...to ask the cleaner to put my clothes away?

[CoolLikeOvie]

4yo DD starts school soon, and I'm both taking a promotion, increasing my hours, and starting a full time masters. It'll be great for my career, I have little money for extras at present, and I love to learn - so I am beyond pleased - but will obviously be very full on.

This will equate to around 400pm gross salary extra.

I'm a single parent, DDs dad lives abroad and has no involvement. I'm thinking about getting a cleaner. I fucking hate cleaning, but love a tidy house - and especially with the extra hours spent at work, I'd want to spend all weekend having fun with DD - I think it'll be money well spent.

I was thinking about 2 hours a week, with maybe a 4 hour deep clean to begin with. I have a tiny 2 bed, one bath - but my dad is living with us at the moment and he WFH and his room is pretty clean so I doubt he'll want his cleaned. So really just a one bed.

One thing I am embarrassingly lax at is putting away clean clothes. I'll happily wash and dry it, but I let the 'putting away' pile pile up until it's unmanageable. I don't know why I hate it so much, but I do.

Is it completely weird and lazy to ask a cleaner to put away a couple of loads of washing a week, and change the beds? Me and DD share a wardrobe and a large (7 drawer) chest of drawers in the same room, if that makes a difference. I'll always make sure the house is tidy and the toilet is clean etc etc. Am expecting to pay about £15ph (SE).

Please let me know if I'll sound like the Queen of Sheba to even suggest the idea as I'm completely embarrassed to even be debating the idea of a cleaner. People like me really don't have cleaners

It's an unusual request but I don't think it's offensive to ask.
I'm sure many cleaners would rather put clothes away than clean a loo or oven.

Oh OP, if only we lives nearer to each other. I LOVE putting clothes away, and the food shop!
Gives me a real sense of satisfaction to sort it into different piles and put it all out of sight

Couldn't help you with the cleaning though, don't love that got quite so much

My cleaner asked a few times about doing my laundry so eventually I said she could do the sheets. Since having DS she's taken on doing any other laundry she finds too. And she puts everything away. Sometimes DH and I get each other's socks or shorts, but mostly she knows where it all goes. It's just about time; if you pay for enough hours and have someone hardworking they'll get anything done.

Check and agree if you're paying holidays as well. We don't pay holidays but give a bonus (variable hours) that covers her when she's away.

I LOVE putting clean clothes away! It’s so satisfying putting the neatly ironed piles in drawers....

The fact that it spends a week in a pile, waiting to be ironed, it a whole different issue...

*is

Sorry, completely forgot about this thread! Glad I wouldn't sound like a complete weirdo asking it.

Personally I'd rather save the money to get a bigger place as £120pm is a lot of money. If your dad is there long term does he help out with cleaning and should he contribute to the cost of a cleaner for communal areas.

£120pm is literally nothing around here rent wise. Less than 10% of my rent for this tiny 2 bed. My dad doesn't do much to be honest, a cause of constant annoyance, but he does give me some money and helps a lot with DD, and will help even more once my hours increase. I have said though that if this is going to be a long term thing, we'd have to think about getting a 3 bed (and an en suite for him). For another thread really, but he'd maybe pay a bit towards a cleaner.

Our cleaner empties the washing machine, irons clothes and puts them away, and changes bedding. In principle, I think it's a reasonable request, provided you are realistic about how much can be done in a certain amount of time