What Does Your Housekeeper Do? Any Interviewing Tips?

Ask for referrals, do a back ground check up and do not allow calls unless are for emergency (cell phones). I have had different services that ranged from Marry Maids to online and referrals. You say, you live in a rural area and I tend to believe you can get more in terms of assigned chores to the housekeeper than those who are in the city or suburbs. Things you can assign her to do are cleaning counters, bathrooms, changing bed sheets, vacuuming the carpets and couches, sideboards and steeps. Additionally, you can ask for organizing cabinets and fridge, doing laundry and sweeping deck and garage. This additional tasks are rarely done by many housekeepers I interviewed initially, but I had two girls willing to do these additional chores. They were hired for the day and not for the job which was different. Foremost, if you are hiring a local girl, find out if she is a honest, diligent, and willing to work with her referrals, specially if they have no insurance. I had the best result with two girls, one hired by an online service and the other as a referral. None of them did have insurance, but I am a SAHM and knew what they were doing in my house.

Make sure they are licensed and insured - so if anything is broken while they are cleaning your home - you are covered.

Ask for references.

Make a list of what YOU expect to be done -
1. bathrooms
2. kitchens
3. dusting
4. mopping
Do you want your sheets changed? There are some people who don't like others touching their beds.

How long have they been in business?
Why should you hire them over someone else?
Do they clean the base boards?
Will you have to supply the cleaning supplies?
If they are using their own vacuum cleaner - will they be using a new bag for your home? (if you have allergies - a fresh bag will cut down on the risk of contamination from another's home).
How do they handle trinkets/collectibles?
Do they pick things up to dust or just dust around them?

We've worked with individuals and chains. When interviewing, find out exactly what they mean by thorough (all will say they are). Do they clean the tops of chandeliers? Dust off all picture frames? Wipe down the interior windows? Dust the blinds? Wash the bathroom & laundry room floors? Clean the entire toilet (not just inside)? Scrub the floors when needed? Do the inside of microwave ovens? These don't have to be deal-breakers, depending on what you need, but you want to define thorough so you know what to expect.

Also, a big one. Do they have consistent employees working with them? You don't want a bunch of strangers appearing with the main contact each time. We had one "friend/helper" go into a drawer and steal Halloween candy (last two pieces). You want consistency so you can build up trust.

You also want consistency in scheduling. With individuals, you run into more issues with them wanting to change the schedule due to other plans. Find out how often they typically need to reschedule and how often they go on long vacations.

.