Is having a cleaner worth it?

[Scarlett1251]

I'm thinking of getting a cleaner in the new year. I'm not rich by any means, in fact I often struggle financially, but I have just gone to full time hours and as a solo mum am struggling to keep up with everything. A cleaner is one way I thought I could lesson my load. But I only want to do this if it actually gives me back some time.

Those of you that had one, what do you get them to do? I was thinking hoovering, mopping kitchen floors, cleaning bathroom, dusting etc. the kind of things that need doing once a week and are clearly defined things, as a lot of stuff I have to do every day anyway. Obviously general tidying I will still need to do as only I know where things go.

Yes: a normal weekly clean is what most cleaners are best at (ie not deep cleaning)

In your position, I would start with every 2 weeks to get your money’s worth & do a light/quick clean yourself on the off week

How long do you usually spend - on the main clean - 3 hours? That’s hat you get back

I've had a cleaner for two hours once a week since I became unwell. I ask him to concentrate on all the floors, plus kitchen and bathrooms.
Obviously there are still all those little bits to be done in between that you wouldn't leave for a week.
But the thorough mopping and vacuuming he does everywhere especially means I have to do far less during the week to keep on top of things. I wish I'd given in and done this ages ago.

I think it also depends on the cleaner.

I've had about 5. The best one was a friend who loved cleaning and was ocd with it. She did all the annoying noticeable things ontop of the basic hoovering and mopping. 4 hours weekly and we then upped it to 4 plus 2 weekly. BEST MONEY EVER SPENT! LOVED coming home to my sparkling clean house that smelled beautiful and every speck of dust gone.

My current one - yes she does a 'basic' clean and i love not having to make the beds, but she doesn't do inside the microwave, misses obvious dust on wall behind toilet, the corners of floor need a good hand scrub not just a mop...sigh. Tbf she's doing the job in good time - but I'd rather pay her for an extra hour and have all the other bits done too.

The best cleaners are the OCD types and who like to make the house 'feel' clean too - blankets folded beautifully, fresh smell as soon as you walk in, bathrooms gleaming!

But - it means a bit less housework each week for me, so it's worth it for the moment, but once I'm on mat leave i think I'll just do it myself as then it's money saved and i know all the fiddly bits are done properly too.

I've been unlucky with all my 3 cleaners and now don't have one. If you get a good one it's great. If you get one who leaves early / is scared of spiders or bits of fluff that look like spiders (I kid you not) or breaks things its more hassle than it's worth.

If you get a good one yes.

I LOVE my cleaner. She’s absolutely wonderful.

I have a cleaner and she is lovely. She comes in weekly for two hours. In that time she hoovers and mops, and dusts downstairs. She cleans all sinks and does bathroom and toilets. She hoovers upstairs bedrooms only. I dust them when I have time. We also have two guest rooms which she will clean, Hoover and make up beds when we have family coming to stay. I usually help or tell her to leave something else out.

I could do all this myself, but I get terribly anal about it will end up taking a whole day to do one room.

There is nothing nicer than coming home to a lovely clean house. The next few days I feel free to not even think about having to do loads of cleaning. I usually deep clean a room one at a time in my own time.

I think having a cleaner is worth every penny. You will know when you have the right one and just treat them as nicely as you can.

I have just started having a cleaner after I started full time hours. She does 2 hours a week and honestly it has made a huge difference to me. She does whatever I ask and the house looks so clean and tidy after she has been. Definitely worth it.

I am a single mum to 1 and work full time. I have a cleaner for 3 hours a week she cleans everywhere, tidies and dies a bit of ironing if she gets time. It saves me loads of stress and time, I can't recommend it enough.

I love having a cleaner! We have one for 3 hours every 2 weeks.

We go through a company and the manager comes out and does a pre visit and writes a specification for every room you want doing. This is great because then everyone is on the same page on what needs to be done and if we have a substitute cleaner because of holiday or sickness we don’t have to tell them what to do

I have had a cleaner since I had my own place and work full time, over three decades.

Would not be without her for anything.

In that time, we have had three, one who lasted three weeks, another who stayed some eight years and handed us on to a grid d when they retired to Wales.

When we were thinking of moving house, I checked with her that she would be happy to travel to the potential new home before I put an offer on the new house.

We keep the place tidy, and stack the dishwasher, run and unload in when she isn't here. She does pretty much everything else. Four beds / two bathrooms, twice or sometimes three times a week. I have an idea that the house just keeps itself clean, there there is seldom and dust to be seen. Ironing is outsourced.

Has been know to go above and beyond, clears up the morning after a party, fills fridge for our return when we travelled. Finds us plumbers and gardeners etc. picked up dry cleaning when I forgot before a big meeting. I could go on.

Often check in with her about anything we could do differently to make her life easy. Always make sure her rates of pay are above average, pay when we go away and double rates bank holidays etc

As PP have said, the right person will really enhance your life. If it doesn't make your life better, get someone else.

For me when I had one it was paying for the house to all be tidy and clean at once for that one afternoon after she had finished
We have 4 kids and a busy life so it never lasts

Really interesting to read everyone’s thoughts.

just a note please be aware that OCD is an actual serious mental illness and shouldn’t be used lightly as an adjective for being clean. Ocd can be extremely debilitating. I’m just trying to spread awareness of this serious mental illness that can lead to anorexia, eating disorders, self harm, isolation. Thank you.

The best cleaners are the OCD types

Wow. Please educate yourself about obsessive compulsive disorder.