As you may know, I got a cleaning service in my home last year, because we got the bedroom repainted (on the landlord's dime) because of the chronically leaking ceiling form the penthouse patio above. And crummy workers who just don't fix it. So I hired the cleaning service that time because the paint, primer, scraping, flaking old ceiling, etc. had gotten all over the house and made me quite sick with fever, so I hired a service and was blown away with how well they did.That was a year ago. I constantly dream of having a cleaning service on a regular basis, but I do such a great job (ahem), why pay the money? But my great job takes an entire day. And as a Home Office Worker, if a client comes over, that is at least 2 hours of sucking up animal hair before they come, or it's on a Saturday for three hours, scrubbing the tub, the bathroom walls, the stove, and collapsing into a clean shower. And to be honest, I used to be able to take a bath in our apartment tub (because I could get it so clean), but lately, I'm not so sure. I doubt my own scrubbing.
So I had a cleaning service over today. Zen Home Cleaners (here is my review of their cleaning). I learned about them on Daily Candy three years ago. yes, that's how slow I am to make a commitment. And this isn't even a commitment. It was a "First time cleaning" to see if I maybe want them once a month. And you know what? I do. Here's why I'm not going to feel guilty about it:
I love working in good hotels. Why? Because it's clean! The bathroom is clean, the carpet is clean, the side tables are not cluttered and dusty. Everything is clean. And if it's not, I can call someone to freshen up. The air is clean. When I breath, I'm not breathing in must and dust.
It's no wonder we get distracted in our Home Offices, and sometimes you just can't maintain the dishes all of the time. But to stare at dust, or to reach down to plug in a computer cord that came unplugged, and to have to touch other dusty computer cords, which is then on your fingers when you start typing on your computer, is not inspiring. Or, to reach under the desk to turn on a little lamp I have under there that shines up through my glass topped desk, and it is covered with dust, and then I'm covered in dust, or at least I feel like I am, and then to work with clean fabric kept protected in my giant Ikea cabinet? I don't think so.
So like Cybil Shepherd in a Loreal commercial, I'm going to insist, and encourage all of us, to commit to the cleaners. Put the money away in a monthly budget, and treat it like a phone bill. Because we're worth it. And our ideas are worth it. And its our ideas that can possibly put food on the table and polish on our nails.