To want a cleaner when I work 20 hrs per week?

[zozzle]

These hours include one evening a week. Sometimes I work another evening a week on top of these hours. 2 kids at primary school aged 4 and 8. In my head I feel that I should get all the cleaning done in my 2 days off so that the house is all lovely ready for the weekend, but that doesn't seem to happen - sometimes I might do a bit for work, do washing, catch up with family on the phone, do admin, prepare dinner, meet a friend for coffee sort out doctor/hosp appts etc and before I know it its 3pm and time to collect kids. I must admit by Thurs I'm tired so maybe not as efficient as I could be!

So whats the verdict? - "of course you need one" or "sort out your time management woman!"

Forgot to say hubbie disgruntled about state of the place and does a fair bit to help ...

I work 20 hours a week and have one dd. I have a cleaner. I think it's entirely up to you and your dh. I hate cleaning and we can afford it do why not?

So not do

Of course you dont need a cleaner for heavens sakes... what is this "do washing"... do you lug it down to the river and do it by hand, or do you bung it in the machine, which takes less than five minutes..

How much "admin" is there in running a house... I do all the "admin" in this house, and it must take me at least ummmmm 10 minutes a week, if that.

YABU. :)

If you want a cleaner and can afford one then just get one!

I work 25 hours, have 1 child and have a cleaner.

I don't need one, I just don't like cleaning and am happy to pay someone else to do it.

I work 40hrs a week and still manage to do the cleaning (when I'm at home, currently living with mother in law because of our damaged house :( ) we could afford a cleaner but I'd rather out that money to something else.

It's up to you though, you don't need acceptance from us, you obviously want one so do as you please OP, it's your money :)

Personally though Id say sort your time out

I work 3 days and we have a cleaner. It's mostly to do the ironing tbh, as it's hard to do that with the DC running around.

If you can afford it why not!

After reading again you make the rest of your life (when not at work) sound like a chore ha. You have so much free time! I'd love that.

TBH it's not about whether you have insufficient time to clean, it's about whether you dislike cleaning so much that you are ready to pay for someone else to do it. Same as gardening.

If you want it, can afford it then why not? Don't make yourself a martyr because you're worried about what people may think. Life's too short.

I am in maternity leave and still have my cleaner. Twice a week. I have time. I just don't want to.

I work 21 hours a week, and have a toddler at home with me when I'm not at work (apart from a few hours one day a week which I have to myself). I do not need a cleaner. I can't really see why you would need one, especially if your husband does a fair bit? My husband doesn't really contribute to the housework at all other than maybe taking the bins out.
Yesterday I had done the hoovering, mopped the floors, 2 loads of laundry and cleaned the kitchen before 9.30 am (I was up at 6.45am). And then me and my dc had the rest of the day to do anything we wanted.
I must add, if I could possibly employ someone to just do my dusting, I may be tempted! I HATE dusting!!!

It's not about need, though. It's about what would make the OP's life easier. I would employ a full time chef if I could afford it. And a butler.

If you can afford a cleaner - have one :0)

If you can afford it, do it. In reality you don't have two days off. You have the hours between 9am and 3pm, and realistically there is catching up on admin, other family stuff etc that will take up a significant proportion of that time. I find I spend significant time just cleaning up after meals, hanging up washing, shopping for food, cooking, and totally understand what you say about the time seeming to go by with a lot of other stuff just not getting done.

You probably can fit a bit of cleaning into the remainder of the time, but there is nothing wrong with employing a cleaner instead of/as well as doing that.

If you can afford one, then get one if you don't want to do the cleaning yourself.

I'm jealous though, I work full time and we can't afford one.

Your hubby is not 'helping' he is doing his share of the household chores!

LoveHandles - you must be a morning person - thats the other thing - I'm not a morning person! So will not be getting up at 6.45! Esp when I've been at work until 11.30pm the night before. Good on you though.

if you can afford it why not

You have to make yourself a morning person, I wasn't born a morning person but one I must be!

Well, you don't have to

do you want one and can you afford one I think are the questions you need to ask - everything else is immaterial.

Until very recently I worked 20 hours (now 25) over 4 days while the kids (6 & 9) are at school.
I am a single parent and they are with their dad 1 weekday evening and a 24 hr period at the weekend. So I effectively have quite a lot of child free time - the last thing I want to use that time for is washing the kitchen floor and scrubbing the toilet.

I have a cleaner for 2 hours a week, she does the vast majority of the house

• washes kitchen, utility, conservatory & downstairs loo hard floors
• vacuums lounge, playroom, stairs, landing, 3 bedrooms, bathroom & ensuite carpets
• cleans downstairs loo & sink, main bathroom loo & sink, ensuite loo & sink (bath & shower cleaned following use)
• cleans kitchen & utility sink areas and all surfaces
• wet-dusts all surfaces (table, coffee table, windowsills, sideboard, bed side table etc)

The house gradually deteriorates over the week and then she comes again.

Yes, I could do it myself, and certainly have time to do so.
No, I don't want to and can afford not to - so I don't.

Just think of your contribution to society by using a cleaner - creating employment and increasing tax revenues. Makes me feel all glowy.

my advice: you do not need permission from anyone.

Do as you please.

never explain, never justify