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Housekeeping

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

Original poster

Is a cleaner worth it? Votes please...

24 replies

Fragglewump · 14/04/2015 17:35

I'm a teacher and my days off are rammed with cleaning washing, planning and marking. I've got 4 kids 3 of whom are quite messy and a dog. Shall I just bite the bullet and get a cleaner. I'm quite worried that all of my crap wages will be spent on a cleaner which defeats the object of working somewhat. I'd love yo go to the gym or just de-stress some time rather than feel like a headless chicken. Please advise! Thanks

OP posts:
maroonedwithfour · 14/04/2015 17:37

Yes if you can afford it!!

Mostlyjustaluker · 14/04/2015 17:38

A cleaner is so worth it. I am a teacher but no dc and it really frees but lots of time. We found our cleaner through her advert in a shop window.

2cats2many · 14/04/2015 17:40

Getting a cleaner saved my marriage. No more arguments about himself not pulling his weight (he pays for the cleaner).

SqueezyCheeseWeasel · 14/04/2015 17:41

God yes. A thousand times yes.

InterOuta · 14/04/2015 17:41

A good cleaner is definitely worth it! It might take a couple of tries to find the right one, but once you've got the right one, you won't know what you would do without her.

My current cleaner has gone on holiday and I can already feel the stress building up ...

MmeMorrible · 14/04/2015 17:42

Absolutely, as long as you find a good one. Ours is an absolute star, and having a thorough clean through done once a week has made such a difference to the amount of family we have at the weekends and the way I feel.

Have tried other cleaners before though & they just didn't do a good job - washing colds with cold water, refusing to pick up items when dusting etc.

MrsPeabody · 14/04/2015 17:42

Yes! The only thing I found stressful was ensuring the place was tidy enough for the cleaner to be able to make the most of her time Smile

HermiaDream · 14/04/2015 17:45

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

AugustaGloop · 14/04/2015 17:47

it depends on your circumstances and what you would do with the money if you did not get a cleaner. In our case, absolutely yes - we are "time poor" and well off financially so anything than gets me more free time at weekends and evenings tends to be worth more than the money I spend on it.

I know some people do not like the idea of a stranger in their house or would feel the need to clean before the cleaner comes. For such people, even if the money were not an issue, I suspect it is not worth it.

TallGiraffes · 14/04/2015 17:49

Worth it more than you can imagine! Agree with everyone else, get a good one, pay them properly (we pay ours £11/hr) and soon they will become the most indispensable person in your life!

midlifehope · 14/04/2015 17:58

Not if she's mental. We just had one that overstepped her boundaries massively. Made constant comments about my personal life and partner, played us off against each other, frequently came with drama and never stopped talking. Recently she impulsively quit, sent me repeated attention seeking texts and told me ours was the most difficult house she had ever cleaned! I'm keeping on top of things just fine now she's gone she's gone and have my privacy back! Grin

AmateurSeamstress · 15/04/2015 00:22

It doesn't defeat the point of working. You work to have money to pay for things you want or need, like food, mortgages and cleaners. But be realistic about how much time you'll free up (or not) to go the gym.

We don't have a cleaner, but mainly because we are rubbish at tidying up. The thought of having to tidy up properly every week for a cleaner makes me feel ill. Yes, we are too messy even for a cleaner!

WittgensteinsBunny · 15/04/2015 14:35

It's fab. If you can afford it, then yes! She's here now. I'm sat in the garden, babies napping in the pram... Lovely!

I don't expect perfection and we have a very small house, which we keep reasonably clean and tidy but having someone to keep on top of all the floors etc every week and having it all done and dusted regularly has been a god send in late pregnancy and with a new born. Then it's just keeping on top of the day to day stuff, which is a doddle knowing that we don't have to tackle a Big Clean every few weeks.

Nolim · 15/04/2015 14:44

Yes a cleaner is worth it. My sanity, free time and nagging free time are worth more than the fee.

UpNorthAgain · 15/04/2015 20:49

Yes, deffo. If you are worried about the cost, maybe you could find one for term time only. That might suit someone with small DCs, and you would be able to do more cleaning than usual if you're not at school.

(I know, I know, teachers work in the holidays too - I'm one Smile)

Squeegle · 15/04/2015 20:52

Agree with all comments
Saves my sanity
House under control
Discipline needed to ensure tidying once a week before she comes is useful too

BrocasBelly · 15/04/2015 20:57

yes
yes
yes
yes
yes

Original poster
Fragglewump · 16/04/2015 18:43

Thanks for all your replies.........pretty much unanimous! I've been interviewing cleaners and the franchised company were literally 2 or 3 times the price of a local lady. I know that using a person is a gamble but I'm going to give it a go! I'm actually feeling a lot let stressed already and it's given me a kick up the bum to sort out, declutter and organise all the kids bogging bedrooms! Hurrah!

OP posts:
Germgirl · 16/04/2015 18:57

We use an agency. Tbh I'm not impressed. We pay £60 for one clean a fortnight & the lat one was so bad I had to complain. If they hadn't smeared grease all over the hob when it was previously clean(ish) I wouldn't have thought they'd turned up at all. The agency sent another team to do a re-clean which was better but still not brilliant.
I'd love to find any good independent person but I'm too worried about them being in the house alone, having a key & alarm code etc.

TheBoov · 16/04/2015 19:13

Cleaners are fantastic. I've had one in the past. It makes you tidy up to a pattern so things never get too messy. And then everything at home is lovely!

hollyisalovelyname · 19/04/2015 19:11

Oh yesssss

Thelovecats · 20/04/2015 14:02

I think it would work for you if you are very assertive with what you want, or don't mind it not being perfect :D I've tried a couple and wasn't keen on one in particular because she didn't do basic things I would have- like drying the work tops/sinks or hoovering under furniture/rugs. The other one was s better cleaner, but tbh I didn't love having someone in my house anyway, so it wasn't for me. Maybe I'm just a control freak :D

QuiteQuietly · 20/04/2015 14:47

I would love a cleaner, but having spent hours trying to find one - having agencies come round to do quotes then not turning up or not sending the quote or being ridiculously high (£35 an hour?!?), or having someone not turn up every week because of xyz, the people who want me to leave the premises when they are here (I work from home and am carer to DH, so not terribly feasible), the crazy lady who left DS1 weird notes, the one who smoked in the bathroom unsuccesfully out of the small vent window and denied being a smoker when I asked if she would possibly smoke in the garden instead and the one who sprayed sticky furniture polish over the radiators but didn't actually clean anything - I decided I could probably spend that time actually cleaning the house myself and have a bit of money for treats instead. No one I know locally has a cleaner they are happy with, but if I had a good recommendation (instead of an embarrassed confession that they are too nervous to sack them) I would definitely go for it. Good luck with the search!

QuiteQuietly · 20/04/2015 14:48

That was almost cathartic - thank you.

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