Outsourcing chores

[baabaamoomooneigh]

Hi,

We are struggling to fit all the chores in and looking for some hints and suggestions of what we can do to take the pressure off.

We are a married couple with a 1 year old child. We have no family support (literally zero!) so we must buy in any support. DH works full time. I work 4 days. Combined income of £125k outside of London. We live in a 4 bed detached house.

We use nursery when we are working. Around once every 3 months we use a babysitter for an evening so that we can go out to dinner as a couple or so that we can go to the cinema.

So currently we buy in:
A cleaner 2 hours a week
We use an ironing service sporadically
A window clearer once a month
Nursery
Occasional babysitting

Life just seems to be an endless cycle of laundry, cooking and cleaning... it's relentless.

If you're in a similar position can you let me know what you buy in? Or anyone have any suggestions? Thanks 🙏

If life is an endless cycle of laundry cooking and cleaning then increasing the hours you have a cleaner and getting then to do your laundry would be a good start. Is that possible?

And some people have to do all this themselves!!! Imagine

Im not sure i understand your post. Its a no brainer- you earn enough. Get a house-keeper

You have a good household income and a large house, so to me if you need more help I’d prioritise cleaning services - 2 hours doesn’t sounds like much for a 4 bed, maybe increase to a full day? Or maintain current level but add a periodic deep clean so it’s easier to maintain in between times.

Like pp says, your cleaner could help with the laundry? Or if not, then maybe to keep on top of it yourself, try doing a load or two every day to keep on top of it. I try to stick a load in when I get in from work and then I put it away that evening before bed.

If you have a garden you could book someone to do the maintenance on that, even if it’s just to mow the lawn and a bit of weeding.

Cooking - have you tried doing any of those meal kit services? Might help cut down on prep and thinking time!

I'm a cleaner and I'd happily do someones laundry. You could up your hours to say 2.5 hours twice a week have a load finished for when they arrive to put out and there is time to get another one complete and out.
I've only ever done it for one client and my rules were any delicates weren't to be included. I don't want to be ruining someone's clothes.

£125k income yet you only get a cleaner for two hours pw? Make your money work for you and get the cleaner in for longer hours

The window cleaner off your list, nothing else and we both work five days and I have high standards. Given you have three days at home and only one child I'm not sure why it takes so long. I'd rather spend money elsewhere.

significantly increase the amount you pay for cleaning services that you have and get that person to do your laundry and ironing

Definitely get your cleaner for longer. Get them to change bedding and pop a load in the washing machine, arrange for online food shop to be deliver when they are there and they can put it away. Will your cleaner do ironing and put it away so arranging an ironing service is one less job. Do you need a gardener!

We have an income of £55k, I’m a SAHM so we create more mess and we live in a 4 bed house (one bedroom isn’t used). our cleaner does 3 hours a week to clean and change 2 beds.

It’s nothing like enough income to get a housekeeper unless their outgoings are very low

OP we’re in a similar position. What I found best was getting organised. Buying in laundry services is a bit tricky, because it’s something that needs to be done frequently. And it’s not actually that hard or time consuming, you just need a system.

One option is a service wash, if there is a service that picks up/ delivers or that you can drop off at on your way to work.

I would also invest some money in an organising service. People have started offering Marie Kondo services but otherwise a regular decluttering service. I think organisation is key here because it’s about putting laundry away properly.

If you iron again, a ironing service or try the cleaner doing a few more hours (IMe this doesn’t work- often cleaners don’t like ironing or do it at a ridiculously slow rate)

Although I agree re: period of adjustment. Life is hectic with a small baby and full time work and 1 year old is a difficult time. I thought I was losing it half the time. It gets better x

Sorry it is actually 3 hours a week we have the cleaner at the moment. I've tried a few but can't find a decent one to be honest, half the time they don't show up obv they don't get paid if they don't show up but it's really annoying.

Sounds like I need to find a better cleaner and for more hours a week. Will look for a cleaner that can do ironing as well.

Interesting idea re the laundry... I just feel a bit embarrassed getting someone else to deal with my dirty washing... also I'm not 100% sure I trust someone else to separate everything properly etc. Anyone have any good experiences of outsourcing laundry?

Good idea re garden maintenance it's just a lawn but would be good to get someone to do that as it's a time consuming job.

We use a Gardener and it’s brilliant- the garden is just another big room to maintain after all!

I’ve had the same experience with cleaners. So annoying. They become a chore in themselves

Robo vacuum and a robo mower. I had a robo hoover, just a cheapy from vileda and it was amazing till he broke down and amazon had him back. I’m currently saving for another more expensive one to replace him.

An air purifier with ioniser function in each main living area. It makes dust/air particles drop to the floor so you hardly dust.

I would use the ironing service regularly.

We are in a similar position with slightly less income. However all DC's are now in school.

Cleaner 4hrs a week £48.
2 loads of washing washed/dried (large ikea bags) £24 a week.
Small ironing (as most folded straight from drier so only need run over lightly) £15 a week.
Garden tidied fortnightly £15 March to October. Averages £90ish a week and worth every penny if you can afford it. We still clean lots in between but have weekends free.

Life is an endless cycle of cooking cleaning and laundry. That's what life is when you boil it down.

You need to eat, and to manage hygiene, otherwise you die.

How much laundry can three people make?
We are a family of 5. I do one load a day.
Cooking, try to meal plan.
Housework, look at the organised mum method.

You need to be more organised and create a routine.

Finding the time and energy to create a routine can be tough. Easily said but not done when you’re in the midst of it. I totally sympathise with OP tbh

Cleaner to come in at least 2 times per week: once to clean and once to change beds/launder/iron.

I now have 12 hours of cleaning a week spread over three days (mon/wed/fri). When DC were young we had a nanny and that covered off all of the DCs laundry/tidying.

I batch cook because I enjoy cooking so there's always something in the the freezer but we do rely on take away far too much if I was more organised I'd use a meal delivery service - could you do something like that?

Sounds like the biggest problem is a crap cleaner for too little time.

New cleaner, possibly through an agency, I'd suggest 2x a week if you can afford it, and ask for bed changing /wash load put on and hung out in the 2nd visit to take the pressure off. (Perhaps have them just do bathroom and kitchen on 2nd visit then laundry/bed change)

Robot vacuum is a good idea, you can programme them to just come on every day at a set time, so you could just not think about it. (Try to remember to empty it regularly!)

Food wise, if you use Ocado, you can set it up that there's a weekly delivery each week at the same time, with a standard order that you can just alter or add to. Take the thinking and time out of that.

Get in the habit of making double of anything time consuming like a curry or pasta sauce, then freeze for stressed days - it often takes less than 3 minutes to double what you are chopping etc but will massively help if you know you've had a bad day at work you only need to boil some pasta/rice and microwave a sauce that's homemade so no guilt about eating out of the freezer.

Otherwise, this is just life with small children and 2 working adults.

Crap cleaner is hard though- I’ve been battling this for 2 years- different cleaners different agencies, it becomes a job in itself! I don’t have one currently as it’s easier not to right now. If you can get a recommendation that’s the way to go x

For washing get a basket that already as separate sections for light and dark so you sort as you put it in the washing. I have a friend who does not sort at all and just uses colour catchers.

I’ve just thought of another thing, if you get limescale in the shower/kettle etc get a plumbed in water softener.

It’ll probably cost £500 or so but the wet areas of the house will hardly need cleaning.

We live in a hard water area and the first thing I notice about staying in soft water areas is that everything’s so easy to care for.

Plus you’ll use less washing powder/shampoo/bubble bath.

We had washing taken out for a couple of years when I was ill. Made a huge difference. Increase cleaning hours too. But sadly you do need a proper half hour routine in the evening where you and your husband both just muck in and put stuff away, load dishwasher, sort out food shops, manage washing and whatever else little jobs come up.

I'd also recommend a joint to do list app you can both add to and tick off. Then if your child needs new socks or whoever it can go on the list and one of you can sort it in the evening.