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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

That a cleaner won’t solve any problems?

175 replies

Autumntwilights · 22/10/2021 17:14

We both work full time and keeping on top of stuff is hard.

I can’t see a cleaner solving any issues. It’s more tidying, laundry (dear god the laundry) getting organised for the week.

Am I missing anything?

OP posts:
Heruka · 22/10/2021 20:52

It’s a beautiful thing to come back to your whole house tidy and clean when you have been out, like a magic fairy has been! Yes it’s a bit of stress being organised for her coming but when I can’t she does tidy and work around it. Mine agreed to fold and put away laundry at my husbands request but she always got things in the wrong places - kids clothes all look the same and I wouldn’t expect her to be checking ages on labels - so I stopped her doing that. I hate laundry too but I agree doing it regularly helps, folding a bit each night or two.

Wrenna · 22/10/2021 20:58

Cleaning is the easy part. I need a butler running after my family to out crap away.

Wrenna · 22/10/2021 20:58
  • put
Confusednewmum1 · 22/10/2021 21:00

Honestly I started hitting the laundrette once a fortnight a few months ago. Giant bag of towels and bedsheets, darks and then lights 3 big machines. Washed, dried folded, 3 IKEA bags taken home and put away. Takes less than 2 hours and it’s all done and I have a coffee, book while washing then go grab my weekly shop at click and collect while it’s in the tumble. Yes it’s £40 and I have a washing machine and tumble in the house but so good just to blast

Thetrainisinthestation · 22/10/2021 21:01

I dont have a cleaner but send my laundry to be done

DaisyNGO · 22/10/2021 21:04

@Confusednewmum1

Honestly I started hitting the laundrette once a fortnight a few months ago. Giant bag of towels and bedsheets, darks and then lights 3 big machines. Washed, dried folded, 3 IKEA bags taken home and put away. Takes less than 2 hours and it’s all done and I have a coffee, book while washing then go grab my weekly shop at click and collect while it’s in the tumble. Yes it’s £40 and I have a washing machine and tumble in the house but so good just to blast
I'm confused Is that a service wash?
godmum56 · 22/10/2021 21:07

Why precisely is the tidying a problem?....not sarky question, genuine question.

iwishiwasafish · 22/10/2021 21:11

@godmum56

Why precisely is the tidying a problem?....not sarky question, genuine question.
Because we have too much stuff and just move it from place to place. And because DH doesn’t actually put things away, he just manoeuvres it into slightly tidier piles of stuff.
gingercatsparky · 22/10/2021 21:14

My cleaner is absolutely a god send. I needed help and she makes my life so much easier. Not having to spend evenings and weekends cleaning. Also, it means me do a big tidy the day before which means the house is generally much tidier too. Couldn't live without her.

gingercatsparky · 22/10/2021 21:17

@Autumntwilights

I didn’t say the cleaner created more laundry - but they won’t do it, which is where the workload really is: laundry and tidying up. The actual cleaning is so easy in comparison.
Really? Surely these things take a fraction of the time cleaning would take. I do a load just before I go to bed and then DH or I take it out and hang up either in the morning or whilst making dinner or after the dcs have gone to bed. In our house cleaning is definitely the more time consuming job.
Couchbettato · 22/10/2021 21:18

Hire a laundry service instead of a cleaner if you're happy tidying the house but just want laundry done so you can stay organised.

YesitsBess · 22/10/2021 21:19

You do! And we're a lot more reasonable than people think, when you consider the range of things we can be aimed at.

gingercatsparky · 22/10/2021 21:19

@Autumntwilights

Yes but it doesn’t take long. And I think that frantically tidying up before cleaner would add to, rather than remove, stress.
How old are your dcs? I get my dcs to tidy their rooms before the cleaner. It can be a total rush in the morning but either I do the kids and DH tidies or visa versa. I find there's not much to do each week as we generally keep much more on top of it as we have to tidy for her on a weekly basis.
Timeforachange22 · 22/10/2021 21:19

I do get stressed having to tidy up for the cleaner but it gets done. You can absolutely find a cleaner that will do some laundry.

YesitsBess · 22/10/2021 21:20

Sorry, that was for @iwishiwasafish

Bonsaibreaker · 22/10/2021 21:22

So pay for a service wallah instead of a cleaner.

Sorry I got bored 5 posts in so apologise if this has already been covered.

I am just jealous I would love to be able to afford a cleaner!

Bonsaibreaker · 22/10/2021 21:22

Wash

YesitsBess · 22/10/2021 21:24

I did raise my eyebrows at 'wallah' Grin

OnwardsAndSideways1 · 22/10/2021 21:24

Of course a cleaner solves some of your problems, mine does three hours intensive proper cleaning, so that's three hours less than I have to do per week, like one half a day of work back!

You can also ask cleaners to do laundry.

If you have someone doing several hours cleaning and laundry a week, then you have more time to tidy! You can do 10 min a day or Flylady or whatever works/Kondo and work on that.

My friends who have cleaners have cleaner tidier houses, because the whole thing just gets a bit upgraded. Our house is always a bit on the slide when we don't have a cleaner as I don't have the energy to clean and tidy and do laundry for many hours a week...

But the good thing is if you don't want to have a cleaner, you don't have to have one!

Parker231 · 22/10/2021 21:29

Our cleaner doesn’t tidy. We don’t ask her to - everyone tidies after themselves. The cleaner does the laundry, ironing, putting away, changing the beds as well as the usual cleaning, putting away the shopping delivery etc. All depends on what you arrange to be done.

SunShinesBrightly · 22/10/2021 21:31

YesitsBess
Just about to say that the OP needs a housekeeper not a cleaner! She needs you!

OP, look for housekeeping services. They tidy, clean, wash, iron, change beds... even run small errands. They will do whatever you need doing on list. You could hire someone for a day a week if funds allow.

Bonsaibreaker · 22/10/2021 21:32

I did raise my eyebrows at 'wallah'

Scary thing is my phone autocorrected that and I have never typed that word in my life! Confused

Blueberry231 · 22/10/2021 21:34

We have a cleaner for two hours a week. It's made such a difference to my stress levels and the amount of time I have to put away washing. It just means we keep on top of everything better!

A good cleaner is 10000% worth it IMO.

Lotusmonster · 22/10/2021 21:34

Sorry but I found cleaners a pain.
Tidy up before hand. Wait in while they clean. Worse still, last minute cancellation, left with a mucky house. Mirrors and glass always left smeary. Firm owners routinely slip in extra invoices for nothing. Bill checking took ages.
Far far happier without them! 😊

SmileyClare · 22/10/2021 21:38

"Wallah" definition (British slang) ; a person in charge of a specified service

Maybe your phone's onto something. Paying for a service wallah to come in once a day and sort all the laundry sounds perfect Wink