AIBU to wonder why everyone has cleaners these days!

[Storm4star]

Ok, please don’t take offence, I say this somewhat in jest. But my goodness how many of you have cleaners?? I have been utterly ripping the pee out of a male colleague at work because he and his wife have a cleaner but I hadn’t realised how common it’s become until I joined MN!

I personally struggle to justify spending my hard earned cash on things I could do myself (also do most of my own decorating and DIY). But have I missed something? Is a cleaner now the new must have?

I've had a cleaner for about 25 years. Most folks I know have one, but if they didn't, I can't say it is some form of deciding factor for me, I don't care who else has one , I don't have one because it's popular, I have one because I can afford it and I dislike cleaning. I have better things to do with my time.

I can't understand why you'd take the piss out of your colleague for having a cleaner. That seems very odd to me. Do you also take the piss because they have a washing machine and don't wash their clothes by hand?

If I still worked I'd have a cleaner. Both parents leaving at 8 and getting home at 6.30 doesn't leave much time for fun as a family once chores have been done does it?

was just genuinely curious! I have a busy job etc but cleaning de-stresses me and gives me a bit of a workout (hate the gym)

I just read all your posts and you do seem to be having a strange reaction to people having a cleaner. I would classify it as envy. You also seem to " shock" very easily and be very judgemental in an odd way.

As for your statement above. I like the gym. I dislike cleaning. So we are very different. Who cares. Whilst I can be found happily in thr gym you can be found happily with your hands down the toilet or scrubbing floors. Enjoy...as long as we are all happy it's all good.

I don't think that cleaning is on a par with going to the gym for a work out. You're a bit deluded if you think a bit of cleaning is keeping you fit OP.

I don't know, I remember seeing a brilliant programme in the 90s where some crazy lady was showing viewers how to 'lunge' while hoovering and 'stretch and curl' with a feather duster. She was bonkers, but she looked incredible in her stylish shiny purple leggings and leotards, boinging around the house.

If I could afford a cleaner I certainly would have one. I hate cleaning. Actually I'd choose an ironing lady first.

Well yeah, nothing noble about cleaning your own house. No one ever said on their death bed "i wish I hadn't had a cleaner, and had spent my time cleaning my house myself"🤣

I am actually surprised there are still people who put a value judgment on hiring a cleaner. I honestly thought nobody had been fussed about it since about 1997. People are available and willing to do the job, you pay them their fee, they're not going down the mines (unless you're a hoarder I guess), what's the issue?

I don’t have a cleaner.but hey I get why people do.it get a task done & saves your time

One could just as easily ask why anyone has anything?

I don't understand why people would want to spunk huge amounts of money on 4x4s or holidays to Dubai, but hey, their money.

I have a cleaner in to do a deep clean every few months. When I move house I intend to get a cleaner in every couple of weeks, and a gardener.

If I could afford it, I'd have a live in housekeeper and cook.

My parents have one because they have the money but not the time.....

PoorYorick was it mad Lizzie from morning TV?

I have had commercial deep clean undertaken.it was well worth it
Skirting boards cleaned,dusting,oven cleaned,thorough deep clean.bliss

I have a 6 month DD and having someone come in for a few hours to do it is better than doing it in bits while she naps. It also is a weight off to know someone is coming in to do it. My husband is pretty OCD and he's happy to pay for it.

I have never had a cleaner, but after reading some of these posts, now thinking it is never too late to change your mind! Today I did the oven and tomorrow will tackle the rest/look for a cleaner.

Mainly because I hate cleaning. But also because DH and I both work full time and the time we have after work and on a weekend we would rather spend with DS than doing housework.

Oh for goodness sake stop fucking about! If you can afford one you have one!
Nobody wants to do that shite!

It takes two hours max to do everything for a thorough clean. During the week bathrooms are kept up with spraying them down before I get in the shower and DH vacuums through every night.

Yeah, not in my house. Large square footage, linens change, tiled floor swept and mopped, patios cleaned, all laundry washed, dried and hung, windows cleaned, bathrooms cleaned. It takes 4 hours to do ours, minimum.

Because they want or need a cleaner seems a good enough reason.

Nice pointing out of your virtue signalling cleaning dedication there. Along with the passive aggressive 'is it the new must have'

You must be close with your colleague to have ripped him a new one about he & his wife's (ie sweet f.a to do with you) home arrangements and not be told to get lost.

Why are some women justifying having a cleaner...what's the matter with you?🙄 There's nothing wrong with making your load easier.

I wish I'd had a cleaner when DCs were little and I was running a business. I ran myself ragged. Now that they're grown I'm getting cleaners in to do a deep clean twice yearly, can't wait

Stroke I've got a humongous washing machine that came with our new home. I've gone from 10 loads of laundry a week to 3-4. I have a dryer so it's no big deal to get everything done quickly as there are 5 of us doing it together. If you can wear the clothes you can bloody well wash, fold and put them away.

Dh's 'thing' is to have a fresh towel everyday. My fourth load are his towels and the handtowels. My 2 year old has just started folding the handtowels now. My elder two have folding competitions to see who can be fastest.

I personally struggle to justify spending my hard earned cash on things I could do myself

I find this attitude strange.
What better use of your money than buying yourself time?

By having a weekly cleaner and paying someone to do DIY I buy myself more time to spend with my family and doing things I enjoy. Our whole family are happier for having a cleaner.

I'd much rather do that than spend money on buying things that don't really bring happiness - clothes, possessions etc. Or having all my money in the bank and have less time with my kids and more stress.

It's completely normal to outsource jobs that you don't like doing, or spend more money to buy yourself time/ make your life easier.

I also don't understand how you can tease somebody for having a cleaner. I genuinely don't see what is funny/ embarrassing about it. Would you tease somebody for ordering a takeaway or a microwave meal when they could cook, buying disposable nappies when they could wash cloth nappies, taking the bus or a taxi when they could walk? These are all ways to buy yourself more time/ an easier life.

We have a cleaner, someone who mows the lawn, someone who cleans the windows and we use decorators when needed. To us time is the most valuable thing in the world and we would rather spend money on that than other luxuries. I have a very small selection of clothes for example.

Cleaning was also the biggest cause of arguments between DH and I, we rarely argue now.

Dangly are your cleaners employed or self employed? If employed do they have a company pension? Are they paid a good rate? All important questions when deciding whether to used a company and pay more.

We have a cleaning service come twice a week. Big thorough everything gets scrubbed, polished, linen changed, cupboards and doors wiped, handles cleaned, fridge cleaned out, bins washed, sofa cleaned and conditioned etc on a Monday and a smaller refresh on a Thursday (dust, vacc, mop, bathroom and kitchen refresh but not scrubbed and every single surface)

I can clean, I just prefer not to and it's so nice knowing that the house is always clean to come home to and that I never have to put aside two hours to clean the bathroom on a weekend, or worry about the state of the house if people come over.

We still pick up after ourselves during the week and clean the toilet every day and do any spot cleaning as necessary, but that's it and it's lovely.

Every 10-12 weeks we get the windows, curtains and carpets, exhaust fans etc cleaned by the same company. We also use them to help out before and after hosting a party or big event like Christmas.

We have a regular gardener and dog groomer too... again things we could do, but would rather not.

I grew up in a fastidiously clean house and can't relax if the house isn't pristine but don't have a lot of spare time, so this works for me.

The company I use has been around for ages and we generally get the same people servicing us. It was set up by a single mum who needed flexible hours to be on hand for her kids and has grown to employ 50 people. They regularly win local business awards and all the staff are incredibly loyal, many staying for years.

We all make choices about the time and money we have available and how we spend it.

My MIL is mortified that I don't clean my own house (never seems to mention her son though) and always makes PA comments about the house being too clean.... followed by a tinkly laugh.

Given it's not uncommon to find catshit in her shower or get up from any piece of furniture with a layer of cat hair and dust attached to you, I think I'll live with her condemnation.

Same MIL can't understand why I get groceries delivered - apparently because we don't have children I should have plenty of time to do all this.

Most of my colleagues and friends have some type of cleaning help, and so do my mother and sister. It's not a status symbol it's just what people do. Just like paying someone to cut my hair or wax my legs!

If anyone relentlessly took the piss out of me for that, I'd think they were sad and incredibly petty.

Yeah, I get the supermarket thing, I've a friend who always comments passive aggressively on it and takes the piss "you don't even go to thr supermarket, bet you'd even have them cook it if you could". I've no desire to spend my Saturday mornings running round the supermarket and so have my shopping delivered instead. I don't get the virtue signalling of running round a supermarket. I don't think it makes you a better person because you brave sainsbos on a Saturday morning..

If you want to do it and enjoy it, fair play to you, but I don't find it particularly joyful, so don't. Each to their own.

I think the only thing i negatively judge is shopping as a leisure activity. I've a friend who her whole weekend social activity with her husband is shopping. They travel to different places, have lunch there, but the whole point of the trip is to go to Debenhams or something. I once said to her ina convo about it as I tend to shop on line, that she saw shopping as a leisure activity and she said "oh no, we don't", but genuinely I struggle to remember a weekend where that's not how they spent it, I think they just can't see it I find it very odd.