January 15, 2020. Playa Royale, Mexico. The Cleaning Lady.

The first thing she did when she arrived at 11:15 was to go to the balcony. This lady was special. Normally, when the cleaning lady arrives she strips the beds and removes the old towels before cleaning. This new lady spent one hour cleaning the balcony. First she swept the floor. Next she wiped every part of the railing. We have large sliding doors, all windows, so she washed them all, inside and out. She washed the tables and chairs. And finally she mopped the floor. The balcony was clean and it took her one hour to do it. I was impressed. Our condo gets cleaned once a week. The beds are changed as are the towels. I have watched this process for many years and I am always grateful that I do not need to clean condos for a living. It is hard work. The cleaning folks do not speak English, which is why they clean for a living. I always tip them well, usually at the beginning of their work. I had not seen this particular lady before and I was impressed with her work. Finally she completed her work but she did not leave until 4:15. I know she had already cleaned a smaller unit before she came to me but I was hoping she was finished for the day. I certainly was weary just watching her work. I am happy to be able to afford for folks to clean my homes. If I do not hire them and do the work myself I would deprive them of their salaries. And every time I see the cleaning lady come to clean, I am grateful that I do not need to do the cleaning myself. I was certainly impressed with the lady in Mexico who cleaned my condo. And I was grateful too.