Does everyone have a cleaner except me?

I’ve never had a cleaner but I did work as one for a while out of necessity when my children were young. The lady who employed me was very unpleasant and treated me like a skivvy twice a week. Squeezing more jobs onto the list but still expecting me to fit it all into the same 2 hour slot. Oh how I hated those days!

No cleaner here and I will never have one . I can’t bear the thought of anyone nosing around my home .

Your daughter loves you and wants to help. She doesn't realise she isn't helping!

I don't have a cleaner. Last year, spring and November, I had three women come in and do what they called "a Deep Clean". Every skirting board, light switch, cupboard door, window, floor, bathroom, utility room - you name it they cleaned it. It was a real joy. I confined myself to the kitchen until they started in there, when I took myself into the sitting room.
Do you think your daughter could be persuaded that this is a much better idea than a cleaner for a couple of hours a week. I had two cleaners at different times when I was working full time with children. They both started well but soon drifted off. I hear that's not uncommon.

My daughter occasionally does the odd bit of cleaning for me -sometimes I pay her, sometimes I don't. She never asks for anything and usually I prefer to do it myself.

Perhaps you should start criticising your daughter's home and see how she likes it or tell her she can pay for a cleaner if she wants you to have one.

I do not have a cleaner. I never have.

They both started well but soon drifted off. I hear that's not uncommon
Iam
I had that experience when I employed cleaners directly, but for the last ?15 years my cleaner has come from an agency & I think that makes a difference.
There have never been any problems but if there were, somehow it’s much easier to email or phone the agency than have a difficult conversation with the cleaner yourself. The cleaners know that too.

We have had a cleaner for most of our married life! We have 5 children, a biggish house and I hate housework - seems to make sense.

We are fairly tidy but it makes sense to be tidy so she can clean.

janeainsworth, I suspect you're right, its easier to have a positive working relationship via an agency.
I plan to ask the firm I used last year to do four 'deep cleans' a year. the idea of every window, door, skirting boards etc being 'done' feels like a treat. that's tier 3 and lockdown for you!

I have had a variety of cleaners ever since my second daughter was born. They came, they stayed a while, they went, however one or two were lovely especially a wonderful Vietnamese woman called Goy whom the children really loved for her sweet nature and endless patience with typical girls’ bedrooms.
Now I have a man who is fantastic. He also does the odd “heavy” job for me- taking bags etc up to and from the loft and moving my heavy teak garden furniture to the garage in the autumn and bringing it out in the Spring (with me) , changing fluorescent tubes high up light bulbs etc.
He comes every two weeks which is quite often enough and it’s an incentive to put things away the night before.
It is essential to have someone you are happy to have in the house and whom you trust, but I would say - go for it!

Notagran55 my sentiments exactly.....

Never had a cleaner, luxury holidays, posh car, big house, second home etc. Just a working class girl who just about manages to pay her bills!!

I had a cleaner last year, provided by AgeUK, it cost me £14 per hour, which I thought was a lot, plus she didn`t do that good a job. Just before the March lockdown, AgeUK put their price up to £18 an hour, so I cancelled her. My daughter cleans for me occasionally, as I`m still recovering from a broken back.
Incidentally, AgeUK only paid the cleaner just under £9 an hour!

I have never had a cleaner but having one is quite high on my wish list

I do everything myself with a little help from my husband. If I didn’t my joints would cease up what else is there to do? Your daughter might mean well but she also maybe an imagine person. It’s your home do things at your pace.

Image person

I never have, but by all means get one if you don't like cleaning or have better ways to spend your time.

I suggested it for my son when he worked long hours and had his own house, but he joked that I was insulting him. He actually kept quite a clean house, but who has time for baseboards and windows when you work 50 hours a week? Outsourcing is the new catchphrase.

Luckylegs, perhaps she didn't mean to insult, but instead knows how much you do and where your priorities lay. I would either spend the ironing time doing cleaning, or charge her for the ironing and use the money for a cleaner to do the bigger jobs every couple of months.

My daughter can be critical too. Last time she came she threw all the bath and toilet mats in the wash. They were already clean. She also criticised the cleanliness of the outside toilet which is rarely used and the basin was grubby because of some houseplants .

If anyone came into my house and criticised the cleanliness they would be handed the polish, duster and a carrier of cleaning products and I would sit and watch them clean.
Might stop them mentioning it again.

Never have....and would never want a cleaner, unless I or hubby were completely incapacitated. Then it would have to be someone we knew. I don’t want people going through my private bits!

Do not have a cleaner or know anyone who has, capable of cleaning myself even working full time. Hate the though of someone else nosing through my home

I've never had a cleaner, never wanted one. But I sure could do with one now. Can I afford one though....?

I don’t have one now, she gave me up for COVID. She has been coming for years but I don’t work as much now and don’t really need her. However I would rather work at a job I enjoy than do housework.
We had, and still do, a great relationship and I was hoping to keep her for my old age! However she was offered an opportunity that she wanted to take.
In these very difficult times a lot of my clients ( I do have quite a few elderly ladies in their late 80’s and beyond) have found their cleaners have made lock down so much easier.

We have a cleaner and have done so for years. She comes once a week and when she leaves the whole house is clean and fresh. I never have to worry about cleaning before visitors arrive (those were the days). When she couldn’t come in lockdown my DH and DD said they would take responsibility for cleaning various areas but their resolve gradually slipped. I don’t feel guilty about having someone clean my house while I paint or visit my mum. I worked hard all my life and now I’m giving someone a job.
PS Yes we did pay her in lockdown too.

I don’t have a cleaner, but I do, do the ironing for a wealthy male friend of friend, although he is in tier 3 and I am tier 2 so that will stop for the time being. I would go for it, if the house is in a state from moving, having a cleaner to keep on top of things will relieve some of the stress. I’m only in my late 50’s now but when I’m retired I fully intend to have a cleaner as I hate cleaning bathrooms and hoovering always seems to make my back problems flare up.

I have a cleaning company come about every 6 months and thoroughly blitz the place - works out less expensive that having a regular weekly person