And it’s worth examining your expectations too. I figure it’s gonna take some time to find the right person - you wouldn’t buy a pair of shoes without trying them on, right? Same with help. It’s just part of the process.

As for the housekeepers, I went through a whole lot of them, too, until I learned to lower my standards and decide what was really worth stressing about. I just decided that as long as they kept the floor and bathrooms clean and got rid of the visible dust, and didn’t gripe when I asked them to take care of something I’d noticed needed extra attention (would you please get the ceiling fans today? Could you be sure to get in between the counter and fridge, it seems like it needs attention) I was not going to hyperventilate about it. Result: the house is good enough, and I’m satisfied. I’ll stress about the wording of a contract being perfect, not a few dust bunnies or someone missing the dust on the backsplash.

The perfect is the enemy of the good. But that’s just me.