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?

Because I can afford one? And I’d rather spend money on my cleaner than other things. I also have an ironing lady! Currently on mat leave but still have them.
Never spend money on takeaways.

It’s not common amongst the people I know. If I earned a bit more and worked more hours (and my house was a bit less messy) I would totally hire a cleaner. I hate cleaning.

Time.

I married in haste, and it was immediately apparent that we were not compatible on the housework front. Cleaner employed. Marriage saved.

Likewise, done forget that he’s employing someone and giving them opportunities because of it. Outsourcing something is not pouring away money, it’s also helping someone else to make ends meet and improve their lot. Imagine how his cleaner would feel if she lost several hours work a week because of some “banter” at his work?

I would rather work a few extra hours or save money on something else so that I don't have to spend half my Saturday or evenings when I'm nackered cleaning. Much more interesting/relaxing things to be done in that time. To me it's just logical not a luxury.

Actually my DH had a cleaner when he was single ( the note she left when I moved in asking if her services were still required now he had a girlfriend is a whole other thread!!)
And we had a cleaner before DS was born. I echo other posters - cleaner and online shopping are such time savers

I've had one for 6 months now.

I work Monday to Thursday have a significant commitment to a charity and am studying toward a bookkeeping qualification.

The main bits are taken care of because of our cleaner. It would break my heart to part with her!

I'm not keen on cleaning but I couldn't have a cleaner. I don't want a stranger in our space - plus I WFH and due to odd forrin school hours the children are here from quite early on in the afternoon -, and I'm funny about shoes indoors and third-hand smoke (and most cleaners round here smoke, I'd guess). So we do it ourselves to lowish standards (oh, the basics are done, but I'm guessing the MN contingent of - what's the word? the cleaning equivalent of orthorexics - would have a fair few things to say about the state of it).

I’m a SAHM as was my mum. We’ve always had cleaners. Without exception, and not by accident, they’ve been women with husbands who haven’t been able to support their families. These women have raised children without childcare. They’ve worked in our homes during school hours. They eat lunch (and for my mum) dinner with us. They’ve taken time off whenever they needed it.

My mum raised all of her male and female children to know how to clean, cook and iron properly. I could take the time to do it now I suppose. But my cleaner uses the money I pay her to retain a tutor for her 15yo son, to help get him into college (her older son is coming to the end of his first year at our equivalent of Cambridge).

I feel zero guilt, and take this seriously as a women’s issue. There are very very few jobs available for women with low to no skills, that pay a decent wage, with flexible hours, during school hours. I’m very happy to provide one. Plus, my house gets cleaned twice a week.

I hate hate hate cleaning. I find it physically hard due to health issues and also the sheer mind numbingness of knowing it will all quickly get dirty and need to be done again. My husband feels the same. We got a cleaner and never looked back - no more arguments about who does what and who's turn it is to do the mopping, no more having it at the back of your mind as something we need to do but can't be bothered with and it's sooooo nice to come home to a nice shiny house. Our cleaner is better and quicker at it than us as she does it all day. We both work full time and don't want to spend the few hours we have at home doing more jobs if we can help it. Also whist we are clean day to day (eg I always spray and wipe the kitchen and make sure everything is hygienic) we are both naturally messy and will let clutter build and build - having a cleaner makes you tidy the mess before they visit - it's not 'cleaning for the cleaner' but tidying stuff off the floor so they can mop all of it etc. We probably wouldn't get round to it otherwise. Everyone probably pays for some stuff they could do themselves (ready meals / blow dries / nails done / car wash / decorating) - we just outsource the thing we are worst at!

I had a job as a cleaner when I was a student, and I'd happily go back to it if I ever had to.

I was my own boss, I earned good money for what I was doing, and I was worth every penny. It really struck me at the time, the difference it made to people's lives when they paid me to scrub their bog, rather than doing it themselves.

Even in these enlightened times, far too many women either take on the lion's share of housework, or feel guilty/lazy if they don't. The answer is to pay someone else to do it for you. Ever since then I've been like a stuck record especially when it comes to families where both parents are working, long commutes and the rest.

More people can afford cleaners than they realise. Even a hour a week can make a massive difference, and can be the equivalent price of a few cups of coffee and a magazine. Or a one off clean a few times a year. You're buying back your own time and easing a lot of mental strain/that irritating "god the kitchen is filthy" niggle that you don't even realise you have.

People are happier when their environment is nicer. People these days are so time poor that they don't have time to keep their environment as orderly as they would like, and this just adds to stress. Pay someone to do it. Outsource. A good cleaner is gold, a valuable domestic expert that will make you a happier person and you should worship at the shrine of the mop

I don’t work and my kids have left home and I have a cleaner three times a week. I think it’s well spent money and I can afford it. I pay well and am a good client. She has cleaned for me for ten years so I think she is happy too.

I like doing other things like gardening, decorating and DIY but I’m quite happy to give cleaning and laundry a miss.

It’s good that people have cleaners as it’s a job that is not difficult to do as long as you are responsible and hard working. It’s also a job where you can chose your hours to some extent so can be suitable for people who can’t work traditional 9 to 5 jobs. I feel like I’m be socially responsible by having a cleaner 😉

I haven’t got a cleaner but I want one!
I work long hours and look after elderly relatives, along with trying to keep fit by going gym/swim means I have little leisure time and I resent spending it cleaning so only do it when it really needs it - which isn’t ideal
I’d love a gardener too!

X post with the last few posters.... we are all saying the same type of thing. I think the OP will be thinking about getting a cleaner soon😁

I could have a cleaner but it pains me so much to pay for a job to be done that I could probably do far better myself and to my own standards. I've toyed with several cleaners and TBH they seem to just surface clean a bit, light dusting, a bit of hoovering etc. When I clean I do things like scrub shower screens not just wipe; if I'm doing the kitchen then I wipe splashes off cupboard doors, clean handles, lightswitches, scrub the sink rather than just wipe. I clean the inside of bins if something has slipped down under the bin bag, I clean dirty marks off carpets and scuff marks off the hard floors (not just mop leaving the scuffmarks there).

I'm not a clean freak BUT if I do I job I do it properly and also, I work really hard/quick at it. From what I've seen of the cleaners I've had, they aren't exactly whizzing around and putting effort in. They are either go-slow or very average speed and doing just surface stuff.

But one still found the time to fold the toilet paper into a little point every time that made me laugh. And another cleaning firm prided themselves on the fact they always wiped the microwave "inside AND out" like it was so impressive.

I have great respect for cleaners but I guess I'd like to find one like me and I can't, so I continue to do it myself...

I also get home at 4.30 and have no children, doesn't mean I want to spend the rest of my afternoon cleaning!

Plus I'd rather actually go to the gym.

Getting home on Friday after the cleaners have been is one of my favourite moments of the week.

What takes my cleaner 2hrs takes me at least 4 at the weekend and it’s time I could be spending with the DC

We have a cleaner.

I hate cleaning, I find it tedious beyond belief and soul-destroyingly awful. Hate it. Yes I could do it myself - especially as I'm self-employed and work at home - but I don't want to. I'd rather pay someone else to do it for me.

So it's £30 well spent to have someone 2.5 hours a week to do things like cleaning the kitchen floor and dusting so all I have to do between times is a quick wipe round.

I'm a sahm but have a cleaner come in once a week for 3 hours. It is bliss. I can happily keep on top of tiding away toys, wiping down kitchen surfaces, throw some domestos in the loo, etc but struggled to find the time to properly deep clean and keep on top of dusting, hovering under beds, cleaning inside of the fridge, whatever... Dh dislikes cleaning, he's always had a cleaner (even when he was single and lived alone) and I hated feeling like my life was spent cleaning up after him and our rather mucky DC.

We can afford it, it frees up my time, it employs someone who I know needs the money, its heavenly to come home to a well cleaned house, there are a whole list of reasons why I have a cleaner. I am aware it is a luxury, but its not doing anyone any harm and brings more joy than sadness into our lives - so that's why we have a cleaner.

cheap eastern european labour working cash in hand is the answer

I haven't got a cleaner now, but it was the best money I ever spent when I had one. I hate cleaning, I'm terrible at it and it puts me in a really bad mood to do it. It was definitely value for money for me. As a million others have said, it buys time. If people are working full time, I don't know why they would spend their free time cleaning when they could be spending it with their families.

Are you going with agencies Sunday? That's maybe why. Look out for an old day, independent cleaner who uses Vim and Stardrops and tell her what you've just told us

In all honesty I don’t know anyone who doesn’t have a cleaner. Why have a washing machine? Surely you could hand wash everything yourself..

*old style