How do you judge if you need a cleaner?

[MadameDD]

I work full time, have a DH and DD4.5 and a 5 bedroom house. I'm newly pregnant so we'll be 4. Also have a cat but he doesn't shed much hair.

Right now I hoover etc as I go and sometimes DH does it too. Bathroom and kitchen are on weekends. However, I'm getting sick of cleaning all the time and DH doesn't mind if the house is a tip or not, whereas I do.

DD has a childminder who sometimes drops off, always does pick up etc but has said she would do some cleaning for us if we wanted it.

I'm really tempted to say yes, she cleans for others and is £10 per hour which I think is really reasonable. DH will most likely whinge about the cost but there's no way I want to do it all myself, plus we're getting a lodger in the attic bedroom space soon to save money so we could certainly afford a cleaner.

Ideas/opinions? Rules to lay down? If I had a cleaner I'd want them to be as thorough as I am and put on washing loads etc? Do they do this?

Everyday stuff like cleaning up after the cat (he's a really messy eater and his food spills out of his bowls all over the place) unless it was cleaner's day, I would still do.

Thanks all - advice would be appreciated!

Well first of all, I see your childminder a proper childminder? Will she be planning to do the cleaning while also looking for your daughter?

Secondly all cleaners are different. They are either self employed so set their own rates and what they’re willing to do. Or they’re agency and their employer sets their rules.

Your cleaner isn’t agency so it would be up to her what she is prepared to do. I’m a cleaner, I change beds, do laundry, ironing etc but I don’t clean ovens which some people do ask for. I just don’t do them. A pro oven clean is minimum £30 for 45 minutes work.

£10/hour is a steal.

• Can you be arsed cleaning?
• Can you afford it?

If you answer no to the first and yes to the second, get a cleaner.

That's basically how I did it

Seriously though, it's the best money I spend.

It’s a two step process

1. Am I a loving being?
2. If yes-then I make mess and need a cleaner

In no-then I don’t make mess and don’t need one

Obviously the vast majority can do it themselves if needs must but if you can afford to have someone else do it for you then why would you do it yourself?

*living

Oh god why would you NOT have one, more like!

If you're time-poor and not on the breadline then don't even agonise over it.

What kind of lodger do you think will want to share a house with a new born baby ?

What parts of the house will the lodger share with your family ? Will the lodger clean her own room and share some of the cleaning of the rest of the house?

If you’ve found a cleaner who will clean after 3 adults, a child, a baby and a cat for £10 and hour then you are very lucky. I pay £12/ hour and no pets , laundry or tidying.

If I had a cleaner I'd want them to be as thorough as I am and put on washing loads etc

I don't think it's normal for a cleaner to do the washing, but you can ask her to do anything you like and it's up to her to agree. Some change beds and do ironing, but again, that's probably subject to agreement - many people wouldn't want a cleaner changing their bed or doing their washing. And if you don't have much cleaning to worrry about, it's probably a lot easier to get on with the washing.

I would have thought that they clean the kitchen adn bathroom, floors, dusting, wiping door handles etc, maybe windows occasionally or anything else to keep the house clean. But you'd obviously have to tidy before she came as she won't know where things live, and it would take up cleaning time.

Gosh, I would absolutely get a cleaner in your position, if you can afford it. Working full time, pregnant and with a 4-year-old - you must be exhausted.

£10/hr sounds reasonable. It doesn't matter if this is cleaning for one adult or a whole family - the latter will take longer, so she will earn more.

My only concern would be that, if this lady does not clean to your standards and you have to let her go, it could be awkward having her as your childminder. The relationship would have soured, and that would be a shame if she's a good childminder and your DD is happy with her.

ILoveMaxBondi

Sorry - didn't make this clear - childminder looks after some children during the day but has a few mornings/afternoons free as she prefers it this way, she has proposed to come in one of those mornings so not doing it the same time as minding my DC.

I thought £10 per hour was a steal too - we're in SE London - I thought more £12?

IMOGEN - our lodger is actually a friend who's in PR - she's out a lot of the evenings and was planning to rent Monday to Friday and stay at her SO's house most weekends. She's happy to share with a newborn and my DD - she's godmother to DD too so win win.

Ok - how about £14 per hour then for cleaner?

theconstantinoplegardner - I've never been big on cleaning anyway but I do do hovering etc, as I go. I'm only 6-8 weeks pregnant right now anyway but not too tired. My DD is surprisingly tidy too and puts her own toys away in her toybox after use etc without much prompting. I'm not overly concerned about lines being blurred between childminder/cleaner - should I be? she's a great childminder doesn't mind that many other DC apart from mine and a few others as she's a DM (mum) herself but she's really nice.

BarbaraofSeville - the childminder I use doesn't clean for anyone else now but has in the past - she's happy to do it for me for extra cash and is quite thorough herself - she's said she'll do what I ask her to do which is good of her.

IMOGEN - we're lucky in that the whole of the attic area is a huge living/bedroom space (separated) with bathroom etc and lodger has agreed to rent the whole space.

Lodger has said she will clean her own area or contribute towards cleaner - e.g. in rent or separately etc - she's happy either way. She's super tidy though.

We decided to have a lodger and chose to pick between charging a below market rent to a friend we knew we got on well with or market value rent to a stranger and use the extra £100 rent to pay for a cleaner. You've currently got no lodger income, so even with paying for a cleaner you are financially better off (especially since she's also happy to split the cost with you). I would echo previous posters though.... My sister went through 3 different cleaners in 6 months before finding one that they were both (sister and cleaner) happy with so to avoid any awkwardness, I would try to find another cleaner if there's any chance you won't be happy with your childminders cleaning standards!

pinknsparkly I think I've decided to do a trial run (paid of course) with cleaner, where I state what I'd like done every week and every so often tasks - see how she goes with that and then employ her on that basis. I agree re me not being happy with her could be awkward, however right now she mentioned in a nice way that she could see I was stretched hence her offer of cleaning.

Lodger is another kettle of fish as because although she's a very good friend she won't be here forever, maybe 2 years at most as she may get married etc. I've stated I don't mind if her boyfriend (SO) stays over but she said she'd feel awkward about that and has had to rent out her own flat in the meantime (mortgaged) now as she can't afford the upkeep and worry of tidying it, maintenance etc as she's away with work a bit or out at night for work (a 1 bedroom property) but can afford to pay me rent. She has said if her financial position drastically changes sooner and she can move back into her flat sooner then she may do that but for now she's happy to take a 'hands off approach' to her flat. Does that make sense or should I worry about that? Lodger is a bit younger than me but not much.

Livid21 - my DH is one of those people whose opinion is 'if we can do without it then we do without it' (even if we can afford it).

He earns quite well but has a few different jobs - another story but he sort of has a laissez-faire attitude to the cleaning - like most men I think - e.g. that the fairies do it in the night...

He doesn't mind running a hoover around but it's when it gets dirty or people come over. Whereas it's me who's often cleaning on a Saturday morning - and I want my Saturdays back now!

My feeling is this.
Is there anything else could you spend that cash on that would enhance your life more than having someone else do the drudgery?
No, thought not.

You need a proper contract with your lodger, stating what rooms she shares, what she has sole use of, cleaning arrangements, notice period, deposits, house rules etc . Does she pay a share of bills or is that included in the rent ? Any other services you provide eg clean linen, cleaning her bedroom or any other rooms for her sole use. Parking. Arrangements for household supplies, , like soap power, washing up liquid, toilet rolls, etc

Remember that if she has shared use of the kitchen, bathroom and living rooms she is as much entitled to use them, have guests round for meals etc as you do. Unless you agree otherwise in the contract.

You need to provide a lock on her door that opens from the inside without a key. And you may need to do other things like annual gas safety check and main operated smoke alarms. The private sector services department of your local council will have the correct info for your area.

If her bedroom is in the attic, there may be implications for fire safety and suitable means of escape in a fire.

You need to declare the income to HMRC, although you may be eligible for the rent a room scheme . You also have to tell your home insurers - if you don’t , they may not pay out in the event of a claim. And the council tax.

It’s relevant to the cleaner because if you are running a business from your home you will need to consider cleanliness and tidiness more that just what suits you and your family.

Your husband may be happy to live in a mess but the lodger might not. She may expect to be able to come in from work and cook a meal without dealing with his dirty dishes from breakfast. Or run a load of washing without taking out his wet things. Or have friends round without the living room being full of toys.

So many people go into this informally without spelling out these things. And it becomes difficult when you both discover that the other party doesn’t share your assumptions.

A single childfree person may not understand some of the realties of living with a young child and newborn baby. And you may find it hard to go back to flat sharing.

You have access to money, though, right? You work full time? Unless he wants to do the cleaning himself then just get on with it.

Give it a try.
£10 is reasonable.
While you're pregnant / have a newborn it will be useful to have a weekly clean.

Don't expect them to as thorough as you. I have had a few cleaners and they don't clean as thoroughly but they do take the pressure off.

I must have odd clients. All of them have me to clean because they hate cleaning and never do it! therefore my finished job is far more thorough than anything they ever do. I usually have to start with a deep clean to break the back of the work before starting the regular cleans.

Actually having someone you trust is a major bonus. My lovely cleaner has been with me for an eternity, from before i started wfh. She’s fab and I find myself having a good old gossip and a cuppa when she arrives. Bathrooms and beds here and somehow she can get all the washing done whilst I don’t manage it (and dry too 🙄) she’s great and worth every penny - doesn’t bat an eyelid at kids knickers under the bed or anything 😂

I too would expect a cleaner, ie an experienced professional in the field, to clean better than the average person cleaning their own home.

After all, they're being paid to do a decent job and they have the experience to know how to do it well and efficiently.

Maxi You're not in Leeds are you? Are you a one person band or do you have a company?

I need a cleaner, but what's putting me off at the moment, is that I really need a deep clean to start off, including carpet cleaning, because my problem is just dust and grime everywhere and I'm not sure if one person on their own could tackle it because the walls, hall and stairs including all the high bits all need major dust removal and I would have thought it would need a team so they could help each other, but that's probably me being wrong.

You're not in Leeds are you? Are you a one person band or do you have a company?

I’m not, I’m in NI. One woman show.

Are your ceilings quite high? I’ve done a few with high ceilings (which means the walls finish higher up.) and while it is hard work, sore on the shoulders, it is doable alone. I always check the client has a step ladder too. I have one but it’s one less thing to carry if there is one already there. I quite enjoy a good deep clean. Good job satisfaction.

When the spiders start dusting their cobwebs...

I have just had a cleaner for the first time ever this week.

I only have 1 DC, work part time, struggle with debilitating chronic illness. It's taken me about 18mths to bite the bullet and finally arrange a cleaner as I was barely managing to clean properly a handful of times a year now.
DH argues the house isn't dirty, he'll clean when it needs it. Which to him might be once a year, though I suspect more like once every couple of years! He's very laid back about it.

Got to say I'm disappointed with the result though. I hoped for a higher standard of cleaning than I would do myself, or at least the same level. Sadly, that's not the outcome. I've decided to give it a few goes at least to see if it improves as she gets on top of it so to speak. I know it takes me longer to do the longer it's been between cleans. If it doesn't get better I'll be posting in a few months as to how to manage cancelling!!!

My god, I’m not even what you might consider time poor and I have a cleaner!
I hate doing it myself, dp works longer hours than me so it’s unfair of me to expect him to do it if I don’t want to, we can afford it and it has made our life so much nicer.
Ours doesn’t do washing (she would stick on a load if I asked her but I do that myself), she will also change bedding if asked (again, I do that myself) but just knowing I don’t have to spend my weekends cleaning my toilets and scrubbing bathroom floors is the best feeling in the world. I wouldn’t even say it has freed up so much time because if I’m honest, I run the hoover round downstairs multiple times a day and obviously certain things need doing daily, and I was always lazy about bathroom cleaning etc, so basically it has enabled me to feel guilt free about not spending my weekends cleaning!