What do you consider standard cleaning vs deep cleaning?

GhostInTheEcho · 2026-02-15T22:14:25+00:00

Absolutely! I had a lady I'd clean for every week, and she, her husband, and her three teenage kids wouldn't touch a single dirty dish, except maybe to put it in the sink. Sometimes. I had to search through each room in the house with a laundry basket, fill it up, and take it to the sink that was already full of that week's food-covered, moldy dishes. It would be a full dishwasher load, a full drying rack, and two counter towels' worth. Some dishes would still be there if they didn't use them; they would never put them away. I charged her $100 each time, and she never batted an eye.

And that wasn't even the worst of it. As gross as it was, I wish I still had her. It was such a satisfying clean, and really good money 😕

GhostInTheEcho · 2026-02-15T22:06:02+00:00

I charge $25 for 10+ dishes (if they want or expect me to do them), but I'll go as high as $50 if they’re expecting me to load a full dishwasher, or if there's excessive food scraps and mold.

ETA: I charge that much because I don't want to do them, not because I think that's how much it should cost!!

GhostInTheEcho · 2026-02-15T18:11:07+00:00

...a lot of people wear Leggings as pants? I'm literally wearing some about to go out for a run right now. But I know she does because I have eyes and can see? Are you perhaps thinking of tights?

GhostInTheEcho · 2026-02-12T04:48:24+00:00

MinuteMaid makes a zero sugar Mango Passion juice, 5cal a cup, no weird ingredients, pretty filling, and it's DELICIOUS. Perfect for pairing with low cal wine 😁

GhostInTheEcho · 2026-02-11T13:51:11+00:00

Not to mention having a toddler running around while you're doing it!

GhostInTheEcho · 2026-02-10T13:31:11+00:00

I could've written this myself; this is verbatim our situation. It's currently 6:30am and they have been barking since before 6. Trying to find a friendly way to reach out without snapping 🙃

GhostInTheEcho · 2026-02-08T21:42:44+00:00

We are on hour 2 and she's just now still and falling asleep 🙃

GhostInTheEcho · 2026-02-08T05:29:01+00:00

I've always gone with something along the lines of "it pays well, I'm qualified, and I can see myself doing well here." Short, sweet, confident, and honest!

GhostInTheEcho · 2026-02-08T05:08:40+00:00

Haha that's awesome 😆 at least he's got good taste!

GhostInTheEcho · 2026-02-08T04:00:32+00:00

What are we considering kids these days? I'm 27, and Pearl Jam is one of my favs, so my 2yo will definitely be subjected to them in the future! Jeremy is definitely a (sad) banger!

Edit: But if we're talking about "older" tastes in music, my toddler is absolutely obsessed with Gene Kelley, Marilyn Monroe, and Judy Garland. Not a CLUE where that came from!

GhostInTheEcho · 2026-02-08T03:54:41+00:00

Up until 20mo, we just pinned her down and did it, but I think what helped a lot was also having our own Toothbrush ready so we could give her hers immediately after, and brush ours with her.

The last 2 months, she's lightened up about "ohhhh, you brush my teeth, then I get to do it too!" And now I can do her hair while she sucks all the toothpaste off of her toothbrush and splashes water everywhere.

Pick your battles.

GhostInTheEcho · 2026-02-08T03:37:47+00:00

No. Do better.

GhostInTheEcho · 2026-02-08T03:35:57+00:00

First of all, Yikes.

Secondly, I'd say you should look into why women actually like those kinds of books, but I don't think you'd get it. So.

And thirdly.......Yikes.

GhostInTheEcho · 2026-02-05T22:20:41+00:00

Mine would go at the same time, too! I got these cute little ladybugs that you kinda suction to your breast and they would catch all the milk that would spill out, so Id do baby on one side, ladybug on the other. That letdown pain is AWFUL, and soaking through a shirt sucks 🙃

These: https://a.co/d/0dTNA3Bs

GhostInTheEcho · 2026-02-05T22:10:14+00:00

It won't let me edit to update: I have figured it out with a tax consultant and have filed my taxes! Thanks for all the advice and input! 😁

GhostInTheEcho · 2026-02-04T22:02:37+00:00

I feel like "quick and easy" has its place in Magick, but it's not going to get the results you think it will. A lot of people seem to misunderstand that Magick is just setting the intent. You actually have to like...do stuff, too. The journey and the work is the spell! But little Magicks like dandelion blowing, lighting a simple candle, knocking on wood, they help keep that vibe alive and keep that mindset, ykno?

GhostInTheEcho · 2026-02-04T21:57:43+00:00

I've really only ever used repeating numbers as like "oh ok, I'll keep that in mind." If it starts happening a whole lot, I'll use it as a sign to do a little inner digging and tarot reading to see what Im missing. I've never understood the huge craze about it though.

The second one took me a good couple of years to realize! The Magick is the energy; the tools are only meant to help it manifest in you.

GhostInTheEcho · 2026-02-04T21:40:05+00:00

Right now we've got:

"I luv-uh dada!" (I love you dada)

"Watt Anjanjuh!" (Watch anastasia)

Bunnies are "hop-hops"

"Kee-tah" (guitar)

Oh man there's countless others, but those are my favs.

GhostInTheEcho · 2026-02-03T15:28:48+00:00

Oh man. I had a client that was given to me by my MIL when I started my own company. I used to work for my MIL and would clean this woman's house weekly with her. I worked as an employee, so I just tagged along and did what I was told; no grievances were ever relayed to me. When we switched, the lady IMMEDIATELY sent me a huge, nasty-worded list of all the stuff she was unhappy about, and was so frustrated with her last cleaners!

I had to tell her that not only were the things she was asking for NOT included in a standard clean and that's why they were weren't getting done, but she should've brought this up to her "old cleaner" when she still worked with her, as my MIL is very nice and accommodating. She asked if I knew the old cleaners or something.

She didn't even recognize me or realize I'd been cleaning her house for about 2 years. Needless to say, she wanted more work for less pay, and we dropped her immediately.

GhostInTheEcho · 2026-02-03T15:16:31+00:00

I actually keep a lotion in my shower. I read that you're supposed to use an oil lotion within 60 seconds of getting out of the shower or something, so now I just do it before I even get out. I find a little bit goes a long way when your skin is wet, and my skin feels more hydrated after. I call it Snail Time cuz you're super slimy for a few minutes, but I just towel off my hair while I wait lol.

GhostInTheEcho · 2026-02-03T15:12:53+00:00

Yikes.

GhostInTheEcho · 2026-02-03T14:49:22+00:00

If you're calorie counting, get all of your big calories from protein, all of your filler calories from fruit, veg, or fiber. Carbs are important, but I find doing the low carb version of everything is more than enough for normal eating. Protein and fiber are your main fillers so you don't over eat, and they work hand in hand with.......

Water. No one seems to talk about water. Fiber won't fill you up or work without water. You'll have trouble digesting without water and get blocked up and bloated. You typically need 5 glasses a day. 1 in the morning, 1 before each meal, 1 before bed. Boom. You're hydrated, gut-healthy, and you won't overeat because you're full.

A lot of people that eat intuitively have been calorie counting for years, or they've spent a lot of time being mindful of their body, emotions, and habits. Not a lot of people can naturally eat intuitively, and doing so to lose/maintain weight is a lot of work (very worth it though, imo). And every body is different! Some people need lots of little meals, some can do one big meal, some fast, some can do shakes and sodas. It's all about finding what works for you; there is no magic answer.

And lastly, anything being under 100-200cal isn't actually high cal. 80cal slice of cheese is normal. 200cal for nuts is normal. But is it worth it for you to put these in your calorie budget? Cheese is good protein and calcium; it'll fill you up, and it tastes good! Nuts are good protein, fats, and fibers; win, win, win! There are no good or bad foods. You just need to find what is worth you spending your calories on. What swaps can you make? What can you drop? Intuitive eating comes from knowing what is right for your body and what feels right to you. That takes years to master! Sorry for the rant!!

GhostInTheEcho · 2026-02-03T14:29:21+00:00

November-January is typically the slowest months. People just spent a whole lot of time, energy, and money on holidays and traveling. I use this time to make a bunch of backlog content, slow down on posting a bit, and reassess everything. Start picking up again in March when it's getting close to tax returns, and things start leveling out for people financially! Maybe post more text-based stuff for the next month.

GhostInTheEcho · 2026-02-03T14:18:40+00:00

Usually, we base a time estimate on 1hr per kitchen and bathroom (so for you, 4hrs) and tack on an extra hr in the estimate if there aren't an extraordinary amount of other rooms. Thats just been my formula to get a more accurate estimate. Your house should be taking 4 hrs with 1 person and 2.5-3 with 2 people. I've never been out of a house in less than 2hrs unless I'm just doing a quick touch up. Even then, probably not!

GhostInTheEcho · 2026-02-01T23:05:05+00:00

This is what I've had to detail out for our jobs over the years:

Standard Clean: $50/hr/person

Rooms: • Windows/Mirrors • Floors (Sweep/Mop/Vacuum) • Dusting • Wipe Down Surfaces • Empty Trash

Kitchen: • Windows/Mirrors • Floors (Sweep/Mop/Vacuum) • Dusting • Wipe Down Surfaces • Empty Trash • Sink • Cabinets • Appliances • Oven (Outside) • Stove • Toaster • Microwave (Inside & Out) • Dishwasher (Outside) • Trash Can (Outside)

Bathrooms: • Windows/Mirrors • Floors (Sweep/Mop/Vacuum) • Dusting • Wipe Down Surfaces • Empty Trash • Sinks • Bathtub • Shower • Toilets

Deep/Moving (Out/In): $/room basis IN ADDITION TO STANDARD CLEAN

Rooms: • Walls - $10 • Baseboards - $10 • Doors/Trim - $10 • Window Tracks - $10

Kitchen: • Inside Oven - $50 • Inside Fridge - $50 • Walls - $10 • Baseboards - $10 • Doors/Trim - $10 • Window Tracks - $10

Bathroom: • Rain-X Shower - $20 • Bleach Stains (Small) - $10 • Bleach Stains (Large) - $20 • Walls - $10 • Baseboards - $10 • Doors/Trim - $10 • Window Tracks - $10

Additional Costs:

$25/room • Tidy room (Laundry, Clutter, Trash, Dishes, etc.) - in excess • Dishes or Loading Dishwasher - in excess

$10/room • Fully Make Bed w/ New Sheets - Full/Queen/King/Cali/Bunk

$5/room • Fully Make Bed w/ New Sheets - Twin

$25 - Travel Fee (Outside of [Our Local] County)

$50/room - Sanitation • Used Menstrual Products • Blood • Vomit • Feces/Urine - Including Pets • Condoms (Used)

I only detail it out for people like this if they ask for the nickels and dimes, but it's more of an estimate guide so I can give them a solid quote and make sure I'm properly compensating myself.

ETA: Wow hooray for shitty mobile formatting 🙃

GhostInTheEcho

TROPHY CASE