Wednesday, May 18, 2022

The Cleaning Lady

After Perfect Patty was deported, after Pandemica ended, The Tornadoes came into our lives.  Two women with all their equipment arrive just after 9 am.  There is no down time, except for a quick lunch standing at the kitchen island.  I've demanded that they use the table; they laugh at me and go back to their conversation.  

When the leave, we are afraid to disturb the CLEAN.  It is aggressively sparkly.  There is nary an errant long white hair to be found.  My cooktop looks like it was just delivered from the warehouse.  My main windows are washed, inside and out and my kitchen cabinet faces shimmer from their monthly wipe down.

And they are pleasantly unobtrusive, self-sufficient, feeling no need to share their personal lives with me, although they are delighted to hear me describe the new framed photographs as they are being dusted.  Everybody loves grandkids, after all.  

So today, when Gentle Ben called and asked if he was correct in remembering that I had a housekeeper who was looking for extra work.  Well, that was Perfect Patty and her help is now south of the border.  The Tornadoes have a long waiting list, but I'll ask.  And Amster is coming over with dinner tonight and she has help, too.

Gentle Ben fears an argument from his spouse, but he's tired of watching her wear herself out doing tasks that could be outsourced.  He, himself, is fully convinced that he is too old to do what he is doing around the house.  He'd rather they spend that energy on things that bring them joy.

I was reminded of my Grandmother venting in Yiddish and when I asked what was up she turned and said, with her customary scowl but her eyes dancing with love, the maid is the cheapest thing in the house.

Please, put her objectification of another human being aside.  She regarded everyone who was not immediate family as The Other; this was not a specifically directed slight. 

Focus, instead, on the layers behind it.  The maid was not an extravagance, she was as necessary as the iron and the kettle.  With two of them doing the work, everything got done and dinner was on the table and  - this is where the pedal hits the metal - there is one less thing to argue about.

If the girl (okay, that one is offensive and I knew it then and I asked how someone older than my teacher could be a girl..... and I don't remember the answer.....) was available to use the carpet sweeper after dinner, then Grandpa could wipe crumbs on the floor to his heart's delight.

There was no need for an argument.

The benefits reaped far outweighed the dollars spent.  

Plus, my grandparents helped their girls open bank accounts and establish references and find better jobs in The City when it was time for them to move on  One of my favorite memories is of Daddooo taking me to visit Althea at the Chock Full O' Nuts in Manhattan.  She knew exactly what I wanted, and served it with a flourish.  I was so impressed by her real world job, and with my father's pride in what his parents had helped come to pass.

So, I told Gentle Ben that he was helping the local economy and that perhaps his extended family could gift it to them for birthdays and anniversaries and other gift exchanging occasions.  And then I went back to admiring my startling clean home.  The ladies were here on Sunday, and I've still not done more than make oatmeal in the kitchen.  It's just too pretty.

6 comments:

  1. There is nothing like coming home to a sparkling clean house after work. I haven't had anyone clean for quite a long time, but I having just completed spring cleaning I was certainly thinking next time this work is getting hired out!

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    1. Nothing like it in the world. I stand in awe of the vacuum lines in the carpets and make excuses to avoid stepping inside.
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  2. I clean almost every day of the week. We have cats so dusting and floors are a daily chore. I hate to have anything left out on counters or tables so always clear away, put away, clean. When the weather is lovely like now, I sweep the patio every day. Bathrooms get done twice a week. I beg Terry to clean the windows enough that he finally acquiesces once a month or so. Every time you write about the piles you produce around your house, I think you and Terry must have a common gene. It drives me crazy.

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    1. We do the in between vacuum, dust, counters and such, but the getting into the corners everyplace all in one day is beyond me. And I agree, the piles made the house look messier than it really was. I've come to appreciate my Visitor Ready At A Moment's Notice house!
      ab

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  3. I've never had a "maid" or house cleaner, but the time is coming when I might have to hire "the help". I have a clean appearing house because it gets cleaned every week by me and my husband, but having moved all of the furniture upstairs in preparation for new carpeting proves it never gets "deep" cleaning.

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    1. When I'm not hobbled by arthritis or surgery,when TBG's knee is doing well, we keep it very clean between visits fro the Tornadoes. But that down on your hands and knees, wiping the baseboards and the floor - I'm just not into it. The Tornadoes are, for sure.
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