At what point did you get a cleaner?

[yellowsubmarineo]

I know it’s a luxury, but at what point can you justify the cost of having a weekly cleaner? Is it a certain level of disposable income/having small children/ both parents working full time etc?

I have been trying to convince myself that we should get a cleaner, however, every time I do, I end up telling myself that it would be a waste of money as I can just do it myself. Am I just being reasonable or stingy?

We both work full time and have 2 children. We have a decent despicable income but I just cannot justify spending nearly £50/week on something I can do (this money currently goes into our savings account).

I end up doing all the cleaning myself on a Saturday (DH does the tidying up and I do the deep cleaning), but it takes up so much of our “family time”, and I go back to thinking about hiring a cleaner.

So at what point in life did you get a cleaner and could justify it?

I had one when I first started working and we both worked full-time. I didn't have one for a few years after moving house and dropping hours at work so could clean one afternoon, then since moving again and working full-time again, we've got one again.

Different circumstances, but I got one when my mother’s government homecare package level was reassessed and had the budget to cover it. Apart from the monthly fee for the provider, it doesn’t come out of our pockets (well … except in all those years as taxpayers!) They do the vacuuming and dusting, the two jobs I hate. I don’t want anyone doing my shopping or laundry.

I've always had a cleaner. We rarely eat out or get takeaways. It's easy to save the cost of cleaner if you are spending lots of conve

Don't be me. I waited far too long. Both working full time, husband working abroad regularly. 4 children and elderly parents needing support.

I would find myself scrubbing bathrooms on a Saturday morning feeling angry, resentful and exhausted. It was ridiculous looking back, especially as someone said upthread we were buying back our time and earning more per hour than a cleaner cost.

It is hands down the best money we spend as a family. I walk in on a Friday and everything is sparkling - cleaned to a much better standard than my half arsed resentful efforts.

You should not feel guilty for spending money to make your family life nicer and better.

I'm single and have a 2 bed + 1 office appartment.

The cleaning lady comes 3 hours a week - 51 euros after the tax credit

(102 before tax credit - Im in France - so you get a tax credit of 50% for properly declaring your cleaning lady - and the tax credit is an advance now so you're never out of pocket ).

So 17 net an hour for her - she's top of the price range here but worth it and more.

She does everything and is brilliant. I moved a few moths ago and she came with me.

She cleans so well and so fast and also tidies and organises, she changes the sheets and folds or irons washing and puts it away.

She'll reorganize the draw of doom in the kitchen from time to time. She buys all the cleaning products and leaves the receipt. She'll also do the fridge and has in the past saved things - if she sees fruit starting to go bad for example she'll make compote with it and leave it in the fridge with a note.

I went away for a couple of weeks for work last month ( I still pay her when I'm away because I'm blocking her slot) - I couldn't work out what was different when I got back - She'd perfectly hemmed my curtains that needed hemming - when I thanked her she said that because I'd been away there was nothing else to do. And when I get back from summer holidays or a long trip she always leaves fresh milk and some basics in the fridge too. If I'm away in the winter I turn the water boiler right down and she'll come round the day before I get back and turn it on.

She also offers to do things like sort and swap out winter clothes and summer clothes in the wardrobe and I trust her.

I suffer from depression and I guess she's sort of part of my self care regime - I work very very long hours in quite a stressful job and sometimes just want to flop into bed and ubereat and fall asleep when I get home. Knowing that she's coming at least once a week helps me keep on top off things and actually makes me want to go home when I know everything is going to be clean and shiny and fresh smelling. I know its a transactional relationship but she makes me feel cared for. A few years back I went through a very dark period and she was the first to notice - I'd stopped doing any washing up and second week running she came round and I was working from home in pyjamas. She didn't say anything directly but for a few weeks said that it would be easier for her to come 3 times a week for an hour in the morning than for 3 hours a week in the afternoon - she made up some excuse, but I knew and she knew that she was just coming round at 8 am to make sure I was up and out of bed.

To put things quickly- She's fantastic and worth my weight in gold and if for some reason I could no longer afford her - I'd rather find extra work and have her continue to come round.

She costs me around 2.5 k a year - and I would cut back on everything before cutting back on her.

I was one of the last in my circle to get a cleaner. Like you I thought it was such a luxury and I should have been able to do it myself. But I have a full time job and I'm a single parent so I have very little free time and ive never been great at cleaning. I decided to stop pressuring myself to do it all and get a cleaner. Mine comes for 4hrs every week, at 15 pounds per hour for a large 3 bed house. Like a pp said, she helps my mental health as the place looks brilliant after she's here. Even the children say so! I always feel so happy after she's been, and that's priceless.

On the advice of mumsnet, I got someone who was a housekeeper type cleaner and tidied stuff as well. I tried normal cleaners before and they just couldn't manage a house that was also cluttered rather than dirty. You need to get someone who suits you.

When I decided my time was worth it. Cleaner vs. One day in the weekend doing cleaning. I like having my weekends free ( well I did before children anyway!!)

Single mum, 2 autistic kids, doing master's and working.

Something had to give!

Never had a cleaner. Lone working parent.

I don't think it's something you need to "justify" it's just whatever you want to spend your money on. I'd rather spend my spare money on holidays, eating out etc and do my own cleaning. Other people would rather have a cleaner. There's no right or wrong.

We had one when the kids were younger, when DH earned more and I worked part time at the end of the week. I rushed around tidying well clearing surfaces and putting things away on Thursday night/Friday am and came home to a lovely clean and tidy house on a Friday night that I could enjoy and relax in. It was bliss!

Now the house nearly always feels unclean, takes so long to clean everywhere properly and I feel resentful cleaning two bathrooms and elsewhere and feel like I am constantly picking up and failing to tidy up and clean properly after DH and two hungry untidy teenagers. Its never ending!

When I separated and me paying benefitted me not my ex.....

As soon as I could afford it.

That happened to be when my first serious relationship had broken up and I finally had my own place.

It's still the last luxury I would ever give up. I work long hours and will never forget how lucky I am to have found, at the second attempt, the perfect person.

Decades later, with a DH with limited mobility, it makes all the difference to our lives together. I don't resent what needs to be done because I'm not doing everything.