After a three month stretch of 80-hour workweeks, my house was looking a bit rough. I'd tried…read moreprofessional housecleaning once before, and was not impressed. But then again, it was a cheapo Groupon deal and I figured I got what I paid for.
So I decide to call Elly, who has been cleaning my sisters' houses for years. Not sure what to expect, as they both have lots of preschool-age children who love to throw food around and write on walls, so their houses never stay clean for long.
Elly arranges to come over on a Saturday, which I was excited about, but alas, it was not for cleaning but for a consultation. And here's what happened:
I take her through the place (3 bedroom, 3.5 bath) and she's doing the military inspector thing, running her fingers over the dusty floorboards, cringing at times, making me feel a little embarrassed. (I didn''t think it was THAT bad.) When it was over, she explained the difference between "deep cleaning," and maintenance cleaning, saying in heavily-accented English
"For $100, I'll clean your house. For $150, I'll clean the F**K out of your house!"
She knew exactly what to say. I, naturally, went for the second option and she delivered as promised. She dusted the lightbulbs, cleaned and re-organized the fridge, wiped down all the shampoo bottles, and generally made the place look like a freaking five star hotel.
I gave her a key. because I knew I could trust her, and on Monday, she's coming back for a monthly maintenance cleaning, which I'm sure is going to be f***king awesome