Admitting defeat - Is it time to get a cleaner?
Our modern world has high standards. We feel guilty when asking for help in a world where we’re expected to have a great job, great social life and run marathons every other weekend.
One thing that seems to be a particularly cringeworthy subject for Britons is admitting to having a cleaner, something in the past that was reserved for the wealthy and comes with a label of being lazy and frivolous.
It is therefore very interesting that the number of under-35s in Britain hiring cleaners is on the rise.
Millennials are already branded as selfish and demanding avocado addicts; is this trend further confirmation of this, or are they just doing what everyone else is thinking?
If you’re someone that feels uneasy with the idea of hiring a cleaner, or are struggling to understand why anyone would pay for something they can easily do ourselves, we’ve put together some benefits to show perhaps why more and more of us are going against the British ‘stiff upper lip’ and accepting help at home.
Spend more time having fun
With Brits working more and more for wages that are less and less, we’ve got a smaller window of time outside of work to enjoy ourselves.
Nobody wants to spend their Sundays vacuuming or cleaning the toilet, so hiring somebody to get some of the chores done means you can spend more time doing the things you enjoy with the people you love.
Lower your anxiety
There is a link between clutter/mess and stress-levels, particularly in women, and combined with other anxious situations e.g ‘Sunday blues’, this can be very overwhelming. Seeing clutter around can cause feelings of guilt and even affect your sleep.
You might find that having a cleaner to help you might take some weight off your mind and lower your anxiety, especially if you anticipate further stress or anxiety from other causes, like an extremely busy weekend or if you are working overtime.
Work from home more effectively
Many of us are now self-employed or are able to work from home. If you find that it is difficult to focus when working at home, it could be the clutter around you that prevents you from being more productive.
Studies show that having clutter around you competes for your attention, and can take your focus away from the job in hand. For those that are self-employed, time is money, and having a cleaner could mean you get to spend more time on your business.
Apps make it so easy
There are lots of apps out there for finding cleaners which make it easier than ever to find someone suitable to give you a hand at home.
You can book a time slot and a routine that suits you, and make the payment on your smartphone in advance. You’ll know the rates up front and won’t need to ring multiple companies to get quotes.
If you only need a cleaner every 3 weeks to clean the bathroom, you can! If you’ve got your parents coming to visit, you might just like to have a one-off clean.
Fewer arguments
If you find that cleaning is the subject of many arguments at home, be it with flatmates or family, you might find that hiring a cleaner makes for a happier home. Maybe it’s not your ideal solution, but you might prefer this over regular anger and frustration with those you live with.
Let’s face it, no one wants to do the cleaning after a hard day’s work. In an ideal world, everyone at home would do their fair share, but even the fairest households have their off days!
If you live with strangers, it’s made more tricky to arrange as it can be difficult to approach the subject or confront others for not pulling their weight.
Including the price of a cleaner with monthly rent payments could be an easy way to guarantee a happy home.
References
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3516617/One-three-families-pay-cleaner-35s-drive-trend-hiring-domestic-help.html
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/parenting/wp/2017/05/31/the-cost-to-parents-of-not-hiring-a-house-cleaner/?utm_term=.171d51fd23f2
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-4093520/How-clutter-leave-feeling-stressed-anxious-lacking-sleep.html
http://lifehacker.com/how-clutter-affects-your-brain-and-what-you-can-do-abo-662647035
This is a collaborative post, written by Laura Hall at Shiply.
by DannyUK
Good article. Life’s too short to spend loads of time cleaning!!
The hardest thing to move imo is the sofa as if you do have the angles to get solid large items through!
The hardest thing for me to move is glass ornaments because I’m so clumsy that I worry about breaking them!
Twitter: bsayburn
on June 16, 2017 at 6:33 am
The hardest thing to move is always our fridge freezer. It’s always a squeeze to get it out the side door.
I’d love a cleaner just to do the bathroom – hate that job.
You would thin the fridge and stove would be the hardest thing to move because of their weight, but in my experiences, it is always the sofa/couch. trying to maneuver it through doorways is frustrating and exhausting.
Twitter: laurabutcher91
on June 19, 2017 at 1:28 pm
I had a cleaner when I lived in my previous flat and I really had to justify myself to people when I told them, it made me feel like I was doing something really bad but both me and my husband work full time and if you have the money to hire a cleaner, why the hell not! The people against it are just jealous that they don’t have one lol
Twitter: stevenfairbairn
on June 21, 2017 at 9:06 am
I remember removing a heavy wardrobe down a spiral staircase.
Twitter: JaneDavies9
on June 24, 2017 at 11:32 pm
The fridge, it was a nightmare getting it into the house when we first moved to our current home, which has a strange layout. We’re moving again in 3 months time and the fridge is what I’m dreading the most !
Twitter: MummyBear123456
on June 25, 2017 at 12:27 am
My Grand Piano
Definitely the sofa. It’s so awkwardly shape, and heavy.
Hardest thing to move is my king size bed.
Twitter: lardybunz
on June 30, 2017 at 6:48 pm
The hardest thing to move is the superkingsize bed!
the hardest thing for me to move is always my plants and gardening ornaments I think I have too many so I try not to shift also shifting heavy items is always a big deal to move
Pets! They get so stressed.
Sofas are a nightmare to move, unless they’re reclining as they “Bend” to make it easier
Twitter: robbyprice55
on July 2, 2017 at 5:37 am
Life is too short
Twitter: melaspurt
on July 2, 2017 at 1:15 pm
The hardest thing to move is our wardrobe. It’s falling apart and I always worry that moving it – just slightly and it will fall down on top of me!
Twitter: ginacamacho01
on July 2, 2017 at 2:16 pm
for me is the fridges and chest freezer grr i hate it .
Twitter: beckigates85
on July 2, 2017 at 2:51 pm
Definitely my 5 ft fish tank and all its inhabitants lol
Twitter: newcitylauren
on July 2, 2017 at 5:12 pm
Definitely my couches. They had to be taken in through the window in my new house lol.
Sofa grrrr hate it!
Twitter: tracyknixon
on July 8, 2017 at 10:23 am
Pets! They hate the disruption and change, especially the cat!
The hardest thing to move is the cooker because you need to get an electrician to disconnect and reconnect.
The hardest thing to move is always the couch/sofa.
The hardest thing is moving specialist disability equipment if you have a disabled family member.
The hardest thing for me was the Queen Size Box Spring. Movers could not get it up the stairs due to the sharp angle. Had to buy a new one that comes in pieces and you put it together. The old one is still in the movers box in the garage
Definitely furniture such as sofas, beds and large cabinets are the hardest to move.