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.

Who is moaning about it?

When we lived in a small new-build I was very determined to keep it pristine and got a bit obsessive. Had a list of over 100 jobs, large and small which had to be done every week without fail. But then I was pregnant and nesting

Along came DS, sleepless, and autistic. We moved to a slightly larger and older house and had to get a cleaner. For one thing, he would scream until sick and choking at the sound of the vacuum and break out in blood-blisters all over his face! Also I had professionals in and out of the house all the time from other agencies and just didn't have the time to do more than tidy his things.

Now he is at school I could do it but I try to catch up on sleep after four years of it and still have to do meals, laundry (endless) and keeping on top of things. It's lovely knowing that whatever is going on with him, or DD who has to be regularly hospitalised, it is cleaned at least once a week for 1.5 hours.

I do keep finding little things which don't get done by the cleaner and which I assume have been - but not until x, y or z are absolutely filthy and then I wonder if she has been monitoring it for weeks, tutting and judging me so has it's drawbacks

No - she's not my equal - she has more guts, works harder, is brave, determined, tough and strong, personable and kind. She is 29, she has a 7 year old child looked after by her parents in Poland, she is intelligent and gradually taking exams back home so she can one day join their probation service. She lives in a flat, sharing a bedroom with two other Polish girls. She does three or four jobs a day and saves enough to send money home.

If I cut my cleaner and used the money to save for a deposit instead it would take about ten years. Fuck that frankly.

Creepyweebrackets you obviously have good reason for a cleaner.

But you make a pertinent point, you keep missing things which don't get done and that's the crux of it - you could probably do a better job of it yourself.

Oh cool - if I sack my cleaner I'll have a deposit in twenty years time and erm, will be sixty. Plenty of time to pay off the balance!

small savings add up. If you are wasting money employing a cleaner while you rent and are trying to save to buy, it does raise the question of what else you might be wasting money on?

I own my house and never moan about how expensive things are. I am indeed quite lazy. Is it ok for me to have a cleaner?

You haven't actually explained in what way using a cleaner is wasting money. Please do do. Assertion is not argument.

Congraulations Creepyweebrackets the Domestic Cleaner Approval Committee has passed your application, but has still given you a stern warning about the quality of cleaning that you can expect.

I know how to service my car but I don't, I pay someone else to do it. I know how to hoe vegetables from the fields but I pay someone else to do that too.

I always think the leftist horror about cleaning is because it's women's work. Women should fucking well stay at home cleaning the house. That's what we do. It's okay to hire a man to do menial dirty jobs for you like changing the oil on your car but not okay to outsource the domestic duties.

ps I don't have a cleaner at the moment but I'm going to get one. I work FT, am a single parent and have a 4 hour commute. And I used to be a cleaner and actually really quite enjoyed it (except for ironing, I don't pay someone to do ironing). I much prefer cleaning someone else's mess than my own for some weird reason

Just to make you froth theinets, I shop in waitrose, I drive a range river and send my son to a private school. None of that money is wasted in my book, but I have no doubt it is in yours.

Hair shirt anyone?

Spending money isn't a "waste" if you get more pleasure out of it than you would get out of spending it on something else.

I wouldn't have a cleaner but it's mostly because I am so untidy that I would be embarrassed. A cleaner wouldn't know where to start. I always imagine that people who have cleaners just want someone to do a bit of hoovering and dusting and washing up rather than actually cleaning their houses - i.e that they already have very neat houses and just need someone to keep them free of dust.

I am considering getting a dishwasher though.

My Dp cleans more than me tbh.

You could be saving the money you waste on a cleaner towards your pension, or any other number of things, rather than just living for the moment. Too many people want to have it all these days.

A Polish girl leaves her son behind so she can clean your house. Lovely.

theinets , you do know how to push the MN buttons

Exactly trills. There is nothing I can think of that costs £50 that would give me more pleasure than walking into a spotless house on a Friday after work, ironing done, beds made.

I have a pension thanks.

We tidy our house every week before the cleaner comes. Having a cleaner forces us to do that, so we live in a much tidier house as a result. I love our dishwasher too, I couldn't live without it. Is that wrong? Is there a separate committee for dishwashers or should I apply to the same one?

I don't have it all. I budget and can afford the cleaner. I also have a full glass of red wine which appears to be necessary to cope with those who believe we should return to the dark ages and be 100% self sufficient.
Now where did I put my vine pruners??

OP, please tell me why people should clean their own homes!

Just answer me that one simple question; why should me or DH be the ones to clean our own home?

What is your take on doing your own shopping? Have you ever used an online delivery service to buy food? Is it as important ot buy your own food as it is to clean your own house in your opinion, less so, more ... what?

theinets but you could say that about any money you spend?

Do I need this bottle of wine, no, better put the money towards my pension!

Do I need to go on holiday, no, better put it towards my pension!

And so on.

I actually don't get why some people are so against other people paying for domestic help of any kind.