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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:
Plsbemyturn · 30/06/2018 10:47

Must be very little traffic in your house :)

notproductive · 30/06/2018 10:48

I would love herethereandeverywhere’s housekeeper though.

What is the going rate for a housekeeper?

thecatsthecats · 30/06/2018 10:49

I have lots of time to clean.

Don't wanna though.

That kind of sums it up, though you could add lots of disposable income, lots of other goals to meet, enjoying lazy time, liking providing employment, liking having a clean house, preferring gardening. It's all in that thing though.

I don't want to clean though. Someone who is happy to do it for money has capitalized on that.

ILikeyourHairyHands · 30/06/2018 10:49

Err, because I don't like cleaning and always do a slap-dash job so I'd prefer someone who takes pride in doing it properly in exchange for cash.

Ijumpedtheshark · 30/06/2018 10:49

Because I’m lazy and I can afford it.

tomhazard · 30/06/2018 10:52

I have a cleaner because I hate cleaning and if I didn't have one I wouldn't do it properly and it would build up.

0hCrepe · 30/06/2018 10:54

Hate cleaning. Love coming back to a clean house.

JaceLancs · 30/06/2018 10:54

Because I work long hours have caring responsibilities for elderly parents and like to keep my weekends for leisure
There is no tidying to do - my house is always very tidy
A cleaner well cleans

expatmigrant · 30/06/2018 10:56

To clean the house so that I don't have to.

MaiaRindell · 30/06/2018 10:56

Coming home after a long day at work to a beautifully clean and tidy house and knowing you can just relax for a bit is worth is absolutely lovely. My lovely cleaner changes the beds, does the ironing, cleans the bathrooms, the oven, the hob, the floors, the windows...The house is spotless when she is done.

MaiaRindell · 30/06/2018 10:58

Also what @Ijumpedtheshark said! :)

Cindie943811A · 30/06/2018 10:59

I had a cleaner when I had a dependant child and worked full time. Any time spent on housework meant less time to spend with my DC. Cleaner did routine housework plus one extra job eg washing paintwork, polishing furniture. Took a lot of pressure off me because I knew house was maintained to a good standard. Still, obviously had laundry, cooking etc to attend to after a demanding day at work.

PotatoesDieInHotCars · 30/06/2018 11:00

I would like a cleaner. I hate housework so much I have 2 of those robot hoovers. One for upstairs and one for downstairs. I still have to do the stairs myself though Sad .

If I don't supervise the downstairs hoover it will hump the legs of my bar stool until its battery dies. A cleaner wouldn't do that.

Branleuse · 30/06/2018 11:02

I have one because im really shit at keeping on top of the housework, and it was really getting to me. Previous places i have lived in have been completely out of control. I have executive function issues without a doubt, and it just got to the stage where i realised that im in my 40s. If I havent got the hang of housework thenI should probably try and get someone in to do it, because between my 3 kids and me, it just looks like a shithole very quickly.
I now have someone in once a week and its changed my life. Worth every penny.

Theres still plenty of general housework for me to do inbetween times, but it doesnt get to the point that im overwhelmed and crying about it anymore.

NotUmbongoUnchained · 30/06/2018 11:03

I hate people being in my house when I’m not there and my husband thinks it’s lazy so we don’t have one. (As much as i would actually like one). We do the housework every Saturday morning while the kids are still in bed.

problembottom · 30/06/2018 11:03

I'm crap at cleaning and I hate it but I do like a clean house. DP is also crap at cleaning and doesn't enjoy it but he's more relaxed about the state of the house. We would seriously fall out if we didn't have a cleaner!

Dahlietta · 30/06/2018 11:04

Eh? I don’t have a cleaner, but I don’t find it difficult to imagine why people have one. You need to apply your wondering power to something more interesting, OP.

Pebblespony · 30/06/2018 11:06

Perhaps a better question would be "AIBU to wonder why so many people on mumsnet are obsessed with other people having cleaners?"

WindDoesNotBreakTheBendyTree · 30/06/2018 11:06

I simply don't have time or inclination
But tbh it is also the mental load.
House gets a good once-over once per week - then we just keep on top of it.

BiteyShark · 30/06/2018 11:07

It is interesting isn't it that you see these threads pop up quite frequently but I can't remember ever seeing one asking why people have gardeners.

IfyouseeRitaMoreno · 30/06/2018 11:15

because cleaning is as boring as fuck.

Tinkobell · 30/06/2018 11:17

Why not also ask:-

  • why do some people get shirts washed and ironed at dry cleaners?
  • why do some people eat at a restaurant?
  • why do some people pay doggy sitters?
  • why do some people have a gardener?

Because they can afford to and they might want to get out once in a while and do something other than domestic chores?!

Original poster
Gingerninj · 30/06/2018 11:18

I spend sunday morning cleaning, that's why I only hover once a week. I'll give the house a quick tidy when the kids are in bed. But we don't have any pets and have a rule about only eating in the dinning room, so the floors are clean. No one makes much mess in the week anyway because the house is empty for most the day

OP posts:
SilverySurfer · 30/06/2018 11:19

You really need to ask?

Some people hate cleaning, some work long hours and they prefer to spend their free time doing something more enjoyable, some, like me, are disabled and can't do it themselves. I'm sure there are other reasons, but you get the picture.

ItsClemFandangoCanYouHearMe · 30/06/2018 11:20

My job means I am out of the house walking / bussing to and from school and preschool with a 3 year old and a 7 month old between 7am and 7pm. I sleep 6 hours a night and barely have time to wash and eat so my house of becoming really neglected. My children get every ounce of my spare time.

I get up at 4.30am and go to bed at 10.30pm.

I'm considering getting a cleaner in just to maintain. Some people just don't have the disposable time and I don't want to spend my weekend cleaning when I could be spending time with my children since I have to be away from them all week.