I'm happy you had a positive experience. I love a clean house.

Don't you just love it when you can relax in a fresh, clean house? It's the best! I'm so glad you had a good experience, Linelle.

It's great, isn't it?

My spouse won't have it. Even though I had it before we met 20 years ago.

Enjoy!

I'm feeling very grateful that I'm able to afford this (to me) small luxury. It's my treat to myself in my golden years.

My husband was not a believer when we met, but I insisted. He was won over pretty quickly.

Glad you had a good experience, Linelle!

Hooray!!!!

I love when the house is clean all at once. I never do that.

I had cataract surgery a couple of weeks ago. It's been great but WOW! is my house gross. I have always picked up and I vacuum and wipe regularly. But there is a lot of grime that I just could not see. It is on my list to call a house cleaner to help me get caught up.

I love when the house is clean all at once.

d_gw, exactly. I can work my way through the house over the course of days, tackling a room or two, or the floors, etc. But not the entire house in one fell swoop.

I can't stop grinning.

My DH was the same as Sas and Jn. Just didn't want strangers going through our things. Our compromise is that they don't go in his office.

Linellle, I'm like you in that I never really minded doing my own housework, until one day I did. Truth is, I couldn't whip through my house like I used to. It started to take longer and I started to resent it.

Now, DH is on board with it all. I should have done it sooner!

I'm so glad you found it to be as wonderful as I do. I got a house cleaner as soon as we bought a house and I got a real job that required me to travel in my late 20's. I've never been without since except when I moved and had to find someone new. This and the hair salon will be the last "luxuries" I give up if I fall on hard times.

I have to admit - I always budgeted for this! My grandmother had it, My mom had it and I have (almost) always had it. We never had really fancy things or big houses, but we had cleaning help! :) I had it in my first tiny solo apt even! I have always worked a lot and I hated spending the time cleaning on the weekends.

I am glad you were happy with your first experience.

I just got back from running errands, and had the repeat joy of walking into the house and realizing it was *still* clean. I bought the cats a new scratching post and told them we are all turning over a new leaf.

Eld, I can relate. I used to be able to tackle it all without much thought. And then one day I started resenting it, oddly when I was retired and really have a lot of discretionary time on my hands. I just didn't want to do it anymore. I'm fine with laundry and changing sheets, straightening up shelves and clearing out the fridge. But the mindless, never-ending dust and grime, just ugh.

Glad that it worked out so well! There may be little burps in the future, but overall, how great to have this service. I often hear from friends savouring that the cleaning lady is coming or has just been;)

Congratulations, Linelle! You deserve this treat. Don't ever doubt it!

I'm glad that the kitty solution also worked well. As I wrote before, ours have completely adjusted to the routine; now they trot happily into "their" room when they observe our prepping for the ladies and hear the kibbles going on their dishes. And so everyone is happy!

Keep enjoying...

Congrats Linelle. So happy you had a good experience the very first time. There is nothing like coming into a fresh, clean-smelling house...that you didn't have to clean.

OP, ordinarily I derive great satisfaction from doing it myself. Except cleaning. I won't be tricked into that anymore.

Happened to read this on my own personal every-2-weeks' happiest day: when I walk in after the housecleaner has been here :).

I tried hiring cleaning help sporadically when the kids were younger and usually the logistics eventually fell apart plus my husband was adamantly opposed to having 'some stranger in my house touching my things'. Now that I'm older and wiser with the benefit of hindsight I'm going to advise any woman (especially a working woman with kids) with a spouse who takes that attitude to stand your ground and insist on hiring help! Frankly, I should have told mine that I'd go without a house cleaning service as soon as *he* agreed to do all the cleaning and do it as thoroughly as a pro.

Last thought: I think one of the greatest benefits is that someone who cleans as a living does all the areas that a resident simply doesn't bother to clean. I never, ever would think or want to take the time to clean baseboards or take out all the books in my bookshelves to dust or get a swiffer to run under the beds or.....fill in the dusty grimy blank ;). I know there are those people who have the time, energy and drive to do that deep cleaning. But I'm not one of them!

Running, back in the day, with a kid at home and even a husband who helped out around the house, cleaning help wasn't possible on our budget. Or at least that was our perception. My weekday was filled with work outside the home and fixing meals. On the weekend, one day was sacrificed to grocery shopping and cleaning the house. I don't know how I did it.

I totally hear you re baseboards. They're not something that has to be cleaned every week, or month for that matter. Usually the revelation comes while sitting on the pot, a glance to the baseboards and OMG! how did they get so awful? I've been known to do a hands and knees job on them, but I don't want to anymore.

Running, I so agree! For some reason, even with a full time job - raising kids, and possibly one outside the home, too, the "responsibility" and bulk of the housework seems to still fall under the domain of the woman of the house. So if some guy says no to having cleaning help without picking up the slack and doing it himself (and doing it well and without her having to direct it all), I say no to that bs!

I wonder for those that don't have cleaning do you have a landscaper? or maybe if you live an area with smaller lots it is not much work? or it is a labor of love and you really garden? we don't have a lot of plants/beds, although I would like to change that someday to have a few, but, we have a fair amount of lawn. probably an acre, maybe 1.5 acres of our 7 acres is lawn and it needs to be cut weekly and trimming needs to be done. All of my homes have been in an area where the lots are (2+ acres) so I am curious.

I have gardeners because I abhor yardwork. I love to putter around with a few herbs and flowers in pots, but I find no joy in pruning hedges, pulling weeds, clearing away leaf litter, etc. As a daughter, I mowed, edged, clipped, etc. in the hot Texas sun and I promised myself I would never do those chores as an adult.

"Running, back in the day, with a kid at home and even a husband who helped out around the house, cleaning help wasn't possible on our budget. Or at least that was our perception. My weekday was filled with work outside the home and fixing meals. On the weekend, one day was sacrificed to grocery shopping and cleaning the house. I don't know how I did it."

Linelle, my daughter from another mother! Exactly what my life was like; someone mentioned carving out some resources from the budget for household help and again, I wished I'd felt more empowered or less worried about household funds to do so back in the day. I can vividly recall scrubbing toilets on a Saturday with the weather outside beautiful and my family out playing....and feeling enraged at spending my time doing that while everyone else enjoyed life.

Again, some of what we do here I think and hope is provide some hard won life experience and wisdom so I truly hope that if there are younger women reading this topic, you will heed the advice from folks like us. Looking back I should have hired help so much sooner, and I hope others learn from my own mistakes!

Yay, Linelle! Happy for you.

Having a housekeeper is a necessity for us because it takes away one of the things we argue about! We both work but it always falls on me to do the cleaning because, frankly, he sucks at it.

We've had the same housekeeper for over 10 years now. Sometimes her husband works with her and they are the most trustworthy, reliable people I know. Plus my persnickety dog loves them both!

Last week, we were yacking so much, I ended up helping her change the sheets. I couldn't be more comfortable, but it did take time for that to develop.

Boop, I live in a small house on a small lot. It would take quite a few to make an acre. My front yard is all drought-tolerant perennials, with a dry creek bed and bath to the house. Everything's on drip that I set to my city's recommendations for the drier months. A nice layer of arbor mulch helps keep the weeds down, reduces the need to water, and provides nourishment for my plants as it breaks down. I putter a bit. It's fun, until it isn't. Every spring I have someone check out the drip, reduce the size of overgrown plants, and take out and replace others. It can be more work as the season wears on and things need to be cut back. I do it myself, because my yard is small enough. If that changes, I'll have my person back to help out.

An acre-plus of lawn that needs to be cut every week?!!! If I couldn't afford to have someone else do it, I'd be looking at Plan B.

Linelle, would you mind creating a new thread with pics of your front yard? From what I remember, it's exactly what I want to do to my small front yard.

A good house cleaner is a blessing! We have a great guy who cleans our house with an assistant (used to be his sister, now it's a different woman). I used to straighten up so much before they came. Then he raised his price and I figured, if I have to pay more, I'm going to prep less. (We don't have much clutter to begin with.) If there's something I don't want them to touch for whatever reason, I put it on my desk, because they don't touch my desk. (He says he's had too many clients who complained about their papers being moved.)

Like Magda, we have a cleaning person to save our marriage.

My cleaners come at 7:30 am, which can be hard sometimes (like when my kids are on school break and want to sleep in), but I often take advantage of the time to go for a long walk. By the time I get back, they're finished upstairs and I can jump in the shower.

MagdalenaLee, will do. Might take me a day-ish.

Sueb, there are things I don't mind doing, like throwing my towels in the wash, or changing my own sheets. I don't want someone on my dime putting dishes into the DW or taking them out and putting them away.

Just clean, baby.

I'm glad it worked out Linelle.

I certainly did not grow up with cleaning help, but when i started my career in NYC all my colleagues had housekeepers. I found it odd at first but got used to it. Now I do not give it a second thought, and I imagine we have no secrets.

My Mom was a pretty good housekeeper but my house is definitely cleaner. TBH, I really notice other people's homes more now and I cannot stand a dirty home. Having cleaning help is the very last luxury I would give up. I think it is good for one's mental health!

My mother was a stay-at-home mom and lady of leisure. Until I was in high school, she did all her own cleaning, although she did send our sheets and towels to the French Laundry. Our house was always ALWAYS spic and span. Clutter of any kind was not tolerated, even in our own bedrooms. Grrrrrr. We got a cleaning lady who came once a week, I think. By then my mom was close to 50 and we could afford it.

Excellent decision! It's one of life's pleasures lol. I can't even imagine my husband attempting to tell me I can't have a house cleaner that's funny. I physically just am not able to do so many things that are required. The team I have now is mother and daughter from the Ukraine. They work well together. Since we got back into the house after the flood recovery I have gone more minimalist with my accessories and pictures and nick nacks. So much easier to keep clean and less clutter. They even clean the RV. A must is for them to change the sheets, trying to maneuver around the bed and do that is impossible for me. They don't do my laundry but would if I wanted them to. I do have a great laundry service down the street though that does a great job and folds everything so nicely. They were a Godsend when we were washing everything we owned after the flood.

I hope I never have to give up my cleaning team. We both love coming in to a fresh clean house.

Running (and others) - not only do I hope younger woman participants here take heed about this, but I think what we really need to do is raise our boys to become men who don't think it's a woman's job to be the domestic help. I mean, really, I just get so disgusted watching things like House Hunters, where the woman/mom in the family wants a separate laundry room, all he cares about is a HUGE tv and he has the guts to say that the laundry room isn't important to him because HE'S never going to do the laundry! Really? You'd be wearing dirty clothes if you lived in my house, Bub!

I think this next generation is more equal. I see it with my oldest and her boyfriend. They have lived together now for four years. When they want the house cleaned, they hire someone. They live in the city so easy to just call and get someone in. My DD works from home so she is there while they clean as it is a different person each time.

My DH is six years older. He grew up in a traditional home. Mom stayed home, raised the kids and did the chores, dad went to work. Same with my family.

My sister is lucky. Her DH has taken over much of the housework after he retired. She was still working at the time. Now, that she is retired I think she does more, but I think he still does the bulk of it. Years ago when they both worked, they had someone clean. But, her DH is cheap. (He says this about himself) and doesn't want to pay someone to do something he is capable of doing.

There are certain chores that I don't mind. Laundry is one of them. MY DH does so much in one day and it has always been this way, that I can't imagine ever telling him to do his own laundry. Each marriage is different.

One time while my brother and his wife were visiting, I put two twin beds together for them. She made her side of the bed and my brother left his messy. I thought this a bit odd.

Once, probably 35 years ago (!) my hubby and I went to visit my mom. She was widowed very young and worked outside the home most of my life, so was non-traditional in some ways. One of the buttons came off his coat, so when we arrived, I found a needle and thread - and handed it to him. She was appalled. "Oly, you're not going to sew on his button?" I couldn't figure out why she thought it was MY job, when he was perfectly capable of sewing it himself. His mom used to pay him to do the household ironing; he was a great ironer (and knew how to sew on buttons, too)!

"One time while my brother and his wife were visiting, I put two twin
beds together for them. She made her side of the bed and my brother
left his messy. I thought this a bit odd." I know!! He should have made both sides, right? ;-)

If I could afford it, I would also have a personal chef who would prepare healthy and delicious meals for me. All I would have to do is sit down and dig in.

Ain't gonna happen.

I am so obviously out of my league in this group. I can't even begin to afford a house keeper. I enjoy reading all your posts tho :)