bhbee: once I get a time settled with her I might try to do our costco run, that kind of thing. Hopefully it works decently with nap time for my son. BUt I guess if she was here during that time I could just put both kids in their room for rest time </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sahp-amp-housecleaning-services#post-2818809 Fri, 27 Apr 2018 07:26:02 +0000 hellobeeboston 2818809@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our nanny is usually home with the kids when our cleaners come... they try to get out of the house if they can (and i try to book her visits during school/activities so they're out anyway, but its hard to do this)... like others said, they'll switch parts of the house and go wherever they are not. Or down in the basement. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sahp-amp-housecleaning-services#post-2818781 Fri, 27 Apr 2018 02:49:28 +0000 misolee 2818781@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We usually hide in another part of the house until they come clean it and then move to sn already cleaned room when they come ro the room we are in. </p> <p>But 4 hours every two weeks is a long time to distract small kids. We just do it monthly (wish I can do more) but we have a 3 person team come and they’re done in little less than two hours. So it’s not too bad staying in. I have 3 young kids so I usually try to schedule it when the kids are in preschool but sometimes it doesn’t work out. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sahp-amp-housecleaning-services#post-2818770 Thu, 26 Apr 2018 21:50:22 +0000 MissKriss19 2818770@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I’m a SAHM with 3 kids and finally gave in and hired a cleaner this past year. I still feel so awkward when the girls come, like I’m a lazy slob! But she always says this is a exactly why she started her cleaning business, so she can help busy moms! We have 4000 sq feet, 5 bedrooms 6 bathrooms and her and another girl spend 4 hours either bi weekly or monthly. I’m finding bi weekly is too frequent but monthly is too spaced out so I might ask her about every 3 weeks if that works for their schedule. I prefer to be out of the house when they come but lately she comes in the afternoons and it’s hard with the babies nap. Sometimes we just hide out on our 3rd floor loft where the kids can play. Looking forward to summer when we can just swim out back while they are here! Anyways don’t feel guilty!! Spend some quality time with your kids while the cleaners are there - go out to the park or out for lunch or whatever! Enjoy! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sahp-amp-housecleaning-services#post-2818768 Thu, 26 Apr 2018 21:42:57 +0000 MamaCate 2818768@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Silva: I just wanted to say don’t overthink it! We are going on 4 years of monthly cleaning and the peace of mind alone is worth the cost! I schedule them for when I am home and it is fine. You got a lot of good logistical advise above so I just wanted to say try to let go of the guilt and I think it will be a good change for you!</p> <p>It is such a mindset shift—I used to look around and see dirty floors/toilets/whatever and feel guilty and think about how I could possibly fit that in. Now I see the same thing and think “good thing the cleaners will be coming soon!” And move on with my day! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sahp-amp-housecleaning-services#post-2818764 Thu, 26 Apr 2018 21:21:00 +0000 lamariniere 2818764@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I WAH and have had a cleaner for the last few years. I'm just here doing my thing while she cleans and it's not a problem. It was definitely awkward at first, but I've gotten used to it. When the kids are home during school breaks, I try to get them out of the house. We usually do boring things like errands/grocery shopping, but occasionally we'll go to the park or do something more fun. If the weather is uncooperative, we'll stay home and I'll have them watch videos in my bed so that they stay out of her way. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sahp-amp-housecleaning-services#post-2818737 Thu, 26 Apr 2018 18:07:39 +0000 birdofafeather 2818737@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>i have them come on preschool days and i typically work. now that summer is coming and i have a newborn, i'll be hiding in different parts of the house and also going to the park for that time. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sahp-amp-housecleaning-services#post-2818706 Thu, 26 Apr 2018 15:34:54 +0000 YogiRunner 2818706@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We also have a solo person come 1x/month, she's here from 9am - 2ish and we're gone most of the time. I'd really rather it be 2 people and half the time, but we make it work. We first take the dog to doggie daycare (she is anxious of strangers and vacuums!), then usually a coffee shop for a special muffin treat, and then the park/story time/errands, and then go out on a lunch date. When we get home, my 2 year old goes right up for his nap while she finishes up downstairs.</p> <p>I hear you on the guilt, but I absolutely cannot manage the deep clean she does on my own with my current schedule of working part-time and taking care of a toddler, and my mental health is 1000% better for a good week after she gets here. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sahp-amp-housecleaning-services#post-2818687 Thu, 26 Apr 2018 14:36:25 +0000 Foodnerd81 2818687@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have a solo cleaner who is here about 4 hours. Since we are just once a month her schedule varies with when she comes, sometimes we are home, sometimes it’s easy to be out. It honestly hasn’t been a big deal. My kids do talk her but I can usually keep it to a minimum so they aren’t totally in her way. If she comes in the morning it’s pretty easy to be out of the house, between school for my big one, play dates, errands/ grocery shopping, the gym... sometimes she comes in the afternoon, and I feed the kids lunch downstairs while she cleans upstairs, then I quickly clean up the kitchen and put them down for naps/ quiet time when you comes downstairs. It’s less convenient but not a big deal at all. I also make sure to save laundry to fold or something so I don’t feel awkward just watching tv while the kids nap and she cleans! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sahp-amp-housecleaning-services#post-2818684 Thu, 26 Apr 2018 14:23:01 +0000 gingerbebe 2818684@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think you just have to find the right kind of cleaning service. We have a 3000+ sq foot house with 5 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms and the downstairs is all hard flooring while the upstairs is carpeted. But DH works from home and there's often a kid home from daycare sick and needs to take a nap in the afternoon, so we can't have someone there for 4 hours. </p> <p>So our housecleaning service comes every other week, we ask them to come in the morning or when DH takes lunch, and its a team of women - usually 2 ladies, but as many as 4 people depending on what their schedule is like. They usually never take longer than 2 hours. We have a rotating schedule of 1 higher maintenance service each time, like wiping down cabinets, cleaning the baseboards, and cleaning out the fridge, on top of the usual cleaning/dusting they do. They mop, vacuum, disinfect surfaces and stoves, deep clean bathrooms and showers, dust all the furniture and blinds, and even make our beds if they are unmade. They also take out the garbage and recycling on the way out.</p> <p>We DO expedite the process for them because we pre-clean the night before they come. We make sure to clear the floors and surfaces, we tidy up the kids' toys, and throw out any obviously gross food in the fridge, so they can get going as soon as they arrive. Our housecleaner actually told us she charges us less than other families because her team can get done faster than other homes.</p> <p>So I think if you can find someone to come clean your house quickly in about 2 hours you can definitely time it to take your kids out to a park and get some lunch. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sahp-amp-housecleaning-services#post-2818682 Thu, 26 Apr 2018 14:18:38 +0000 bhbee 2818682@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Can you schedule errands? Grocery store etc? Then your list is marked off and the house is clean when you get back! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sahp-amp-housecleaning-services#post-2818681 Thu, 26 Apr 2018 14:17:57 +0000 Mrs. Champagne 2818681@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Silva: anytime we’ve been here overlapping for a few minutes with her, my son yacks her ear off. Tells her spots to clean. Plays wh her stuff. It’s very counter productive; 😬 </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sahp-amp-housecleaning-services#post-2818680 Thu, 26 Apr 2018 14:17:00 +0000 Mrs. Champagne 2818680@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We always go out when our cleaner comes. But we opted for once a week for 2 hours instead of 4 hours every other week. </p> <p>We just go to the park or groceries or library.. play dates. </p> <p>Now our schedule changed so she comes on a day both kids have pre school, so I just do some errands. Enjoy a coffee out. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sahp-amp-housecleaning-services#post-2818678 Thu, 26 Apr 2018 14:13:28 +0000 raspberries 2818678@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I work at my office 3 days a week and from home 2 days, and I actually scheduled the cleaner to come when I'm there. I like to be able to chat with her about where to pay particular attention, and make sure the door is locked before/after she's there. She doesn't usually clean our playroom, so the kids will give her a hug when she arrives and then go straight to the playroom. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sahp-amp-housecleaning-services#post-2818675 Thu, 26 Apr 2018 14:07:56 +0000 skinnycow 2818675@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't stay home but our cleaner sometimes comes at night when we're home. We just stay on the couch and throw on a movie for DD. Our cleaner brings a team of several people so they're usually only at our house for 45 mins-1 hr.</p> <p>ETA - just noticed your cleaner would be there much longer. We've also hopped room to room to avoid whatever part of the house they're cleaning. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sahp-amp-housecleaning-services#post-2818672 Thu, 26 Apr 2018 14:01:57 +0000 Ajsmommy 2818672@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have cleaners and when they came and I was on maternity leave I just stayed in the living room watching tv until they came to clean that room and then I went elsewhere while they cleaned that room. No big deal. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sahp-amp-housecleaning-services#post-2818671 Thu, 26 Apr 2018 14:01:11 +0000 Silva 2818671@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MamaBear87: i feel like my daughter will be all up in her business! but maybe after she gets used to it she will leave her alone. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sahp-amp-housecleaning-services#post-2818666 Thu, 26 Apr 2018 13:55:16 +0000 MamaBear87 2818666@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I stay at home and we had housekeepers for a while, we just stayed out of the part of the house they were cleaning. This was fairly easy as we had a 2 story. </p> <p>Just stay out of the way and don't do anything too messy is my vote ☺ </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sahp-amp-housecleaning-services#post-2818665 Thu, 26 Apr 2018 13:52:15 +0000 Silva 2818665@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We've finally decided to bite the bullet and hire someone to come every other week to help me keep up with the house. I'm just getting stressed and overwhelmed and it leaves me feeling burnt out, and not being able to spend as much time with the kids.</p> <p>Hoping the person will basically do a deep clean for me- baseboards, scrub floors, tub, windows, that kind of stuff that I can never seem to get to. So we are thinking maybe 3-4 hours every other week.</p> <p>Where do I go?! My daughter is in school 3 days a week, so I could schedule it for one of those days and then I just have to worry about myself and the little one, but summer vacation starts soon. I can certainly go to the beach or do something else, but I obviously can't predict ahead of time when that will be since its so weather dependent.<br /> It feels weird and counterproductive to just hang out here with the kids while someone cleans, though I suppose we could be outside for most of the time (but still, thats a long time for the kids to not be in and out, and if it rains...)</p> <p>as a side note, I have some weird guilt around this decision, so maybe I'm just worrying about something that isn't actually a real issue? </p>