My Cleaner

[MissTerious]

I took advice and employed a cleaner through an agency something I thought I would never do. But I felt hubby was doing too much, although he denied it.
So unexpectedly now I have a great new friend, half my age, but we are so alike. We spend two hours chatting and laughing as we clean together. It's just what I needed. Thursdays are now the best days ever.

Well this is chatterbank,so I am chatting!

[Patsy33]

Funny how things work out..
So pleased for you. :-)

[Zacs-Master]

That's lovely. How much do the agency charge per hour?

[pastafreak]

It's like 2 for the price of 1...that's lovely.

[youngmafbog]

Good you get on.

We cant have people in doing things, 'er indoors always rows with the domestics. Even the au pair copped it years ago.

[Redhelen72]

That is really good to hear - our cleaner was fantastic but we never replaced her when she went back to Russia - we tried but they wanted to charge extra because of the cats!

[ladybirder]

Mine charges £12/hr which is very cheap for around here. Many charge £20/hr. I'm well pleased and have told her she should increase her price. She won't so I always tack a bit extra on when I pay her straight into her account (so she can't stop me LOL).

[MissTerious]

The agency charges £13.00 a month and the 'maids' are self employed. They are £11.50. I pay cash. The agency phones the msids regularly to check all in Ok and will try and find cover for holidays.

I told to the agency I wanted someone who just wouldn't come and clean to routine, and was flexible, chatty and friendly. And that's what I got. I said I didn't want loos, showers and sinks doing because I do those myself.

She comes and asks what I would like help with. Yesterday she hoovered and dusted and then we got immersed in sorting out charity stuff and listening to music and ended up with her staying three hours whilst we sorted. She's just so lovely. In training to become an SRN.

[ferlew]

My cleaner, who I took on after I had an abdominal operation, just for a few months....has now become my best friend too. She is like the daughter I never had.
Isn't fate wonderful at times :)

[MissTerious]

ferlew. That's just how I feel. She's about 3 years younger than my son
LA single mum with two lovely teenage children.

[Zacs-Master]

That's a good price.

[Peter Pedant]

thanks ladybird
very useful - I am not underpaying mine
( £30 a session, no clocking in abd out)

[New Judge]

//We cant have people in doing things, 'er indoors always rows with the domestics.//

A while ago I was in London having a bite to drink with some mates. It's a regular meet up. Towards the end of the afternoon one of them announced:

"I mustn't be too late back today as I've got the oven cleaning bloke coming tomorrow."

"Why have you got to get home early then?" says I.

"Because I've got to give the oven a quick clean. 'Er indoors said we can't have him seeing it in that state!" :-)

[MissTerious]

That's typical of us ladies, NJ. I always tidy up before she comes!!

Also I would never expect anyone to clean our loo because I would hate to do that in someone else's house!

[MissTerious]

Red, we have three cats and so does the cleaner, so no problems ! ;0) x

[Peter Pedant]

yeah the play boy mags go in the bottom drawer

[david small]

I used to pay my daughter £40 for 3 hours cleaning. It helped her out financially. Often we would spend an hour chatting with tea. She no longer cleans here as she had extra hours with her other job. My wife will not have a stranger in to clean.

[MissTerious]

I felt the same David, but needs must. I can do very little. I try very hard, but chronic pain wears me out and I am not very mobile. What has happened is Hubby was doing all I used to do, including my contibution to our very large garden, I was getting frustrated because the garden has turned into a jungle, and also that he's always outside chopping wood etc. This meant a lot of ill feeling and arguments. We were never a Derby and Joan couple and not joined at the hip and it took me ages before we could agree about someone coming to help He is now happy with it because she fits in with us very well. We get a lot of kind people suggesting that we move somewhere smaller and easier, but I can't do that to him and very sure I wouldn't like it. I like the fact that we live in the countryside with virtually no neighbours, in a house we rebuilt 40 years ago. I dont cope with being useless, because I've always been so indepent. We were never a Derby and Joan couple and not joined at the hip. Ive never needed anybody. We have been arguing a lot and Sara has helped I can't see my son or wife coming to help, they are both so busy and I would never ask a friend because like me, none of them like cleaning. We have no relatives near. I'm not the houseproud type, but I do have some standards and our old house is not easy to keep clean. Its full of books and memorabilia. At least on a Thursday now I have a companion who I really like. And some housework gets done along with the chat. I'm not lonely because we do get out and about a few times a week and see other people and chat for hours on the phone.

Hubby is a good cook thank goodness. I cant cope with cooking any more!!

[anneasquith]

It’s nice you have found a friend, but if she is being paid for cleaning ,at least she should be cleaning toilets ant bathrooms. Might she be taking advantage of you ?

[Hopkirk]

What's the point in a cleaner if she doesn't do loos, showers and sinks?

[tiggerblue10]

I need a cleaner to just do dusting and mop/vacuum the floors. I'm happy cleaning my own bathrooms.