Of all the things I’ve decided to cut out of my monthly budget until I sell the house in Seattle, the one I miss most is someone else to clean my home. I have tried, in vain, to become someone who likes cleaning, or who can at least tolerate it. But when I was moving out of my rental house in Wallingford in preparation to move into the first home that I would own, I decided then and there that I need someone else to do the cleaning for me. It was one thing to look at the old, run-down rental house and think “I should have kept this more clean”; but it was entirely another to contemplate sullying my brand-new home.
And so, as soon as I moved in, I hired a cleaning guy who, while not the best at the job, did a pretty good job and charged a reasonable price. My then-manager at work used him, so he came with good recommendations.
And here in Oakland, I have a recommendation already from my apartment manager – the same person who cleans his place, so she’s already got access to the building (which can be a pain). But… until the house sells, I just can’t justify following up with him to set it up and spend the money.
And so, we have tonight, when I finally break down and not only sweep, but also mop, the cats’ bathroom. (Officially it’s the guest bathroom, but considering that they’re the only ones who use it on a regular basis and their litter boxes are in there, I really think of it as theirs). It’s much less gross in there now, so I can leave on vacation with a clear conscience tomorrow night.