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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:
Parker231 · 30/06/2018 20:01

I like a clean house, DH and I both work full time and we have a large house. Cleaner does everything- general cleaning, all the rooms, washing and ironing, changes the beds, puts away the online shopping order, cleans the windows, fridge, cooker and cooks to fill the freezer. She’s amazing!

ThistleAmore · 30/06/2018 20:47

@mumof2exhausted

Bloody love my cleaner she cleans house a million times better than I ever could

Exactly!

I once saw my cleaner do this thing, swirling a slightly damp mop over and around the skirting boards to get the dust off.

I would NEVER have thought of that. My cleaner is far better and faster at cleaning than I will ever be. I don't try to fix my own toilet, I get a plumber in for that.

Hiring people with skills that exceed your own and paying them for them is just what you do, is it not?

NoNotheresnolyrics · 30/06/2018 20:48

I love my cleaner, she’s stopped all arguments between me and my husband. Best thing we pay for by far!

Catsandkids78 · 01/07/2018 17:23

Sorry but I wouldn’t be happy with the level of cleanliness with that level of cleaning OP . Personal preference but weekly clean sheets are a must .

greeneyedlulu · 01/07/2018 17:32

Strange post but I'd love to have a cleaner and more storage space to have a lovely looking, sparkly clean house!! I'm happier when my house is clean and tidy and it's such an effort sometimes!

happypoobum · 01/07/2018 17:52

I don't understand why you don't understand OP Grin

I hate cleaning - it's boring and I am crap at it.

I don't like/am crap at gardening either, so I pay for a gardener.

And I don't like/am crap at decorating so I pay a decorator.

I don't get why it's so frowned upon to delegate out the jobs you cannot or don't want to do. Isn't our whole financial/societal system based on this pretext?

CoolCarrie · 01/07/2018 17:59

We have a cleaner, as do most people in SA. Decent jobs and good employers are difficult to find in this country. She has a dh, who has a job,but doesn’t earn a lot, and they have two children so they need the money, and we pay her well, she deserves it. She is excellent, and likes to iron, which I hate so it’s a win win around. I trust her and we get on well.

milafawny · 01/07/2018 17:59

I honestly wish i could get a cleaner, just for downstairs and the bathroom. Bedrooms could be left alone. But i work nights, 48 hours a week nights, i have zero motivation to clean on my off days as i just want to spend time with the kids. Plus when a cleaner could come im sleeping, id feel uncomfortable trying to sleep upstairs knowing there was a cleaner downstairs

TheFirstMrsOsmond · 01/07/2018 17:59

OP do you find hovering an effective way to clean your house? Grin

MimpiDreams · 01/07/2018 18:02

I'm disabled. My cleaner has taken on more and more to help me. She's no longer just a cleaner. She does all the tasks I'm not up to. Cleaning, cooking, shopping and increasingly more admin. I couldn't manage without her.

Fibbertigibbet · 01/07/2018 18:05

Because both DH and I have very busy lives and would rather pay the money for a cleaner and spend time together than do the cleaning ourselves.

Katherine2626 · 01/07/2018 18:06

When I worked full time and often 45 hours plus, I had a cleaner. By the time I had got home, organised laundry and dinner, ironed 'urgent' things for school/work for the next day etc. etc I was really too shattered to think about dusting the lampshades. It was often a case of washing the kitchen floor or having half an hour for a coffee with a friend - difficult choice! However it must be said my cleaner was absolutely useless; the hoover roared upstairs but the house got dirtier by the week. I dropped to four days in the end and did it myself.

Iamtryingtobenicehere · 01/07/2018 18:07

You change your beds once a fortnight? Seriously?

I change mine every week and whilst it’s been hot I And we’ve only had a top sheet (no duvet or cover to wrestle) I’ve been changing my bedding twice a week.
You seem to have fairly low standards but that doesn’t mean you have the only way to run a house. I like things nice but do have time, if I didn’t have so much flexibility I probably would have a cleaner.

Please realise that 1. Not everyone is happy to live in the same grubby way you choose.

  1. Some people are great at their job, less good at the domestic goddess art so get someone in.
  1. I would pay good money just to see you hovering although sadly I presume you mean hoovering.
Maddy70 · 01/07/2018 18:09

I work hard a d want to enjoy my weekends. Do I have a cleaner who comes on a Friday do I walk into a lovely clean house. Perfect end to the working week

restingbemusedface · 01/07/2018 18:12

Because it’s £20 that I can spare that means I don’t have to do the bathrooms/bed sheets and floors. It’s money well spent.

It’s interesting that people always ask on here why people have cleaners, but never ask why people pay others to mow the lawn. Is it because it’s exlected of women to keep their own houses clean?

Thisisnotreallymyname · 01/07/2018 18:14

Because we can all spend our money how we want.
I hate cleaning - so I have a cleaner.

BiteyShark · 01/07/2018 18:15

restingbemusedface I agree I think it's because it's traditionally seen as 'women's work' so how dare we outsource it.

Ravenesque · 01/07/2018 18:19

For me, I'm on pips and so I use a tenner of this money once a month to have a neighbour's daughter come to mine to mop my floors - no carpet at all in the house. My cats make a mess of mud on the kitchen, hall and living room floors and while I can just about do the mopping myself, it means that I then hurt and am done in the next day. N.b. it takes her no more than an hour, generally less to do the floors, so I'm not underpaying her. I also intend to give her a birthday and Christmas bonus, just because. My payments are for me to use to help make my life easier. That's why I have a cleaner. Oh and I don't tidy up before she comes here, because she's a lovely young woman who likes to help and doesn't care if I have a few things out of place.

I'm so lucky to have her.

hertsfem55 · 01/07/2018 18:25

I am disabled mobility issues, legs grossly swollen, needs stroller to get around , thus essential for a cleaner to do bathroom tiles , difficult places to get into. I do a surface hoover with the Dyson, it takes me ages but I do it.

Lostinspace132 · 01/07/2018 18:25

Why people buy bread? You can make it yourself. You could make your own clothes....guess what, cleaner is there to help with cleaning, to save you effort and time. It is not a very complicated concept to understand

AStatelyPleasureDome · 01/07/2018 18:27

Because changing beds once a fortnight is skanky!

Teeniemiff · 01/07/2018 18:55

Helps me keep on top of some of the jobs I don’t find time to do. I have zero time at home alone without a 4 year old & 1 year old. Night time there’s only so much I can do.
I tidy for the Cleaner, which means I have to keep on top of some jobs (we have her just once a fortnight to help me do some jobs I don’t get done that often- Clean the oven, vac the stairs (daughter is either napping & I don’t want to wake her or she’s claiming the stairs with the vac!). Shower doors & windows. Those kinda things. I still have to vac & polish, clean bathrooms etc

libbyb · 01/07/2018 19:09

My sister has just announced that she has now got a cleaner - 2 hours per week! She is cock a hoop!! Her new jaccuzi bath is pristine, the stairs and hallways carpets are now thoroughly cleaned weekly and she has her bed changed every week on the same day - she chooses her preferred duvet and comes home to find it all fresh and plumped up!! She works in a care home doing 12 hour shifts, and this has lifted a great weight from her shoulders - plus she feels pampered to arrive home and find everything fresh and neat!! Worth their weight in gold xx
If you can do it - do it!!

Echobelly · 01/07/2018 19:10

I think getting the place baseline tidied once a week helps keep it that way. It can be very demoralising when you have kids when you find yourself thinking 'Argh, should I even bother! it'll be a tip again when the kids get to it!', so having someone else do it helps. It just helps my sanity a bit, tbh!

londonfeather · 01/07/2018 19:13

To stop me and my husband having pointless arguments about cleaning. Instead of resenting him for not helping enough or seeing dirt, we have a cleaner. It works well and means that none of the weekend is used cleaning...

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