Housekeeping Career Guide and Counseling

Question: How can i start my own housekeeping company ? I have worked in the hospitality an housekeeping business for more then 5 years iv worked in many different privet homes an well known Hotels, Now i would like to start my own maid service or housekeeping staff. what should i do to become manager of a high end Professional housekeeping business.

Answer: Write up a resume and advertise in local newspapers that cover the most area. In your ad you need to put that you have credentials.

Question: What are some housekeeping tips and secrets for non-domestic goddesses? I have suffered from depression for over ten years now and am starting to work on improving my life beyond it. One of my difficulties is motivating myself to regularly keep up with housework. What are some tips and suggestions that I can use to improve my housekeeping skills. I truly appreciate everyone's ideas. Thank you. Wow, these are all great ideas! I'm printing them out as they come in. Thanks a million and keep them coming.

Answer: I have 4 children and suffer with bipolar disorder so know all to well how it can all get on top of you. I always just do one room at a time even if that is just one room a day its better then nothing, try and keep the place you spend most the the time in clean so that it will not drive you to crazy because of the mess. Stay focused on one thing at a time. write a list of things you want to get done the night before and even if you only do 2 of the things on the list its better then doing none of them.

Question: May i knowe the housekeeping procedures that need to be performed on computer systems? I brought a new pc to my home. May i know the housekeeping procedures that need to be performed on computer systems please.

Answer: The first thing to do is invest in an efficient anti-virus system, if you haven't bought one with the PC. Norton/Macafee/AVG are some suggestions. Set up a good filing system on your machine so that you can retrieve information quickly. Do this with both your e-mail system and your off-line files Regularly clear out the cookies, temporary internet files and internet history. They gradually accumulate and take up disk space unnecessarily. From time to time clear out temp files. They show up with the file extension .tmp Periodically perform disk clean up and defrag to tidy up the way that information is stored on your drives. Regularly make back-ups of your important files. An external hard drive is one to do it. You can then store it separately from your PC so that if anything happens to the PC you still have access to the data you use. Let me know if you need more information on how to carry out any of these tasks.

Question: What are the tips for good housekeeping? I would like to keep my office with good housekeeping. Tips please.

Answer: The number one piece of advice I have is don't let it get away from you. Don't let the clutter begin and keeping it tidy is a snap. Put things back where they belong right away. Toss out/shred junk paperwork as soon as it hits your hands. Straighten up your work area at the end of the day and when you come in the next morning you won't walk in to chaos.

Question: where can i find listings for housekeeping positions, in hotels downtown? I do not see anything listed of housekeeping in your category, why is that?

Answer: Check your local newspaper in the "Want Ads".

Question: What is the proper tip to leave for housekeeping at a motel? We stayed at an older motel on Route 66 in Missouri from late Wednesday night till Saturday morning. There was an envelope left for a tip for housekeeping. The rent was $65.00 a night and all they did make the beds (not change the bedding), empty the trash and replace used towels. What would the proper tip have been?

Answer: I always leave a tip for housekeeping if they do a good job. Minimum $2, max $5 is fine.

Question: How much should I charge to do general housekeeping for homes? I would like to start my own business doing general housekeeping for homes and possibly running errands along with it but I'm not sure how much I should charge. Any ideas on what the standard is?

Answer: Rates will vary depending on the area you are in and how professional your business is. You do need to find out what the price range is there and adjust your prices according to that. You want to make a profit, so don't foget to figure all costs: supplies, gas and car expenses, your time, etc. It is better to get paid by the job instead of by the hour. You will get better as you become more experienced and it won't take as much time to do the same job. You can also check with local colleges or small buisness groups for guidance in getting started. Good Luck!

Question: What is considered poor housekeeping? My house I try to keep clean,but no matter what I do they onsider it poor housekeeping, and a health hazard. I have a disablity.

Answer: Poor housekeeping is not doing your dishes or not thoroughly washing out your kitchen sinks, not wiping out your bathroom sinks of toothpaste or anything else that is visible, having fuzz or noticable dirt on your carpet and floors (vacuum and sweep at least twice a week), not scrubbing your toilet at least once per week, having trash that smells, having dust so thick you can leave fingerprints, etc. An easy method to keep your home clean is get some Clorox wipes or bathroom sanitizing wipes. Wipe out your sinks daily with these as well as the toilet seat to keep your bathroom sanitary...just keep the wipes on the counter. I do this in my kitchen also. Dust, sweep, check for cobwebs, take out the trash, and vacuum as neccessary.

Question: How can I make housekeeping less of a challenge? How can I make housekeeping less of a challenge for me, Im bipolar and I don't really get motivated to clean although I need to and I also don't have a very long attention span in order to get it all done, what would be a simpler way to do things without driving myself crazy??

Answer: Check out flylady. I am ADHD. House cleaning can quickly get away from me and that site with the emails really can keep me on track. Even if I hit a stretch where I am not keeping up the site helps me pick back up where I left off. They not only help keep you on track with cleaning but meal planning, bill paying, and your health and beauty routines. Flylady might feel a little juvenile at first but if you just give it a try you'll see that the system works.

Question: How do the hotels housekeeping record the attendance of Employees and how? what are the common system of hotels housekeeping dept.nowadays use to record the attendance of its employees and how? can someone discuss this for me thank you!

Answer: They can us some type of sign in and sign out sheets or a time card./

Question: What should I wear to my job interview for a housekeeping position? I have a job interview tomorrow for a housekeeping position at a hotel and have seriously no idea what to wear. I have more corporate type clothing but I feel that is majorly over dressing. Any suggestions would be great! Thanks in advance guys.

Answer: Why is it over dressing? At any job interview, you are judged on not only how you respond to interview questions, but also on your appearance. It doesn't matter if you're applying for a job as a bank teller or a janitor....look professional, neat and clean. That means men should wear a nice business suit, slacks/shirt and tie, etc. and women a suit, dress, skirt and blouse, etc. Right now with unemployment rates as high as they are there is serious competition for employment. Do what it takes to be the one that makes the best impression.

Question: How much to tip hotel housekeeping service? I've been a couple nights at a hotel, checking out tomorrow. How much should I tip the housekeeping service? The maids are women of color.

Answer: Color has NOTHING to do with their tip... SERVICE does. $1-$3 per day depending on the amount of mess and the grade of the hotel, more ($5-$10 a day) for high-end hotels. Leave the tip someplace where it's clear that it's a tip -- on the pillow or on the desk with a note. (see link below) Have a polite day.

Question: What is the tip for weekly housekeeping at a hotel? I'm staying in an efficiency hotel for a month. Once a week, housekeeping is included. They change the sheets and put down new towels. I think they vacuum too. It's not a fancy hotel. The room rate is about $50/night. What would be the appropriate tip for the housekeeper, if any.

Answer: i wouldnt give them anything. they probably wouldnt take money that you left out for them, stealing (hint hint).

Question: What forms and steps would be involved to start your own housekeeping business in Oregon? I have a great friend that does housekeeping for a motel chain, and she would like to be self-employed and clean houses for individuals. I would like to be able to give her some advise about business licenses, insurance, advertising. Thank you for taking the time to answer. Even if you can only tell me about part of the question.

Answer: Hi, I am not from Oregon, but the state shouldn't matter a lot. First, she should contact a lawyer and setup a corporation. This should cost more than a few hundred dollars and will protect her assets. The lawyer can advise her to state specific regulations (which is why I said it shouldn't matter a lot.) After she legally sets up the business, she should start a business bank account. This is free and takes only a few minutes. She will want to keep all her finances separate. If she is technical, she could user QuickBooks to keep her expenses or hire a bookkeeper. If she ever grows to the point of hiring employees, definitely let a bookkeeper manage the money. It's not that expensive, and it is a preventative cost since your accounting bills will be much lower at tax season. Insurance is another story. When you own a small business, you can get health insurance for yourself. The major insurance providers realize there is a niche for this. Just work with an agent and let them know that she is starting a company and already been through the necessary steps. While working with the insurance agent, you can also get insurance on your service. This protects you from breaking items or if some one needs to file a claim against the company. I actually anticipate this figure to be fairly high. She should definitely look at something with a high deductible/high cap. This would probably give her the best protection at the most reasonable price. Advertising. If you live in a major city, you could try CraigsList. If you live in a smaller town, the local newspaper are fantastic. Once she gets a few clients, she will get referrals if she is good. She could also, print business cards and give existing clients $25 off if they recommend a friend. Good Luck,

Question: Carpet cleaning and housekeeping services - Are they worth the money? I'm contemplating on getting my carpet cleaned house cleaned before I sell my house. Are carpet cleaning and housekeeping services worth the money, or can I do just as good a job myself? I don't want to pay someone to clean, and then end up having to clean where they left off. Also, how much should I expect to pay to have my 1,800 sq.ft. house cleaned and its carpet cleaned? Thanks a million!

Answer: yes it is worth it if it is going help to sell the house

Question: How much would you pay for a professional massage & housekeeping services? In a 3-3.5 hr time frame, how much would you pay for a 1 hr massage from a licensed massage therapist, followed by housekeeping services for the remaining 2-2.5 hrs (1 person does everything)? What housekeeping services would you like done in the 2-2.5 hrs?

Answer: Probably close to 200 dollars.