Cleaner Booked

[tiggerblue10]

I've come to the decision that I can't cope with maintaining my house anymore. I seem to be working longer hours at the moment and not sure how long this will go on for but it's tiring and I'll be working an extra 3 hours per day from Weds to Fri this week.

Anyway, I've given in and booked a cleaner for a one-off clean on Tuesday. I'm having a birthday party for Little Tigs so want my house looking as decent as possible.

I've booked a day off so I can be there to observe but should I be doing this? I've got a thing about the way cleaning is done but will try not to interfere. All being well I may book a clean once a month.

Does anyone else have a cleaner and how often do they clean?

Which reminds me, I also need to book an outside window cleaner as well!

[mallyh]

my sister had a cleaner once a week but made me laugh as she would clean before she came

[NoMercy]

I had a cleaner on a Tuesday before I moved in with my OH. I used to work a lot of overtime back then.

[tiggerblue10]

I know what you mean, I feel like I need to clean before they get here! Whats that all about?! Haha

[Sqad]

We have also had cleaners all our married life and she comes once a week for two hours and gets £45 ( €equiv) a week.
Make sure that she is a cleaner and doesn't become your mate.....
You need to be there on her first day to give her instructions.

[tiggerblue10]

Thats what I'm doing NoM, working overtime. Weekends and now evenings.

[Jackdaw33]

I have a cleaner who comes once a week for two hours. First hour she cleans my flat and changes my bedding (my flat is tiny), tasks which are now beyond me. Second hour she does my weekly shopping. Worth every penny of the £30 I pay her. It's such a relief not having to worry about domestic tasks.

[sunny-dave]

Make sure they do the things *you* want done - not what they enjoy doing.

Many years ago I used to have a cleaner who loved washing up and drying and putting away - which wasted about 25% of her booked slot doing things that were not necessary or useful - so I wound up doing it every week just before she came - which annoyed me as I'm of the "leaving things to dry is more hygienic" camp. The frantic tidying on the evening before her weekly slot got to me too :(

This is all very pertinent as I've tweaked my lower back quite badly and the (previously clean/tidy) house is decaying around me - especially at floor level - so I'm probably going to have to get someone in on at least an occasional basis until I'm fully mobile again - I can't say I'm enthusiastic about the prospect :((

[tiggerblue10]

Yes, definitely, Sqad.

It's all very overwhelming for me and being a single parent it's become too much, JD.

[anneasquith]

Good for you jack, I'm sure your life is better for having some help . Tigger, do not feel guilty in getting some assistance. Quite a few of my relatives where both work full time employ a cleaner .

[tiggerblue10]

I will do the dish washing myself as I can't bear the way anyone else does it. Its a bit of an OCD situation.

[tiggerblue10]

Hope you feel better soon Dave.

It's costing me 33.75 for 2.5 hours but it's a one-off at the moment. See what happens....

[Samuraisan]

Wow Sqad, 2 hours a week for 50 euros ? You are paying her well. Here one pays about 12 an hour.

[Jackdaw33]

I can manage the dishes and other simple tasks that do not require bending or stretching. I can no longer kneel, well I can but I can't get up again!

[Sqad]

Sam...well, when Mrs sqad is away on her shopping trips, she looks after me, cooks, makes the bed and generally looks after me....it's worth it.

[Barmaid]

Tell him or her what you want doing. Then just leave them to it.

As soon as I get this place straight I'm getting one. My old cleaner won't travel :(

[Jackdaw33]

Mine charges £15 per hour. I could get cheaper but you get what you pay for. I could spend that easily in the pub in an hour with nothing to show for it.

[Jackdaw33]

That's a point to bear in mind. My cleaner lives about 6 miles away so she has her petrol costs to consider as well as her time.

[Sqad]

When we lived in a village we had a cleaner who was married to a pig farmer and spoke very posh. She always answered the phone with "Hello, Mr sqad's residence."
When we had dinner parties, she would help clean up and serve the food, but unfortunately she liked a tipple in the kitchen. On one occasion she got p...ed and told one of our guests who had a shop in the town, that he had short changed her. Bit of an embarrassing moment, but it passed.

[Jackdaw33]

Another thing, don't hire a cleaner from an agency. They don't have the same loyalty and the agency takes a cut of their wages. I have always found word of mouth to be the best way of finding help.

[Old_Geezer]

Wouldn't dare hire a cleaner. It'd be too embarrassing when they admit they'd not even finished the hall first day.