by restrangled 7 Replies latest jw friends
Oh boy do I hate to ask this question, but due to not being able to bend down or lift right now my house is going to HELL! The floors especially.
I hate dirty grout, and the kitchen is my biggest problem. Have you hired a firm such as Merry Maids etc, to help you out temporarily? Your thoughts?
Thanks for responses in advance, I don't want to be disappointed or waste money.
r.
I used to be the Office Manager for a JW owned cleaning company. I would NEVER recommend them. Since you are apparently injured or something, just be careful! Don't let them dust or vacuum! Your valuables will be broken and your wood furniture scuffed. Also, make sure someone is home while the cleaning is taking place. Cleaners are known for rummaging through personal items and stealing. ALSO, the majority use illegal immigrants, INCLUDING the JW company where I worked. I don't know your stand on the immigration issues, but you can use your judgement on that.
Your best bet would be finding an individual. Good Luck!
Yes, and my last experience was very disappointing. I hired a crew of 4 to clean my new 2 bedroom, 2.5 bath condo. They all spent a lot of time on their cell phones taking/making personal calls. My bill was nearly $500. The worst part, though, was that they left much undone.
To protect yourself, be very specific about what you want done and what you are willing to pay. Have an idea of how long it should take.
The last time I hired a cleaning service, my co-worker's daughter worked for that service, and they sent me their best. However, it cost $84 an hour!
In the book Nickel and Dimed the author writes about working for Merry Maids in Portland, Maine. Their cleaning methods would make you gag. However, I met someone a few months ago who lives in New Hampshire, and she uses Merry Maids a lot and likes their service. Who knows?
If I needed someone to clean again, I would go by word of mouth. My friend in a senior apartment community got a recommendation from one of her neighbors. The recommended person charges $35 for two hours, a lot better than $84/hr, and does a good job.
You might call the unemployment office in your town. They sometimes have out-of-work or underemployed domestics registered with them.
Good luck! IMHO, it's like a crap shoot.
Regards,
SandraC
Kind of off topic, a friend hired a cleaning service, one day the cleaning woman ask him, what the string in the trash can was. It was dental floss, she didn't know what floss looked like. I wonder how many houses she had to cleaned; before, she saw her first floss? You would think that if her customers flossed, just one a week she would see floss in everyone's trash.
Philip
We have used a private cleaning company at home and at my office and I currently use Servicemaster in my rental business. I like them both a lot. Servicemaster does my shampooing too and they do a great job.
I clean houses/apts for extra money for us and I know from experience that many people have been dissapointed by them.
You might want to check your local paper classifieds for individuals who are looking for work. This has a few advantages.
a) You might be able to hire a person to come in and just do exactly what you need done, agreeing to a price before hand.
b) You can check out their own personal/business references before having them in your home to clean.
c) You would likely be able to be specific about which cleaning products you want used in your home and those you do not.
If you have any questions feel free to ask.
I hired a small local service to clean and was happy with them. I found them through an ad. Google'd them to see if there were any complaints online. I called to make sure they were bonded and insured and I asked about immigration status. I especially liked that they used my vacuum, mop, broom so other people's germs aren't spread in my home. And I provided cleaning products that were environmentally friendly, for the most part.
