Mrs Mop

What was I thinking?

Two years ago when my son was born, my husband suggested we had a cleaner. I didn't take much persuading as nothing was getting done. But in a moment of martyrdom several weeks ago and in a bid to save some money, I decided to cancel the cleaner and do it myself from now on. I got a little bit carried away, as I also cancelled the wheelie bin and window cleaner the same morning. I must be mad.

Despite more superficial cleaning between the cleaner's fortnightly visit, at first I found the deeper cleaning experience hugely satisfying. I decided to clean upstairs one week and downstairs the next and this would happen on one morning each week. It felt good to be back at the handle of the vacuum again. I am a self confessed perfectionist and after working my way through three cleaners before finding one that was satisfactory I had had to learn to bite my tongue and lower my standards. Hence why I was enjoying returning my home to its former glory.

However, there were a number of factors I hadn't quite thought through:

1) Cleaning with a toddler in tow is a nightmare! My son loves to help, but hanging on to the vacuum making it pretty hard to push is not exactly helpful. Also, they are bored after one room, so it can take up to a week to clean downstairs, which means very little time off before the upstairs cleaning begins, which means, NO DAYS OFF CLEANING. EVER.


2) Wheelie bins have maggots in when they are full of nappies and it's summer time. I know they are only small, but they still make me jump up and down, shiver and run away. I always seem to hold my breath too as if I might inhale one.

3) You still have everything else to do! Cooking, gardening, walking the dog, paperwork etc.etc.

4) Window cleaning with an extendable pole thingy is harder than it looks, and you get very wet.

5) Cleaning is hard work. Boy, am I pooped! I have the upmost respect for cleaners cleaning a whole house in one go.

I guess the only compensation is that I now feel very virtuous.