Do you have a cleaner?

badmemory

I always used to have a cleaner but haven't for some years. Unfortunately not having a cleaner has allowed me to revert to my hoarding self. I want a cleaner again, but I am only about a fifth of the way through the necessary declutter, so it is going to be a while. But I WILL make it!

I do have a gardener to mow the lawn & weed the paths (my back doesn't like doing that) but I do hedges etc myself. As for washing cars - the dirt protects the paintwork!

trailingspouse

Ronald - don't let the practicalities stop you!!

My cleaner works from 8.30 until 10.30. I'm usually here when she arrives, but I've often left before she's finished - I just leave a back door key and the alarm fob, she lets herself out and locks the door behind her, and posts the key through the letterbox. If I know I'm going to be away I give her a spare key the week before.

And yes, I tidy up before she comes - I'm not paying her to tidy, I'm paying her to clean. It means a quick whizz round on a Wednesday evening, but there's only the two of us so there isn't much mess and it doesn't take long.

She arrives in a liveried van, has all the appropriate insurance, provides her own cloths and cleaning materials (although she uses my vacuum and mop - she has her own, but often can't get parked very close to the house so I'm happy for her to use mine), gets paid into a business bank account (and if I've forgotten to pay her I get a friendly text on a Sunday evening reminding me). £12.50 an hour is pretty good - before I found her, I looked at the franchises (Molly Maid, Daily Poppins etc) and they were much more expensive.

It's lovely coming home to a nice clean house.

MallyGirl

GBNI wrote: »

I would have a cleaner if I could afford it and they were brave enough to deal with my dogs

My cleaner is certainly not the greatest these days but she does cope with 2 big boisterous dogs and she does feed the cat when we are away. You can't have everything.

motorguy

MatthewAinsworth wrote: »

Get a robotic vacuum!

We have one of those too. It turns out its not so good at climbing stairs and washing bathrooms.

In seriousness, though, we've two golden retrievers who are in every evening to the kitchen / snug area, so we let Neato loose every night to gather up the dog hairs.

Spendless

pollyanna24 wrote: »

I would like one, but there is so mess around (kids toys and papers that they have half scribbled on), that so much needs to be moved before actual cleaning can take place!

This is how I feel about it. 2 untidy teenagers and an untidy OH. Cleaning is about 25% of the housework that needs doing, so I'd be employing someone to do the least amount of work. The day I see someone advertising their services as a professional weekly tidier though ...........

Primrose

I would rather like a cleaner but until I can persuade my husband to clear away a lot of his junk ("it may come in useful one day,"). no cleaner would probably come near the place. And if he did dispose of it all I could go round all the nice clear surfaces and do it myself !

Soot2006

Yes, 3 hours/week every week.

My husband pays her, since he's the one who doesn't do any cleaning at all. It used to be the source of many arguments between us; now we never even talk about it since it's a non-issue. I can "keep on top of things" in between, but I just don't have the time to do the deep cleaning that she does. Not on my own! (I also refuse to do it on my own tbh) Also, it's so lovely to come to a clean and airy house once a week (after leaving it filthy and muggy lol).

ETA: when I first looked into getting a cleaner quite a few said they considered themselves better for relationships than counseling. I believe it!

Chappers27

God no. The trick is not to make things dirty in the first place! When I was married we employed a cleaner, but my ex-wife used to tidy up the place before she turned up. Crackers.

happyandcontented

I have decided to take the plunge shortly. I was considering cutting my hours at work but that seems unlikely to be approved, so the other option is a cleaner.

For those who have cleaners, do you think weekly or fortnightly is better? Can you choose your days or is it generally what he/she has available? How did you find them?

MallyGirl

word of mouth
weekly for us as we have big fluffy/messy dogs and a big house, but alternate weeks are different days as that is all she had available
I think I need to give her a pay rise after the figures I have been seeing on here