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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To wonder why people have cleaners

285 replies

Gingerninj · 30/06/2018 10:07

I don't mean this in a rude way I'm just curious how much people really benefit from having a cleaner. They seem to do the hovering, cleaning floors, changing beds, dusting, clean windows and so on. Honestly I don't do much of this very often, maybe hover once a week, change beds every other week, clean windows and dust possibly every other week but probably not. The house still looks fairly nice and clean. Fair enough some people don't have time for this, I don't either really but it seems like it would take up more of my time to tidy all the rooms enough that I'd be happy to let someone see them.

OP posts:
Rocinante1 · 30/06/2018 10:10

Honestly, mumsnet has made me think about getting one! I like a clean, tidy house at the start of everyday because I don't have any other time to clean so I'm up at 4.30 to exercise, get showered and ready. Then breakfast for the kids and then I do housework for an hour before the school run and all that. If I had a cleaner come during the day, I wouldn't need to do that. So I'm considering it... but if you're not as obsessed with me about having the floor hovered everyday and the bathroom properly scrubbed then it's not something you'd benefit from.

NeverTooOldForAnything · 30/06/2018 10:11

Because I am out of the house before 0630 and not back until early evening at which point I make dinner, put DD to bed, and then go training.

Because my weekends are similarly busy and I would rather spend my spare time doing things I even vaguely enjoy

Because I have worked my arse off for the past 20 years and am now in a position where I can afford it.

Because I want to.

ProfessionalBarren · 30/06/2018 10:12

I think they have them to clean their houses. But I wouldn’t swear to it.

WonderfulWonders · 30/06/2018 10:12

Clue is in your statement house looks fairly nice and clean

I want to remove the "fairly" element. I don't like cleaning, don't have time but like a clean house

Cheekyandfreaky · 30/06/2018 10:12

I’m currently trying to convince DH that we need a cleaner. We change beds at least once a week, hoover, sweep and mop floors, deep clean the bathroom and kitchen (although we do give quicker cleans daily of surfaces etc). There are jobs we never seem to do- cleaning door handles, skirting boards, general dusting, cleaning windows etc. I think if we got someone in once a week to do all the big deep clean stuff and the bitty stuff I would just feel less annoyed by the day to day. Both of us like a reasonably clean and tidy living space and so I would value paying for it.

Doublechocolatetiffin · 30/06/2018 10:13

I’m with professional, it’s to clean the house.

steff13 · 30/06/2018 10:13

YABU to wonder why, as you can use your imagination and come up with plenty of reasons.

I don't like to clean. I can afford to let someone to do it, so I do. It takes a lot of stress off of me..

Cheekyandfreaky · 30/06/2018 10:14

Plus with kids, work and all of that, time is limited!

Stoveding · 30/06/2018 10:14

Oh god getting up at 4.30.

I have a clear for 10 hours a week. We have a large house and she’s been with us 9 years so the kids love her and she’ll help with them too.

She just stops it from getting too bad. And she’ll tidy a bit - I don’t think we are very messy people (since the kids reached about 5).

KindergartenKop · 30/06/2018 10:15

The cleaner cleans more effectively than I would and puts the sheets on all the beds (which I would put off for weeks). She makes me tidy my house too!

DNAwrangler · 30/06/2018 10:15

Well the answer isn't too hard really. The cleaner cleans. Everything you've said 'doesn't take you long',add it up, and it does. Especially if you are working full time with kids. You dont have the time.

It probably doesn't take that long to hand wash your clothes, but why would you if you don't need/want to??

Lonecatwithkitten · 30/06/2018 10:16

Why do I have a cleaner?

I work long hours including nights and weekends in addition to being the single parent to a 14 year old who has multiple activities. I am out of the house two to three evenings a week in addition to the one to two evenings a week I work and the every other Saturday and one in four Sundays that I work.
When I am not working I have washing and ironing to do. Quite frankly if I didn't have a cleaner I would spend every waking hour at home washing, ironing and cleaning and I would like some downtime.

SoNotaWendy · 30/06/2018 10:16

I think I know what you mean, what I need is a housekeeper who will do the housework. Load and unlaod the dish washer, change the bins, put on a wash, hang out the wash.......

that's the stuff cleaners don't do isn't it?

DNAwrangler · 30/06/2018 10:17

Get a cleaner if you really want to understand Grin

CuthbertDibble · 30/06/2018 10:17

To avoid a divorce.

user1487194234 · 30/06/2018 10:17

I have a cleaner for 2 hours 2 x a week
I work hard and having a cleaner makes my life easier

DNAwrangler · 30/06/2018 10:18

Mine would do all of those if required wendy

Icklepickle101 · 30/06/2018 10:18

To do the BIG jobs that I have no inclination to spend my weekend doing.

Clean the ovens, skirting boards, steam the downstairs and bathroom floors, linescale temive the shower and maybe a bit of ironing.

I spend 2 hours Saturday morning doing the general cleaning and bed changing and again at the end of each day. I’d feel like it was a downhill battle without her. I have 3 kids under 4 and me and DP agreed when the kids are all at school we will probably rethink the cleaner.

BiteyShark · 30/06/2018 10:19

Because I value my free time over money.

I know that every 2 weeks the house will be properly cleaned so all I need to worry about is the usual everyday stuff (kitchen surfaces cleaned, bins emptied etc) and a tidy before the cleaners come.

I used to spend about 3-4 hours every week cleaning and now it's probably less than 1. If I was at home all week then I wouldn't have a cleaner but I work full time so my spare time is now spent doing other stuff rather than hoovering etc. I wish I had done it a long time ago.

mostdays · 30/06/2018 10:19

If I could afford to pay a cleaner I would. Two adults with ft jobs in a house with 3 sons and 2 cats means I have time to keep it to an acceptable standard but no more. I'd have time to tidy really well if someone was going to be coming in to do the cleaning. And tbh it would just be really nice knowing on a Friday evening coking home knackered after the week that I wasn't going to need to spend the whole weekend on housework.

themagicamulet · 30/06/2018 10:19

Because we both work full time with long commutes and don't want to spend the precious weekends cleaning. I'd say it's saved our marriage, especially when the dc were tiny and not great sleepers. Worth every penny for us over the last 20 years.

OhTheRoses · 30/06/2018 10:20

Why? To keep the house spotless. I still do an hour a day. 6 hours pw including the ironing. Plus a quarterly deep clean.

Busy lives, work full-time, large house.

When I retire, still intend to keep the cleaner.

Crunchymum · 30/06/2018 10:21

I have Psoriatic Arthritis so can't Hoover and clean at the moment. Cleaner comes once a week and I try to keep on top of it.

Floradoranora · 30/06/2018 10:21

The house still looks fairly nice and clean

Fairly nice and clean, and beds changed every other week wouldn’t be enough for some people. It’s why they have a cleaner.

TellsEveryoneRealFacts · 30/06/2018 10:21

I don't have kids, I work from home, and would rather be in the garden than cleaning.

I see it as money well spent, doing stuff that I don't like doing.

It really is simple.

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