Maids of the non-French variety.

March 26, 2007 6:11 PM

Recommendations for Cleaners in Toronto?

Now that I'm done with the organizing, I want to have my apartment deep cleaned (wall-washing, furniture moving, serious cleaning), with the possibility of recurring service to follow (depending on how I feel about having it cleaned in the first place). My organizer recommended someone, but he was supposed to call me and he hasn't.

I've seen this previous thread but those suggestions don't work for me. I really don't like to make phone calls, so phone calls to random people where I have to convince them that I'm legitimate to get a number for someone else are totally out of the question. And in the case of the Earth Concerns, they just don't come to my area.

So does anyone have any other suggestions on people to clean my house or places to find them? I'd prefer non-agency just because it seems better to have the actual person get the money, but I'm not really all that fussy. My main criteria would be avoiding maid mills like Molly Maid and the like.

posted by jacquilynne to Home & Garden (7 answers total)

Our experience with non-maid-mill cleaners has been *terrible*

Our experience with maid-mill cleaners has also been *terrible*

The only decent cleaner we ever had was our nanny, who did it even though we asked her not to.

sigh


overall Molly Maid > all the other things we tried but they are fucking expensive
posted by unSane at 6:16 PM on March 26, 2007

That was my original question that you linked. I have not tried a non-agency route though I have seen postings at my local grocery store that seemed decent. It would just be a matter of checking references, I guess. I checked out Earth Concerns, but they couldn't set me up in time to clean the house before the Japanese exchange students arrived. So, I just got on my hands and knees and did the best I could. I might check them out again now that I am heading into a bit of a crazy time. But, doing the investigating into the industry plus a re-look at my own disorganization just made me pull up my socks a bit and set some better ground rules in the house. BUT that doesn't answer your question. I too, am still looking for some quasi-affordable option to do some heavy-duty cleaning. Pushed come to shove, how about putting out your own ad in a local community paper? Then you could be more specific about references and experience etc. I don't know. I mostly know people who wouldn't be caught dead with someone cleaning their house. (or don't admit to their lefty friends!!!)
posted by typewriter at 6:50 PM on March 26, 2007

Response by poster: I feel the usual assortment of liberal guilt, etc, but I figure I can get over it in exchange for non-sticky floors. Plus, I used to live in Brazil and some of my homes there had 3 maids, so I should ought to be able to handle one who comes in for a couple of hours every few weeks.
posted by jacquilynne at 7:25 PM on March 26, 2007

Oh, by the way. I'm a girl typewriter! Sorry, still not helping with the question.
posted by typewriter at 7:47 PM on March 26, 2007

oh, liberal guilt, foo foo

option 1: give money to someone to clean house

option 2: clean house self, spend money on gin for self




trickle down, baby
posted by unSane at 8:29 PM on March 26, 2007

As a someone who used to have a one-person housecleaning business, I say don't feel any guilt. Why should you? You are giving purchasing services from someone who wants to sell them to you. You should feel good!

I worked for one of those large chain housecleaning places before I went freelance, and that pretty much sucked. If you've ever read the book Nickeled and Dimed, it's pretty much spot on. So thanks for going the independent route.

I've noticed that there's a lot of ads on the Toronto Craigslist for and from cleaners, you might check there. I don't have any personal recomendations though.

Good luck with your search!
posted by Melsky at 7:06 AM on March 27, 2007

Love Unsane's advice, but I still hate cleaning.

I wouldn't trust a craiglist or someone off the street, no references or doubtable references, no criminal record check and you're going to let them into your home¿ I don't think that's a good idea unless you stand over them the whole time.

Wall washing¿ Are you Egyptian and are your walls painted with alkyde paint¿ Then if your wall paint isn't the teflon paint ]ici's/Colour Your World's 'Inspirations Ceramic Matt'[, 100 washes, I'm not sure it would be a good idea.

Would grocery store bulletin board postings offer a more 'reliable' solution¿ Watch which neighbourhood's grocery store though, the Rosedale and ForestHill ones may be more expensive.

I haven't any references. But I paint.
posted by alicesshoe at 9:30 AM on March 27, 2007