My lovely Dominican house keeper, has had a break down, not nervous, but physical. It couldn't have happen to a less deserving person, she was the back bone of her family (and mine I am learning) and she was a really lovely woman. Now I am in the slow, heavy-hearted process of finding a new one, but until then the task of sorting out my house has fallen to me, not a problem really until I was standing in the washing section of my local grocery store, when I realized that this was taking a rather longer time that was necessary. Then it hit me, I couldn't tell the difference between what what was laundry detergent, and fabric softener. And the mixes and scents were amazing. Apparently it has been a while since I bought this stuff( she keep the house stocked with LD as well) I remember it coming in one scent, with and without oxygen bleach! Then I went on to the cleaning supplies section, again the selection was over whelming, and baffling too. I didn't realize she used so many different products to clean stuff!  Ok armed with the several kilos of products I attacked the house, I was still at it at 7in the evening, I started at 11 in the morning, thinking it would be a couple of hours!! After finally finishing and falling exhausted into a chair, I started to wonder how the hell this woman cleaned my entire house did laundry, ironed, folded, put away, dusted, mopped, polished,  changed lined, cleaned stove, did windows, and my daughter's toxic waste dump of a room, in 4 1/2 to 5 hours!!! Simply amazing! I have a whole new appreciation for ladies doing domestic work.

But this whole situation made me realize how out of touch I had gotten, sometimes this work can become all consuming, especially when working at the back breaking rate I can drive myself at. We often forget to stop and smell the flowers and take a breath once and a while. We are only human after all.

Ok...why y'all gotta make me feel gay 

when I had my studio, every Friday night I would clean the floors, the bathroom, my laundry and cook...and still have time to party. If I was really energetic, I'd hose down the driveway and take my car for a wash as well lol.

I stayed with someone who had a maid before, and honestly I could do without it. The times I stay 2-3 days in hotels I hang up the do not disturb sign as I loathe having to get up and out of bed at 8 or 9 and then leave the room to do nothing. I stayed with someone and I ended up having to leave as the maids would be there for several hours cleaning.

I can do that myself! I clean as I go along so it doesnt pile up on me. P.S. the fabric softener says 'fabric softener', the laundry detergent says 'detergent' 

Thank you Emily, you know of what I am speaking. It is bloody confusing, and then there are all those enticing scents. I just want to bloody wash my clothes, not pass out from the fumes. Some of that stuff is heady when sniffed.
As to a housekeeper, she use to come in once a week. Usually when I was out anyway, so it wasn't a problem. I would leave a slightly disorganized rumble and return to a sweet smelling order house. Although, she did have the habit of not returning things to the same place, and especially in my daughter's room, so many times especially when she was younger, she would run in the room to me quite upset and say something along the lines of, "Mom where is so and so? I have been Martha-ed!"
Oh and Joey, you are gay! Kisses

Two bursting bubble tablets, some powder in one drawer section, and a generous glug of liquid in the other drawer bit. No idea if they are all doing the same job but better to have all bases covered! My laundry is cleeeeeean. Not to mention the fact that I nearly pass out from the fumes when I take them out of the machine.

and has St. Mary and Jesus on the bottle. WTF!?  

lol! for cleansing the soul, too? I need to get some of that!

You have a house keeper? Or rather had one?
What's that like??
It's about 10.30 am and I have changed the beds (all three of them - there was something disgusting underneath one of the kids beds, I can't go there, I am leaving it to magically clean itself up!) hoovered upstairs, done 2 washes, got them on the line, cleaned the kitchen, done the dining room, paid the milkman and got dinner going for tonight.
Where did I go wrong?
I want a housekeeper person too!
I don't understand your confusion between washing powder/liquid/tablets and fabric conditioner at all. It says on the box/bottle exactly what they are?!
Bless you all, I am sick with jealousy!
x

Oh Abby, no need to be sick with jealousy. I don't know what they cost in the UK is, but in Holland they are pretty inexpensive. A lovely South American cleaning dynamo cost between 10-12.50 and hour. Which is a BARGAIN, in my opinion. She does magic in 4 hours and poof is gone till the following week. so the 40-50 euros it costs me for the free time and peace of mind. I think is worth its weight in gold!

Oh the laundry detergent thing, well, in addition to cleaning she bought all the cleaning stuff, and stocked me up with extras for when she wasn't there. And I like an idiot threw away all the bottles, so I didn't know what she used and had to get some and was screwed if I knew what she use to buy, so I had to stand there an figure it out, and got distracted. Girl, I am not domesticated!

Oh I found out what the Linen water was! This is too funny! Apparently, it is a special blessing water to bring prosperity and money into the house! So, she diluted it and would iron my clothes in the stuff! Bless her!

I am not THAT bad, but it is a close thing!