5 pieces of clothing really take 1.5 hours? No wonder I don't iron!

msbelle,

cooking might take longer than 1 hour a day (depending on the meals), dusting is good.

for me, I have random tasks that would be helpful for someone to do (especially if they have a car):

- recycle batteries, household chemical disposal, get some of my donated clothing and items organized

- pick up dry cleaning (which I rarely get done), make phone calls and/or appointments for work people to give me estimates or whatever

- do you need gardening or outside work done?

I dust, but then you just have to do it again, and I get resentful.

So much this.

I would probably have a helper do errands, too.

not 5 pieces, I mean 5 outfits, like a suit and shirt or pant and shirt. ironing takes me forever.

so I forgot my brother's birthday, the brother who is ridiculously generous to me.

I think I am too far down the I suck hole to get out this week.

We have a cleaning person every two weeks and they:

• Do any dishes left in sink and put away
• Clean litterbox
• Sweep and mop the whole house
• Clean fridge
• Dust All The Things
• Scrub Bathroom Like Maniacs of Clean
• one extra project which varies by visit, like refolding linen closet or organizing tupperware cabinet.

TOTALLY worth the $65.

Can he/ she scoop litter boxes?

I can prep a whole show in 1.5 hours, but I am a fast ironer. And I use a steamer on suits.

WTF.

man. I have been completely resistant to getting a cleaning person, but I wonder if I should do it

The person would primarily be a childcare person, this would be time before school is out to get their hours up. I do not want them to do any of mac's chore jobs, but maybe his vacuuming could stand to be done even if they do it that week also?

The last serious dusting this house got was when my mom was here last October. Ahem. Ok, I do spots here and there, and aim the vacuum at the tops of flat surfaces where safe when doing my vacuum&mop routine every 2 weeks, but...I hate dusting.

If it were me, I'd start the first couple of weeks with just a prioritized list every day and ask them to note how long each takes them (some people are champion ironers. My grandmother was one. I am not. So I try not to own anything that needs ironing because what she could do in an hour would take me a whole damn day.) Each day those first few weeks, just plow through the priorities, and figure out each night what the next day's are. Once you get a good sense, you can set up a more regular schedule.

Shit, now I want a cleaning person too!

Oh, if the helper vacuumed once a week and mac vacuumed once a week, that sounds good. I mean, you have two cats, right?