That a cleaner won’t solve any problems?

[Autumntwilights]

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?

Re. Piles of Washing - When the DCs were small I would get my DH to drop off big bags of sheets, towels, bedding and clothes to be service washed.
It cost £20-30 a week but it was a Godsend.
Everything came back washed, dried and folded.
It was the cleanest laundrette I have ever seen and I would send my own wash powder and fabric conditioner to use.
Thinking about it, I might start doing it again!
Don’t know why I stopped!

@Lotusmonster - sounds like you had the wrong cleaner. We tidy up as we go along so not additional work. We are usually out when our cleaner comes around - she comes twice a week unless we arrange for additional hours. The quality of her work is very high. We have used the same cleaner for nearly 20 years. She also house sits whilst we are on holiday.

Sounds like you're need a cleaner/housekeeper

I'm a nanny/housekeeper and my role
Includes keeping the house ticking over. Seeing to packages, workmen, cooking, tidying ( some cleaning but they have a cleaner)
Laundry, ironing, put it away.
Bed sheets changed laundered and ironed
Towels washed and replaced
Running errands /post and the such.
See to the gardener. Make appointments for the family or for people to see to the house.

These are the major things - so many little niggles I sort out too.

In previous jobs I've walked dogs/food/vet for them too.

If laundry is the problem for you - then get in someone to do the laundry and ironing

and whilst they are sorting the laundry they can do some cleaning

or you do the washing and drying and leave an ironing pile for them to get through and then do some cleaning afterwards with any extra time

Surely all cleaners tidy to some extent? They’re not very employable otherwise!

Ours are amazing. Changed our life. We pay for a few hours a week. They send a couple of cleaners in so are only here for about an hour, they do everything including sorting the playroom. They will change bedding if needed. I love cleaning day as the house feels like a hotel afterwards!

Best money I ever spent.

@Bonsaibreaker Hahahaaaaa! I bloody hate autocucumber.

@SunShinesBrightly everyone needs a me in their lives! I'm also a PA so I take care of everything that needs doing from admin right down to cleaning the loo if needed. One of my clients on her reference just said "it's like having my own wife" and I think that's essentially it, modern life is so bloody exhausting before you factor in working full time that it's easy to get overwhelmed but it all.

I couldn’t cope without my cleaner. We all tidy up for her (including the kids) which is great.. then the cleaner does extra tidying, cleans, changes the beds and puts a wash on. Worth every penny

Nah, a cleaner solves all the problems. Or at least 90% of them. Tidy, clean, sheets changed. Everything shiny and relaxing and marvelous.

@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.

So get one that does.

My cleaner does it all. If I don't tidy she has less time to clean but she takes laundry out the machine, puts new load in, hangs stuff out, folds it, puts it away, changes bedding. And always cleans the bathroom and kitchen.

Our cleaner will tidy but then that means she spends less time cleaning, so we either have to tidy before she comes or pay her double and have her stay an extra two hours to actually clean. Some weeks cleaning as you go works, other weeks it just doesn't, like when DH and I both need to be out for work and the DC got up late so the house is strewn with the remnants of the morning school run

I agree OP. For me cleaning isn't the problem and doesnt take me long, like pp said I think a housekeeper would suit better.

I dont mind cleaning and feel it doesnt take too long, it's the getting to it for me. Life gets busy, kids stuff takes over, dogs need walked and fed, laundry needs done etc then frantically tidying every week for the cleaner to come in seems pointless as that's what overwhelms us sometimes, once I did that I may aswell spend another 2 hours cleaning, then someone will helpfully suggest keeping the house at a reasonable state so you dont have to frantically run around, in which case I could just do the cleaning in an hour or 2! (Depends on size of the house and family members obviously)

I am not a naturally tidy person at all. I have a cleaner because if I didn’t, I wouldn’t feel any pressure to tidy up - stuff would just get left! I love that she keeps me in a routine. Knowing she’s coming makes me put things away and keep on top of decluttering; I have no shame in admitting that I would only tidy for guests if I didn’t have her coming regularly. I like the routine of getting ready for her arrival. Me and DP both out our washing away, we put the dishes away and get all the stuff off the floor. It’s like therapy for us both! Then she comes and does her job and it’s like the house gets a “reset” once a fortnight. It is worth the money for me.

DH and I have had a LOT fewer fights since we got a cleaner again. Our old one did tidy, the new one (agency) doesn't. But the point is that it still feels better and actually, w don't need tidying. we need cleaning. I need the place to be dusted and the bathrooms to be clean so I don't constantly feel like I'm brushing my teeth in a petri dish. Ditto door knobs, bannisters, skirting boards etc.

Having said that, if laundry is your big challenge, pay someone to do that instead. There are a few laundromats around here where you can drop stuff off and pick it up at the end of the day washed, dried and folded (ironing is extra). I have a woman who collects the ironing and that's been amazing because I HATE ironing. The point is to get in extra help for the stuff you feel you need the most. Truthfully, while I love the cleaners doing the bathroom, I tell them to do it last because it's the chore I mind the least and can do myself easily vs the vacuuming/dusting/mopping/general cleaning.

[quote YesitsBess]@Bonsaibreaker Hahahaaaaa! I bloody hate autocucumber.

@SunShinesBrightly everyone needs a me in their lives! I'm also a PA so I take care of everything that needs doing from admin right down to cleaning the loo if needed. One of my clients on her reference just said "it's like having my own wife" and I think that's essentially it, modern life is so bloody exhausting before you factor in working full time that it's easy to get overwhelmed but it all.[/quote]
@YesitsBess I think I need you too!

@DaisyNGO no not a service wash - I load the machines myself and move the clothes from washer to dryer. But it’s industrial sized machines that work in half the time 45mins for a full wash cycle and about and hour or so for the tumble dryer.
I was doing a normal load per day/ 5 loads on a Saturday and a constant cycle of wash/dry/put away that never actually got done - before I hit the laundrette

@museumum

We love it. It means all of us who live here have to tidy up our stuff on a Tuesday evening. Because the cleaner isn’t one of us, we all have to tidy and can’t just leave it cause “mum” or “dad” will clean around our stuff. Then on a Wednesday afternoon we have the whole house tidy and clean. When we cleaned ourself we’d do a different room or job each day so there was never that “everything totally clean and tidy” moment. And now we have more time for laundry 😂

totally agree!!

I used to do a load a day, and it took over my flipping life. Constant cycle of washing, drying, folding, hanging out. BORING!

Now I take my washing to the launderette on Friday or Sunday afternoons. It takes me about an hour to wash all mine and kids clothes, bedding and towels. Costs about £10-15. Means I don’t have things lying around the house drying. Tumble dried and warm I fold them up. Different bag for each household member, they get their bag to put things away once I get home. Quite enjoy my peaceful time, listen to podcast, read book or watch tv on my phone. Best thing is, all laundry over and done in an hour!

@iwishiwasafish

"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."

two things then.....you need to declutter and you need to have a convo with DH.....and while a laundry do-er will help with that, no one can declutter for you except you!

Mine does laundry

I hated having a cleaner. So stressful to have to tidy up the night before. I also resented paying for something that was never done as well as I wanted it.

@YesitsBess what is your official title? How do you advertise yourself or find jobs when you look? Really interested in what you do because it's right up my alley!

@iwishiwasafish @godmum56 I had weekly sessions with a professional organiser via Zoom and she was brutal in helping me de clutter the kitchen!!!

We are a house of two small children and two adults and each week we spend 30 mins each before cleaner arrives doing a tidy up. That way we get to stay on top of the mess.

My cleaners also change beds so that is another chore done.

I hear you on laundry as that is my chore. I find the key is a tumble dryer and spending 5 mins sorting it into each persons pile before it goes upstairs. I try to never get behind by more that a 2 loads for putting away.

[quote Wotsitsits]**@iwishiwasafish* @godmum56* I had weekly sessions with a professional organiser via Zoom and she was brutal in helping me de clutter the kitchen!!![/quote]
I used Flylady

A cleaner means you do t have to spend time mopping floors, cleaning toilets, hoovering, dusting, shining the kitchen sink, scrubbing the oven…etc…and you also don’t have to spend time feeling guilty that you ought to mop the floor, clean the toilet, hoover…etc…Definitely money well spent for peace of mind even more than the cleaning itself.