Growing up in India, we had a maid come home twice a day to do the dishes, wash clothes, sweep/mop the floor and sometimes even run some errands. After moving to the United States, it has been different. Weekends are the days we clean the house and do the laundry. All by ourselves. We have to clean up the mess we sometimes make. One way the slipshodiness has vanished and we are becoming more meticulous. We have become the DIY guys (not the American punk rock album!).

The remodeling has left behind a lot of dirt. Unfortunately my DIY skills are not sufficient to get great results in a relatively short time. So, for the first time I hired a housekeeper. Nadia. An adept Russian, who is good at what she does and is very reasonable( $20/hr). Reasons why I will hire her again if need arises:

* No language barrier; can speak good English.
* Reasonable rate.
* Brings all the cleaning supplies - one for the granite, one for glass, one for stainless steel appliances, one for the sink, one for the wooden floor, heavy duty cleaning agent for highly stained surfaces.
* Displays the same enthusiasm even at the end of the day.
* Cleans until am satisfied :)

Me: I want you to first wipe the counter tops....then wipe all these things coated with dust and place them on the counter. Next, clean the cooking range, the cabinets, the windows, patio door, bla bla bla......

Nadia: Alright.Let me get all my stuff from the car and get started!

And in five hours, my house was habitable.

Aaah, the luxuries of having a maid!