The Latin version: I live by myself and I have a person who comes every week and cleans my place, does (part of) my laundry every two weeks. As gnat mentions, I *love* the scent of a clean place when I arrive home. Because this person comes every week, my apartment is never really messy. It is messy by my standards, but it takes me less than 20 minutes to put away documents, magazines and clothing. I do not tip, but give some sort of 'bonus' at Christmas time. She organizes my closet or the kitchen sometimes. A tidy, clean place is a relaxing place to me.

Another friend of mine (Italian... so true Latin background!) has the same person coming into her place twice per week. There are 4 people in her house.