How often do you need a housekeeper to visit? Here are 8 questions to ask yourself before hiring a housekeeper. Click To TweetThis is a great question with a very simple answer. It depends!
Not helpful, I realise, but read on to get a clearer idea how to assess your needs and decide how often you need a housekeeper to visit.
As a specialist recruitment agency we know that each family and home has unique needs. As such, we help our clients to draw up realistic job descriptions that include the duties and frequency with which your housekeeper should visit.
Finding the right type of person to fit in with your family is also essential.
When is it time to hire a housekeeper?
Are you working long hours and not sure when you are likely to be home or fit in housework?
Do you have a mountain of ironing? Are other chores waiting to be done? Can you remember when you last cleaned the fridge or defrosted the freezer? Do you have a queasy feeling about what you might find down the back of the sofa if you pulled it out?!
Hiring a housekeeper will free you up to work and do other things in your spare time.
For some people housework is a passion, as it is for all the great housekeepers out there, but for others (and I count myself in this group), we would really rather be doing something else. That’s not a bad thing though. I’m personally not good at housekeeping. I do an okay job, because I have to, but I have other skills where I excel so I prefer doing those things.
Being a perfectionist, I’ll spend ages making things sparkle, otherwise I don’t feel satisfied. In simple terms, as I am not efficient at housework, having a professional housekeeper means household chores are completed much more quickly.
It makes sense for me to hire an efficient housekeeper so that I have more free time to earn money doing what I like. It makes me happy as it’s more relaxing to be in a clean and tidy environment. It’s calming and enables me to sleep better too – a win-win situation.
There are all sorts of other reasons you might hire a housekeeper. Having a new baby for example takes up a lot of time. Even fitting in enough time for a shower can be challenging, let alone doing the cleaning. Quality time with children as they grow up is precious. Having a housekeeper can free up time to spend with them.
Or perhaps you aren’t physically able to do all your household chores and need a helping hand to remain independent.
8 Ways to decide how often you need a housekeeper
Think about what you want your housekeeper to do. Be realistic though. Whilst a professional housekeeper can likely do the work more quickly than you, they are still human. So here are 8 questions to ask yourself.
1. How big is your home?
Think about the number of rooms you have that need regular cleaning. Ask yourself how many rooms are in daily use and whether they need cleaning every day or just every week.
If you have spare rooms and want to have guests over at very short notice, a housekeeper will have to clean those rooms that are not in daily use. In that case, a housekeeper should visit at least once a week to do dusting and air the rooms, or you should give your housekeeper 3 to 4 days notice.
2. How many people live in the home?
If you are a large family or regularly have guests then factor in the amount of washing and ironing your housekeeper will have to do. Even if you have a nanny, consider whether she should be responsible for the children’s bed linen, laundry and ironing.
3. Be honest with yourself. How tidy are you and family?
Are there lots of toys or other items that your housekeeper will be responsible for picking up and putting away before they begin actual cleaning?
4. Do you have pets?
Not everyone is comfortable around pets. Dogs can bring in muddy footprints and leave hair that has to be removed from carpets and furniture.
5. What time of day do you need a housekeeper?
Do you need a housekeeper first thing in the morning to help with breakfast or to clean up the kitchen after dinner? Likewise, do you need your housekeeper to help look after a family pet, such as walking a dog?
If you need your housekeeper to have a lot of flexibility, you could offer live-in accommodation for a daily housekeeper.
Whilst a live in housekeeper gives you more flexibility, keep in mind that whatever the terms of employment are, the housekeeper needs their own personal time.
6. What other duties do you want your housekeeper to do?
Do you want your housekeeper to cook? If so, how often? What about grocery shopping and running errands such as paying bills and overseeing contractors or organizing appliance repairs?
Asking your housekeeper to do all these these extra activities means more work hours that you’ll have to be realistic about and factor in to your employment agreement.
7. What standard of Housekeeping do you want for your home?
Do you want your home to be run like a 5-star boutique hotel? If so, you are probably looking at employing a full time daily housekeeper for a small home. If you’re a family with lots of children and guests you may require more than one housekeeper to maintain a high level of cleanliness.
Click here to read about the differences between general cleaning and spring cleaning.
For a busy family with children looking for support with laundry and cooking as well as a high standard of housekeeping a daily housekeeper would provide the support needed.
A busy professional couple or elderly couple might consider hiring a part-time housekeeper to visit daily for a few hours each day. Alternatively you might want a part time housekeeper to visit just 2 or 3 times a week.
8. What is your budget?
The amount you have to pay obviously depends on how often your housekeeper visits and the workload required. So think about this too and what a housekeeper can realistically do in the time available.
Read more about how to budget for a housekeeper here.
Can Polo & Tweed help you?
Polo & Tweed is a worldwide recruitment agency specializing in procuring professional domestic staff. We can assess your requirements and help you find the ideal housekeeper for your home.
Our consultants will guide you through the whole process, from defining a job description to conducting interviews, trial periods and hiring.
Whether you are looking for a long term permanent staff member or short-term temporary help for extra support after a hospital stay or the birth of a new baby, Polo & Tweed can help. Contact us here or call now on +44(0)203 858 0233 to speak to a consultant.