CaptainR Posted November 9, 2013 Share Posted November 9, 2013 For my entire married life and for my wife's entire life we have had Domestic Helpers. In the UK it's fairly common to have a cleaner a few times a week in Middle class families or even Nannies in the busier ones. I appreciate that Australia has different attitudes to socioeconomic division (something that really appeals to me), but how does this reflect on employing a live in domestic help or part time cleaner? Is it common in Australia? Any advice on how it differs in Oz to the UK? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freckleface Posted November 9, 2013 Share Posted November 9, 2013 It's fairly common among the people I know to have cleaners, gardeners, child minders etc although it isn't something people really talk about unless they are asking for recommendations when they need to find replacement people etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sammy1 Posted November 9, 2013 Share Posted November 9, 2013 Most people I work with have a part time cleaner and somebody who cuts the lawn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xxlornaxx Posted November 9, 2013 Share Posted November 9, 2013 Wow. .I would love a cleaner. .ive never met anyone who has one...im obviously not middle class..and i have my own arms n legs 2 clean wth i guess lol What is Australias attitude to socioeconomic division? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Que Sera Sera Posted November 9, 2013 Share Posted November 9, 2013 It seems far more normal to get someone in to do most things here. ie Window cleaning Gutter cleaning , domestic cleaners , oven cleaners ( I kid you not!) gardeners lawn mowing, pool cleaning etc etc etc. My friend has a very successful dog walking business too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyman Posted November 9, 2013 Share Posted November 9, 2013 It seems far more normal to get someone in to do most things here. ie Window cleaning Gutter cleaning , domestic cleaners , oven cleaners ( I kid you not!) gardeners lawn mowing, pool cleaning etc etc etc. My friend has a very successful dog walking business too. bet you don't have anyone come drink your grog for you though ...........:wink: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyHeart Posted November 9, 2013 Share Posted November 9, 2013 You dont have to be middle class to have a cleaner, just sensible enough to realise you can pay someone to do it to free up your weekend if youre particularly busy yourself...I had a cleaner once a fortnight for a while, I was working 3 days a week, studying 2 days and I didnt fancy spending the best part of Saturday shopping and cleaning, cost me under $60 and she did everything...unfortunately shes moved on now and Ive not got round to replacing her but as uni is over in a few weeks till Feb Ill have the time...if you can afford it I dont see the problem. In fact Im trying to find a gardener at the min because my back isnt up to heavy duty stuff and the OH works long hours, we have a big garden...a lot of people I know pay for help as needed and I associate with normal working class people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xxlornaxx Posted November 9, 2013 Share Posted November 9, 2013 Depends how u define middle class I suppose Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toodolou Posted November 9, 2013 Share Posted November 9, 2013 Wow. .I would love a cleaner. .ive never met anyone who has one...im obviously not middle class..and i have my own arms n legs 2 clean wth i guess lol What is Australias attitude to socioeconomic division? My family has got one of those too ... Me ! It would cost me a fortune and a lot of embarrassment getting in a stranger to clean and tidy up after one of them .... They're very messy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nic1171 Posted November 9, 2013 Share Posted November 9, 2013 I had someone to my ironing in the uk.mwhen you work full time it's no fun spending your precious days off doing housework so yeah if you can afford it go for it. I have a pool cleaner and gardener here but that's because it's in with the rent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rupert Posted November 9, 2013 Share Posted November 9, 2013 For my entire married life and for my wife's entire life we have had Domestic Helpers. In the UK it's fairly common to have a cleaner a few times a week in Middle class families or even Nannies in the busier ones. I appreciate that Australia has different attitudes to socioeconomic division (something that really appeals to me), but how does this reflect on employing a live in domestic help or part time cleaner? Is it common in Australia? Any advice on how it differs in Oz to the UK? I don't know that a lot of people in UK have a cleaner a few times a week, well no one I know does anyway. I have a cleaner and a gardener here, the cleaner comes every Friday and the gardener come once a fortnight. I don't see it any differently to having same in UK. I don't know what socioeconomic division you are talking about, but if you think that Australia doesn't have divisions you are mistaken. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johndoe Posted November 9, 2013 Share Posted November 9, 2013 I wouldn't have any help, even if I had the money to employ them.......................nobody could match my standards :tongue: :biglaugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NicF Posted November 9, 2013 Share Posted November 9, 2013 I've had a cleaner once a fortnight for years, even after my first was born and I was on maternity leave we still had a cleaner. And we had a cleaner when I went back to work three days a week and when I was on maternity leave with the second one. The fact that someone can come to the house and get the whole place dusted and vacuumed in one visit is brilliant. I'd never be able to get the whole house cleaned in 3 hours - I'm too slow and I get obsessive. I can spend 3 hours just cleaning the shower enclosure. When we fist moved to Australia we did the cleaning ourselves, which was fine when my OH worked and I was at home, but not so great when I was working and he was home. Now we are both working full time we have found a cleaner again. We just looked in the yellow pages for cleaners in this area and ended up with someone that runs a franchise. So far they seem as good as any cleaners we've had in the past. Personally I don't see anything wrong in having a cleaner or any other domestic help. It's not a job I'd want as it's blooming hard work but there are plenty if people running successful businesses providing domestic help of various kinds here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 9, 2013 Share Posted November 9, 2013 Looking over Aus gumtree plenty of people or companies are advertising their services for cleaning, ironing and the like. And people are advertising wanting cleaners etc. About the only real difference is that you are probably going to pay more for one here. My local area of the UK the going rate for a cleaner was about 10 ph, here where we are in Aus, it seems to be about $20-25 ph looking over the ads. Higher in conversion. I am not commenting in real terms here as to if thats cheap or expensive or relative earnings or meaning a debate about Aus v UK earnings or anything like that I think its perfectly normal if you want to pay someone to do any of those jobs. TBH I think the perception of the class system in the UK is out of date (this article from the BBC explains it well http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-22007058 ). If people are time poor and don't want to spend their weekends doing housework etc, fair enough they pay someone else to do it. Seems to be a market for it here, a demand is being met, you'll be fine finding someone if you look at ads or post your own. I don't think there are any real class connotations with it here and much like the UK, its a widespread and accepted thing here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Que Sera Sera Posted November 9, 2013 Share Posted November 9, 2013 bet you don't have anyone come drink your grog for you though ...........:wink: i don't get anyone round my house to do anything unfortunately in my house I am the person who " does " . And no bu**er is drinking my wine !:wink: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wellers and Whitehead Posted November 9, 2013 Share Posted November 9, 2013 I could think of better ways to spend my money if I had the excess! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rupert Posted November 9, 2013 Share Posted November 9, 2013 I could think of better ways to spend my money if I had the excess! I can think of better ways to spend my time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wellers and Whitehead Posted November 9, 2013 Share Posted November 9, 2013 I can think of better ways to spend my time. fair enough, but if I had a $100 left over each week, I couldn't bring myself to spend it on a cleaner. my nan has a cleaner here in the UK as she is unable to do it, and family would prefer to spend quality time with her . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skani Posted November 9, 2013 Share Posted November 9, 2013 . Me ! It would cost me a fortune and a lot of embarrassment getting in a stranger to clean and tidy up after one of them .... They're very messy! :biglaugh: I've never had a cleaner....because I'd feel compelled to clean up before the cleaner came! ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rupert Posted November 10, 2013 Share Posted November 10, 2013 fair enough, but if I had a $100 left over each week, I couldn't bring myself to spend it on a cleaner. my nan has a cleaner here in the UK as she is unable to do it, and family would prefer to spend quality time with her . Well I don't think anyone is saying they spend their last $100 on it. It is like anything, you do the cost benefit analysis. :biggrin: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blossom Posted November 10, 2013 Share Posted November 10, 2013 I don't believe cleaners are 'common' in the uk or oz. I didn't know one person in the uk who had a cleaner. I have one come once a fortnight here, and I only know one other person who does too. We applied for a new rental and when we were telling the agent we have a cleaner he said he had never had an applicant who had a cleaner (sounded pretty impressed lol). The way I see it, I don't drink, I don't smoke, I don't do drugs, I'm not into shopping, if my one vice is not wanting to clean my house and I can afford $50 a fortnight, I'm bloody well going to spend it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xxlornaxx Posted November 10, 2013 Share Posted November 10, 2013 Im gona get a cleaner now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 10, 2013 Share Posted November 10, 2013 Im gona get a cleaner now Go for it More time to do things you enjoy then I reckon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rupert Posted November 10, 2013 Share Posted November 10, 2013 Im gona get a cleaner now Yes go on. My cleaning day is Friday and I love getting and finding everything nice for the weekend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blossom Posted November 10, 2013 Share Posted November 10, 2013 Yes go on. My cleaning day is Friday and I love getting and finding everything nice for the weekend. Mines a Wednesday. It is such a good feeling coming home to a nice clean house. :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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