Once a week cleaner/maid?

[LoriW]

I definitely don't need a full time maid, but I was wondering how common it is to have someone come in for a couple of hours a week to clean and iron also how trustworthy someone like this would be?

I hear so many horror stories about maids from my cousins - they have to take a week or two off work to train them, they get a bad one and they can't get rid of them, they get robbed etc etc.

I'm used to having a cleaner coming in for a couple of hours a week while we're out at work. When I explained this to my Singaporean cousins, they were horrified.

One cousin did have a "treasure" who was almost a member of the family but I see a lot of maids who are surly, don't speak English or plain bad at their jobs.

I'd like somoene like I have here in the UK - a mum wanting to earn a few extra pennies, someone starting up their own business but again needs a few pennies coming in. Does this exist in Singapore? My cousins tell me that "local" help is expensive - as opposed to someone coming in from the phillipines or indonesia.

I'm currently paying £16 a week for a cleaner to come in for 2 hours.

Would I be able to get something similar? OK, so I'm lazy, but I hate dusting!

[Saint]

I definitely don't need a full time maid, but I was wondering how common it is to have someone come in for a couple of hours a week to clean and iron also how trustworthy someone like this would be?

I hear so many horror stories about maids from my cousins - they have to take a week or two off work to train them, they get a bad one and they can't get rid of them, they get robbed etc etc.

I'm used to having a cleaner coming in for a couple of hours a week while we're out at work. When I explained this to my Singaporean cousins, they were horrified.

One cousin did have a "treasure" who was almost a member of the family but I see a lot of maids who are surly, don't speak English or plain bad at their jobs.

I'd like somoene like I have here in the UK - a mum wanting to earn a few extra pennies, someone starting up their own business but again needs a few pennies coming in. Does this exist in Singapore? My cousins tell me that "local" help is expensive - as opposed to someone coming in from the phillipines or indonesia.

I'm currently paying £16 a week for a cleaner to come in for 2 hours.

Would I be able to get something similar? OK, so I'm lazy, but I hate dusting!

If your cousins can't tell you the local going rate, use the search facility on the forum or there are loads of ads in the classified section.

To be honest, and a bit of advice, your continual postings saying just how much dosh you will be earning etc etc are wearing a bit thin and getting a little embarrassing to be honest.

[LoriW]

To be honest, and a bit of advice, your continual postings saying just how much dosh you will be earning etc etc are wearing a bit thin and getting a little embarrassing to be honest.

Good heavens!! Just as I was thinking what a lovely forum this was and how helpful and kind people were!

Thank you so much for the welcome Saint!

I'm certainly not bragging about how much "dosh" I'm earning etc - I certainly would not consider myself to be anywhere near a high earner - just someone who has worked pretty darn hard for a number of years and expects a little comfort out of life!

I'm a moderator on a totally unrelated forum and certainly would never have considered addressing a new member publicly in the manner I have been rebuked!

I may be familiar with Singapore as a visitor but not to live there. I certainly value the advice I have received in the last few days here from some very helpful and friendly people.[/list]

[sundaymorningstaple]

Lori,

Check out my links page in my signature. There are a number of businesses listed there that other have used with varying level of success (these were all recommended by various member of this forum over the years so I do not guarantee them personally nor their current levels of service.) With the disclaimer over, give 'em a try. Centre column, third from top.

[jpatokal]

I'm used to having a cleaner coming in for a couple of hours a week while we're out at work. When I explained this to my Singaporean cousins, they were horrified.

"Horrified"? This is very common in Singapore and there are dozens of companies that specialize in this. However, since maids can't legally work part-time like this, there are two ways to go about this:

1) Arrange with a maid/cleaning agency for a Singaporean, or the rare Filipino etc with WP/DP etc, to come over; costs a bit more, but quite safe. See SMS's post for some companies.

2) Find a maid who's willing and able to moonlight on the side for extra cash; technically illegal, so best arranged through a friend.

Rates start at about $10/hr, usually for a minimum of 4 hours.

[jpatokal]

moderator hat on

To be honest, and a bit of advice, your continual postings saying just how much dosh you will be earning etc etc are wearing a bit thin and getting a little embarrassing to be honest.

Saint, that was totally uncalled for. I suggest you apologize to LoriW.

Good heavens!! Just as I was thinking what a lovely forum this was and how helpful and kind people were!

LoriW, in the future, instead of feeding the trolls, please just ignore them and contact one of the moderators by private message if you think somebody is totally out of line.

moderator hat off

[aussie80]

heya, try domestic one - they're an agency who handles sourcing a maid and pairing her up with you. The upside is that if stuff goes missing or you're unhappy you can just contact the agency and have them handle it. It's a little more pricey and you need to pay an initial agent fee, but it doesn't sound like that'll be a problem. Most of the people here I know who've gotten an illegal maid on the downlow end up wanting to get rid of them after a few weeks.

[divaja24]

PLEASE let me clear up this thing..DO your place got any guard or security?? coz for your info before they allow visitor to your condo the guards usually take note your IC number or particulars im i rigth?? so why did your cousin did not report this to the authority?? they got HER IC or workpermitt easy right?? girl this is SINGAPORE no place to hide... PLEASE lah enough dont look down at them "maids" ...they helping you to make your life easy at the same time they got few "cents"....correct me if im wrong pleassssse

[carteki]

There are a couple of Singaporeans that do house cleaning for a couple of hours a week that don't work through an agency. Don't know how to find them though and from a friends experience she went through 4 in 2 years (they generally felt that doing the work they were paid to do was too much).

[sundaymorningstaple]

PLEASE let me clear up this thing..DO your place got any guard or security?? coz for your info before they allow visitor to your condo the guards usually take note your IC number or particulars im i rigth?? so why did your cousin did not report this to the authority?? they got HER IC or workpermitt easy right?? girl this is SINGAPORE no place to hide... PLEASE lah enough dont look down at them "maids" ...they helping you to make your life easy at the same time they got few "cents"....correct me if im wrong pleassssse

You are most definitely wrong. Often the maid and the guards are in cahoots with each other. Often times, the guards aren't even in the guardhouse as well. Additionally, the majority of expats do not live in condos with guards. So you are wroooooonnnnngggg.

[carteki]

[quote="sundaymorningstaple]
You are most definitely wrong. Often the maid and the guards are in cahoots with each other. Often times, the guards aren't even in the guardhouse as well. Additionally, the majority of expats do not live in condos with guards. So you are wroooooonnnnngggg.[/quote]

Actually a friend of mine was found out by the guards who wouldn't let the maid through without proof of employment...

[divaja24]

[quote="sundaymorningstaple"][quote="divaja24"]PLEASE let me clear up this thing..DO your place got any guard or security?? coz for your info before they allow visitor to your condo the guards usually take note your IC number or particulars im i rigth?? so why did your cousin did not report this to the authority?? they got HER IC or workpermitt easy right?? girl this is SINGAPORE no place to hide... PLEASE lah enough dont look down at them "maids" ...they helping you to make your life easy at the same time they got few "cents"....correct me if im wrong pleassssse [/quote]

You are most definitely wrong. Often the maid and the guards are in cahoots with each other. Often times, the guards aren't even in the guardhouse as well. Additionally, the majority of expats do not live in condos with guards. So you are wroooooonnnnngggg.[/quote]




Thanks for your opinion on that, but I don't agree with you about the maids and guards being in cahoots. (there may be a chance, but about 1 in a 1000?) How do you think the MOM will be able to find those maids working against the law? Since they're not allowed to work for another person while they're under employment?
I think the people who'd be taking part-time helpers are smart enough to ask for the maid/helper's IC. What do you think, sundaymorningstaple?

And besides, about the guards not in a guardhouse, usually there'll be two or three in a guardhouse. If there are no guards, won't the people living in that area complain to the management, or something?

[sundaymorningstaple]

80% of the population on this Island do not live in condo's at all. ergo, I would be willing to bet, considering the number of Singapore's living in condo's not all expats who have maids live in condos either. Therefore, must probably live in either landed properties or HDB properties. No HDB housing estates have guarded complexes therefore, most expats do not live in guarded facilities.

Soooooooooo, BBBZZZZZZZTTTTTT. Wrong. (or do you want to quantify your statements to ONLY include those Expats making in excess of 10K/mo? or "White", or some other type of measurement to ensure that you might have a chance of being correct with your all incompassing statement?

Which of these statements is probably correct...

All Condo's are only lived in only by expats.

All Expats only live in Condos.

All Singaporean only live in HDB Flats.

People in Singapore regardless of where they are from live wherever they can afford based on their salary, needs & comfort levels.

[divaja24]

very smart ...either the locals stay HDB or expat stay condo or landed property with/without guadrs thats their choice. the point is next time you take part time maid/helper be smart and ask for copy of their IC(for safety reason) and take this friendly advice dont ever take part time maid with employment pass coz thats illigal be safe take locals or PR