I finally have had my shot with 2 homes but I have some questions.
Would anyone will be willing to share their thoughts with me?

I'm a clean freak and deep cleaner.
The concept of a light clean makes no sense to me.

These homes are very nice and very large in a country club like setting.
I work for 6 -6.5 hours, hard labor with no breaks.
Im being paid what the last gal made $60 (one client adds $15 making it $75 thank goodness, but will she do that everytime??)

The last gal did not spend 6 hours like I do?
I can also see where she clearly skipped areas?
But she was professional, and well liked.
So maybe she understood what light clean means at $60???

Can I still do this and do it my way? Meaning deep cleaning?

Also:
How do you clean these new huge showers made if rough rock?
The mantles are the same rock and shred my dusters?
The professional installed indoor shutters keep dust no mater how much I dust them? Do I scrub them each time? Thats a 3 hour job alone?
The master baths take 3 hours to get sparkling? Not sure what to do about that?

Will the one house with 2 dogs ruin my non animal Dyson?
Will the hairs contaminate my home?
My baby is SEVERLY allergic to dogs/cats?

What about the huge Lands End dog beds covered in deep hair?
Its odd lying that thing back down on a wood floor I just made spotless?

What about bathroom rugs covered in hair?
Can I toss them in the dryer on air cycle?
I did this yesterday but was that really ok?

I simply cant believe the girl before did backbreaking work for $60 in these sort of mansions?
I called around today and everyone is getting $100 + for those places?

I even have to use my own chemicals because clients just leave small bottles of this or that?

Im so thankful to out my clean freakness to work, and a little spending $ is nice.
but I want to do right by myself as well as the client :D

Yes, the dog and cat dander will be a problem for your child. You might want to have your own household vacuum and not use it on clients' homes. Or use the clients' vacuums.

Tell your clients which cleaning supplies you want and what to buy for you, including any special mops or dusters and agree as to where they will be stored. Also ask the client to have a sack of clean rags for you every time you come. At the end of the cleaning day, put the rags by or in the washing machine for her to run them as she likes--no fabric softener.

I found out more info too.
Since the local lady, who worked for PENNIES for 9 years has retired early, these folks are getting estimates from local people I spoke with today.
These families were so used to the old gal they are SHOCKED at todays going rate.
They say no...... hire others...... who do nothing, then call back and pay the going rate.

Its amazing how one person who major underbids can skew a whole town for a decade!
No one I spoke with today would clean these homes for $60 and they only clean for 2 hours or so.

I can't believe I did 6 hours...but I really take pride in shiny sparkly houses...
I think Im just not cut out for working cheaply though.

Heavens, no! You take the round brush attachment to the Dyson and vacuum the dust off them. And I'm not even sure I would do it every week.

This attachment would cover more area:

This is about getting me following her EXACT requests, not trying to skimp.

The doc asked me to move all her furniture and vacuum and mop.
Same with the whole house.
I did ONLY what she asked.
Heres the thing I actually DID what she asks where other cleaning ladies did what they could get away with.

Some others I have spoken with quickly run a rag over the whole house, where I did what was asked, scrub.

In what state do you live? $60 has not been the going rate since the late 60's! I don't know how to post the various links but just type "eteinne" in the search box at the bottom of the page. There are 2 on which I have posted. 1 is "How much do you pay for house cleaning?" and the second is "How do you tell an existing client you want to raise the rate?" Read them and I think U won't have a moments hesitation about the increase in your price. If you do a good job they will pay!

I have just re-read those posts and there is 1 family I have been working 4, 20 years. I thought that it was 17 years. That's a long time for a cleaning person. The 1 son just turned 21 so this just dawned on me. He was just born when I started there. None of these kids have ever known another cleaning person with the exception of my self. I just told the kids that if anyone was cleaning at this place things would have to change. The 2 boys leave all of the $ around all over the place. There was $4,000, in Mike's bedroom! On the floor, on the dresser, in the garbage, etc. I counted it all out and placed rubber bands around the various bills and put them into a "Zip Lock" bag. Mike has yet to go to the bank! I just don't get this at all?!

Steve

I have been a stay at home mom/housewife for 15 years and will just go back to that.
I assumed my cleaning obsession would be a good thing for others.
I'm done with this little experiment :D

I have learned keeping a spotless home does not mean you should be a housekeeper for others LOL.

Rather than a stable of regular clients who you work for weekly, promote yourself as a "Deep Cleaning Professional." Your market would be rental agents, people about to move into a new but used house, and people who normally clean their own houses but every once in a while want it really clean. You could offer spring cleaning, pre-Christmas cleaning, pre-sale cleaning or pre-special occasion cleaning.

You would charge twice the hourly rate of the people who do surface cleaning, and my guess would be that people would be willing to pay that amount because it isn't weekly.

I got an unusual call this week.
Im sort of worried It will be the same thing all over again.
It was the sweetest little retired lady. She hired 2 people before calling me and practically begged to hire me.
I told her I would do it once and then we can both see what we think.
I will also do the neighbors house.
They live in one story retirement homes and it pays the same as the mansion did :O

I may just do these homes only.
It would be 4 times a month total.
I KNOW I will spend too long there...thats just how I clean....
But she was SO sweet..I felt bad saying no right off the bat.....
They have health issues and just can't clean like the used to etc..

Of course, I still saw things that were missed, but I am so grateful for all the things that WERE done, like the absolutely spectacular job she did on the tile in my shower.

I wish I could find someone who could help me get back on track here, but so far, when I ask around, all I get are the teen daughters of friends who want to make a little money. And while I can appreciate that they want to work a bit to earn some cash, I really prefer someone who is competent in what they're doing. :)

Sounds like your two newest prospects will work fine for you. Best of luck!

I pay my housekeeper $60 ... that's for three hours, and she does the following in a 2200 sq foot house every other week:

1 - Thorough clean the bathrooms and kitchen (one bathroom is seldom used)
2 - dust everything (this is AZ)
3 - vacuum and mop all floors (all tile)
4 - scrub kitchen floor thoroughly
5 - clean all counters and sinks
6 - One or two "extras" ... like a deep clean of the baseboards, washing some windows, whatever hasn't been done recently. This fills out the three hours, then she leaves.