Changing housework style!

Oh dear!" all this talk of house work is driving me back into the garden. I am so glad so many other Gnrs admit to not being domestic goddesses.

I think I ought to change my housework style too, and start doing some!

I think if someone comes in and cleans your house for a couple of hours it looks clean whereas if you do it yourself you're always spotting bits that you've missed. I quite like going into someones house, cleaning and walking away from spotless floors and dusted tables [I've done it a few times in the past]; you also don't have the misery of watching all your good work undone over the course of the week until you turn up the following week. I've also employed a cleaner a couple of times but didn't know what to ask them to do [one spent the time cleaning a new carpet that was constantly shedding wool which it still is years later];which was a waste of time really.

I loved the feeling of coming in on a Friday after work to a cleaned house. Sadly when Mr P had his first stroke, he decided that he would be the cleaner and would not be disagreed with. He did it beautifully. Once. The notion that it had to be done frequently was not one he shared sadly. As a result it became my job again. It was that or put up with sticky floors and mountains of dust. [domestic martyr emoticon]

I'm assuming that was a 'joke'?

I've lost track of this thread - but going on to having a cleaning lady:
When I was working fulltime with 4 teenage kids too we had a cleaning lady once a week, mostly she did the ironing (before I made them do their own.)
She was a lovely lass, well endowed upfront, and one week I asked her to clean the woodstrip floors in the dining room.
I came home unexpectedly and found she'd brought her husband to help. He was using her as a buffer to polish the floor (holding her feet - imagine!)
No doubt the feminists won't approve.

it's a start

I did use my new Karcher window vac on the outside of the kitchen window.

rosesarered I washed my kitchen cupboard fronts today (inspired by kittyl's list.) But I haven't done all the other things you have.

I go to Sainsbury's (Claire comes on Thursday) and Claire does the kitchen first so I can put stuff away when I get back. DH hides works in his study or arranges to be out working!

One thing that I have given up asking Claire to do is to leave my ornaments where I put them, not arranged as she thinks fit. If all I have to do is rearrange some Worcester birds and silver teaspoons, I think I can manage![lazycowemoticon]

Dustyangel. Another problem that people are afraid/ embaressed to talk about.
If it's a general clean, ie Hoover, dust. Just say to them: would you do the lounge / bedroom/ conservatory (whichever one you want sit in ) first, then I can get out of your way.

Where do you go to when you have a cleaner in the house? Alright, our house is small but I never know what to do with myself when there is someone else doing my cleaning. A bit like having workmen in the house.

I was ill when expecting my third child and had a home help for a while. I asked her to wipe the finger prints off the door (the knee high ones that grubby 5 year olds specialize in) She drew herself up and said "That's spring cleaning madam, we're not allowed to do spring cleaning." I used to do it every day.
Now I do it in fits and starts. We have a cleaner before and after paying guests. She is very good and if I'm away without DH, I encourage him to ask her to come in before I get back. That way I know that under the heavy furniture etc. gets done once in a while.

Reading this thread inspired me to wash down all the interior doors yesterday and next week I will do all the paintwork around the doors. Today I have cleaned all the kitchen units, taken out all the glassware, handwashed some, and dish-washed the rest, and put it back in the cupboards all sparkly.This afternoon I shall tackle the ironing pile.Although I dust the skirting boards, I think they could do with a Flash cleaning at some point.If I needed a cleaner, I would get one, but so far so good and DH lends a hand now and then and is a dab hand with the Dyson. The house has stayed a lot cleaner since we don't have a pet, the cat hairs used to get everywhere[but I would still like another one at some point.]I have bursts of energy regards house cleaning, but generally just keep things ticking over.

We are in the same situation Ana. My DH doesn't have the spare breath either now and I don't have the energy I did have so I am now on the look out for someone to do these jobs. Windows, skirtings, under beds etc. I am thinking once a month for the heavy cleaning, the rest I can do myself.

I've got an Oreck [described, jokingly by a friend of my daughters years ago as 'that's a very modern looking cleaner you've got there']; recommended by a farmer friend who said it was the only vacuum that really got pet hairs off the carpet. I'm on my second.

When I retired from my proper job I did cleaning. I love cleaning so it suited me. When I interviewed people ( yes, I interviewed them) I would ask: what exactly do you want cleaning. Most people haven't a clue. So I would say to them " do you want skirting boards done, under beds, how often do you want the cooker/fridge/freezer cleaned etc.
Don't be afraid to say exactly what you want. It saves for a lot of confusion.
The reason cleaners get a lot done in the time is, they are not distracted, it's a job.
For two of my people I did everything apart from cooking. Washing, ironing, putting it away, empty dishwasher. Even having the dogs when they went on holiday. And with most of them I took my own Hoover. I love my Oreck.

Bags, yes that's what I he was getting at - I'd really want a cleaner to do the heavy duty cleaning that I know should be done, but haven't the energy or inclination to do myself (DH hasn't any spare breath for moving furniture etc.).

Surface dusting and a quick hoover-round is not what I'd be willing to pay for - I can certainly do that myself as and when...

My cleaner is a dervish - I have never known anyone move so fast or be so thorough. Yes, she does the skirting boards, glass doors, paintwork etc as it needs doing, then cleans sitting room, conservatory, kitchen, our bedroom (moving firniture) and both bathrooms. No oven cleaning - don't cook that much if I can help it!

I too, realise how lucky I am.

It's even worse when you are in a house rivalry situation with your sibling.

My brother has a large immaculate house with a wonderful garden. He doesn't have GC or pets, whereas I do, so I'm on to a bit of a loser competing with him.

I'm trying to 'let it go' but you should see me cleaning the house just before he is due for a visit.

When minibags was little and my ME was becoming a problem I made enquiries of a local cleaning services business. I wanted someone to clean under furniture and do what a friend of mine calls deep cleaning. It became clear they only really touched the surface with their dusters and smelly polishes/cleaning-fluids and a quick scoot round easily accessible carpet with a vacuum cleaner. I don't call that cleaning. That's only tidying up.

So, you see, I actually have quite high standards. When I clean I do it properly, it's just that those whens are rather sparse and I don't mind having a shabby house. There's far too much house and home snobbery in the world.

petallus - makes me sound like a slave driver - doesn't it.

Claire does those things as and when - not each week! And, as she has been doing it for years, she is on top of everything.

Scrat is a word my mother used when I was a child. It was slightly pejorative, as in 'don't be such a scrat' or 'stop scratting around'.

The nearest I can find in the dictionary is 'a person who scrapes or saves, a miserly person'.

Mum had a few words which I now wonder if she made up. She used to tell me to stop being so 'omicky'

Incidentally, it was only when I moved from the Midlands down to the South East that I realised that, rather than taking a pride in keeping the house spic and span, including the front doorstep, it was almost a badge of honour to say you did no housework but just let the dust accumulate etc. I used to amaze some of my new friends with the amount of scratting I did (though they didn't use that word).

Kittylester I felt exhausted just reading what your cleaner gets through. Years ago, when I was very busy, I had a cleaner and I was quite embarrassed to ask her to do the bathroom. I used to hoover and spruce it up a bit before she went in.

Crikey!

Therein lies the problem . Having to have a house tidy enough for the cleaner to clean. I've fallen at the first hurdle .....