https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Tue, 12 May 2026 02:18:24 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tell-me-about-having-housecleaning-done#post-2780007 Mon, 16 Oct 2017 19:23:09 +0000 lilyofthewest 2780007@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@T.H.O.U.: I have. Generally I get overhwelmed and abandon it in the worse before it gets better stage...which is to say I'm worse off than when I started. I think there probably are people I can pay to help me over the hump of the most overwhelming parts. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tell-me-about-having-housecleaning-done#post-2779992 Mon, 16 Oct 2017 18:13:13 +0000 hellobeeboston 2779992@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have somebody come once a month and it is SUCH a huge major help. I wish I could have them more often but at this point once a month is all we can afford. I do pre-clean, tidy up before I know they're coming. But it's a great excuse to monthly keep things clean... and to maintain in between. It's almost like having that person come to clean, I want to keep things up for them, if that makes sense... </p> <p>In terms of organizing.... Head to The Container Store or Walmart or just buy online some storage bins of different sizes. HUGE help to de-clutter, organize, and store-away things that you might not want to get rid of.</p> <p>Also - those vacuum storage bags are great for clothes you want to store away and don't have a ton of space. In my basement I've also purchased those large plastic storage shelving units to store all of our stuff...</p> <p>Agree with another poster above that said tackle one room at a time. I'm getting to a place where I need to go room by room again.</p> <p>I think the bedrooms are easiest, then I do the big rooms, and finally I tackle the closets. </p> <p>If you have a Container Store near you check it out - great ideas to store, although it can be overwhelming.</p> <p>But again, having someone come clean has been the greatest thing ever even though we can barely afford it. It's money SO well spent. Me and DH don't argue about cleaning, and we stay on top of it because we don't want the cleaning people to think we're insanely messy. ha. </p> <p>good luck! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tell-me-about-having-housecleaning-done#post-2779979 Mon, 16 Oct 2017 16:35:07 +0000 PawPrints 2779979@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsADS: I've done it every way - stayed at home and just did remote work that day while they cleaned, or left a key under the mat, or arranged to meet them right at the time I was leaving for work so I could let them in before I left (and asked them to lock up/leave key under mat when they left). My thinking is that if I'm working with a major cleaning company that has a reputation, they and their staff both have a strong incentive to make sure my home is treated with respect. Also those cleaners always work super fast, they don't have time to go snooping or whatever!</p> <p>I usually buy a groupon for a deep clean 1-2x a year, and I don't do any pre-cleaning. We do normally keep the clutter to a manageable level though. We also have a roomba that runs daily, mainly for the dog hair. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tell-me-about-having-housecleaning-done#post-2779978 Mon, 16 Oct 2017 16:34:55 +0000 lilyofthewest 2779978@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@gingerbebe: :heart: :heart: :heart: So helpful! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tell-me-about-having-housecleaning-done#post-2779975 Mon, 16 Oct 2017 16:26:10 +0000 mrsbubbletea 2779975@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@gingerbebe: this is really helpful, thank you. I have these lofty ambitions to declutter my entire (small, but still...) house before my baby comes, currently almost 35 weeks. That’s probably not going to happen! I just need to tackle one thing per day, small shelf, drawer, whatever, starting with the areas that bug me the most and will be most irritating with a newborn! The clothes thing is also eye opening to me. I am truly not the type who neatly folds my clothes each time either, and I need to accept that! I am totally looking into bins for my closet now :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tell-me-about-having-housecleaning-done#post-2779968 Mon, 16 Oct 2017 16:14:39 +0000 gingerbebe 2779968@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>If you don't think you can find/afford a professional cleaner, the best way I have personally found to organize is to take one space at a time so that its not mentally overwhelming. I am not a neat person by nature, but with a really messy husband, 2 kids and all their junk, plus just not having enough TIME, I needed to figure out a way to get a handle on our hoard without giving myself a panic attack about the enormity of the project. Because having too much stuff and mess was ALSO going to give me a panic attack. So I have learned in the last year (with a baby, packing up a house, and moving to a new house) that the best way to handle it is to just do ONE THING. One shelf, one closet, one cabinet, one box. Whatever. Just tell yourself that's all you have to do today.</p> <p>Pick one space to clean AND then pick one place to be the holding area for the stuff that comes out of that space once you've organized. As you move from one space to another, there will be more "where the eff do I put this?" stuff, so its helpful to have a designated space for that crap while things are getting sorted out. (Its that overflow/mess from organizing that's so overwhelming to me). I'm in the process of organizing our master closet right now and the overflow is in a corner of our bedroomand it looks like World War III in there and its making me batsh*t, but I know it will be worth it when its over. </p> <p>When it comes to organizing systems, find one that you can actually stick with, not what looks good or what you think you SHOULD do. I embraced at 35 that I am not a person who folds my clothes and then neatly puts them away in drawers. Why? Because I'm a visual person and I need to SEE everything at once. By the time I go digging around the drawers for what I want, its all balled up anyway, so I ended up throwing all the stuff on a chair and then digging through that pile later on. Drove my husband crazy. So I switched to keeping my clothes in hampers, plastic bins, and storage cubes. Each hamper/cube holds a specific thing, like t-shirts or socks and they all just live there on the floor of my closet. It makes putting stuff away easy, I can easily find what I want, and I'm not pissed at things not fitting in drawers. I don't wear anything day to day that requires ironing or cannot be fluffed by my dryer. I only hang slacks and dresses and suits. </p> <p>Our kids stuff is also similarly sorted into bins and storage units where its easy to take a look at a bin and know what's in it. Cars, plushies, blocks, kitchen/food toys, puzzles, etc.<br /> The Ikea Kallax system is great for this because those canvas boxes they make for the units are huge and sturdy.<br /> It makes cleaning up easy, makes finding things easy. We have most of the kids books in front-facing bookcases which makes it so much easier for them to clean up and is inviting to them. </p> <p>Their clothes are in Land of Nod hanging canvas storage systems with the drawer add-ons, and then I keep a separate one just to lay out their PJs and outfits in each week (they have 6 slots, so I put 2 outfits and 2 jammies in for the weekend in one slot). Everything else is in storage for the right season or hanging in their closets. This frees up more floor space in their rooms to play in. </p> <p>I am in the process of slowly investing in pull-outs for my kitchen cabinets so I can easily pull it out and find my pots and pans and whatever. I invested in drawer organizers for all my kitchen stuff. I have everything in my pantry in a way where I can easily see and find everything - whether its Rubbermaid cereal containers or a designated box just for all the pastas or whatever. Our bathroom stuff is all in plastic Rubbermaid bins that I can see through. They are organized by First Aid, medicines, vitamins, grooming, kids stuff, oral, etc. so that I can quickly grab the bin I need and give my husband the antifungal cream or whatever he needs on a given day. </p> <p>Each and every one of those bins and projects was taken one at a time, so it was never a huge endeavor all at once. Just tell yourself today I'm going to tackle the hall closet, or shoes, or the spices. Just having that one thing done will make you feel so much better! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tell-me-about-having-housecleaning-done#post-2779960 Mon, 16 Oct 2017 15:39:41 +0000 youboots 2779960@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I vote professional organizer first room to room then a Housecleaner to keep it up. But if there is a lot of stuff/mess it will be difficult to clean.</p> <p>Call for quotes. Don’t be embarrassed. </p> <p>We have a 1x a month cleaner and will go to 2x a month when we can afford it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tell-me-about-having-housecleaning-done#post-2779959 Mon, 16 Oct 2017 15:36:16 +0000 T.H.O.U. 2779959@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@lilyofthewest: Have you tried to de-clutter or organize in the past? How did that go? What barriers did you hit? As much as I would love a home organizer but I dont think we have those really in our town except for someone super high end. So we had to find ways to do it on our own. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tell-me-about-having-housecleaning-done#post-2779954 Mon, 16 Oct 2017 15:12:45 +0000 Mrs D 2779954@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Champagne: one time our lady took out the diapers...as in emptied my genie - completely unprompted...I was so happy when I got home I texted her gushing how sweet she was to have done that...she's literally one of my fave people on the planet...its the little things that matter ;) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tell-me-about-having-housecleaning-done#post-2779952 Mon, 16 Oct 2017 15:09:58 +0000 looch 2779952@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@T.H.O.U.: Yes, to everything has a home.</p> <p>If it doesn't, I either find a home for it, or sometimes, purge. My biggest problem is that I always save things for "later" and then never use them.</p> <p>My house doesn't have a ton of built in storage, so as much as I hate having to do this, I had to go and buy organizational items. My favorite one is the 8 cubby Kallax shelf thing from IKEA, you can use it horizontal or vertical, you can put castors on it, and you can use the baskets or drawers for further organization. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tell-me-about-having-housecleaning-done#post-2779950 Mon, 16 Oct 2017 14:59:37 +0000 T.H.O.U. 2779950@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Getting a monthly cleaner was a huge help for us because it made us clean up our clutter (although sometimes it was just shoving things in random closets/drawers) but it also made sure the key areas like kitchen and bathrooms got a deep cleaning. </p> <p>The biggest home organization tip I try to live by is making sure everything has a "home". The kids have one bucket for stuffed animals. Anything beyond that and we go through them and find some to donate. The mail has one basket, when its full we have to empty it. Our kitchen cabinet has one cabinet for cups, they all fit in there when they are clean and can easily be accessed/removed (aka they aren't just shoved all in there) so we can easily put away dishes. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tell-me-about-having-housecleaning-done#post-2779934 Mon, 16 Oct 2017 14:04:13 +0000 hummusgirl 2779934@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@lilyofthewest: I think you should just do it! My house is also cluttered/disorganized and lots of things don't have "homes" (or have random/non-intuitive homes) but coming home to a clean house where things have been hidden away that at least *looks* clean on the surface is good for my mental health and marriage. :-) I have long-term aspirations to get organized or hire a professional organizer but for now just having a clean, clutter-free house for a few days is great. And it inspires us to try to keep it that way as long as possible. It's just much less daunting than doing it ourselves.</p> <p>ETA I also feel a bit weird about outsourcing this, and what that means in terms of privilege etc. but I do it anyway. It helps me and our cleaning team and is the ultimate "buying local!" </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tell-me-about-having-housecleaning-done#post-2779932 Mon, 16 Oct 2017 13:58:04 +0000 Mrs. Champagne 2779932@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have a cleaner come every week. She comes for two hours. It really helps. We make sure the clutter is managed and she does the kitchen, bathroom, floors etc really well. </p> <p>I like having her weekly (for 2 hours, a lot of my friends have every other week for 4 hours, but this works better for us) because it ensures we pick up and declutter more often. </p> <p>She has a key and lets herself in and out. We live in a small town so I trust her and we know some of the same people. If anything is gross we clean it a bit first - like I'm not going to make her take out a diaper garbage or anything like that! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tell-me-about-having-housecleaning-done#post-2779930 Mon, 16 Oct 2017 13:51:11 +0000 CC Mommy 2779930@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>As far as organization, being ruthless and de-cluttering, I really liked the book "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up" I didn't follow it to a T--honestly, I only read a few articles on it and basically followed the cliff notes--but, her ideas for setting a date and categorizing the clutter (so you see how much of one thing you really have) then systematically putting into donation, sale or trash piles and only keeping what you really feel like you can't live without, really helped me. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tell-me-about-having-housecleaning-done#post-2779926 Mon, 16 Oct 2017 13:48:38 +0000 KayKay 2779926@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@lilyofthewest: it does sound like maybe you need an organizer first/instead. i would hire it out because that way you guarantee that a) it actually gets done and b) you will do a better job getting rid of things that, had you done it yourself, you would've talked yourself into keeping. i'd just make sure it's someone who will work with you on what you want the endgame to be (e.g., just getting rid of stuff vs. having a whole organizational system vs. also buying a lot of containers/etc so that it "looks pretty").</p> <p>i would also not feel bad about hiring either of those jobs out. you are hiring someone to do a job that you either prefer not to do (thus giving you/family more time to do things you like or prefer) or that you aren't good at. i have a cleaner come weekly, and while not having to clean is great, i also love supporting their small, local, women-owned/worked business. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tell-me-about-having-housecleaning-done#post-2779921 Mon, 16 Oct 2017 13:02:40 +0000 looch 2779921@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsADS: Our cleaner has a code for our keyless entry, but it only works on Fridays from a certain period of time. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tell-me-about-having-housecleaning-done#post-2779918 Mon, 16 Oct 2017 12:44:12 +0000 Mrs D 2779918@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsADS: We left a key the first three times...once we felt comfortable we gave her one. She came highly recommended from a family who has used her for 6 years...so I didnt have much concern. Plus we just clicked immediately - I had a good feeling. I have used services in the past and that was always weird to me that they had different people in my house every time.</p> <p>@lilyofthewest: There are organization services, everything from advice to full on doing it for you. Also - I'm not sure if you have a Container Store near you but I LOVE that store for organization ideas. And I love the blogger iheartorganizing - she has GREAT ideas. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tell-me-about-having-housecleaning-done#post-2779916 Mon, 16 Oct 2017 12:42:53 +0000 erinbaderin 2779916@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsADS: We gave our cleaner a key. There's an element of trust in the whole thing - my friend was HORRIFIED - but we also have given keys to our pet nannies and on a few occasions had total strangers house-sit for us while we've gone on vacation. I figure that if they steal all our things we have insurance. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tell-me-about-having-housecleaning-done#post-2779913 Mon, 16 Oct 2017 12:31:14 +0000 Littlebit7 2779913@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@lilyofthewest: I was going to suggest an organizational or decluttering service first followed by cleaning (regular). I might be jumping but I'd guess your house won't ever feel "clean" to you if your eyes can't make it past the clutter first. Block a weekend, send the kids out if you can, and be RUTHLESS. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tell-me-about-having-housecleaning-done#post-2779912 Mon, 16 Oct 2017 12:24:50 +0000 lilyofthewest 2779912@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@petitenoisette: @Bluebonnet: I think y'all hit it that our biggest problem is (dis)organization and (too much) stuff. We can't really clean because we constantly have clutter everywhere. A lot of stuff doesn't have homes at all, some stuff has weird/haphazard homes, some stuff has a home but it is never there. </p> <p>So, maybe we need organizing help more than cleaning help. Or at least we need it first. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tell-me-about-having-housecleaning-done#post-2779911 Mon, 16 Oct 2017 12:24:14 +0000 MaryM 2779911@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsADS: DH and I don't use keys. We have a woman who comes (not a service, so it's always the same person) and we gave her the code to our garage. </p> <p>She worked for a few friends before us, so we knew we could trust her with that.</p> <p>ETA: But also, she often arrives before I leave for work. So it's rare that she has to let herself in. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tell-me-about-having-housecleaning-done#post-2779910 Mon, 16 Oct 2017 12:20:43 +0000 MrsADS 2779910@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Question for those of you who have house cleaners... do you give them a key? Hide the key somewhere outside on days they come? How does that whole process work? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tell-me-about-having-housecleaning-done#post-2779906 Mon, 16 Oct 2017 12:15:10 +0000 csross217 2779906@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We just hired someone to come and clean every 2 weeks.<br /> We've had 2 cleanings so far. Honestly, I was super nervous having someone come in and "judge" my house, but it's been a great decision! I just make sure to tidy up and put things away before she comes. On the off weeks I still have to vacuum, clean counters, bathrooms, etc. but at least it gives me a break every couple weeks. I'm thinking that after LO2 arrives I might have her come every week for a while! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tell-me-about-having-housecleaning-done#post-2779903 Mon, 16 Oct 2017 12:01:39 +0000 Mrs D 2779903@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We hired someone to clean our house once every two weeks this past summer. Our LOs are 1.5 and 4 years old...DH and I both work demanding full time jobs outside of our house. Its been amazing.</p> <p>We no longer argue over stupid who cleans what crap. The amount of cleaning we do is so minimal that it just seamlessly falls into our normal routines. It also encourages us to keep our house picked up...like clothes piles and what not.</p> <p>Plus - we have the days she comes circled on our calendar and our 4 year old is getting good about picking up her room for "Mrs I"...she loves how she arranges her toys in her room...Mrs I leaves sweet little scenes arranged with her stuffed animals or will leave a book pulled out on K's bed. My daughter rushes up stairs to see how her room is on the days she comes. Its so cute...</p> <p>As our girls get older and we have more activities and therefore less time we plan to have her come more frequently and help with laundry, sheets/towels, and maybe some other household chores. </p> <p>Its been the best decision! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tell-me-about-having-housecleaning-done#post-2779900 Mon, 16 Oct 2017 11:56:37 +0000 erinbaderin 2779900@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I wouldn't feel guilty - it's a job for people. Just like you shouldn't feel guilty for getting takeout sometimes instead of cooking. Everybody prioritizes their time and does what they can. </p> <p>We have a cleaner who comes every other week. I'm pretty tidy already but I definitely tidy up before they come - we pay for a certain amount of time and I figure that they could either pick up all the toys off the floor or they could dust, and I really do not want to dust. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tell-me-about-having-housecleaning-done#post-2779898 Mon, 16 Oct 2017 11:55:36 +0000 HappyBaker 2779898@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My favorite part about having someone else clean our house every other week is that it gives me time to deal with all the organization /purging tasks that I never get around to because I'm always behind on cleaning! So overall my house is cleaner and more organized and I am way less stressed out about it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tell-me-about-having-housecleaning-done#post-2779887 Mon, 16 Oct 2017 11:30:48 +0000 petitenoisette 2779887@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrsbubbletea: love our roomba! And since you can program it, it's kind of a good motivator to clean up the clutter because it's going to run either way. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tell-me-about-having-housecleaning-done#post-2779886 Mon, 16 Oct 2017 11:29:20 +0000 petitenoisette 2779886@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Ok so as the child of a hoarder / parents who lacked good housecleaning skills, my advice is to just do it! Move forward. As an adult I am good at keeping my own house neat and relatively clean because when I was growing up I was the only one in the family who really cleaned. My 3 other siblings all have messy to much messier houses because they didn't grow up cleaning. Watching my parents these days it is so frustrating to see them continuing to live that way and unable to keep their house clean and not keep tons of unnecessary stuff. It was embarrassing for me growing up and still I would never want my in-laws or someone like that to visit my parent's house. </p> <p>I am not at all suggesting that your situation is the same but I do think that the earlier you tackle the issue and the greater clarity you have that it is a problem that you want to improve upon the better chance you have making a real improvement. @MaryM: has a great point that they will have always seen worse! </p> <p>Is your partner willing to part with things? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tell-me-about-having-housecleaning-done#post-2779883 Mon, 16 Oct 2017 11:22:31 +0000 Bluebonnet 2779883@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We've had a cleaning service for years and its been so helpful to keep our house pretty tidy. </p> <p>I feel like the cleaning service's job is to CLEAN not to pick up our house and guess where things belong, so we make sure the house is picked up the night before the cleaning service comes. </p> <p>Our house stays pretty picked up because we are in the habit of putting things away throughout the day and picking things up at night. </p> <p>@lilyofthewest: Is your issue with organization (things don't have a home/things aren't being put where they belong) or cleanliness (vacuuming, dusting, cleaning kitchens &amp; bathrooms)? Or both? If you also need organizational help, hire a professional organizer. Believe it or not, there are people that LOVE to organize and would love to help you out. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tell-me-about-having-housecleaning-done#post-2779879 Mon, 16 Oct 2017 11:10:16 +0000 mrsbubbletea 2779879@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@lilyofthewest: I totally understand everything in your post! I am seriously considering asking for a house cleaner deep clean for my birthday this year, since I am due 2 weeks later. I think it would greatly help me to clean, considering just getting a roomba that vacuums for me but isn't going to clean up the clutter to vacuum under it helps me stay more organized and tidy! I would also absolutely love to get a professional organizer but I think thats out of my budget, sadly. </p>