to be ridiculously excited about having a cleaner start on Thursday?

[ipredicttrouble]

That's it really. I've fantasised about having a cleaner for ages but have finally taken the plunge and she is starting on Thursday. I've met her and am really hopeful that she's going to be great (though am preparing myself for teething problems etc.)

I feel that this may transform my life!! (not to be over-dramatic or anything)

Mabs, Fearne have you had your cleaner yet this week?

First visit tomorrow - I am on a tidying up binge tonight :o

sorry, yes, was this am. Very good but somehow managed to break the mop. Will forgive her for that tho.

She didn't actually clean either toilet inside and out, do yours? i wasn't here so had to leave dd to supervise, she's 16, but thought cleaning a loo would be obvious?!

Very jealous ipredicttrouble - I'm 35wks pg and now have to admit defeat with cleaning. Carpel Tunnel has had me wave goodbye to any grip :(

Can I ask how you found your cleaner? I see you say through an agency - was it recommended to you? I'm in Kent but no one locally has a cleaner so have no recommendations and am a little scared to let just anyone in my house...

i advertised on gumtree, then took up 2 references

Orbinator I'm 39 wks pregnant and I've admitted defeat too. I've got an 11 month old DD so am going to be very busy! I didn't really know anyone with a cleaner so I researched local agencies on the internet. The one I'm using is called Maid2Clean. I think it may be a nationwide one?

Mabs As I mentioned in an earlier post I am really pleased with her but I do have a couple of little niggles. However, I'm choosing to ignore them for the time being as she is doing a really good job and does extra bits that I wouldn't expect. Re the toilets I kind of know what you mean, she cleans the inside of the toilets thoroughly but seems to leave dust on some of the outside bits?

We'll see what tomorrow brings...still love the feeling of knowing I'm going to be coming back to a cleaner house tomorrow evening Can't beat it!

Fearne - exciting, fill us in on how you get on tomorrow .

I need a new cleaner, this thread has inspired me to start looking.

I always had 3-4 hours a week though, 3 bed house, 1 bathroom. I think it would be tough to do that in 2 hours?

Congrats on your pregnancy , someone earlier on the thread said their MIL had got them a cleaner when they had a new baby. What a lovely idea!

i too need a new cleaner.

Does anyone know of a fantastic cleaner in St Albans?

Thanks LaVita I read that too about a cleaner as a present after giving birth, it is a really wonderful idea!

I would ideally love 3-4 hrs per week but I had to convince DH that this was a good idea so I started off small . However, I'm sure that I'll increase the number of hours over time.

We have a 4 bed house with 2 bathrooms and there's no way you could do it all in 2 hours. So, I just come up with a list of priorities each week which is working so far.

However, I can see that there will be some rooms which I never put on the list e.g. spare bedroom as I'd rather she kept on top of the more used areas IYSWIM. Realistically though it doesn't seem so bad to have to hoover/dust a bedroom/dining room every once in a while when everything else is done for you.

SHE'S HERE! And she's already fabulous! She only drank 1/2 a cup of tea before she got down to business. All the crap is already off my bathroom shelves and on the floor. I think I love her!

I'm so jealous, I'd love a cleaner but I only have a 2 bedroom flat with 1 bathroom and 1 reception room.. it would be lazy wouldn't it. SIGH.

JanMorror I live in a 1 bed flat with 1 bathroom and 2 receptions. I work FT and have a cleaner who does two hours a week. Just do it, it's brilliant.

I would love a cleaner, it would be so nice to have a nice clean house without doing all the work - I really dislike cleaning!

This thread has now made me think I will have to look into it. A lot of my friends have them and my husband has said get one if I want several times

JanMorrow & Netfret - get one! You won't regret it. Mine has just been and it's great.

Take it from a cleaner - your cleaner will LOVE you if, instead of having bottles of shampoo/gel etc spread over shelves etc, you get some of those wicker or rattan baskets to put them in.

It is soooo time-consuming and fiddly to have to move them back and forth to clean under them. One of my clients has LOADS of bottles of lotions and potions surrounding the vanity unit in her en suite; hers one side, her DH's the other and sometimes I feel like I must look like one of those people who manically stack those cup things, swapping stuff to one side, cleaning that side then replacing and then swapping the other stuff to the OTHER side.

I might buy her some baskets for Christmas

Good tip CalamityKate - we do need a toy box for DD's stuff in the lounge as it can be a pain to move things for hoovering!

I have a general tidy round on a Wednesday evening and try to make things as clutter free as possible to make her cleaning as easy as possible. We're a fairly tidy household anyway so it's not too much of an issue .

Yep - the tidier the better! People tend to find that having a cleaner inspires them to be tidier generally :)

My Dad's 'Lady friend' got made redundant as a secretary for a pair of Barristers (a married couple) Because she was skint and they got on well with her, they asked if she wanted to do some cleaning in their home til she got another job.

She became their cleaner, then their Child minder (unofficial in those days) then their Housekeeper/live in Nanny and now she's still their cleaner and Nanny to their Grandchildren 43 years on!!

Thanks - I have found a lovely sounding lady who is coming over to look at the house tomorrow. She seems to be happy with £8ph when I said that I had been quoted £10ph, so fingers crossed! Thanks for the advice :)

I've just started looking for a cleaner

I had one for a few years who was my mums cleaner and is still a family friend but had to stop when I had DS as I couldn't afford her :(

I am now in receipt of DLA for DS and have decided that this is a perfect use for some of it so that I can concentrate my time on his therapies instead of ignoring the state that the house is getting into trying to split myself in half.

The agencies around here seem to charge £9-10 ph which I think is fine as I don't know anyone who has a cleaner and I know that DH would struggle to give an individual our key - even though clearly it is exactly the same when you have an agency.

Thinking 2 hrs pw. We have a 3 bed 1 reception terrace but really so long as the downstairs is regularly done that is the main thing IMO

I have the loveliest cleaner in the whole world. £8.50 an hour. 4bed, 3bathroom house, does 4 hours. Even sometimes fits in some ironing. Yes, some things get missed, but she can't do everything in that time. And agree, I try not to be here, else she chats too much...

Ben - I reckon 2 hrs is probably enough for your size of house.

Happymm, I'd love 4hrs per week!

Fearne were you pleased with the finished result?

What did she do for you?

I share the giddiness!

I LOVE my cleaner. I really do. She has been with us for nearly 3 years (but I've had other cleaners before) and she is totally reliable and trustworthy and I don't know what I'd do without her. She does (I will whisper it) ... 6 hours a week, which includes ironing.

I swear that if me and DH ever fell on hard times, there would be loads of things that I would give up before I give up my cleaner. Though admittedly, she may have to fo fewer hours.

When we first started having a cleaner, I credited her for mine and DP (as he was then)'s relationship not falling apart.

Dramatic, moi?!