All About Life Without Maids

[dasalo]

24hr-mum:

i hvnt found my ideal mop.

those spin n mop pail are usu v colorful and i prefer white pail, so havnt try that.
any recommendation for mop besides spin mop?

The best mop for me is the microfibre mop I bought from a HongKong lady that comes to my market periodically. It cost $10 per mop head and each head can last about 6 months if wash clean after each use. I normally change it only when it gets thin. I still find hand squeezing is best as I don't like watermark on my marble or parquet.

I've tried the Leifheit step pail with mop, everything fits perfectly except the dryness of the mop, so it's now a white elephant. I've tried the industrial mop squeezer, the ones you see at shopping mall is also not as ideal, another white elephant. So microfibre plus hand squeezing is still best for me. Is normal white pail available in the market? I've not seen one.

[Claudine Heng]

Hi all mummies,

New to this thread, but was glad to stumble when i was searching for electronics. Actually i think mummies here (with 2,3,4 kids) and FTWM without helpers are really very admirable. Kudos to all!

I have just given birth last year, employed a maid for my mum so she can helped to take care of bb, but somehow things changed and i am now a SAHM, but doing some part-time work @home, so i kept the maid so i can concentrate on the work.

My maid is very very very forgetful in certain things, which we call it \"selective remembering\". Things that are told by my DH (who is the $$$ giver), she will listen. For me, she will give me a black face everyday. If she is happy, she will talk to my son (who is now 18mos and super active). If that day she dont feel like it, she will just keep quiet and give everyone a black face, and sometimes my poor son will be talking (his own language) all by himself with no one responding to him. (as i will be working in the room with doors open, so i can hear).

She is now into her 15months, but i think her \"black face\" is getting worst and worst. And yesterday, she even forgot to put on diaper for my son after bathing!!!! I nearly faint! So i am really thinking of letting her go sooner than the contract.

As my son cannot be left alone for too long (max is 20mins), i need to cook for the family every night (coz DH and me prefers home cook food (with 1 meat and 1 soup), and i also need to cook for my son), can mummies here share with me:
1. Based on past experience, where do you put your kids if you need to cook in the kitchen or even when you need to bathe?
2. Do you clean up the whole kitchen everyday after cooking? including mopping the floor since it will be oily?
3. Is a dishwasher really useful? Does it take up too much electricity? I am trying to save some time, so that i can bring my son to playground for a while after cooking so he doesnt need to stay in the house all day long.
4. I have a slow cooker at home, does Thermal pot stays the same way or help me to save time as well?
5. I already have a Roomba at home, so that helps me in terms of sweeping the floor, but i would like to buy a good mop. Where can i buy the Spin and Go? Sounds like there are many good reviews on it.
6. Mircowave Oven (that has alot of facilities - bake, grill, etc) - any recommendations? Which brand and about how much? I probably need this so that i can heat up the leftovers for lunch, and also to use it to grill chicken wings, or pork chops (so i dont need to fry??)
7. How about Toilet? What do you use to scrub or maintain the toilet ceramic flooring? My toilet floor gets moudy within 2-3 days, any idea how and what i should use to keep the mould away?

My problem is actually the ironing. Sigh...either i outsource this or i do it myself. Minimally about 5 long sleeves shirts, 2 working pants (all DH stuff), 5 normal T-Shirts (both of us for weekend wearing) - i know its not alot, but i just hate ironing. For those of you that irons while sitting down, are all the ironing board can be lowered to that extend?

Really thanks in advance for the tips!!!

[24hr-mum]

first of all, i feel that mummies should not hire maids who cant cook.

i myslf wont, becos cooking is a major chore and i rather spend time wif kids than cooking. but of cos, there is always a risk of the maid not hygienic enuf, or poison ur food???
but then if the maid cant be trusted to cook with hygiene and without malice, the maid is generally not trustworthy and shdnt be kept.

try to get one who can cook. value for $ since u pay the same salary mah, whether the maid can cook or not.

black face is one emotional stress i cant take, and one of the factors that i send my maid away, though her black face is not all the time and generally she is ok. but emotionally i really dislike facing someone who give me that kind of look.

cooking time, try not to put ur kid in the kitchen as oil may splatter on him, pot may fall, he may touch the stove or pot handle etc plus floor is oily. try to let him watch tv when u cook if poss. if he really sticks to u, then let him play wif toys in the kitchen.

bathing wise, if its my younger one, she very sticky even when she is 4. if alone, i got to bring her to bathrm wif me

i hvnt try cooking yet, but i bought this kitchen wipe, gonna try on my glass hob and glass kitchen backing. glass is easier to clean than tile

thermal pot save electricity as after 10min cookg u can transfer the food into the thermal pot, no electricity needed as compared to slow cooker. and the pot supp to cook using retention heat

i dun hv microwave oven cos i scared of the radiation (is it cancer causing?). my mil used to have a toaster oven that can toast bread as well as grill meat (wrapped in foil).

i think the ironing board shd be able to lower to sitting height

[dasalo]

Welcome to the club of challengers! It's going to be tough but nevertheless with determination and will, you can do it. First 3 months is honeymoon, 6 months is a test, 9 months feels like climbing the wall and 12 months after , you've graduated! Part-time helpers really helps even though it's once a week(that's my off-day).

Claudine Heng:

1. Based on past experience, where do you put your kids if you need to cook in the kitchen or even when you need to bathe?

I put my child in the walker if she's awake and stays with me in the kitchen. If she sleeps, it'll be on mattress on the floor or play pen. Never on adult's bed. We bathe together.

2. Do you clean up the whole kitchen everyday after cooking? including mopping the floor since it will be oily?

Yes

3. Is a dishwasher really useful? Does it take up too much electricity? I am trying to save some time, so that i can bring my son to playground for a while after cooking so he doesnt need to stay in the house all day long.

I'm not too sure if it's useful as I find it does not suit my lifestyle as I need to get things done immediately. Water used is less but electricity should be more.

4. I have a slow cooker at home, does Thermal pot stays the same way or help me to save time as well?

Personally, I feel thermal pot is better. Saves electricity and gas though slow cooker does not take up lots of energy.

5. I already have a Roomba at home, so that helps me in terms of sweeping the floor, but i would like to buy a good mop. Where can i buy the Spin and Go? Sounds like there are many good reviews on it.

I am looking for one too. :oops:

6. Mircowave Oven (that has alot of facilities - bake, grill, etc) - any recommendations? Which brand and about how much? I probably need this so that i can heat up the leftovers for lunch, and also to use it to grill chicken wings, or pork chops (so i dont need to fry??)

Sorry, I hardly use Microwave.

7. How about Toilet? What do you use to scrub or maintain the toilet ceramic flooring? My toilet floor gets moudy within 2-3 days, any idea how and what i should use to keep the mould away?

I use floor cleaner like Ajax, Disinfectant Pine sol. General floor cleaners. Scrub once a week by part-time helper.

My problem is actually the ironing. Sigh...either i outsource this or i do it myself. Minimally about 5 long sleeves shirts, 2 working pants (all DH stuff), 5 normal T-Shirts (both of us for weekend wearing) - i know its not alot, but i just hate ironing. For those of you that irons while sitting down, are all the ironing board can be lowered to that extend?

I hate ironing too...and I have bad habits as I need to iron T-shirts too which is not necessary...I do ironing 2x a week with Laurastar S4 (super easy for biz shirts) mostly at night. A good steam iron can do the job too if cost is of concern. I don't iron well while sitting.

[24hr-mum]

how long does ur dryer take to dry a full load of clothes?

[24hr-mum]

hi mummies


i am now stil disorientated abt the daily routine and schedule.

check with u, what time do u turn on the washing machine for the day？
i turn on mine at 6am, and the cycle finishes at 730am.
then i transfer the clothes to the dryer. but my dryer is sensor type, u cant
choose the timing. if the clothes are not enuf, the dryer takes more than 2hrs also wont auto off.
how long does ur dryer take to finish a cycle?

what time do u on the dryer?

i am thinkg of separating the whites but i dont hv enuf load leh
unless one week wash once?

what is ur daily schedule like?

[24hr-mum]

is it enuf to mop just once a week, hee? (apart from kitchen, to mop after each cooking)


any recommendation for laundry hanging system?

[burp]

24hr-mum:

how long does ur dryer take to dry a full load of clothes?

2 hr for 7kg capacity dryer almost full of clothes. I sometimes hang up heavy items like towels, to reduce time.

[burp]

24hr-mum:

hi mummies



i am thinkg of separating the whites but i dont hv enuf load leh
unless one week wash once?

what is ur daily schedule like?

For us, it's one day a week , 2 load cycles to separate out lighter from darker clothing.

[burp]

24hr-mum:

is it enuf to mop just once a week, hee? (apart from kitchen, to mop after

We wear slippers in the living room and kitchen, so once a week is ok for us. Sometimes, just use dry mop only, and ad hoc cleaning of lizard shit with damp kitchen paper towel.