Am I the only one who doesn't have a cleaner??

[Hotmad]

At my mum & baby group the other day consisting of new mums only, I found out they all had hired cleaners!! I don't have one as I can't afford to have one. I just said, I live in a pig sty at present :)
I looked up cleaners costs and locally (london) they charge about £12-£15 per hour, Is this a lot do you think? I might pay myself £10 per hour and do it myself!

Also I am terrible because from early spring (NOW!) till Autumn I will happily spend all my spare time gardening so nobody could legitimately say I am lazy, just prioritising!

jupitergentlefly i got an agency cleaner in fully insured!

skivvywoman my mother had a cleaner growing up and still had her even when she got so old she couldn't really clean as she just wasn't able but was devastated when Dm suggested it was time to retire. She was kind of one of the family and now my mum and dad run her to the hairdressers or doctors or wherever she needs to go and have pop in for coffee. She refuses to come to my Parents house now as she finds it too upsetting knowing she is no longer capable of working.

We got a cleaner when we started having heated discussions about cleaning - ie DP was doing sod all.

I'm currently on mat leave and we've kept her throughout. I love coming home to a clean calm house on Friday afternoons.

Glad its working out Somersetlady! Everyone wants a cleaner on a Friday.. I could split myself into 20 and still be asked to split some more

I would love a cleaner. DH refuses on the basis that he can do it - he works from home - bloody hard - and deals with the DDs. I work full time in a busy stressful well paid job. My point is that yes he can but he doesn't as he is always too busy so we should get a cleaner. We both hate housework and can afford it so what's the issue? Some idiotic misplaced sense that he can do it. I don't get it I really don't. In the meantime we argue about it....

I am a SAHM and have a cleaner, but with two kids and two sofa I still clean the kitchen, the lounge and vacuum daily.

That should read two dogs, not two sofas.

Ask him for a 4 week trial piglit. I bet he changes his mind!

I have a cleaner. We both work FT and I'm buggered if I'll spend my limited free time scrubbing. And I don't get why it's seen by some as bad - there are cultures where you would be seen as very selfish doing your own housework if you could afford to give someone else a job doing it.

Does having a cleaner conflict with feminism? Please see my post in the Media Requests section (www.mumsnet.com/Talk/media_nonmember_requests/2041024-Does-having-a-cleaner-conflict-with-feminism).
I will be very grateful for your views. This thread has been fascinating for me.