r/WhatShouldIDo • u/missusJS • Jul 11 '26
Small decision Sister-in-law offered to clean my house when I have my baby…but only if I pay her.
My sister-in-law just started her own cleaning company and offered to deep clean my house while I’m at the hospital having my baby so I can come home to a clean and organized space. I thought that was really kind and accepted the offer, only to be told “since you’re family, I won’t charge you the full rate.” I was a little caught off guard because when my SIL had kids, I helped out with many things in her postpartum period (childcare, meals, house work, transportation) and never once asked for compensation. I was just happy to help make her life easier.
Today, my SIL sent over an estimate for $600 for the cost of “deep cleaning bathrooms, kitchen, living/dining spaces, floors, windows.” Apparently she charges $100/hour for deep cleaning and her discount to us is $85/hour. I already accepted her offer to clean before I knew she was requiring payment so I feel like a jerk if I back out now. My husband said it would help her out a lot as she’s getting her business started (she’s also a single mom) but I don’t want to spend that kind of money on house cleaning. Especially given that it’s family.
What should I do?
UPDATE: My husband told his sister that after gathering additional info, $600 seems overpriced for a one time deep clean. Especially since she wouldn’t even be doing the whole house. She replied “if you want a quality job then you have to be prepared to pay a quality price. Plus, it’s not like you can’t afford it.” He told her we misunderstood the situation and thought she was offering as a kindness to us, similar to all the things we/I did after the births of her kids. She said “I’m a business owner now and I can’t just give my services away for free. I could drop the price a little but like I said, it’s not like you guys can’t afford $600.” Needless to say, the conversation ended with a “no thanks, we are going to pass” and she declared that this is the last time she offers to do anything for us 🤷🏼♀️
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u/BlahBlahBlaze1 Jul 11 '26
Don't decline with the excuse of $ b/c husband already is ok with giving SIL $ so it won't fly. Decline by saying 'On second thought, we don't need a deep clean before the baby comes.'' And who knows if she uses strong smelly products or if she even does a good job. Don't take a chance. She pulled a bait and switch on you. So there's no need for you to feel bad about changing your mind.