All About Full-Time Maids

[peapot]

Even very experienced maid can still do things that is not right. For eg, my maid who has 6 years experience can still heat food up using stainless steel plate in a microwave. She can still damaged my blouse and leave a hole in it. So with every maid it’s still best to do a spot check once in a while to make sure the maid are on the right track.

[carebear]

peapot:

Even very experienced maid can still do things that is not right. For eg, my maid who has 6 years experience can still heat food up using stainless steel plate in a microwave. She can still damaged my blouse and leave a hole in it. So with every maid it's still best to do a spot check once in a while to make sure the maid are on the right track.

Oh dear peapot, did the microwave oven explode? My maid almost put a metal pot in it but I stopped her in time and I told her it might explode. She was also worried and has since been more aware of what goes in the microwave oven.

[jtoh]

I don’t think you should heat food up in a plastic bag. Even if the plastic doesn’t melt, it just doesn’t sound safe.


My maids used to keep food overnight in the rice cooker too. I think it’s acceptable in their culture bec that’s what they’ve been doing for generations and no one’s gotten sick. The difference is that their stomachs may be used to the bacteria that breed overnight while our stomachs aren’t. Even if the rice is for their own consumption I don’t like the idea of my rice cooker not being washed.

[peapot]

No carebear, I m surprised the microwave did not explode in her face!??

[Busymom]

carebear:

Busymom:

Thanks, carebear, for your advice on this.


The bun was actually meant for me as my maids are Muslims and they don't consume pork. It was actually from the fridge and I asked them to heat up cos' I didn't think the bun would be fresh the next day. However, they forgot to tell me that bun had been heated... I ended up looking high and low in the kitchen, only to find it in the rice cooker :roll: Had I not remembered about the bun and went to look last night, they probably would have given the bun to me this morning...

Have just told them the proper way to heat up food from the fridge should be over boiling water, not the keep warm function from a rice cooker.

You are welcome, busymom!
Ya, different standard of hygiene..... so must educate them.
Strange, how to heat up a bun in a rice cooker using the keep warm function?
And with the plastic bag around it somemore!

I think if left long enough, the bun will get warm in a rice-cooker, just not steaming hot. A bit like warming up milk from the fridge with a bowl of hot water???

[Busymom]

peapot:

Even very experienced maid can still do things that is not right. For eg, my maid who has 6 years experience can still heat food up using stainless steel plate in a microwave. She can still damaged my blouse and leave a hole in it. So with every maid it's still best to do a spot check once in a while to make sure the maid are on the right track.

But 6 years is quite long to still make this kind of mistake... one reason why I am wary of having a microwave at home.

[Busymom]

jtoh:

I don't think you should heat food up in a plastic bag. Even if the plastic doesn't melt, it just doesn't sound safe.

Exactly! Whether food heated up this way in a plastic bag is still safe to consume was my first concern. Hence I said that had I not found out at night, they could still have given the bun to me in the morning, and I would be eating it unknowingly...

jtoh:

My maids used to keep food overnight in the rice cooker too. I think it's acceptable in their culture bec that's what they've been doing for generations and no one's gotten sick. The difference is that their stomachs may be used to the bacteria that breed overnight while our stomachs aren't. Even if the rice is for their own consumption I don't like the idea of my rice cooker not being washed.

:hi5: That was the reason why I previously wanted them to scoop the rice to keep in fridge and wash the pot. Guess I was too soft. Now I have decided to insist... afterall if they use the leftover rice to cook fried rice, my DD could well end up eating it too... :scared:

[jtoh]

Does anyone know how I can bring in a maid from the Philippines directly without going through an agency?

[jtoh]

Anyone knows how long it will take to direct hire a maid from the Philippines now? 3 weeks or much longer with the new regulations in the philippines? Thanks.

[moom]

jtoh:

Does anyone know how I can bring in a maid from the Philippines directly without going through an agency?

Jtoh, I think the maid comes in through tourist visa n you have to get her a round trip ticket.. Unfortunately, she might get 'tekan' at airport by immigration.. Have read of some maids breaking down n crying n in the end, didn't get to leave country, money n time wasted. You will also have to go through the philippine embassy here to get a permission letter etc.

I considered this option but thought it too risky n leh cheh, so I went thru agent instead.

If you go ahead on your own, do let us know how it turned out.
Good luck !!