to NOT want a cleaner?

[OrkaLiely]

it seems to be very common on MN; paying another person to clean your house. Why can't the adults in the house do it between them? And once the kids are old enough to hold a duste,r teach them to help out as well.

I'd hate someone else in our house cleaning up our mess. It sends a bad message to children too. And no-one in this age of dishwashers, washing machines, vacuum cleaners is too busy to do it themselves.

I regret that my mum had cleaners as she never taught me to clean or tidy for myself!

Hmm in 2 minds here, but...
I work about 50 hours per week and earn accordingly. I am happy to pay someone to do what I cannot (because I am out working). I have high standards and would never ask anyone to do something that I wouldn't (and yes, I do clean the bathrooms, loos, kitchen etc. etc. in the meanwhile). I am OCD about washing and ironing, so I would never ask anyone to do those tasks.
I hope I am enabling someone, for whatever reasons, NOT to be on benefits.
We always had a cleaner when I was growing up (2 professional, working parents) and my mother grew up in a household with 3 staff, cook, maid and laundrymaid, so I do not see any problems with employing someone myself.

everlong, doesn't the biscuit mean 'whatever'? I've actually never been sure about it and use it v rarely. Paranoid now that I've been using it wrongly!

I'd rather drink it neat than with coke though. Maybe that's a whole new AIBU topic though!

I don't think it is smuggery though. When I worked full time I felt quite guilty and wanted to spend a lot of time with the kids at the weekends and they really wanted to spend a lot of time with me, so I found it hard to keep on top of the housework. A cleaner was a godsend.

I'm quite happy to say I don't clean because I don't like cleaning and don't want to do it. And don't see what's wrong with that :)

DP doesn't like laundry or ironing, so he gets his done by the laundry/shirt service at his work. Yes he could do it himself but prefers not to. He could clean our house, but like me, doesn't want to.

We get our car washed as neither of us particularly fancies doing it.

We don't have a regular gardener as I like pottering and doing things myself, but don't hesitate to get someone in to do a garden job that I wouldn't want to tackle. We do have a dog walker because I don't want to rush home and immediately have to take dogs out - I prefer having the flexibility to leave work when I need to, and sit down with a cup of tea and relax when I get home. Dogs get shampooed/groomed/clipped as necessary by a professional as well, as we don't want the faff or mess of doing it at home.

I don't think any of these things make us immoral or a bad example to anyone , what is money for if not to make your life a little easier and more comfortable. And I'm sure the people we pay to do these things appreciate having a job, just as we do.

A range of meanings then!

YABVVVVU!

Firstly why do you assume there are 2 adults to "do it between them" - I am the only adult in the house with 2 dc's and I work a 4 day week. On the rare time I get to myself I would rather have FUN than clean.

Three o'clock Saturday. My weekend started at 6pm last night.

Rushed home, fed the teenagers. Went out for 8pm to attend a community event where I was speaking.

Today: up at 8ish. Drove DS to school for a match. Drove back to home high street - had quiet coffee in Starbucks and wrote shopping list and meal planned for the week. Went to bank, building society, did Sainsburys shop, lobbed bags in kitchen drove to pick up DS and DH who had watched.

Third load of washing is in machine, have put away rafts of clean washing and hung up wet stuff to dry. Have also washed down all the paintwork in our bedroom and deep cleaned our bathroom.

In a minute I will start making tonight's supper, and will do an hour's ironing. Have spent an hour on the phone talking to a mum from school whose daughter is unhappy and my own mum.

Tomorrow I have to get ds to a match 25 miles away (DH is working) and back and dd somewhere in the opposite direction at the same times. Working on that one at the moment. Also tomorrow have to get together bits for a costume for dd for a school show next Friday. Hopefully will also finish all the ironing and wash ds's bedlinen and get the spare room ready for visitors for next weekend.

My cleaner does five hours a week - above is a pretty usual routine for a weekend. At 50, I don't honestly think I could fit in another five hours of housework and still be capable of a full time demanding job and run a busy home.

Having done almost half a weekend and having reflected on the OP's comments I think even more YABU than I did at first.

I'm going to sack my beloved cleaner and buy some hair shirts for us all to wear whilst we clean the house together.

Well said, SB - I love a hair shirt me.
I think we should all ignore the OP's ridiculous thread - although I am finding it strangely compelling myself...

No, not jealous, I don't want a cleaner if I did I'd hire one.

My home is a 4 double bed Edwardian house with 2 bathrooms, 1 downstairs loo, 3 reception rooms and DH and I manage to keep it clean and DD helps too. We also manage lots of leisure activities and relaxation. Just don't want someone else vacuuming our home or cleaning our loos.

Which is fine, but making unpleasant remarks about those of us who choose to pay someone to do this, is BU.

Of course it's not unreasonable to not want a cleaner - it just seems a bit of an odd thing to start a thread about, unless there's some context you haven't mentioned, like someone saying you should or criticising your decision not to.

As it is, it seems like you started the thread to express your disapproval of those who do choose to employ a cleaner, which has obviously annoyed some people. Personally I don't care, but can see how the tone of your comments would get people's backs up.

Exactly right Ephiny, why on earth did you start the thread if not just to criticize others? As I said... weird.

so what's the thread about? Has someone said you must have a cleaner even if you don't want to have one?

Perhaps cleaners are banging on the OP's immaculate door at all hours of day and night demanding that she should get a cleaner 'for the sake of the children', who knows?

My trouble is that I'm too good at cleaning. That's why it is unwise to do my own. I start re-arranging books in alphabetical order, vacuuming walls and taking a toothbrush to the grouting. It takes a long, long, long, time to get around a whole house when you do things my way. Best for all concerned if I just pay someone else to do it.

Well done OP, have a medal. You are clearly far superior in all ways to everyone on this thread who has a cleaner.

But I don't believe you that you manage it in 20 minutes per day. And I also note that you only have one child...

I still don't understand why you care whether other people have a cleaner though. The fact that you clearly do suggests that you aren't so comfortable with your own situation as you would like us to believe...