Create a Housecleaning Group With Friends

I would love to hire a maid service to help me do a top to bottom housecleaning once a month. Really get things sparkling and tidy. Unfortunately, there always seems to be something more important for me to do with the cash I’d spend on a maid service, so it doesn’t happen. However, I do get free cleaning help a few times a year and so do family and friends. How? We get together at one person’s house every few months and tackle some major cleaning projects or minor home improvement tasks.

One time, it was grandma’s attic. Another time it was a playroom. Someone’s kitchen/dining area. We clean, straighten, toss and even paint. It is amazing how fast the task goes and how much fun we have cleaning when we’re all together.

To create a housecleaning group of your own:

• pick a group of reliable friends and family members.
• schedule a house to meet up at once a month or once every two months.
• set limits for what you’ll clean. Is the group willing to do toilets or do they prefer dusting and mopping in the kitchens?
• decide whether people bring their own cleaning supplies to each house or whether the hostess provides supplies.
• figure out food, drinks and entertainment. Because you are cleaning up and don’t want more mess, you may want to “cater” the meal with a platter of subs from a supermarket or something similar.

Do you meet up to do housecleaning and minor home improvement projects with your family and friends?

Photo: SXC