I’ve a confession to make: I saw Dance Moms on Lifetime this weekend. It’s my preferred vice (and also for the record, however, I do not watch Honey Boo Boo Child.) While I was seeing, a promo for a new Lifetime series, Devious Maids, came on.

I checked out an early preview of episode one through On Demand — I mean it stars the queen of exactly what most grandmothers used to call “my stories” (aka soap operas), who is also my own grandmother’s favorite: Susan Lucci, alongside the brilliant Judy Reyes, otherwise called Carla from Scrubs. (And her character’s name is Zoila, that must be a tribute to my favorite TV housekeeper, Zoila Chavez of Flipping Outside). How can I resist?

For those of you that are enticed, the series premieres Sunday, June 23. Sudsy TV customs aside, it made me think about hiring a professional to help round the home.

Do you employ someone to assist you with your housework? Which are your favorite activities to get assistance with? What are you willing to cover, and what budget item would you exchange to have the ability to manage it?

Are you a professional housecleaner? If yes, what are some great guidelines for a successful working relationship?

While I only dream of having cleaning assistance in my finances, my mom has had the lovely Gayle come and assist her out for a couple hours each week for many decades, and I have heard a lot from seeing their great relationship.

Here are a couple of suggestions about how to find some assistance with your housekeeping needs. Please augment these tips.

This poster resembles a Robert Palmer video matches Dexter. I would expect nothing less from Lifetime. But I digress — on to this information portion of the ideabook.

Molly Brandenburg

How to Hire a Cleaning Pro

In case you are feeling overwhelmed by your cleaning jobs and want to employ someone to help, here are some tips.

Get references. Start by assessing around with friends who have housekeepers they could not live without. Also, ask other professionals that you trust to do work around your house if they can recommend anyone.

Create a list of jobs you need help with. Discuss them during the interview to understand how many hours a week they will take. It could take a couple of weeks to determine whether or not the estimate is achievable. Ensure the interviewee allows you to understand which activities he or she is and isn’t keen to perform.

Talk pay. Ask how much money is likely per hour ahead. You might require a trial or two to figure out how much could be achieved in the allotted time.

HAVEN Natural Home Care

Haven Clean House Starter Kit – $84

The Ideal Way to Communicate

Talk supplies. Request what you are expected to provide or if the expert is going to be providing anything: vacuumcleaner, rags, window cleaner etc..

Make your tastes clear. If you would rather go earth friendly, then make this apparent. Many cities have ecofriendly housecleaning services. If you like things done a certain manner, be specific.

Leave the housekeeper a notice each week. Prioritize what you need done in the time allotted, from most to least important, in case there’s not enough time for each and every endeavor. Before you get to that, begin off the notice with how much you really appreciated the way sparkling clean the home was the former week. In the close of the notice, make sure you ask if the individual has any questions, if there are any problems and if there are any supplies you are running low on.

Tracy Murdock Allied ASID

Know that injuries happen. Would you have favorite plates on display, a breakable heirloom or some priceless coil pot your child made that you would be devastated to lose? While it would be wonderful to have shelves like these dusted for you, maybe you ought to do yourself. Let your housekeeper understand about any keep-away zones.

Parkyn Design

Have a plan for your pets during cleaning period. If vacuum cleaner terrify your furry friend or Fido loves to attempt to escape when anyone opens the door, ensure that your pet is in a room that will not be washed, a crate (if your furry friend is cool with that) or even a fenced yard when your house is being washed. Your housekeeper is helping you clean up your beloved pets’ shedding and paw prints; having the monsters leap on or nip at him or her isn’t a part of the deal.

Roomba 650 Floor Cleaner – $399.99

If the characters on Devious Maids intimidate you, then you don’t have a budget for housekeeping or you would just rather keep your house clean youself, below are some helpful alternatives.
Think about moving high-tech; see Where Is My Robot Housekeeper?Keep jobs from overwhelming you; see Can-Do Cleaning Strategies for Busy PeopleCommunicate with your spouse; see Why We Can Work It Out: Living (and Cleaning) TogetherGet the kiddos involved; seeClean Routine: Housework Plans the Entire Family Can ShareMore: Read the Housekeeping section on for additional approaches.

See related