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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:
Downtheroadfirstonleft · 01/07/2018 21:26

I don't like cleaning.
I can afford to pay a professional to clean for me.
The cleaning co. want my business.
Their staff want a job.
We all seem happy with the arrangement!

Imsodonewithshit · 01/07/2018 21:28

Because its amazing to come home on a Friday to a tidy spotless house and kmow I can relax and enjoy my weekend

tillytoodles1 · 01/07/2018 21:28

I have a cleaner once a week although kids are grown and I don't work. She does all the things I can't do due to health problems, Changes the bed, cleans the bathroom, hoovers and dusts, and does my washing. She's worth her weight in gold.

Icanttakemuchmore · 01/07/2018 21:30

I have a cleaner because I used to spend most of every Sunday cleaning the house top to bottom. Now I spend that time with my dh and family instead . I've earnt the rest.

JohnsonsSpreadsheet · 01/07/2018 21:31

You can hoover once a week! Wow.

I do mine every other day at least and have a cleaner, I have a very messy family evidently Grin

Plus it's the husband's input into the housework, he outsources it to a professional Halo

PinkSquidgyPig · 01/07/2018 21:39

I think the real question is (if you can afford it) : why wouldn't you wouldn't have a cleaner.

No excuses/explanations necessary...

Ivytheterrible · 01/07/2018 21:43

Because I want to.
Because I can afford to.
Because I need the help.
Because there are things I’d rather do.
🤷🏼‍♀️

ScattyCharly · 01/07/2018 21:46

I don’t have a cleaner but my house is extremely busy and lived in, roughly organised and roughly clean enough. My friends who have cleaners have much cleaner houses. So I can see why people have cleaners.

KERALA1 · 01/07/2018 21:48

The better question is above a certain income level is why on earth you wouldn't have a cleaner.

FinallyHere · 01/07/2018 21:56

tidy all the rooms enough that I'd be happy to let someone see them.

We keep the place tidy, treasure does all the rest. Its really brilliant, like living in a hotel.

Can't recommend it highly enough.

PossiblyPFB · 01/07/2018 22:01

Because it frees us up to spend our time elsewhere. Time value of money and all that.

We still tidy and clean as we go and insist DD tidies her room but the cleaner vacuums and mops and deep cleans everything regularly.

They come for 8h per week split over days and it is wonderful.

That’s why!

RiverTamFan · 01/07/2018 22:14

It can be just to make sure that certain things get consistently done, to literally buy time to do something else or, if you have executive dysfunction, mental health issues or chronic illness, to allow your mental resources/spoons to spent on something else.

Limpopobongo · 01/07/2018 22:19

Now im not critiquing peoples' decisions as to whether or not to hire "staff" but i do think that part of it is aspirational.

In the not so distant past the idea of having a cleaner and a gardener were the preserve of larger houses.

I know people who have "ordinary" houses now who have at least a cleaner.

I know someone who lives in a fairly ordinary semi and they have a cleaner and a gardener. They also have friends who have deeper pockets who live in better,more expensive houses/areas.

Maybe there is an aspirational link or a link to the cult of the young professionals?

AsIfIWish · 01/07/2018 22:25

I'm with CuthbertDibble - to avoid a divorce!

In other words, my health condition means that doing anything extra on top of my part-time working hours is practically impossible due to exhaustion, and DH does hardly anything despite not working, so...

cirrus29 · 01/07/2018 22:27

Because the cleaner is better and more efficient at cleaning than I am. I think of it as employing a professional, much as I am paid for my expertise in my job. If I tried to do what she accomplishes in three hours, it would take me all day.
Secondly, it has probably saved my marriage, though I think someone has mentioned this already.

LavendarLove · 01/07/2018 22:45

Yes I have a cleaner and shock horror I don't even work! Can think of better things to do with my time and life really is too short 😲

Zoflorabore · 01/07/2018 22:47

I love cleaning so would never want a cleaner, even if I won the lottery.

We do have a gardener though and a painter/decorator ( who is a friend of ours ) as we are useless at these jobs.

I would be an amazing cleaner but where I live there doesn't seem to be a demand for cleaners. I actually don't know anyone who has a cleaner.

Limpopobongo · 01/07/2018 22:48

Hmm....so if we have a cleaner and maybe a gardener, what else could we hire to save our time? A cook? a life coach, an after school tutor for the DCs, a sex surrogate for the DP ?

Elphame · 01/07/2018 22:54

Because:

I hate cleaning
I can afford it
I'm providing work for someone

Limpopobongo · 01/07/2018 22:57

Well it seems to be a growing industry and one that can be quite well paid (cash in hand of course). Maybe i could start to offer my services? I can clean,am not a bad cook ,can do advanced diy and garden. Im also pretty good at picking DCs up from school (other peoples), a spot of child minding and similar.

steppemum · 01/07/2018 22:58

I would LOVE to have a cleaner.
every week, clean bathrooms, clean kitchen floor and sink.
whole house hoovered
clean sheets on all beds.

sounds liek bliss.

I also LOVE the idea of coming home on cleaner days and the house is all lovely. Mind you, I would need to come home before kids and just enjoy it for an hour.

There is never a day when the whole house looks good, I squeeze jobs in between life and so while it all looks OK, it never looks amazing

Thehop · 01/07/2018 22:59

Because I’ve got 4 kids, and 2 jobs and a baby that swings off my nipples all night and I’m knackered.....but I like a very clean house.

She gets it really really clean in far less time than it takes me, which means I can keep on top of it the rest of the week.

KERALA1 · 01/07/2018 23:04

Bollocks is it aspirational. I work hard dh works hard we have kids time is short. We have money earned why not pay someone to do the drudge jobs? No brainer.

Sl1nkyMalinki · 01/07/2018 23:05

My mum had a breakdown when I was 15. I was at School, my dad was at work full time; who else was going to do the house?? Our cleaner just removed that chore so we could concentrate on homework/food shop/cooking, she was priceless.

shoelaces · 01/07/2018 23:12

I'm disabled and run my own business. DH does his best but we need a cleaner or one of us will end up in hospital. (And it won't be me Grin)

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