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Service: Products that make life easier - 7/14/2010 3:07:17 AM

BitaTruble

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As I was using the Swifer duster today, I started thinking about the various products we have around the house that make *my* life easier but really don't do anything that enhance Michael's life or make his life easier.. on the surface. It is my duty to keep the house neat and tidy and I do use various products to accomplish that goal. We don't have a vaccuum cleaner because we don't have any carpeting in the house but if we did have carpets, I have no doubt that Himself would get us a vaccuum so I didn't have to sweep the carpets by hand. On the surface that would seem like something that would be good for me and not for him and as I am home all day, I certainly would have the time to do that sort of sweeping if not the energy and therein lies the brunt of my question.

These products enable me to be more efficient and take less of my energy so that when he gets home I'm not beat to the socks trying to keep up on housework and can devote the majority of my energy to Himself rather than to the carpets or bathrooms etc.

Question for the dominants: Does the added cost of purchasing products for cleaning service outweigh the benefit, to you, of your partner having more time and energy to devote to you or is it better for you to save the money these products cost even if it comes at the expense of having a partner who may have less energy because they don't have such a resource? Something else perhaps more balanced? Clorox makes a rockin' product that cleans the mirrors and glass in our house and we have tons of glass and mirrors in this place, but it is prohibitively expensive so I use good old Windex and elbow grease to take care of all those sorts of things. One Swifer duster, however, allows me to dust all the floors with a single cloth so the cost to benefit ratio is much better and he allows me to purchase that product when we shop. Making pasta by hand can, literally, wear me out for the day and often leaves me sore the next day as well so having a Kitchen Aid to do the brunt of the grunt work is something I really appreciate and he, of course, loves that he gets homemade pasta on a regular basis. Even though he'd get that anyway, he gets it without having to pay the *cost* of the expense which in this case would be my energy that gets devoted to him.. but he did have to pay the *cost* of the Kitchen Aid.

Question for the submissives & slaves: Do you appreciate having this helping hand and use products designed to make *your* life easier when it comes to cleaning and service of a domestic nature or do you feel it defeats the purpose of service and is actually costing your dominant money that could be used elsewhere. For me, it really does boil down to what Himself wants and what sort of shape he wants me in when he gets home from work so the products he allows me to use are a direct result of his decision making and not my own but mostly he doesn't care what route I take to get the job done as long as the job itself gets done so I try to keep things balanced by not spending to much time, money or effort to the point where something's gotta give in terms of service or finances by trying to have it all.. all the time.

Just curious as to how other folks balance their cost to benefit ratio when providing or having service provided to them.

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RE: Service: Products that make life easier - 7/14/2010 4:32:46 AM

RCdc

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quote:

ORIGINAL: BitaTruble
Question for the submissives & slaves: Do you appreciate having this helping hand and use products designed to make *your* life easier when it comes to cleaning and service of a domestic nature or do you feel it defeats the purpose of service and is actually costing your dominant money that could be used elsewhere. For me, it really does boil down to what Himself wants and what sort of shape he wants me in when he gets home from work so the products he allows me to use are a direct result of his decision making and not my own but mostly he doesn't care what route I take to get the job done as long as the job itself gets done so I try to keep things balanced by not spending to much time, money or effort to the point where something's gotta give in terms of service or finances by trying to have it all.. all the time.

Just curious as to how other folks balance their cost to benefit ratio when providing or having service provided to them.

Hello Celeste. Regards to you and Master Michael.

I tend to look at these objects as false time savers and an expensive waste. Obviously, a washing machine deals with laundry far quicker than I can and this allows me more time to serve in other ways, as well as cutting back on the handcream!

I used to use products like the swifer, but eventually, I could not justify the enviromental impact I was having and that in turn does Master a dis-service.

So it has become increasingly important for me to weigh the pros and cons of certain instruments. Actually, as an example, this weekend, the microwave is being packed away. It's already cleaned and ready for storage. It's use could not be justified in balance with it not being here at all. I have learnt how to do less ironing, by the way I dry clothing and by what I purchase so that time is not wasted, as well as saving electricity (yeah - and I get to iron less

).

Since getting back to basics, I appriciate just what my mother and my grandmother in particular went through. I also appriciate these luxuries when I do use them. I tend to look at these instuments as causing laziness. People just want everything 'now' and there is no care taken - and it reflects on the quality of work and of modern relationships. There are no quick fixes, everything we now have to make life easier and then what is there? Higher dependancy on medications, higher rates of depression based illness, people with lower immune systems, trouble with finances and people still wanting more time because even with all this 'help' there is still not enough 'time'.

I have recently asked for a sweeper(rather than using a hoover every day) and Master is considering this. I started experimenting with my organic garden this year and it's gone really well, so well that I am expanding it. I am big on recycling and composting everything that I possibly can and it's damn hard work that takes up time, maybe time that people might think would be served better elsewhere when their Owners get home. But for me, it's empowering and it's a service, not only to Master, but to myself.

That doesn't mean Master doesn't subject me to the odd indulgence, but if lemon juice and elbow grease get's the work done then I feel far happier knowing that the money on that expensive product can be used elsewhere for Masters pleasure and I am supporting some fair trade lemon farmer somewhere instead of some corporate giant, as well as getting exercise myself while working harder.

Service doesn't end with Master - He wouldn't desire it to.

the.dark.

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RE: Service: Products that make life easier - 7/14/2010 5:15:14 AM

littlewonder

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I do whatever it takes to make my life and his easier. If that means spending extra money on things that help to do that then so be it. I shell out the extra for the time and energy I'm saving. For me it has zilch to do with service but with making life stress free.

I already have someone that mows my lawn because it makes my life easier to handle because I simply don't have the time and energy to do it plus it causes my allergies to flare.

I buy some prepackaged foods such as salads and precut veggies/fruits that I can eat on the run, I buy clothes that don't need to be ironed and items that need very little care.

Hell if I could afford it I'd hire a maid!

I say if you can afford it then go for it. I don't understand why you'd want to make your life more difficult in the name of "service".

< Message edited by littlewonder -- 7/14/2010 5:18:37 AM >

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RE: Service: Products that make life easier - 7/14/2010 5:40:11 AM

IronBear

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I tend to look at things we buy from a serviceability, time saved vs cost and storage space to keep them when not in use. Obviously the impact on electrical or gas usage is taken into account. Kitchen wise, I prefer to but commercial equipment which lasts longer as I do in the laundry (commercial washing machine and dryer (for the couple of months when the humidity is too high and clothes takes a week or so to dry) same for the stove, Gas stove top and microwave etc) because I love to cook and expect first rate equipment as well as we need to take into account both our disabilities. A good industrial wet & dry vacuum cleaner is great after the volumes of dog hair is picked up and bagged for later use, makes life far better even on polished wooden floors.

My preference is a couple of service slaves which are a rare commodity here..

Still there is much I do the old fashion way including casting the pieces and manufacturing my entire workshop equipment excepting for the stuff like my power drills and similar item. I'm saving huge dollars by manufacturing my own lathes, band saws, milling machines (computer operated) etc.

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RE: Service: Products that make life easier - 7/14/2010 6:55:43 AM

porcelaine

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I have some odd peculiarities. I hand wash my dishes and then load them into the dishwasher. I don't use a mop but prefer a little scrub brush (think Cinderella) that allows me to clean the floors up close and in person. I'll sweep a rug then vacuum it because I like knowing all nooks and crannies are covered. I maintain my home in this fashion but I wouldn't do it elsewhere. It's merely my bias.

I probably have too many appliances that I don't use but I like them anyway. That justifies my desire for a commercial steel shelf to keep them on. Coffee is a ritual and that means grinding beans, proper water temperature, and everything that follows. That is my indulgence. And I do believe in buying high quality food. I'm very particular. But strangely enough the mundane things are handled with my hand versus a gadget that makes things easier. I've given consideration to making my own cleaning products and have already started making liqueurs when the mood hits. I might try canning as well.

I think my inclination is more like the.dark in that convenience for convenience sake isn't necessarily appealing. I probably do things the hard way but I prefer the results nonetheless. I'll readily admit that I only attend to myself and another person and the omission of pets and children make life much simpler. My system is loosely based on FlyLady and it works seamlessly. I've been able to incorporate my lifestyle changes into it without a problem. Perhaps my methods would differ a bit if I had a full household to attend to. One never knows.

~porcelaine

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RE: Service: Products that make life easier - 7/14/2010 7:57:30 AM

CallaFirestormBW

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quote:

Question for the dominants: Does the added cost of purchasing products for cleaning service outweigh the benefit, to you, of your partner having more time and energy to devote to you or is it better for you to save the money these products cost even if it comes at the expense of having a partner who may have less energy because they don't have such a resource?

It really depends on the "why". Sometimes, there is a particular lesson that I want to reinforce through the deep-down, intimate struggle with some mundane task. This is true whether the person doing that task is -me-, one of my servants, or a student of the Temple. When there's no point to choosing the harder method (and functional sadism can -be- a point... sometimes I enjoy having the floor scrubbed with a toothbrush just because it's particularly fascinating for me to observe the servant -doing- that at my command and observing both the internal and external struggle to submit), it makes sense to focus that energy in more... satisfactory directions.

For me, it's rarely about money. If I am unable to afford the tools to properly maintain a household, then I need to re-assess my expectations of said household and scale it back until I am reasonably able to do so while maintaining the essentials -for- that household... including cleaning supplies, toilet goods, and healthy, decent, and preferably LOCAL food. I'm willing to spend money for some conveniences just because I find the original process un-necessarily... well.. cumbersome. If, however, there is a sound reason for my decision (for example, we won't use some cleaners or cleaning tools in my home, because I am sensitive to the smells or the chemicals which they contain or because I feel that they are environmentally or socially irresponsible), it is irrelevant to me whether the method that I choose is more expensive, less expensive, more work-intensive or less work-intensive. That being said, I will often explain the "why" of a decision on such things to a new servant, because I think that is beneficial for the individual to understand whether it is an arbitrary choice based on my -preference- (which, at times, may be amenable to change with a compelling enough argument), or whether it is based on some other reasoning for which I am not willing to negotiate.

Calla

< Message edited by CallaFirestormBW -- 7/14/2010 8:05:17 AM >

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RE: Service: Products that make life easier - 7/15/2010 4:30:49 AM

CaringandReal

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When I saw the thread title, I thought you were talking about _us_!

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RE: Service: Products that make life easier - 7/15/2010 5:57:29 AM

BitaTruble

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Thanks for all the posts, everyone.

the.dark. I like what you said about leaving a carbon footprint and how some products can impact the environment more than we care to think. I fully agree and do try to keep the carbon footprint of our house as minimal as possible so do things like recycle religiously (even did so when it wasn't the law as it is in Italy) and reuse what I can throwing very little away that will bring harm to the planet. I'm a tree hugger from way back and I do try to use elbow grease when possible but having two surgery's on my arm and having had most of the bone removed from my elbow, there's not a lot of grease there so I have to compromise on somethings (like using a Swifer). I can mop but sweeping comes at the expense of increased pain in my rotor cuff and arm.

Littlewonder - I highly recommend a maid of good quality! When I'm gone, such service is invaluable to Himself! We've been fortunate in a lot of the places we've lived have come complete with a gardner and several of them had maid service as well.. but often I would have to clean up what the maid left behind, so good service is, indeed, hard to find!

porceline - I also do dishes by hand and our dishwasher is mainly used as a drying rack rather than an actual dishwasher although I'm sure that Himself will use it the next time I'm visiting family in the States and he's left to fend for himself. Of course, it would require me actually teaching him how to use it first.. it's a bit tricky! lol

Master Bear - we are back to having a gas stove. Yippee! I had one the entire time I was single and missed it terribly for several years when I only had access to electric stoves which are just yucky as far as I'm concerned although I prefer electric ovens. Now I have the best of both. This place has a commercial gas stove and an electric oven so I'm in cooking heaven.

Calla - What you posted is really the crux of the thread. It does boil down to what Himself seeks in my service. Some days he wants me chewing through the cuffs - so to speak - and others he wants stillness and quiet compliance. I'm flexible and can provide either of those, don't need to know the whys and wherefores but he usually has a reason for what he likes and sometimes that reason is he just feels damn silly and gets a kick outta seeing me sweat. I also understand explaining the *why* especially to those who are new to your household. Getting answers to those *why* questions I had when we first got together helped build my trust levels to the point where I don't need to ask it anymore the command he may give at any given time assures me that he's saying for his own reason and that is good enough for me.. now. ;)

C&R - Of course I was talking about you! Who else?? ::grins::

< Message edited by BitaTruble -- 7/15/2010 5:59:34 AM >

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He laughed. "You are the wisest woman I know."

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RE: Service: Products that make life easier - 7/15/2010 6:39:22 AM

DesFIP

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He doesn't care what I buy or use. He has wondered why I use windex on the laminate countertops but simply because it says for glass on it. It works wonderfully and easily.

And I have a housecleaner come in every two weeks to do the heavier work like cleaning bathtubs because leaning over them hurts my back.

One of the good things about having long haired dogs that shed is that nobody who has ever met the dog wonders why the house isn't perfectly clean.

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RE: Service: Products that make life easier - 7/15/2010 8:38:41 AM

allthatjaz

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In many things we don't have a choice. Living on a boat means there's really not the room for all these extras that make the modern couples life more bearable!
We have a wind generator and solar panels for electricity and need to be frugal about how much we use. We do have the luxury of hot water and an agar to cook from but our heating source comes from a wood burning stove and so there's no just flicking on a thermostat for us when we need heat. I love cleaning and laying the fire.
I absolutely won't buy pre-packed processed food because I refuse to put shit into our bodies and if I was given a microwave I would bin it. I wont use things like aerosol polish and air freshener and I won't use anti-germ products around the boat.
Like the.dark, I use lemon juice to clean down things. After recently cooking octopus (which tends to stink) I discovered that if I throw fresh mint or lavender onto the agar it will completely neutralize any smells. I cycle to my local green farm shop and I spend a lot of time preparing and cooking good home food.

The last three days I have been living in a house whilst visiting family. The first thing I noticed when I walked in was the stink of chemical cleaner. The dishwasher went on last night with just a few plates in it and the washing machine is only half full and is presently running on a long cycle

Every room has one of these electric room fresheners but I have gone round turning them off because they are making my eyes water. There are two cupboards full to bursting with cleaning products and a fridge full of quick and easy cook meals.
I'm leaving tonight thank goodness. I could never live like this again. I don't need it.

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