I Fired My Housecleaner
Posted 6th November 2009 by RubbingNickels, tagged budget, housecleaning, Michelle Obama,
It could be a cultural thing, but I live in an area where hardly anyone cleans their own home. I hadn’t cleaned my house since my oldest was born, and my husband gave me the housekeeping as a gift. What a great idea for a Mom with a new baby! I was hooked and I’ve been paying someone else to clean my house for the last 11 years. Last month I realized that the family budget wasn’t going to sustain the extra $400 a month I’ve been paying for cleaning. And so I had to let them go.
I’ve already had a number of those “I Love Lucy” moments as I’ve taken on this project. I’ve broken a vase and a picture frame in my hurry to get the living room dusted. I accidentally emptied the entire contents of my Hoover Windtunnel on the kitchen floor when I hit the trap door prematurely. I also learned that a dog will actually drink from a toilet that is filled with Chlorox Bowl Cleaner. There’s definitely a learning curve, but I’m going to keep trying!
For those of you who clean your own house or are considering taking on the housecleaning, I’ve compiled a Letterman-style list of the top 5 reasons that you should clean your own house.
Top Five Reasons You Should Clean Your Own House
- It burns 400 calories per hour, depending on your intensity, which I increase by listening to disco music while I vacuum.
- You can teach your kids how to clean, in case they become schoolteachers or artists.
- You might find those missing socks, earrings and game pieces (and loads of dog hair and dust bunnies) when you look under the sofa.
- Washing windows will give you Michelle Obama’s arms and mopping will give you J. Lo.’s buns.
- You can put $200-400 dollars a month in your Wish Jar! That’s enough for multiple beads on your Pandora bracelet or a hotel stay with your significant other!
Happy cleaning!
Darcy Ratner and Julie Arnheim
Founders, Rubbing Nickels
1 comment so far...
Flag as inappropriate Posted by eileen b on 7th November 2009