Do you know when you should think about hiring a second Housekeeper? So you might have a Housekeeper, who is great and fits in well with your family. But for some reason, housekeeping tasks are not being completed fully. Your Housekeeper might feel they are running out of time every day. Or, perhaps you have recently moved house and increased in size. Or other family circumstances could change – which might change the set up for the housekeeper.
So when should you hire a second Housekeeper?
Tasks Are Not Getting Done
A big sign to start considering hiring a second Housekeeper is when you start noticing that housekeeping tasks around the house are not getting completed. Do you see your Housekeeper struggling to finish tasks? To get to the end of their to-do list around the house? Or maybe trying to get everything in, but by rushing, they are not doing a thorough job anymore.
These could all be signs that there might simply be too much to do for one Housekeeper. There could be many reasons for that. Firstly, it can be really difficult at first to judge how long a Housekeeper will take doing certain tasks. And how much there actually is to do around the house. It is quite normal to only find that out once you already have a Housekeeper working for you.
Any maybe – and there is nothing wrong with this – you hold extremely high standards. And so should you. It is your house, your home for you and your family. So it should be cleaned, kept up, and cared for in exactly the way you see fit. But that can potentially be very time-consuming!
You Have Moved House / Extended Your House
Another reason why you might want to consider hiring a second Housekeeper is when your actual home and living space has changed. If you bring your Housekeeper to your new home, it is only fair to consider if one person is suited for the job – when you have moved to a bigger home, or extended your current house.
Even if the house is not a great amount bigger than before, an extra bedroom or two can already make a big difference, as well as more stairs! If your Housekeeper was just about getting all the tasks in at the previous house, having a couple of extra added bits can all of a sudden make a big difference. It can change from someone who can get your house kept up very well within their working hours, to get hardly anything done at all. So even getting a part-time extra Housekeeper in to help out, can make a great difference.
Your Family Circumstances Changed
A final reason why you might want to hire a second Housekeeper is if your family circumstances have changed. If you, for example, just had a baby you will find yourself a lot more busy than normal. And an extra pair of hands will be extremely helpful! from all the extra laundry that will appear out of nowhere, to help with food shopping and food prep. And even looking after the other children so you can focus on your newborn baby!
Another thing that can make a big difference, is the addition of pets. You might not instantly think about it, but pets can add a lot more to your Housekeeper’s cleaning routine. And you might also want a helping hand with taking them out, feeding them, trips to the vet, etc. All things a Housekeeper can do very well, but they need to have the time to be able to do it.
Two Housekeepers Can Work Efficiently Together
So if all or some of the above ring a bell, it might be a suitable solution to hire a second Housekeeper. It can be a great solution to make sure everything that needs to get done, indeed will be done, and also to the highest standard possible. By having two Housekeepers, tasks can be divided and the pressure will be off just one person to carry everything. This is especially suited if you have a lot of tasks that need doing on the same day. Think about cooking, food shopping, laundry, and ironing, besides normal cleaning tasks too. Having two Housekeepers means that lots more can be done in one day. It can be that you hire a second Housekeeper part-time – just on the very busy days that you know your first Housekeeper needs extra help.
Is Your Housekeeper Right for the Job?
However, before you jump onto hiring a second Housekeeper because of the above reasons, you want to consider the following. Is the issue genuinely that there is too much to do? Or, perhaps, is your Housekeeper not up for the job? They can be the most lovely person to be around, but if they cannot work efficiently, problems will arise.
Maybe your Housekeeper is struggling with the physical side of the job. Because do not underestimate how labour-intensive a housekeeping job is! If your Housekeeper has lots of aches or pains, or maybe is of older age, they might simply struggle to keep up with all the tasks. So then hiring a second Housekeeper might give your first Housekeeper some relief, but you won’t fully solve the problem.
Simply put, before you hire a second Housekeeper, make sure that your original Housekeeper is actually right for the job. If you feel they are not completing tasks in time, but there is plenty of time to do so? Make sure you talk to your Housekeeper – flag your concerns and find out how they are feeling. It might be that they also feel it is not the right job for them. So then you would be better off, to either invest in training for your Housekeeper or to first find a new Housekeeper that suits your house and family, rather than hiring a second one straight away.
How can Polo & Tweed help?
Are you not sure whether you should hire a second Housekeeper, or if your original Housekeeper might need training? We can help! Our highly experienced consultant would love to speak to you, to identify the issues and see what can be done. We have options where one of our highly experienced Housekeeping trainers can come visit for a surveillance day, to identify the issues. Solutions could be training, or indeed to hire a second Housekeeper to fit your Housekeeper. So contact us now to see how we can help!