Last year my husband said one sentence to me that has forever altered my life. He said, “I think we need a housekeeper.” At first I was upset by his statement because I thought he was insulting my house cleaning abilities. After getting over my initial reaction of being upset, I started to really think about what my husband had said. It took me almost a whole weekend to clean my house and usually I had 2 little helpers who would get into the cleaning products or want to help which made cleaning take even longer. Also, it was a huge chore for me to clean the house in between full time school, work, the kids, and running errands. So I finally agreed to try a housekeeper and I am so happy that I did. My housekeeper can clean my house in 2 hours!!! I can’t even clean a bathroom that fast.
At first it is a little uncomfortable to think that someone else will be cleaning your mess. But that feeling quickly passes and is instead replaced with a feeling so great that words alone cannot explain it, but I’ll try with pure joy and happiness. Walking into my own house and seeing it sparkling clean and knowing that it took no effort or time from me is amazing.
Now, every 2 weeks the housekeeper comes over and cleans my house. The only thing I need to do is pick up the night before and write a check. The time I save no longer cleaning the house is incredible. I now have so much more time that I use to accomplish tasks on my to-do list, spend more time with my family, or even do something for myself. I also feel less stressed because I’m not worrying anymore that the house is a mess and I don’t have time to clean it or if I do take the time to clean the house other things will get put off.
The value I gain in time saved from not having to clean the house is far greater than the $140 a month I pay the housekeeper. I highly recommend that every busy mom find a reliable housekeeper to take care of cleaning the house so that you can add more time to your life. The feeling of walking into a clean house that required little effort on your part is priceless and is well worth the cost. Of course, the feeling of joy that the house is clean only lasts until the kids come home, but it is still a great feeling while you have it and you will definitely look forward to the housekeepers’ next visit.
I used word of mouth from a friend to hire my housekeeper. In case you don’t know anyone that can provide referrals for a housekeeper here are some articles that talk about how to hire a housekeeper:
Why it pays to hire help at home
Think about the time you spend cleaning your house. How much time could you save if you hired a housekeeper instead? What could you do with that extra time? Please comment and share your answers to these questions.
My Time as Mom 
Jan 09, 2011 @ 10:33:15
I like that your initial reaction to your husband’s suggestion was to be upset. I think we all take pride in our well-kept homes and families because it does take so much of our time and effort. I have been begging for a housekeeper to help me but my husband’s response is that our house is too small to pay someone to clean it. I’ll admit it… I need help!
Jan 09, 2011 @ 10:47:29
Hi Victoria, I was very upset at first because I thought my husband was telling me I was doing a horrible job at keeping up on cleaning the house. But after I realized that he made the suggestion to save me time I really liked the idea of a housekeeper. If your house has a kitchen, a bathroom, and a bedroom then it is not too small to get a housekeeper. You should keep track of how long it takes you to clean the house and then let him know what other things you could have accomplished with that time if you had a housekeeper. My mom even has a housekeeper and she has no kids at home!
Thank you for your comment!
Jessica
Jan 09, 2011 @ 11:27:49
Jessica, great post. Keep up the good work.
Jan 09, 2011 @ 11:57:27
Thank you for the comment Nathan. Jessica
Jan 09, 2011 @ 19:50:21
If my husband told me he was getting us a housekeeper, I’d jump for joy!! But then I’d run around cleaning everything before they got here because I’d be too embarrassed to let anyone see my dirty house. I’m sure it’s something I would get over pretty quickly though 🙂
Jan 09, 2011 @ 20:42:55
Hi Jamie, I often catch myself trying to clean the house the night before the housekeeper comes. I’ll go into the girls bathroom and start picking up all of their “beauty” products and next thing I know I’m cleaning the counter and the sink. I have to stop and remind myself that I am paying someone else to clean the house so I shouldn’t do it before they get there.
Jan 12, 2011 @ 21:35:50
If my husband said “I think we need a housekeeper” I would be jumping up and down! I do have a service come in twice a year to do intense cleaning, and it’s a little costly, but I need a little help now and then. I’d love it on a regular basis!
Jan 12, 2011 @ 21:40:40
Hi, I can understand needing a cleaning service to come in and do some deep cleaning at home. When I first moved in to my house I had a cleaning service come in and it took 3 people 4 hours to clean 1 kitchen and 2 bathrooms. It was crazy, but I was so glad I hired them to clean the house instead of me. We all need a little help once in a while and it is nice when we get it. Thanks for reading my blog and for posting a comment.
Jessica
Jan 20, 2011 @ 09:43:19
I just had this conservation with my husband. I was slightly annoyed for the request of hiring a housekeeper. We have a tri-level ( actually 4 levels) a dog and no children. If he would just help a little…….
The more I think about it.. The more I love the Idea! I think I need to resurface that conversation!
Jan 20, 2011 @ 10:13:28
It’s weird how we get offended when our husbands bring up the idea of a housekeeper at first. It really feels like they are insulting our ability to clean but honestly it’s not an insult at all. I think they know that it takes us a long time to clean the house and they don’t really want to pitch in and help. So the solution…hire a housekeeper, win-win for all. I think you really like a housekeeper, just remember to not clean the house before they come over.