Every year as Christmas rolls around, we’re hit with the same question: What do mums actually want for Christmas? And every year we seem to fall back on candles, pyjamas, bath bombs, shopping vouchers, slippers, or something novelty-shaped that will be forgotten by February.

But ask most mums (really ask them), and you’ll hear a very different answer:

“I just want the house cleaned.”

It’s not glamorous. It’s not shiny. And it probably won’t appear on a Christmas gift guide curated by a big-box retailer. But a clean, calm, stress-free home? Now that’s a present that actually makes a difference.

Because whether she’s a mum of young kids, a carer, a grandmother hosting the family, or a woman juggling work, home and a mountain of invisible labour, time, rest and ease are the real luxuries.

So this Christmas, let’s talk about why the gift of a clean house is one of the most thoughtful, appreciated presents you can give.