Am I an accidental sexist?

[Seventytwoseventythree]

I booked a new cleaner through our agency as my last one has moved away. They have a name that can be male or female e.g. Alex. When the cleaner arrived he is a man.

Horrified to say I feel weird and awkward about it! I am a young woman and usually very feminist. DH and I split the household tasks down the middle (we have a rota and everything) and I have no problem watching DH clean. I just feel really weird about this (perfectly nice) man cleaning my toilets and things, it’s ridiculous I know! I know IABU and I am so cross with myself, I am also questioning why I feel this way, is it because all my previous cleaners have been women so I’m just not used to it? Or do I actually think on some level that cleaning is women’s work??

He’s a good cleaner and we’ve booked him back in, I’m aware that this is my issue and don’t want to do him out of a job.

How would you feel?

Are you alone with him while he's working? Maybe you feel a bit threatened by that without realising? (I think I would. I dislike being alone with workmen, for example.)

It is probably an subconscious thing related to societal norms. But YWBU to sack him for it. Keep him on and you'll get used to it. Your mind will reset itself and it will become normal.

I don't think it matters about the gender. You'll used to it, he's just a man doing his job, nothing will be different to a woman doing it.

Maybe it's just breaking your expectations. Think Sandy the nanny in friends. Like you say, he's a good cleaner so you'll get used to it.