If you have a cleaner fortnightly

[StillRoping]

What do they do and how does it work for you?

On paper we shouldn’t need one as DH I and both wfh ft, so should be able to fit housework into a lunch break or two, so there’s the bare minimum left for weekends when we should be spending the time with kids. Inevitably it never seems to pan out that way as work overruns so much and then there’s exercise to think about as well.

With the NI changes, we’re thinking of giving in and getting a cleaner but for a couple of hours fortnightly - weekly seems to be too much of a cost. It’s an average four bed, one bath, but one room would be off limits as a study anyway.

If you do this, how does it work for you? Is it actually worthwhile, given you presumably whisk round everything in the ‘off’ week anyway? Which jobs does the cleaner do and which do you pick up? I think the kitchen and bathroom are the priority. Maybe floors or dusting after that.

My fortnightly cleaner does the sitting room, kitchen and bathroom. I don't do much in those between times as there's only me in the house so they don't get that bad.

I'm in charge of the bedrooms, dining room (used by pets) and what I call 'project cleaning' (fridge, windows etc).

TBH if your cleaner does it fortnightly and you do it in between, that's still one week where you didn't do it.

Our cleaner is fortnightly, I'd have her weekly as she's excellent, but she doesn't have capacity at the moment. I
Obviously, I clean between visits, but she gives the kitchen and bathroom a really good clean and keeps on top of things like skirting boards, cleaning the oven, dusting blinds etc. It makes such a difference not having to think about those things!

TBH if your cleaner does it fortnightly and you do it in between, that's still one week where you didn't do it.

I think that’s what may sway it…

We now have a cleaner fortnightly which is a much better balance for me. I like that someone does bathrooms etc (slightly) more thoroughly than I have time to do but I'd find it too much of a pain having to have people in the house every week.

@Tinytigertail probably irrational but I worry about them judging we’ve not done it well enough in the interim!

@GU24Mum yes - that aspect of weekly would feel like a lot for both of us as well.

Fortnightly here. They do a proper clean of the house - vacuuming, mopping, dusting, full deep clean of bathrooms and kitchen etc. They also change bedding.

In between, we have to do regular vacuuming and sweeping (we have a robovac), fay to day cleaning of kitchen etc. I tend to do a quick wipe down of bath and sinks at least once a week and keep on top.of toilets.

Plus we change the bedding ourselves the week they don't come.

Quite frankly, I figure that dh and I probably do at least 5-7 hours of household cleaning per week (cleaning, tidying, laundry etc) Between us so that 5 hours they do fortnightly is a godsend.

When we didn't have cleaners the bathrooms would get grimey, the cleaning under appliances and in corners etc just wasn't done enough. Vacuuming was heavy on robovac so not enough of skirting boards and into the corners, and the DUST?! It was relentless

We have kitchen and hall that benefits from a good mopping so cleaner does that. We hoover/sweep in between but I don’t personally think it needs the full works (mopping etc) more than fortnightly. She also does a “proper” clean of the bathroom and kitchen so in between I just give stuff a quick wipe.

Working from home is much worse IMO - cos you make a lot more mess.

Anyway I would get her to do a heavy duty going over of the kitchen and the bathrooms and the floors as a priority. If you have enough time she can do a light going over of the rest of it.

That way you’ll be doing the minimum between times. She isn’t going to judge you, it’s literally her job.

We have three beds, two baths, downstairs loo, open plan living area, kitchen and utility.

Cleaners come fortnightly and do more or less everything. DD’s room either barely needs doing, or isn’t done if she’s here and not out of bed (she’s at uni). Utility sometimes isn’t done if it’s full of washing. No deeper cleaning, furniture isn’t moved.

There are certain things they could do a bit better, but others are a godsend - they do the hob (not the oven) which is a vile job, and whatever they do with the shower screen is witchcraft.

It’s well worth it, especially for baths and kitchen. I got them in as I foresaw a future of either me resentfully doing it all, or having to tell DH or DD that things were dirty and perhaps they’d like to get the sodding hoover out. It’s also an incentive to be a bit tidier.

We both work mixed home and office - unfortunately the cleaners currently come on one of my home days, so I have to move around, but it’s manageable.

There will be nothing they haven't seen! I'll often ask our cleaner how she gets things so much cleaner than I can, and she's always happy to share!
Honestly, I feel that having her has taken away so much of the mental load and the cleaning I do between her visits is just bits here and there. I would go for it!

Cleaners have seen some absolute shockers, I doubt a bit of dust in your sitting room or a less than perfect bathroom sink will have them running for the hills - just don’t leave skids in the loo and all will be well!

Tbf this is a bar we can certainly meet…!

A cleaner will change your life especially if you have weekly with a bed change. They probably do judge but will never tell you so it doesn't matter just make sure you don't leave stains in the loo

Mine comes for 2 hours every other week and deep cleans the kitchen/ diner and bathroom. I’m not bothered about the ready of the rooms as I can keep up with the dusting etc. I feel so much better knowing I ca. keep on top of it rather than playing catch up all the time.

Bit different because we live in a two bed flat, but our cleaner comes once a fortnight for two hours. She does a thorough job on the kitchen and bathroom including floors, all hoovering, dusting and tidying.

We have a toddler so I find I’m pushing the hoover round and cleaning the kitchen pretty much daily anyway, and will give the loo and bathroom sink a regular wipe too. The main thing is that I don't have to worry about doing this to an exacting standard, because I know the cleaner will do a thorough job when she comes.

I change the beds and do the laundry so the cleaner doesn't do these. We're upsizing soon and will either have a weekly cleaner, or a fortnightly one who comes for three or four hours so they have time to do everything properly.

😂

Op- never apologise for wanting or getting a cleaner. It gives you the gift of time and it gives someone else the gift of making a living.

We have four hours every fortnight and she does pretty much everything. In the week between I don’t dust at all and I only hoover main bits that look like they need doing. I clean the odd sink here and there. Obv the kitchen gets wiped down a lot.

I love my cleaner and would keep her over most other conveniences.

3 bed, both work full time mainly from home, one five year old. Tend to be busy at the weekend seeing friends and family or running errands. I have no desire to spend my lunch break cleaning the bathroom. Having a cleaner means the house is always in a reasonable state if someone comes over unexpectedly, and I have time to do hobbies and exercise.

She gives the kitchen and bathroom a good clean, hoovers everywhere, mops downstairs and dusts the living room. £40 for two hours, and it would take me 5-6 hours to do what she does in two.

I run the hoover round a couple of times in the week, wipe surfaces every night, clean sinks and the hob when they need it, obvs clean the loo regularly, and keep the place tidy. And do beds, laundry, clean up spills etc. Normal everyday stuff. But it's such a relief to know the bathroom will get a good clean every other week!

Our cleaner is fortnightly (2.5 hrs). We are a 4 bed, 3 bath house but she doesn't do one bedroom as it's my office.

She mops, vacuums, dusts, deep cleans the kitchen and bathrooms, does skirting boards and straightens everything up. She doesn't change bedding/clean the oven etc.

I find her an absolute godsend. Obviously we do clean in-between her coming but it's a quick run round with the hoover, wiping down surfaces etc and not the deep clean that she does. The kitchen and bathrooms in particular are way easier to keep on top of.

I’ve been thinking of getting a cleaner in fortnightly just to do the bathrooms (two en-suites and a downstairs toilet) and the kitchen - I can do everything else and I do quick cleans of the kitchen and the bathrooms every day anyway just I want more of a deeper clean.

Our cleaner does four hours every other week and seems to manage to clean my whole house. She hoovers and dusts everywhere including skirtings, cleans both bathrooms, loo and kitchen and mops hard floors. She even unpacked and repacked my dishwasher last week. Absolute godsend and it's so much easier to keep on top of the house in-between because the dust doesn't get a chance to build up. We both work full time and it was so stressful before the cleaner started.

She manages to do so much cleaning in the four hours, I don't have the skill or energy so really value her. Sometimes feel a bit guilty about spending the money but I feel so much more relaxed and as a PP said it is enabling her to make a living so seems a good deal!

Thanks, all. Super point about it helping keep someone else in work, too.