House Cleaning in SF

November 6, 2004 5:07 PM

Can anyone recommend a good maid/house-cleaning service in San Francisco? I've looked online but I would rather go to one from a reference, just to make sure no one walks off with my stereo. How much should I expect to pay for a one-time cleaning of a 1-bedroom apartment? Is recurring service better, or do you just call when you don't have time to clean up yourself? How does security generally work if I'm not at home?
posted by robbie01 to Home & Garden (5 answers total)

You might ask your apartment manager. Our complex has a lady who does general upkeep around the place and does individual apartments as well. Don't know the price, though.
posted by shoos at 5:44 PM on November 6, 2004

I've gotten help from the New Dimensions service in SF for a couple of years, twice a month. They send the same person out every time, so over time you get to know each other. Someone's always home, but I'd trust them now if I weren't here. I have a friend who's happy with Merry Maids, too.
posted by Nelson at 6:40 PM on November 6, 2004

I recommend reading "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" before working with Merry Maids. The crux of it is that you'd do well to work with somebody who works for themselves, and not for a service, unless it's a local service or coop that you know pays their employees well. As you can imagine, more well-paid maids clean better and are less inclined to steal.
posted by waldo at 6:58 PM on November 6, 2004

Wow, I came into this thread about to refer to Nickel and Dimed as well. Although it's peripheral to the theme of the book, there is a scathing indictment of franchised cleaning services, Merry Maids in particular. And it's not just about how badly they treat the workers; the cleaning is all about creating the appearance of cleanliness, with a de-emphasis on the use of water and the elimination of bacteria.
posted by bingo at 8:54 AM on November 7, 2004

When I lived in the city I used the Day Labor Women's Collective and couldn't have been happier. It's a really great organization and I highly recommend them. They do great work for a great cause. Several of my friends are regular clients.

I prefer to have someone come at regularly scheduled intervals, it keeps things more sane and organized. Currently I have a service (a father-son operation) that comes every other Monday, and they scour my 1000 square-foot house from stem to stern, for $55 a pop. It takes them about two hours. This is on the Peninsula. I'd recommend my guys, but they don't travel that far north.
posted by padraigin at 11:19 AM on November 7, 2004