Housecleaner needed/wanted...what to ask

Are you planning on hiring somebody from one of the agencies - like White Glove Elite, Zen Home Cleaning etc - or an independent individual? The pros of using an agency are that you get insurance so if the cleaner breaks or steals anything, you're covered. They also tend to punctual and efficient because the agency usually checks in with you to ask you for feedback about the cleaning lady they sent. The cons are that it is more expensive. You'll typically pay $22, at least, per hour. On top of that you may have to pay sales tax AND of course you're expected to tip the cleaning lady, who probably only gets about $8 per hour of the $22+ that you're paying.


When you work with a private individual you usually get no insurance. That's really the only downside, apart from the fact that sometimes they can be unreliable. I used to use White Glove Elite and their cleaning ladies were always punctual and efficient. They had a four-hour minimum and I got sick of paying over $100 (including tip) for eaching cleaning session. So, a woman who cleaned for White Glove offered to make a deal with me privately from the agency. She would clean my apartment for $65. Sounded great. But once she was working directly for me and not White Glove, her professionalism vanished into thin air. She'd routinely arrive one or two hours late, bringing her children with her, canceling without notice etc etc. I had to let her go.

If I hear of anybody good - I will PM you. There's a woman I am thinking of hiring from Clinton Hill who only charges 60 bucks for a 1-bed.

Couple of things I'll ad here.

You should be able to get someone that will just charge a flat fee.

Think about what it is the you do when you clean and what you would do if you had the time and inclination. Some things don't need to get done everytime. ike every 6 weeks dust on top of the door frames and every 6 weeks clean the oven.

When you interview, ask them what they will do and how theye do it, don't taek for granted that they know what they are doing. For instacne the last cleaning person we had could not figure out that when she dusted the the shelves with all the pictures on them that she had to taek all the pictures off, dust the shelves, dust the pictures then put them back. What will this person use to clean the shower? The floors?

The person we have now is great. She charges us $75 for out 800sq foot 1 bedroom apt. That includes changing the sheets on the bed. if you want the person to do laundery and you have machines inyour pat or the building you should ask.

About the insurance. NY state law requiers that all homeowners, and probably renters policies include workers comp check with your carrier. It's not just the liability of the cleaner (theft, damage), it's your liability too that you need to worry about if they get hurt while cleaning your apt.

Also if you are planning to run for public office make sure the your cleaner is documented and the business is legit

Precious Williams wrote: Veruca, to my knowledge, renters insurance does not cover you for cleaning ladies breaking or stealing things in your home. But you should probably check in with your insurance company to confirm.

Right but it shouold cover you if she getes injured on the job and tries to make a workers comp claim

Also, my 1-bed (with study and an extra tiny spare room) must be about 800 sq ft as well, and cleaners I've interviewed so far have quoted me anywhere from $60 to $70. $75 seems relatively high but if she is good no doubt she is worth it.

She spends a little over 4 hours cleaning, none stop and doesn't not dilly dally about, the place is a lot cleaner when she is dont than the last person we used.