To want a cleaner?

[happyhopefulmummy]

My DH and I have a 10 month old baby. At the moment, during the week I try and stay on top of housework as much as possible and cook dinner every day. I am
Not going back to work (nursery fees made this a no brainer).

My DH is a great help and often cleans up the kitchen each night: our house is relatively tidy, but I don't feel its clean. This is going to sound awful, but baby's room hasn't been dusted since he was born. AIBU to suggest we get a cleaner for 2 hours a week to help us keep on top of things?

We used to have a cleaner but as soon as i fell pregnant we stopped her so as to save money. My DH doesn't earn a great income (£22,000) but we are in the fortunate position of owning our house with no mortgage. At the monent we spend a large chunk of the weekend cleaning, and i feel we could be putting in quality Family Time. DH says he doesn't mind doing this on the weekend. I feel that as our baby gets older this will prove harder and also not really fair on him; he should have some quality time with his parents, esp as during the week he'll often watch me tidy.

I was going to talk to him about it tonight so would appreciate some thoughts, and perhaps suggestions to boost my argument if I'm not being U!

Why can't you dust the baby's room?? What do you do all day?

Spend 3 hours during the week cleaning. Have a timesheet for yourself to make sure you do it. And then put £30 in a jar. At the end of the month you'll have £120 to do something nice. Maybe that way you'll feel doing the cleaning is more worthwhile?

I've been toying with the idea of getting a cleaner...i've two DC's and even on my days off dont get much off a chance to do cleaning, probably because I prefer to take them out and do nice things. People dont realise that it's hard trying to clean whilst looking after children, especially if they dont sleep in the day.

If you can afford it then why not, that way you have quality time at the weekend instead of doing chores. It's your life, live it how you want is what I believe

What do I do all day? Is that a joke? I have a 10 month old baby to feed, take to playgroups, read to, play with. I manage to stay on top of hoovering, tidying, cleaning kitchen, (hubby mops floor at night) whilst baby is asleep.

Thanks better, that's quite a good idea. Even if I just manage to do 30 minutes a day. I guess it's the feeling that nothing is ever properly clean if it's all done in drips and drabs.

I think if you can afford one and would like one, do it. Things change and you may not be able to afford help in the future so, if it's a priority to you, make the most of it.

I doubt that 2 hours a week will make a great deal of difference unless you're planning for a cleaner to use the time to concentrate on a different area each week.

As you're going to be a sahm, why not book a service to give your home a thorough deep clean once or twice a year? Your dh may be less likely to balk at the cost if it's presented as a one-off now and again rather than a regular weekly outgoing.

I um and ah about a cleaner.

However, what I've found helpful is to get one round every now and again to do a 'proper' clean.

Problem with weekly cleaners is that it's undone within hours but they never have time to do other stuff, like the oven, windows, skirting.

Floors need sweeping daily (if not mopping) do doesn't help for someone to do it once a week.

But it's your money

Xpost with izzy

Sorry, didn't mean to add a sad face

Get a cleaner if you want and can afford one. Although in the time it took you to post your first message you probably could have dusted you baby's room twice.

I hope that my child, looking back on today. Remembers a mummy who had time to play. Children grow up while you are not looking, there will be years ahead for cleaning and cooking. So quiet now cobwebs, dust go to sleep. I'm rocking my baby, and babies don't keep.

Plagerised obviously, but not sure where from. Sod the house and a cleaner, spend your £ on fun.

Boys, I use that to excuse the mess, not justify a cleaner

10 months worth of dust in baby's room?? In the time it took you to write your post you could probably have whizzed round with a can of pledge.

I'm not saying I don't cope, mumof3. I often manage to be productive, but it woul be nice to know each week the bathroom and kitchen were properly cleaned and we didn't have to do it on Saturday morning.

I may suggest a trial to see if it helps/ makes a difference/ adds to our quality of life....

Boysrstupid :) that's why I often look at the mess, shrug my shoulders and read a book to my baby or play with him on the floor. I totally agree its way more Important. But I don't like the mess!! I just want to use my time to either play with him or read or take him out. But I want the place clean. :)

I have a cleaner come in once every 3 months.

Me and DH and DCs do certain jobs during the week after work/school

Oh, and I'm breastfeeding him now, which is why I'm Not cleaning paddle. Is that ok?

It is doable to keep a reasonably tidy house with a 10 month baby around. But this is not the point.
YANBU to want a cleaner. 2 hrs a week is not exactly being decadent. Go for it!

Meh, I have a big house and it probably only takes about 3 hours to clean properly (i.e. hoover, dust, clean bathrooms, mop floors, clean kitchen, clean mirrors). Presumably your 10 month old naps? Half an hour a day and you'll still have time to have some time to yourself while he naps.

Get a cleaner if you like, but seems like a waste of money to me when you're 'only' taking in £22k pa.

I think the thing is that once you have DCs you don't have the time to do it all at once like you used to when you didn't have kids.

I used to love that feeling of - the washing is all done, I've dusted, vacuumed, cleaned the floors, cleaned the bathroom, changed the bed, it's ALL lovely and clean . . . I can only have one - or two if I am lucky - of those done at once. It's not the same.

But I asked my friend how much she pays her cleaner. She said £80!

I nearly offered to do it for her myself for £60 but fortunately came to my senses before I'd got my gob to open.

Oooh I love the idea of putting money in a kitty when (ahem,if...) I do the cleaning! I can't keep on top of it with a two yo and 8 mo. When I go back to work, however, I'm def getting one.

A cleaner I mean (obv!)

If you want a cleaner and can afford it, go for it.

It's money well spent imo.

It's your money. Spend it in the way you benefit most. Some ideal SAHM (never me!) might be able to sit baby down and have him watch her dust and put on a wash etc as part of his entertainment. Some babies are happy as long as there is something going on - you don't HAVE to be sitting playing with a baby toy and focusing exclusively on the baby every waking moment. Some people might say it teaches a little one patience notto always be the focus of attention - certainly when DC2 comes along you realise how they really can learn to wait and watch other stuff happening. Disclaimer: I had a cleaner (but went back to work waaaay before the DC hit 10 months).

Um, whatever you do DON'T clean when your baby is asleep. That is your ONE moment to relax!