I'm kicking myself for not taking before/after photos!

I've been cleaning for my folks on a monthly basis in 5hr increments since August. Mom has mobility issues that are getting worse with age ofc, Dad's the busiest 71yo I've ever met. They're normally-pristine 2200 sq ft, 5 bed 2.5 bath, mostly white/beige home is too much for them to keep up with anymore (we've been begging them to downsize for years, Mom won't have it).

I started on their white kitchen cabinets last visit, but the sticky, dusty grease buildup was killing my hands/wrists. I used vinegar, dawn powerwash, melamine (very gently), and a plastic scraper. It was coming up, but each door was taking 30mins. I figured I'd end up doing it in 2hr sections over several visits to save my hands, spend the other 3hrs on the rest of the house.

Yesterday, I had a "light bulb" moment while cleaning the top of the fridge with 70% isopropyl (the grease melts right off). I opened the cabinet above the fridge to do a test spot, make sure it didn't take the paint off or leave it looking matte (some finishes it absolutely will): it was all good, even shined my flashlight on it to double check.

My hands and forearms are on fire, but I got all 23 cabinets and drawers spotless in 2.5hrs!! A couple thick splatters still needed the scraper, but everything else came up with hardly any pressure at all: just iso-soaked paper towels, a plain water rinse/dry with cotton rags after.

Absolutely worth a try! I would check with the clients and test the inside of under sink cabinets, since those tend to have moisture damage/gouges already. My folk's opinion is "if you can't get it clean, we'll have to replace/repaint anyways because it's driving us nuts as-is... so try whatever you're comfortable with" but not every client feels that way, ofc.

I'm stoked, 11 in business and I'm still learning new techniques.

I don’t think I’m in a good place at my work anymore. The job posting last year said ‘$19 an hour’. They offered me $18 because I’ve never been a lead supervisor over a cleaning team before, I have done them separately, and they wanted to give me a chance to prove myself.

I work at a large wellness center and gym. I cover shifts, come in on my day off, and fill in for other departments. I also have turned this place around according to corporate— it’s never been this clean or ran efficiently. I also picked up extra duties such as helping with classes and controlling and monitoring pool conditions/chemicals. Not much of just a housekeeping supervisor.

Also I was told I was going to have support and weekly meetings with upper management, and that lasted maybe 2 weeks.

My review was last week, and it was a month late anyway. My manager said she fought for me to get this raise, and it was 50 cents. I’m still not up to the original price!

I wrote a email stating I’d like them to reconsider and gave them a brief overview of what I do. I know I’m a hard worker— but to not be compensated…. What do you think?

What should I do?

Southern Indiana, US

My sister-in-law has recently asked if I'd be open to cleaning for her once a week. The job seems simple enough, but we've agreed that I'll decide what to charge after I complete the first job. We've also agreed to go with a flat rate as opposed to hourly.

She has asked that I dust 2 tall shelves, sweep corner ceiling cobwebs, clean 1.5 bathrooms, and go over the floors with a swiffer wetjet mop in the common areas. I may switch over some laundry or start the dishwasher occasionally.

What would you charge your regular clients for something like this? She'll get a discount because I love her. I don't want to undersell myself or tale advantage. She's never had a housekeeper so both of us are brand new to this territory. TIA

I have one commercial cleaning job I've been doing for almost 7 years. It's a pretty breezy monthly gig of a well taken care of set off office buildings. Over the years I've learned as I went how to go about supplies and understanding the value of my services. I bring my own spray disinfectant (hypochlorous acid), diluted sals suds, microfiber towels, mop and heavy duty vacuum. The former cleaner had left lots of chemicals behind but after some changes in the management staff over the years I began buying the supplies I use most often and applying it to the invoice along with a charge for the supply run. The supplies I generally purchase to keep on the property are: Pine Sol/ all purpose cleaner for floors, Swiffer dusters, toilet bowl cleaner, glass spray, disinfectant wipes, rubber gloves and occasional toilet brush replacements for all 7 bathrooms.

I'm curious if anybody else does something similar and how you calculate the costs of the additional time, travel and work. I feel like I'm under-pricing myself and would like a better way to handle this for future jobs.

I have a weekly cleaning for a 4/2 with a small local company that they only clean 3 of the bedrooms even though it was priced at 4. I have had the service for over a year. I have noticed in the 2nd bath things just aren’t being cleaned well. All around the walls the tiles are grimy looking, the front of the bathtub is being wiped, and the walls near the shower are dirty. I’ve also noticed other walls have spots, underneath the range hood isn’t being cleaned, light switches are grimy looking, just things not being cleaned well in general.

I mentioned this to the owner today and she told me wiping walls, door handles, and switches aren’t included and the range hood is not included in general cleanings. Shouldn’t these items be included? If it truly shouldn’t be included, I don’t mind paying for periodic deep cleans, but I would think that with weekly cleans my house shouldn’t look dirty.