I should have got a cleaner years ago.

[AliceTheCamelisnotapig]

Not only has a lovely lady come and spent 4 hours on my housework, but the DOUBLE bonus is that with someone else in the house I haven't liked to lie on the sofa eating pringles and scratching myself with a stick all afternoon . So... I'be been beatling about getting things done too. Plus I had to tidy up a bit before she came, so it's win / win / win.

Love mine - would not be without a cleaner. House stays tidier too, as you know you should tidy a bit before they come, so that they are using their time to clean, not just tidy. When I don't have a cleaner, the surfaces end up groaning under the weight of the stuff/junk mail left lying on them.

Don't understand all the guilt with employing a cleaner (used to be be feeling guilty) until I realised that it's only delegating one aspect of my household management! It's just me and 2 dcs and I have a part time job out of the home but it is well worth it having someone else do it so I can concentrate on things that I am good at.
Welcome to the sane way of running your household. Delegate.

I LOVE having a cleaner. Even when I was single, childless and lived in a small two bedroomed flat I had someone come for 2.5 hours every fortnight to give the place a thorough cleaning. Much more relaxing than spending the money on a massage IMHO.

God, I would if I could afford it!

Really nosey here, but how much does a cleaner charge?

I would love to have somebody come every week. I really wished we could afford it. It is actually the first thing I would do if I won the lotterY!

If I get the job I was interviewed for last week I am sooooo getting a cleaner

even though I work and so does dh and we have 2 ds's, I'd feel so guilty getting a cleaner

I'd be the type to be a cleaner, not to get one

must raise my self esteem

It isn't cheap. I get mine through an agency and the cleaner earns £6.50 per hour( we have 3 hours a week) and the agency earns money for old rope £2.50 per hour. Then if you are a half way decent person you need to pay extra for christmas hols and 4 week hols throughout the year.

But for me it is so worth it. I work 4 days a week so it means at the weekend I we aren't spending all our time hoovering and cleaning out the toilets.

OOps that strike out didn't work so well.

You CAN afford if. I pay £20 per week. I don't smoke, don't go out much but if you look at your own budget you can do it. Manage your household better by employing a local cleaner, you contributing to another womans livlihood and your time is used in other more productive ways. You will be surprised at how energised you fell when you come home to a fresh start every week. Yopu don't need to win the lottery. Don't feel guilty you are doing good all round in my book. Ask around I'm sure you'll find someone local who is well reccomended. In my experience the older the woman the better cleaning as she cleans my fridge out sometimes without asking as it need doing! It's like having a surrogate grandmother with out any hassle!

I thought about getting a cleaner but it means I will need to spend time every week tidying b4 she comes! Do they tidy up too or do they just come in and clean around the mess!!? X

They will what you pay them to do . One I had a few years ago even ironed for me.

I hate to get sucked into these arguments but, I don't smoke, go out, rarely buy clothes and after doing a £40 food shop today I have £15 to buy food for the rest of the month for us and a toddler, I really CAN'T afford a cleaner. Believe me, I look at my budget every month and the incomings just cover the basic outgoings. Really, not everyone can afford a cleaner. I would have to give up eating for half the week in order to afford £20 a week. I don't begrudge other people having one, and I certainly wouldn't feel guilty if I did, but don't think we all CAN afford it.

Random question but can you get a cleaner that irons as well as cleans?

Sorry bumperlicious you're right, didn't mean to offend. My budget is tight but my priority with the cleaner means I can spend my time with my kids on the weekends I have them instead of cleaning etc. I have worked it out.

Yes, a few of them will do both. Obviously at an extra charge...

Don't worry mamas12, I do know what you mean about prioritising though. One day...