Do you have a cleaner?

We both work full time and because I have some health issues I was finding keeping on top of the housework alongside my job increasingly difficult. She comes once a week for two hours and helps me keep on top of everything; rather than do it all. She cleans the bathrooms and does the floors and it makes my life so much easier. She is agency, but it’s not an expensive part of the country, so it’s only £12.50 an hour. She is not the most thorough cleaner but she is honest, reliable and does a ‘good enough’ job

What a lot of people with big houses and the money to pay for cleaners and gardeners. No wonder there is a lot of jealousy on the part of younger generations.
(Like many others, I do my own cleaning and will continue to do so until I become too decrepit. And actually, now that my DH is dead, the place does stay clean. But I'd rather have him and a bit more dirt.)

Tbh a cleaners job doesn’t include changing of beds that comes under housekeeping which is a range of different jobs. Whoever gets there cleaner to change beds is lucky as the ones I know won’t do it.

Crikey Norah. £80 per week… where do you live … I’ll do it for £10 an hour …I’m 72 and since I’m now paying £1000 a month to husbands Alzheimer’s care home …I have about £80 a week for food/clothes!
Seriously thinking about going back to some sort of job .cleaning sounds lucrative!
Good on you all that can farm it out … throw some my way👍🏻

Thanks, Nightsky

Sarah74

Does it vary - I guess it does - as to whether the cleaner uses your equipment / products, or brings their own? My hand held vacuum cleaner gets clogged up all the time….

My cleaner provides everything, cleaning materials, dusters, hoover etc. She has a key to the house and always lets herself in even when we’re in. I thrust her 100%.

I had a cleaner many years ago after my hysterectomy, she was a godsend.
Nowadays I manage so long as DH does the vacuuming upstairs. I often think it would be nice to have though 😊

Does it vary - I guess it does - as to whether the cleaner uses your equipment / products, or brings their own? My hand held vacuum cleaner gets clogged up all the time….

I’ve got a big house,too but no cleaner. I don’t mind housework but I only do enough to keep it reasonably clean and tidy. No window cleaning and anything I can’t see above my head is only done if I spot a cobweb. I am a bit wary of employing someone because both my Dad and one of my daughters had problems with their cleaners nicking stuff. Very hard to deal with and hard to prove but enough to warn me off. It keeps me fit ,too, I suppose.

This has been really useful as I am about to look for a cleaner for my Mum's flat. I have a good idea of a 'ballpark' figure now, thank you.
I'll be looking at agencies recommended by friends rather than individuals. Fingers crossed!

Norah

argymargy

Norah

We have weekly cleaning.

Pair of women, their own business. Their supplies.

Two hrs @ £40/hour.

Forty pounds an hour??!!

Yes.

We pay well, they clean well. Their work is worth above minimum wage, to us. We're happy to provide employment to people working in their own business (they supply devices and cleaning products).

Sorry, I missed the fact that this is for two people. So only double the minimum wage, not quadruple!

I have a really lovely cleaner who come for 4 hours every other week and who leaves the house immaculately clean. We give her a job for which she is very grateful. She choose to do this kind of work. It’s a cleaning company owned by a Polish woman and I’ve used them for about 15 years now. It is a very large house so there is plenty for me to do myself.
I am not going to apologise to anyone on here for employing someone to clean my house. I pay £17.50 an hour.

ParlorGames

I have quite poor mobility but I can dust, clean the loo washbasin and shower, use a long-reach soft brush for cupboard tops and skirting boards, wipe the work tops, clean the fridge & microwave, wipe window ledges, load the washing machine & dryer, mop the hard surface floors.........bed stripping is shared with OH and he helps with all the above and does the vacuuming and most of the ironing. I have to confess to recently having the oven professionally cleaned though. The thought of anyone else cleaning my toilet etc just does not appeal to be honest. while I can do it, I will do it. I basically, have more sense than money I guess.

Or you might just think that no one else can do it better than you.

When a person is named in a post it is generally because that post is aimed at them - and more than one person certainly read your unkind post that way Fleurpepper
So if you are prepared to apologise, why haven't you done so? (Instead of trying to make excuses , blame anybody else or suggest reading the whole thread)
Kittylester did not deserve that.

Please don’t let another poster chase you off kitty. Nothing you have posted was offensive, something you have never been guilty of on GN and certainly didn’t merit a personal dig.

To add, you are not the only one baffled by such a rude post either.

Callistemon21

Fleurpepper

I am surprised you are 'baffled' Kitty- we know there are many GN members who are having a very tough time at the moment, and their families too- so I think it depends how it is said, but perhaps a bit of discretion and humility would help.

Perhaps you may have misunderstood Fleurpepper?

I took it that kittylester was baffled by the remarks about a poster saying people who employ a cleaner are smug and entitled.

If they are able to do that then they are providing employment for others.
If they didn't, then some people would be struggling even more.

I've never employed a cleaner and the thought is making me rather uncomfortable but needs must.

Yes, my post to Kitty about being baffled by a strong reaction- and that a bit of discretion and humility should be used by all, out of consideration for some posters- who, for whatever reasons, are truly struggling currently.

So, it was not at all 'aimed' at Kitty- but a general comment- trying to understand how some comments could be hurtful to those struggling. I re-read the first reply to OP, and it made me realise how it could be perceived by a gran who is going through the above currently.

I have absolutely no problem with saying I have had a cleaning help all the years I was working. And also when I had two major operations in recent years.

I am very prepared to apologise if my comment was mis-understood as personal. It was not.

No. Did when children were small and I worked full time. Don’t want the intrusion now & do it all myself Don’t mind some housework - good exercise and quite satisfying, particularly motivated when visitors are due! Never takes priority over going out or socialising! Just do it when I’m at home and spot something that needs doing !

kittylester

Thank you for your support everyone. I'm ignoring this thread now - as I said, I was very hurt.

I think perhaps Fleurpepper read your post wrong, kittylester.
I'm sure she didn't mean it unkindly and discretion and humility was perhaps the wrong choice of words on a thread where the OP Antonia was asking for advice about employing a cleaner.

After all, it's difficult to give advice by avoiding the subject or saying that you're still fit enough to do your own cleaning when Antonia says they're not as fit as they were.

Antonia the firms that come in and do a deep clean might be worth investigating if you want high cleaning done periodically.

Fleurpepper

I am surprised you are 'baffled' Kitty- we know there are many GN members who are having a very tough time at the moment, and their families too- so I think it depends how it is said, but perhaps a bit of discretion and humility would help.

Perhaps you may have misunderstood Fleurpepper?

I took it that kittylester was baffled by the remarks about a poster saying people who employ a cleaner are smug and entitled.

If they are able to do that then they are providing employment for others.
If they didn't, then some people would be struggling even more.

I've never employed a cleaner and the thought is making me rather uncomfortable but needs must.

Thank you for your support everyone. I'm ignoring this thread now - as I said, I was very hurt.

kittylester

Baffled by why there is anything wrong with employing someone to help out with tasks one is unable to do, or dislikes doing, is wrong.

We have always had a cleaner and a gardener. We can afford it, it provides employment and gives us more time to volunteer, help with grandchildren etc.

Not entitled at all.

It's keeping people in employment too.

I thought housework was good exercise too and could manage until a year or so ago, except when I had a shoulder injury when DH managed to push the vacuum cleaner and steam cleaner round! I managed the rest

However, I'm waiting for new knees which means I can't do it to my satisfaction now so we'll be looking for a cleaner in the NY.
Either that or have one of those firms in to do a deep clean every three months and we can keep on top of it in between.
Has anyone used a firm like that?

I hate cleaning, and work, and so I'm happy to pay for the help. My current cleaner has worked for me for over 15 years and I count her as a friend now. I tidy before she comes, and then she gets on with the cleaning (3 hours a week, 4 bedrooms) work. She came today and the house is lovely and clean!

As long as you pay a fair hourly rate and treat the person with respect, it's all good.

I think most of us have, and it’s still pretty pointed.
When in a hole….etc

kittylester

So, it was me you were suggesting should have discretion and humility, fp?

The first reply to the OP. Which also resulted in my being surprised you were 'baffled'. I thought it would be clear- sorry if it was not. Your name was mentionned about the 'baffled' mention. Perhaps re-read the thread from the beginning to understand the context of that post.

Especially in the light of your serious illness and continued convalescence with a long way to go, accusations of a lack of humility or discretion were distinctly below the belt