When people help - but you maybe wish they wouldn't....
By Boingboing
@boiboing (13153)
Northampton, England
October 17, 2015 6:40am CST
I'm inspired by reading a post by @fleura about her partner trying to be helpful but never telling anyone what he's done so she ends up trying to 'redo' those things again.
My friend Lorraine does my cleaning and ironing and she is awesome. She used to live next door but moved a few months ago but she stills come back to work for us. Normally she takes away the laundry and brings it back the week after but yesterday she brought her turbo-powered iron with her and ploughed through all our post-holiday ironing.
Normally she hangs it off the wardrobe doors for me but yesterday she told me - with a big smile - "I put your ironing away".
I smiled and said thank you and waited until she'd gone and then moved everything back where it should be. I have a system - don't laugh, but everything is colour coded - and different wardrobes have different things. I can't be annoyed at her as she just wanted to help but I did wish she hadn't.
As for the kitchen, we've long ago given up trying to work out where she's put things. But I don't care. Having a fantastic cleaner who is also your buddy is a completely life-changing thing. Even my parents adore her for keeping us tidy and clean.
8 people like this
10 responses
@katsmeow1213 (28716)
• United States
17 Oct 15
I wish I could have a cleaner. I'd never complain about where they put things. My house is a disorganized mess... but I do know where everything is pretty much.. unless someone uses it and doesn't put it back which happens frequently. So I'm usually the one everyone asks where something is, and I pretty much always know..
1 person likes this
@katsmeow1213 (28716)
• United States
17 Oct 15
@boiboing I never feel guilty about my place being a mess. Someday I'll have a clean house, but today is not that day!
@boiboing (13153)
• Northampton, England
17 Oct 15
@katsmeow1213 Mine's still a mess but it's a clean mess.
@arthurchappell (44998)
• Preston, England
17 Oct 15
I tend to find it ruins my independence if people insist on helping when I feel I can manage
1 person likes this
@boiboing (13153)
• Northampton, England
17 Oct 15
Actually mostly I like it - and I think other people like being given the chance to help. If someone is way better than me at doing something (ironing and cleaning in this case), I'd rather pay them and keep the time to do the fun stuff that I enjoy.
3 people like this
@arthurchappell (44998)
• Preston, England
17 Oct 15
@boiboing oh yes I am always grateful to those offering help.
2 people like this
@hereandthere (45645)
• Philippines
17 Oct 15
how different is a turbo-powered iron from regular irons?
i would pay, too, if someone could do it better, faster, and with less mess.
i remember an officemate saying his wife complains that he takes so long to hang their laundry because he groups them by color.
1 person likes this
@Marilynda1225 (82798)
• United States
17 Oct 15
I wish I had someone to come in and do my chores. I still do everything myself and dream of putting my feet up while someone else cleans my house
@boiboing (13153)
• Northampton, England
17 Oct 15
I'm very lucky indeed. But I'm also very relaxed about having people mess with my stuff. I think a lot of people don't want to clean their own house but don't like having someone else amongst their belongings. Ever since I was very young, my mum (who was a working single mum) always had a cleaner because she said her time was too valuable to her to spend it on housework).
1 person likes this
@jolly14 (31)
• Pune, India
17 Oct 15
I like if some one help me but in a good manner, because definitely it reduces my work & time. But if someone disturb my work instead of help than its make me so anger.
