Losing your right arm…

We’ve made a huge decision. After eight very happy years in our home, we’ve decided to sell it. It’s time for a change. It goes on the market on Wednesday 29 April and I can’t wait to share the details with you, including how we are inching ever closer to our dream of moving permanently to our farm.

In the meantime, I’ve become like Lady Macbeth, wandering around the house clutching sugar soap, wailing frantically ‘Out damned spot, out I say’. And in what is exquisite (not) timing, my regular cleaner has had to return to the Philippines for three weeks. She gets back on the day of our first house open. For me, that’s akin to losing your right arm. Without her, but left with two smelly teenagers, two designer dogs who think they own the joint, one cat who likes to leave his hair on EVERYTHING, local storms that have trashed the garden, mounds of washing and a relative coming to stay, I’m fighting a losing battle and I need help.

And then, !poof! in a beautiful act of serendipity, a company called Helpling contacted me to let me know about their cleaning service. It’s kind of like the Uber of the cleaning world. All you need do is register with them online, type in your postcode, outline your cleaning needs and “et voila”, a local cleaner will come at the day and time you specify.

What I like about this service is that you can make it a regular booking or change it at any time to suit your specific requirements, such as needing to sugar soap your entire home. Or, if you just can’t bring yourself to clean out the fridge and oven yet again. Or, if your mother-in-law is coming to stay and she can see dust and grime that you never knew existed (or care about). Or, if you want to treat a friend who could do with a house elf for a day. And particularly like me, if you’ve momentarily lost your right arm and can’t do without it.

The rates are reasonable, all their cleaners (of which there are many) are qualified, have had all the requisite assessments (including a police check) and hold public liability insurance. You don’t pay until your service has been completed and you also have the option of rating your allocated cleaner. If you like them you can request them each time you use the service. If you weren’t that fussed, you can request someone else until the fit is right.

Finding a good, reliable cleaner is like striking gold. When you do, you hang onto them with grim determination. If I had a $1 for every friend who has asked if I know of one or whether they can ‘borrow’ my lovely cleaner, I’d be a rich woman. Now I know exactly where to send them.

To celebrate the launch of Helpling, they have given me a special promotion code for a complimentary one hour clean. Simply visit their site and enter Caro&Co415 and you’ll get a free 1 hour cleaning service. THIS OFFER HAS NOW EXPIRED.

You can find Helpling here. Give them a go. I did. ~ I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

Until next time…

This post is brought to you in partnership with Helpling.