Because she is your cleaning lady and deserves to have an income.
We have done sits where we were happy to clean up after ourselves so the cleaner was given specific deep cleaning objectives by the HO.
We don’t need a cleaner, but would never say they can’t come as they need to earn a living.
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Actually she is very happy if she doesn’t have to come each week and she isn’t dependent on the income, because she has a regular job and she does the cleaning in her free time. Not every one with a cleaning job needs the money urgently.
One of my biggest cleaning nightmare is using the wrong product to clean something very expensive. I take the easy option and wipe often and hope a buff with a kitchen towel will make it shiny again.
At the handover I’m always asking a million questions, does the cooking pots go in the dishwasher? Which glasses have to be washed by hand? Where’s the vacuum cleaner? Does the surface cleaner get used for your kitchen tops?
Opening a cupboard and seeing shelves full of different cleaning products gives me palpitations. The worst, for me, are the ones who are eco friendly and I don’t recognise any of the products or names. I did an absolutely amazing sit in Canada. The lady was very proud of her copper sinks and work tops. I hadn’t a clue how to clean them.
I’m going to go and have a lie down just thinking about it.
Might be useful to check: YouTube, Google and such are terrific resources for cleaning. Like never owned a ceramic cooktop? Don’t know how to clean copper pots? Want to unclog a garbage disposal? All that and more are free to learn online, usually on video.
I know a 30-something who owns rental properties and has learned the whole time via YouTube, remodeling places. That’s included replacing entire bathrooms and kitchens, hanging new windows and more. His day job is in banking, LOL.
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In certain circumstances, when we’re too busy preparing to be away from work for more than a week, it would be nice to have the option to hire someone to perform a deep clean of our bathrooms and floors. We are typically tidy and clean people, but we like to ensure that everything is spotless for sitters so they’re comfortable while looking after our little dog. We have received recommendations from friends, and some of them charge as low as $25 per hour. Since our home is just one level, I don’t think it would take more than 3 hours (totaling $75, plus a tip). We’re considering taking up this offer and having them come by once a month or right before we have house sitters.
I think this is a great idea, as it would be nice to have more options.
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That’s not how affiliate relationships work. THS would as an affiliate simply connect HOs or sitters who are interested in such services with the service provider(s), who’d then take on all other duties in the flow. Like when an affiliate sends you to Amazon, it doesn’t do anything beyond that. Amazon sells you the product or service and bills you — your transactions happen with them, not the affiliate. Or say if an affiliate sends you to Bank of America for a credit card, B of A does the entire transaction of getting your financial info, storing it, billing you, etc. Not the affiliate.
THS members already do a form of such referrals. If you or any other member has ever referred someone to THS and they sign up, THS “pays” you with two free months of membership. You’ve done NOTHING but send them a referral customer. You don’t collect their info and keep it private, collect their fees, etc. All you’ve done is made a referral that generates revenue for THS and THS has essentially given you a “cut.” In the housecleaning scenario, THS would essentially be referring customers to such services for commissions. Nothing else.
I feel like possibly people have misunderstand. And it’s off topic for this forum. The topic was cleaning, and the suggestion that because homes often aren’t clean enough to meet the needs of the sitters, and because homes aren’t always returned in a way that homeowners expect, that maybe homeowners should have the option of using a cleaning service prior to the sitter’s arrival AND or at the end of the sitter’s stay. Presumably the homeowner would be paying on both ends.
I don’t see that as a particularly great add on for many reasons. It also hasn’t been something I’ve experienced as needed on either end. I deep clean my apartment myself before sitters come. It’s not a big apartment. It’s a manageable task over a few days and I kind of enjoy it. I don’t expect sitters to do a deep cleaning before leaving. But I do expect them to pick up after themselves and not to leave a mess as I would expect from any guest. And given that we’re using the same bathroom, I’d be a bit grossed out if they didn’t take a few minutes to make sure there’s no hair in the drain, or clean the toilet. I also have gotten high grades so far in the cleaning category as a sitter – although I’ll admit it gives me more anxiety than sitting, and I frankly wouldn’t take a sit if a homeowner expected me to do more clearning than seemed fair.
But I also think the disappointment over this on BOTH sides has to do with the fact that this is a matching system and we’re all muddling through. It’s the reason some sitters avoid homes new to the site. They are afraid people won’t know how to treat them or will expect too much, or that the homeowner won’t properly prepare the home. And if the sitter is also new to the site, they won’t know what to ask or how to stand up for themselves. In a worst case scenario, this can result with a sitter leaving and pets being put at risk. This serves no one.
I also think and this is just an opinion that at least some of the time when “cleaning” comes up in a serious way on a review – on either side or both – there may be something else unaddressed going back to communication and expectation.
Training or orientation aren’t just for paid work. Universities offer all sorts of orientation to freshman because they are doing something different and new. Jobs offer professional development especially stuff like communication skills on an ongoing basis. Volunteers also undergo training and may even find through training that they aren’t in fact suited for their roles. I’m suggesting that some kind of orientation for both sitters and homeowners, including a communication component, expectations, and even handling certain scenarios would be more useful than a cleaning service and might be a better alternative than sink or swim.
Yes Marion, I agree. If someone is overly fastidious about cleaning or anything else, there are other underlying issues.
Communication is very very important. The few sits that I had that didn’t go right were down to communication problems -missing information, dishonest account of the work I was expected to do, etc.
Such services aren’t for everyone and that’s fine. People who’ve had exposure to businesses with revenue-driving functions or investors know that services they might not personally use can still be valuable to others. For example, that’s why so many cleaning services exist worldwide, even though not everyone uses them.
My primary house is about 6,000 square feet. When we have guests, it involves a lot of prep, but we’re able to do it, because we both telecommute and have a lot of control over our schedules and don’t have kids. Our neighbors have similar size homes and kids, and must go to onsite jobs, involving commutes. They have cleaners regularly. LOL, that doesn’t mean they have issues — their lives simply require more time or energy than they have and they can afford help, so they can do other things.
Some folks don’t employ regular cleaners and use them sporadically, say when they’re extra busy. For them to find one say before or after a trip, or during the end of a sit, would take time. If for instance THS made that super simple, that could be worth it to various folks. Like instead of cleaning, someone might want to spend that time enjoying the area where they’re sitting. Not because they’re incapable of cleaning even (maybe they’d just prefer to spend time otherwise or are busy, because say they telecommute or they have kids). There are various circumstances, as some folks on the thread have mentioned, in which they might hire cleaners even if not everyone would.
Some folks are perfectly fine caring for pets, but might have issues with cleaning. Say they’ve got a bad back or a disability, or aging challenges or have been injured. They could potentially sit (more) or better attract sitters if they had cleaning help. Like some HO photos show messy houses. If they got a cleaner, they might be able to get sitters, who could save them a lot more in pet care than a few hours of cleaning services.
I don’t think any of us need THS permission to hire a cleaner. As a sitter, if I was feeling overwhelmed at the end of a sit I would quite happily hire a cleaner to get the house back to the standard it was left at. And I’m sure a home owner could do exactly the same before they left. Google is our friend.
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Anyone can find a cleaner on their own at any time. That doesn’t mean that a THS affiliate partnership couldn’t help.
Affiliates can offer convenience, discounts, integration, etc., for example. That’s why they’ve worked for so many businesses, including helping to generate revenue.
For instance, anyone can go to Amazon and it’s a well-known brand. And yet Amazon pays a crapload for affiliate referrals. That’s because it’s good business for them and their partners.
I would appreciate if my arrangement wasn’t judged without knowing about the details. My cleaning lady is very much ok with not having to come each week. We discussed this before she started working for us.
I’m only listed as a homeowner now, but I did do some sitting previously and I did not apply for some sits I would have been interested in because the posting went on about the beautiful house and it seemed like the pets were an after thought.
I tell potential sitters that they will find my house clean, not showhome spotless, and I’d like it left the same and my priority is that my pet’s be happy and healthy and well cared for.
There have been times that the sitter is dashing out early morning, when I arrived late at night, to catch a ferry or a plane. I tell them to please leave the fridge and their bedding etc because I’d rather they weren’t stressed doing last minute cleaning and laundry at 5 AM!
Having said that though, isn’t a sitter bringing in a cleaner, or an owner bringing in a cleaner when
the sitter is still there, against the policy of no one else being in the house???
I’d be concerned that arranging that ahead of time would be basically telling the sitter that you don’t think they’re going to meet your expectations.
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Bringing in cleaners is already done at various sits. It’s within THS policy if it’s agreed on between the HO and sitter. And presumably if THS did offer such referrals, it logically would consider them within policy.
Personally, I’ve sat homes where there’s a cleaner and gardener. No big deal. The pets and I got out of the way so they could work and they were quickly done.
You should pay for the cleaner because you’re getting a free house and dog sitter. In my area that would cost you about 80 USD a day. But you’re getting it for free. Your sitter is already paying for airfare. And cannot leave for more than 4 hours or so. It’s only decent for you to pay the cleaner.
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This “for free” has been discussed already. It’s a mutual agreement.
You get a free stay in a house, which is well maintained, very clean when you arrive and which would cost a fortune to rent.
You don’t have to pay for utilities, because you care for the pets, but if you don’t want to pay for the cleaning, you simply do it yourself. Why on earth should I pay for it?
@Pawtastic If you make this opinion 100% clear to your sitters, it’s your every right to feel that way. I hope you do make it clear to them.
I haven’t read all of this thread but I have seen a few of your comments.
I have done many sits where cleaners were employed and continued to do the weekly clean throughout the sit, unless the sitter specifically asked for them not to come. We would never wish for a loyal cleaner to lose out on regular work so we are always open to them continuing. If in your case you say your cleaner is not dependent on the work, and having her come is an option not a requirement, then you should make this absolutely clear - in your listing- that if the sitter wishes to have the cleaner come they’d have to pay! I would have no problem with that. I would expect you to leave the house clean for us and I would close off all areas I wouldn’t use and do the cleaning myself! However if your home and animals create enough work to require a cleaner for your own needs why not just let them continue to support your sitter who is already saving you a fortune in kennel/cattery fees and home security!
If a cleaner is part of the package I happily accept them coming. But I have never employed a cleaner in my life and certainly would not pay for one on a sit where I am not being paid myself!!
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I’m a homeowner who greatly appreciates the sitters who have stayed and watched our fur babies. For stays longer than a weekend, I arrange for a cleaning service to come clean the house the day we arrive home so the sitter doesn’t have to. I do this as a courtesy and gratitude to our sitters.
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@Mammers12
Thank you for this post!! So refreshing to see someone with a kind and caring attitude towards their pet sitters. When can I come and pet sit for you? 