My Deep, Dark Care Secret

I want you to meet Tiffany. An Associate Editor on our Content Team, Tiffany edits the helpful articles and resources our families and caregivers use on a daily basis. Here, she talks about her own care challenge – and how she tackled it!

I have a secret. Before you read this blog, you have promise never to tell anyone. Swear?

I hired a housekeeper.

Before finding her, I was a last-minute tidier. I kept things neat, often in stacks and piles. It was "clean," but for my standards. Then, right before people came over, I panicked, scrubbed, vacuumed – even hid. But I would have rather been cooking or spending those last peaceful moments with my husband.

And I would still get those dreaded comments from my houseguests, namely my mother and mother-in-law. I live a good three hours away and when they visit, they come in like Miss Hannigan from Annie, inspecting my apartment and saying things like "Do you want me to rinse this?" and "Is your vacuum cleaner broken?"

The worst was one time after I spent three days cleaning I came home from work to find my MIL (who was staying with us) re-cleaning! I was devastated.

Yes, I come from a long line of cleaners, and I can admit that growing up I watched my mom spend countless hours cleaning our house -- every day. So perhaps subconsciously, I knew I never wanted that to become my life. (Doesn’t every daughter blame everything on her mom?)

I realized I needed professional help (and not just therapy). I needed a housekeeper.

I took a look at our very tight household budget, said goodbye to my morning Starbucks and posted a job opening for a housekeeper.

Now, five months later, I’ve never been happier. My amazing cleaning woman comes once a month to take care of the apartment. I don’t fight with my husband about whose turn it is to clean the kitchen. I don’t have to nudge him towards the vacuum. He doesn’t have to ask me about the scary soap scum in the shower.

We’ll probably get around to having kids -- eventually. And I’ve heard they can be a little messy. I can’t imagine not having a cleaning person to help. She even does my spring cleaning. She dusts inside the baseboard heaters, scours the oven and cleans the back of the fridge. (I didn’t even know you had to do that!)

But here’s where I put her to the test: This Thanksgiving I hosted both families for the first time. They each separately commented about how clean the apartment looked. And I proudly smiled and thanked them.

They’ll never know our little secret.

Tell me, is there a care need you caved and purchased? Is there something your house cleaner does you love her/him for?