Why did this other cleaner drop me as a client suddenly?

It depends on what the cleaner prefers. My daughter’s cleaner brings her own set of tools and cleaning supplies previously discussed and approved (they have a cat and a toddler so nothing heavily chemical). She prefers to bring her own things, she has the whole arsenal of things. I think it’s important to discuss those things.

I once contacted cleaning company. I wanted deep spring cleaning. They said they do big cleaning first time but then just maintenance monthly would be cheaper. I swear they said either 300 or 400. We don’t have a big house and it’s not dirty, they didn’t even see it. I just told them footage and number of rooms. I said no thanks.

Also there’s a difference between cleaning companies, cleaners doing it full time and random people doing clean up here and there to make extra money. Not the same thing.

I think you generally pay more, if you get a cleaner from a house cleaning company. The trick is to find someone who is totally self-employed and working under the table. (Of course, you pay them in cash.) I found people online. Individuals do advertise online. Also, if you find one immigrant worker who's good, that person can often hook you up to others who have different specialties.

Believe me, I'm not rich. I get by on a small income. But I found that hiring help with cleaning, when I was in a disorganized mess, was money well spent. You do need to hunt to find someone affordable who'll do a decent job. There can be huge variation in what people will charge.

Price does matter to me, however I will pay more for a good reliable service. The cleaners who are coming hete today quoted me $150 flat rate, but I have a bad feeling the price will be raised once they get here.

Yes, you do need to hunt. I was dropped just for asking for a quote!

Then this one lady who was going to do an estimate never contacted me back. Weird!

That’s possible. If they see it is more work than they thought, they’d ask for more.

Find a cleaner is such a pain. That’s why I don’t have one. It’s like finding good hair dresser.

With Christmas less than a week away, maybe housekeepers are being offered more work than they can handle.

Good luck with the person you've hired.

Very true: a lot of people are rushing to get their places in order to celebrate and receive guests.

With the New Year underway, it should be possible to get quotes and availability now.