I have a confession: I am not very domestic. I do not take glee and delight in freshly laundered linens. I do not dance a jig at the shininess of a newly swept floor. I clean because I don’t have a strong desire to live in filth and vermin. You know those people that clean to relieve stress or because it makes them feel better?? Um, I’m not that chick. If I’m that stressed, I’d rather drink a martini or take a nap.
That being said, as single person, your clutter is just that…your clutter. If there were a few dishes in the sink over night, I didn’t sweat it. They got washed the next day. I could kick off my heels at the door and leave them. If I left a pair of pants on the arm of the couch, I’d grab them on the way up to bed. You are tolerant of your OWN clutter.
When you start living with someone, there is not just your clutter; there is his clutter as well. His junk and my junk combined, makes for anxiety for me. Not only are my personal quirks being laid bare, so are my hygiene habits. I don’t run the vacuum cleaner every single day. Will he judge me? (Fortunately, I have a fiancé who isn’t that pressed about housework and keeps his areas clean.)
As a general rule, although many women are in the workforce now, a lot of the domestic responsibilities still fall on the woman of the house. My mom worked and still cleaned house. My dad (who is equally as skilled in the domestic arts as my mom), mostly handled the outside chores. I feel guilty. I have a 2 bedroom, 2.5 bath, 1500 sq ft townhouse and feel like that it should be cleaner than it is. I don’t have kids so I should be able to clean my own house, right?
But, truthfully..I’d rather be doing something else..or nothing at all..than spending all Saturday morning (like I did as a kid) cleaning house.
Am I wrong for wanting to outsource the cleaning of my townhouse??
No longer unemployed, no longer a bride... 
Do what you can and outsource what you can. A year ago I decided it was worth it to outsource the cleaning. I was holding a full time plus job and also going to school part time. I needed the help otherwise it wasn’t going to get done. I feel no shame and as long as I can afford it I’m going to outsource the cleaning on a monthly basis.
My name is Monica Mingo and I love it clean but hate cleaning.
That’s all I got.
If you can comfortably afford a housekeeper then get one. I’ve had them before and felt no guilt at all. That was when I lived alone. One time, this chick commented on a blog that it was lazy. Thing is, I am anything but lazy and I hired a cleaning crew for two reasons: like you, I don’t like cleaning; and I’d rather spend that time doing other things.
MM scoffed at getting a housekeeper but we are going to revisit that when they get fully moved in. It’s mainly for the true CLEANING stuff like dusting, wiping baseboards and the common bath.
Get your maid cuz I’m shonuf gonna get mine, LOL.
Girl, do you and get a maid. lol
Nope. Not wrong at all. You do whatever fits your lifestyle. If you’d rather spend the time doing other things and outsourcing is within your financial means, do you. Hell, even if it wasn’t within your financial means who am I to tell you how to run your household. Do whatever makes you happy. Margaritas and maids for everyone!
I am with a man who says he believes in cleaning his own house, scrubing and waxing the hard wood floors monthly the way his Daddy raised him. I love him dearly, but I’m not joining him on this adventure. For 10 years I’ve allowed myself to obsess about keeping my house clean. I’m still obsessed but I’m all in for outsourcing. Light weight cleaning I can handle, but down on my knees…..HUH? Him and the maid can do that stuff, I’ll be at the Mall. Girl call you some Merry Maids!
Hell naw you aint wrong! I feel like this, as kids we did what we were told to do by our parents, so as adults, we should be able to do what the hell we want to do; make our own rules.
I so understand where you are coming from! I have always been paranoid about my lack of housekeeping “love”… and I have always been frightened to be “judged” by potential suitors (especially my African brethren)… One day a friend of mine said something that stuck with me: “If a problem can be solved with money, it’s not really a problem”… As simple (or simplistic) as it sounds, it really relieved me from the guilt of outsourcing my cleaning. If it stresses me out and I can remove the stress for having someone else take care of it, then I will do it.
So I’ll say go for it! Plus, it’s really not expensive to do it here in Houston. I have a lady coming in once a month for $50 (2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms)… The rest of the time we tidy it up ourselves.
When I worked outside the home and my children were small, I had a lady that came highly recommended by a co-worker that cleaned for me every week. When my kids became old enough to have chores, I introduced them to the broom, mop, vacuum cleaner and the long yellow gloves. Cleaning is not something I enjoy — at all. And I’d rather not offer up my misc. funds for a cleaning lady. That’s money I can spend on me and just delegate things I don’t want to do to my kids! LOL
If you want a cleaning lady, get one!
I also have a 2 bed, 2.5bath townhouse, work and live alone. I actually enjoy cleaning, but with my busy schedule, friends, family and boyfriend, I have trouble keeping my home as tidy as I would like it. So a few times a year I outsource! I have a service do a thorough deep-cleaning of my house (windows, wiping down walls, etc). My mother says, “too many of our ancestors cleaned for nothing. If you can afford it – outsource it!”
Not wrong at all. I am probably going to get one after the baby comes at least once a month. I had one come last month and loved it!
I don’t think you’re wrong, but I agree with S23 too. I’ve thought – often – about hiring someone to come and clean, but when I think about other things I could do with that money, I just can’t do it. But Lord knows I want to!
Plus, I’m so off, I’d clean before s/he got there which would render their services unnecessary….I’ve got issues.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrfCixsd2N8 I had a housekeeper when I was single. That’s how I wanted to spend my money and I budgeted accordingly. We have a housekeeper now. If you want one, get one and keep it moving.
I don’t see a problem with it as long as The Groom is cool with it.
Nope, not at all. My condo is half the size of your townhome and I’m going to get someone to come in once a month to clean. I just don’t have the time to clean as efficiently as I like. I just might have them come in twice a month.
I don’t think you’re wrong at all. I just recently made the decision to get a housekeeper. I realized that my time and energy is in such short supply, so I must really prioritize how I want to spend it. Cleaning our house is one area that I’ve decided doesn’t really need to be done by me.
Cleaning is so much fun!!!! (just kidding) :)—-
As long as the MAIN areas are kept up and clean, you’re GOOD!!!
I would hire a professional to do a serious DEEP cleaning ONCE a month.
Nope! I hired help after you suggested it and it was some of the best advice you ever gave me! Having a busy life calls for assistance in certain areas including bi-weekly deep cleanings.
No, I don’t think you are. But we have to put things in perspective. Or maybe that’s just what I do when I think about paying a maid to come and wipe this boy’s piss off the floor. I can hire a cleaning person to come and do this dirty work or I can get my azz on my hands and knees and do it myself nad use that money for something else. I guess I constantly have a battle going with myself of what I can splurge on and thinking “rainy days will come” and will I be prepared?