Recently I hired a maid for the first time. This seems like a very sensible move to me. She'll come into the house every other week and clean the bathroom, kitchen, vacuum the floors etc. All the basic cleaning stuff that otherwise gets done much less often - basically only when the mould starts growing around the bathroom sick, or the colour of the carpet changes. In fact I'm surprised I haven't done this before now it comes to think of it.
So why do I feel a little bit guilty about it. Why, for example, am I hiding it from my mother (well not mentioning it at least). I use lots of other time saving devices. This morning I put a load of laundry into my brand-new washer-dryer, and when I get home it will be "cupboard dry" according to the instructions (although admittedly this gives me some pause each time I do it after having read last year the washing machine flood "adventures" of Mother of All Scientists - at least we don't live in a 3rd floor condo... ). I also have an iRobot Roomba - which rocks (well when the battery isn't old and worn out and lasts only 15 minutes - another thing I have recently sorted out), and I'm recently very much enjoying the pre-prepared vegetables that are so ubiquitous here.
As pointed out by Veronica in her article "I Have a Maid! What Professions are more important than others?", I wouldn't blink an eyelid at hiring a professional to cut my hair or change the oil in my car or do numerous other things I really could learn to do myself given time. I also spend close to half my salary paying other people to look after my child - so paying someone to clean my house seems very reasonable.
So what's the big deal about hiring a maid?
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Good for you! For the past year we have also had someone coming to our place every other week to clean, and I'm not sure we could live without this anymore! I do not feel guilty about this at all though, with two parents going through the crazy postdoc years and a young child, free time is precious and I much rather spend it doing something else than washing my bathroom.
I've read an article in the local newspaper saying that over the last year, the number of people hiring someone to help with some kind of household task has increased by almost 20% around here. Maybe this trend hasn't hit your area yet, but at least over here nobody will think anything of you if you mention that you are getting help with cleaning chores. So don't feel bad, just enjoy it!
But perhaps if you referred to this woman helping you out as a housekeeper instead of a maid it would also help feeling less guilty about it?
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