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Housekeeping

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

Original poster

Does anyone have a cleaner?

15 replies

WalkingBlind · 30/01/2016 10:19

I'm desperately struggling. With a 3yr old DD and I'm 8 month pregnant and I'm not the best at cleaning anyway. I mean I try, but I suppose it just doesn't come naturally. My OH won't help me at all and makes additional mess. I spend all my time cleaning and it looks exactly the same 10mins later.

Do you have a cleaner? Do you clean before they arrive?

I wouldn't expect them to tidy up, I'm fine with the laundry it's just dusting/hoovering/kitchen etc. I have 3 cats and struggle with the hair, is that something they'd be used to dealing with?

I'm basically terrified that my house is asking too much Confused If anyone IS a cleaner do you expect a basic standard before you arrive?

OP posts:
LucyMouse · 30/01/2016 10:20

Why won't your OH help you?

fuckityhi · 30/01/2016 10:25

I have a cleaner and I love her. She tells me that if a house is particularly bad, the first clean can take quite a while. And then after that they just keep on top of it weekly. I'm sure they will have seen worse than your house.
I do tidy before the cleaner comes (having a cleaner is a good motivator to keep tidy) but I don't clean before she comes. I have a three story house and she does two floors per week (alternating between top two floors and always doing ground floor). I vacuum downstairs every day and spot clean the bathrooms and kitchen as needed in between.

JapanNextYear · 30/01/2016 10:27

Our cleaners say some houses they clean and some they tidy then try to clean. Ours doesn't have much stuff lying round, so they can come in, Hoover the floors and the sofa ro get rid of cat hair, dust, mop and clean bathrooms and kitchen without having to tidy first.

Other houses they do more tidying up, like kids toys etc.

Best thing is to get a couple of people in to have a look and give you an idea.

They'll have seen it all before. I live coming into the house after they've been through it and it keeps it under control. I loathe cleaning.

fuckityhi · 30/01/2016 10:29

I missed the bit about your oh not helping you. That isn't good. My oh was used to doing nothing when we first got together. It was an issue we had massive rows over and got sorted in the fairly early stages of our relationship. He does equal to me in the house now, I wouldn't be with him if he was a misogynist and expected me to do it because I am female. If that is the case here.

lucy101101 · 30/01/2016 10:35

I have an amazing cleaner and she has been working for us for ten years now. I (well the whole family really including DH and DC) go ahead of her tidying so she only actually cleans and that works very well. However at difficult times or when the DC are sick and I haven't been able to tidy up she has just done that as well (but obviously a little less cleaning). Do you have any friends who have a cleaner they could recommend? My cleaner now cleans for at least three of my friends (and they all have/had very difficult levels of tidiness and cleanliness when she started with them). I do think you need to get some more help from DH though too....

blueandgreendots · 30/01/2016 10:39

I have a three year old and am expecting in April, no pets; DH and I work full time (I also do on calls some nights and weekends) and we both hate cleaning. Getting a cleaner was one of the best things we've ever done and I'll be keeping her when on mat leave. She comes fortnightly, we have to tidy away toys and surfaces the night before but it makes us stay vaguely organised. It is so lovely coming home to a clean house. It's money well spent in my opinion.

patienceisvirtuous · 30/01/2016 10:40

We do, there's only two of us so house not too bad but we have two indoor cats. I tidy before she comes...

She does 4 hours and house is amazing after 😊

Original poster
WalkingBlind · 30/01/2016 10:48

Thank you so much for your replies, I really think I'm going to get one just a little embarrassed. I'm ok with kids toys and general tidying although not fantastic lol. It's more so the cat hair, floors, surfaces, etc.

OH is/was a spoiled mummies boy so never cleaned in his life and is finding it very difficult to change, and I'm getting so angry with him that I think a cleaner will take some of the load off me. I'm trying to get him to get his shit together but it's just not sinking in :(

OP posts:
HeyMicky · 30/01/2016 10:49

I have a three year old and 9 month old and wouldn't be without one. But we've always had a cleaner - if you can afford it, let someone else do it so you're free for the fun stuff.

The house is always tidy, and I lift all rugs, pull furniture away from the wall, put chairs up etc before the arrive. My cleaner can then just get on with it. She spends 2 1/2 hours and does three bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, utility room/cloakroom, kitchen, dining room, sitting room and hall. She does floors, surfaces, mirrors and then sinks, loos etc. I don't ask her to dust bookshelves or lamps, clean the fridge, microwave or oven or do the windows but I do expect her to wipe skirting boards and Hoover cobwebs from the corners etc.

FaithAscending · 30/01/2016 10:53

We have a cleaner. She is wonderful! I tidy before she comes. She dusts, hoovers and cleans the bathroom. This works for us because I struggle to manage everything (have Asperger's) and DH works 45+ hours a week.

I would be concerned about the lack of support from your OH though. Will he help when the baby comes?

wickedwaterwitch · 30/01/2016 10:57

I advertised specifically for a cleaner / housekeeper and made it absolutely clear that I wanted tidying as much as cleaning - it's important to me

No way do I tidy beforehand, what would be the point of that and anyway I don't have time

SevenOfNineTrue · 30/01/2016 11:00

Can I ask how you found your cleaners? I don't know anyone with one to ask for recommendations.

Pidapie · 30/01/2016 11:08

I used to have a cleaner. She would hoover and clean the floors (had wooden floors), dust, and clean the bathroom. I was very happy with this, even thought it wasn't always up to my standards. First pregnant with SPD, and then with a newborn, I was very happy to have a cleaner at all. My OH would clean even further off my standards so wasn't an option, haha!

I now work as a cleaner, whilst being a SAHM. I hoover, dust, clean the kitchen and the bathroom, and change her bed. I've got to say I'm not so keen on changing beds, but I need the money. She asked me to do ironing, but I declined as I am rubbish at it.

I found my cleaner through family who had her clean for them - they had been recommended her by a friend of hers.

I found my job through an agency called Maid2Clean, and get paid a decent hourly pay through them + they provide insurance.

Littlef00t · 30/01/2016 20:17

I love my cleaner. Only had her 3 weeks, but we knew her beforehand so no awkward trust issues.

She comes for just an hour a week and does kitchen and bathroom floors and hovers throughout weekly, plus other jobs that vary.

She comes on a Wednesday which forces me to do a quick tidy mid week which I never used to bother with really, and it's also made me rethink storage to ensure surfaces are clearer, which is lovely now it's done.

Best £10 spent.

feelthebenefit · 30/01/2016 21:30

I clean, and if the house is tidy when I get there I get loads more actual cleaning done. Some people are un tidy though, so yes I do a fair bit of clearing and sorting in some houses. I prefer cleaning.

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