I actually couldn’t care less who pays for help around the house, we’re all busy, and why shouldn’t you spend your hard earned dollar on things that make life that little bit easier?
The thing is, there is this obvious stigma attached to admitting that you do in fact exchange money for someone to essentially dust your shelves, bleach your kitchen counter and mop your floors.
The views I have experienced is that it is seen as a) too much of a luxury b) a cop out – why can’t you clean your own bloody house? or c) makes folks feel somehow they come across as a bit incapable, a bit lacking, not very domestic goddess.
I am generally quite untidy. I really dislike this trait, and I am (at least in recent months) trying to do something about it. My husband on the other hand is ridiculously the other way, I recently rescued brand new make-up still in the original Selfridges bag from the bin, he had assumed it was “rubbish” as it had been left on my dressing table for um…..could possibly have been a week. (Ahem, or two.)
Needless to say, this isn’t a case of “opposites attract”, we just drive each other nuts.
However, I don’t believe untidiness is the same as uncleanliness. I like things to be eat-your-dinner off clean. At all times. If feasible.
The thing is, I will scrub the bathroom sink until my hands are raw and you can see your face in it, only to dump all of my many “products” right back down on top of that shiny surface. This clutter will then attract all sorts of potential bacteria and general bleugh far quicker than it would if I put stuff away in the first place.
And much like many of you I’m sure, the last thing I want to do after a long working week is scrub a bathroom sink…. until my hands are raw.
I employed a cleaner about a year ago. It was one of the best decisions I have ever made. Her name is “super” Sue and she even brings her own industrial vacuum (apparently it is far superior to our Dyson, and I’m not arguing, our carpets always look brand new after Sue’s been round.)
I think like with anything that is deemed as a luxury, finding the right cleaner to justify the investment is important. I have been lucky admittedly. Sue is both thorough and quick (hence the term “super”) and per month costs less than couple of trips to Pret a Manger.
Now then, I am partial to a pain au raison from Pret. And those croissant things they do with ham and cheese. But I would rather come home every Friday to a home that is perfectly polished ready for weekend guests and have my evenings free (at least for the most part) from housework should I have to choose one or the other.
The additional plus is that knowing Sue is “due” makes me…tidier. I make sure everything is put away more regularly, I’m paying for the service so I figure I want the results to last as long as possible.
This in turn ensures Mr O’Shea and I drive each other a little less nuts. Which is nice.
Do you have a cleaner? Embarrassed to admit it for any of the reasons listed above?
(says in a very small voice) I also have a lady who takes away my needs-ironing garments every 3 weeks or so and brings them back all pressed and smelling of fresh laundry…..and for some reason I find it very difficult to admit it.
No. I don’t understand my reluctance and hypocrisy either.
I am embarrassingly bad at ironing, and Jolly Jane (laughs a lot, sends me “it’s ready when shall I deliver?” texts with multiple smilies) is just as much of a necessity as Super Sue.
Go figure.
I have a cleaner. I LOVE her.
She is, without a doubt, the absolute best money we spend each month. When you work long hours and your weekends are precious, scrubbing a bathroom on a Saturday morning just seems madness if you can afford not to and hate doing it. It also makes our marriage better because we don’t row about contributions to the cleaning (like you we are clean-but-messy!).
The “cleaners are anti-feminist” arguments baffle me – assuming you pay a fair hourly rate you are just subcontracting a job in the same way you would a plumber. Any accusations of being less of a wife/domestic goddess ditto. If you rate your worth as a wife/home maker by hours spent cleaning then best of British, but I don’t.
I still haven’t told my mother in law though.
K x
PS – Fantastic site. Currently making my way through all the lovely articles with a cup of tea. Congratulations! 🙂
Hi Katie!
Thanks for your lovely comment peach, um…I don’t think I’ve told my mother-in-law either (!)
I don’t get the anti-feminist argument either, Sue likes her job (I asked her – specifically) and I love Sue. Everyone’s a winner, and what’s wrong with that?
Hope to see you again soon 🙂
Charlotte x
Getting a cleaner is one of the best things I have ever done. I work every available hour and I hate cleaning with a passion, yet feel calmer/more at peace in a clean and tidy environment. It means there are no arguments about cleaning/who hasn’t done what and it means when I’m in the midst of another late night (as a business owner) I don’t feel guilty that I’m not pulling my weight. I am also contributing to the economy. Probably.
Agree on all points Laura, it removes the guilt factor for me too – it was as much the guilt of not having time to clean as it was the actual uncleanliness itself. And you are contributing towards the economy.
Think I may need to send this to the hubby! 😉 x
I have toyed with the idea of getting a cleaner since we bought our first home last year – for many of reasons mentioned above – my husband and I both work long hours and often have friends and family to stay at weekends or we are away visiting them! I even went as far as signing up with one of the national cleaning agencies and “interviewing” a local cleaner that they recommended to me BUT she had no cleaning experience at all (!) and I just didn’t get good vibes at all so it kind of put me off which is a shame. A number of my friends have cleaners and say it’s the best idea they ever had but none of them are local so I can’t get recommendations from them – we need an equivalent of the love lust list over here Charlotte!!
P.S. if I got one I don’t think I’d tell my mum….
You might just be onto something there Ali……I hear it time and time again, folk would have a cleaner if only they could find a decent one.
Good luck in your search!
Do you think Super Sue would come around our neck of the woods?
We used to have a cleaner. Now we can’t find a new one. Help!
Hi Ann *waves* I will ask if she can recommend anyone – she ha quite a few friends who also clean x
Oh that would be ace! Thanks, lovely. 🙂 x
I have one! and it is SOOOO worth it. Agree with everything you say above. And it doesnt cost the earth, she comes every other week and it means we keep the house tidier.. ish.
I would love a cleaner. My Mum and Mother-in-law are both farmers wives and both have cleaners, so there would be no judgement from the family side, it’s more my friends that I think would judge! We have a smallish house (2 bed and a boxroom, one bathroom) with a small kitchenette, so I think friends would think it’s unnecessary, but I reckon if you can afford it and it gives you more time to enjoy doing other things, then why not?! I would love an ironing lady, in fact just a laundry lady as it is one of my least favourite chores. I pretty much iron nothing unless absolutely necessary, so this would be a god-send.
Loving the new blog, so excited about it as there are few British lifestyle blogs that I like out there, and this will fill the gap nicely. I was an avid reader of Rock My Wedding, but as it’s our 3rd anniversary this year, I feel it’s time I moved on from reading about weddings! xx
M-J! So nice to see you – and happy third anniversary 🙂
Weddings are nice to read about no matter how long you’ve been married but I’m glad we’ve provided you with somewhere else to be inspired x
Thanks Charlotte. Looking forward to delving into the rest of the blog. We just moved house last week so not had time to catch up with all the goings on, but looking forward to reading through it all with a cuppa, and no doubt getting some inspiration for our new house! x
I have a cleaner and a gardener too. Someone comes to valet the car. If such a thing existed as a laundry person then they’d be on the books too.
I think it makes sense for the self-employed to sub contract ALL of the jobs they don’t enjoy. You earn more doing the thing(s) you’re good at in the time you save paying less for someone else to do the things you don’t enjoy. Simple economics. I’ve never felt lacking because of it!
I just wish I could employ a media manager to keep up with insta/twitter/Faceache/blogreading on my behalf and edit me the good bits…..
I find that if Al and I actually do stuff we enjoy in the evenings and at weekends we soon end up with a backlog of housework and washing. You then lose a weekend every so often playing catch up which is so disappointing! We don’t have a cleaner, but I’d like one… But as with all non essentials you have to prioritise and there are a lot of things above it on the list. I’ll just have to be better at doing a little bit here and there more often in the mean time!
I LOVE my cleaner (who also does ironing – score!!), in fact, the absolute worst thing about the hubs going back to doing interim work is that we’ve temporarily had to stop her while we’re economising!
Its not the 19 bloody 50’s any more girls, be proud to have the earning potential to outsource your chores and the insight to run your home with your partner in the best way for you!
Wow, a cleaner that irons! How convenient… I’ve asked Sue, she doesn’t ‘do’ ironing unfortunately. And quite, run your life the best way for you.
Such a great post! I would love to have a cleaner! I work night shifts and weekends too so I can really think of better things to pass our time than cleaning. We have a vacuum cleaner though so it is a good start
Anja that made me laugh out loud!!!!! Our Dyson broke so we’ve borrowed my Mum’s Hennrietta (!) (girl version of the ‘Henry’) and it is AMAZING.
Cheap too.
Yes, here I am recommending a small pink vacuum with eyelashes.
Oh the Henrietta is cute! Just realised what made you laugh out loud! I meant to write we have a vacuum cleaning robot 😀 However I was a good girl today and cleaned the flat, now relaxing on the couch.
Where did you find your cleaner Charlotte? I am thinking of getting one and am unsure whether to go for a private cleaner (usually cheaper) or through an agency (vetted and insured but expensive!). What did you do? X
Hi Kayleigh, it was actually James that found Super Sue – she had a card in the local one stop! She had all sorts of references though. It might sound silly but have you had a look in your local store/supermarket/post office? there are usually local folks advertising looking for work x
I have said time and time again that I give up most of my monthly out-going in favour of keeping our cleaner. She means we enjoy our home more and don’t feel the need to go to the pub because we can’t sit conormtably in our home!
It’s not that she does a brilliant job everytime, in fact sometimes I do get the cleaning bucket out after she’s gone, but she gives structure to our weekly chores and a routine to work to. Friday mornings involves some “pre-clean cleaning” which we both get involved in before work and knowing you are coming home to a clean flat, clean sheets and a weekend ahead with a few free hours really helps!
I have also learnt to give feedback to our cleaner – often in the form of notes left for her or a text exchange, but she does seem happy in her work and leaving a slice of cake for her helps too!x
Hi Anna, we do the same – leave notes if we need extra bits doing/there are certain things we’ve sorted ourselves for whatever reason. And I agree on the structure element – I absolutely do a tidy on a Thursday evening/Friday morning in preparation for Sue’s arrival, it means the place is clean AND tidy for the weekend 🙂
We have one! (In fact I’ve just traded in an average one for a better one that I found on Checkatrade – great recommendations!) It was one of the only things we argued about and frankly I have way better things to do with my Saturdays than cleaning the bathroom! Upshot is way less arguments over the housework and a tidy house – everyone’s a winner.
When I got pregnant it was one of my first things to say to the hubs – even though I’m at home now we are keeping the cleaner!!!
xx
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