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Is this normal for a cleaning service

22 replies

Pogmella · 28/10/2020 15:00

Tried out having a cleaner for the first time today and was a bit disappointed- looking to see if this is normal?

I’m 36weeks pregnant and haven’t been up to vacuuming for a bit. House was ‘surface level’ clean if that makes sense, but was aware the bigger spring clean jobs weren’t getting done like oven cleans or hoovering under the bed (hence the cleaner!)

Anyway, booked for 2.5hrs after calling the company and advising we have 4 baths and beds.

Instead of one cleaner, 3 arrived and told me they would work together and stay for 45 minutes so it added up to 2.5hrs.

They all cleaned every room at the same time? They were crammed into the en-suite bathrooms and I could hear them arguing (and saying how bad it was Sad ) They didn’t manage to get to the kitchen which I’m fine with if it’s a normal approach (I am aware it needed a deeper clean after all) but I can’t help but think they’d have got more done if they’d split up and had one do downstairs and two up, for instance? They must have been in eachothers’ way?!

The rooms they have done look great. Not sure whether to try them again or try another company?

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Punkpumpkin · 28/10/2020 15:04

Our cleaners are a husband & wife.

I think having more than 1 cleaner for less time is more effective than 1 cleaner for longer as 1 person cleaning for 3 hours is likely to need a break than 2 or 3 cleaning for an hour.

However, my 2 have specific jobs they each do - so 1 of them does kitchen & bathrooms, the other hoovers, dusts, mops floors etc.

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Punkpumpkin · 28/10/2020 15:05

Ultimately if you’re not happy, try someone else. It’s too easy to be polite and put up with things that aren’t right. There’s no harm in trying another company then choosing your favourite.

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JoJoSM2 · 28/10/2020 15:07

3x45 is only 2h15...

Other than that, I’ve always has individual cleaners and not companies and they’d stay for a few years. The first few weeks, things would take a bit longer whilst they get used to the house. The cleaner does a weekly clean and I arrange an extra day a few times a year for deep cleaning separately.

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Pogmella · 28/10/2020 15:09

@Punkpumpkin yeah when they turned up I thought it would make sense- it’s just the way they approached it doing every room simultaneously. I think I’ll try another company next time but I suppose I wanted to see if I just had odd expectations as I’ve never had a cleaner before.

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Junjulaug · 28/10/2020 15:09

Yes, it’s normal. We’ve previously had a husband and wife team, or when we used an agency 2 people got sent. I preferred it esp on days I was WFH or in the school holidays- disruption for 1/2 the time. BUT I would say 2.5 hours in total isn’t enough for a 4 bath 4 bed house if you are expecting all the bathrooms to be cleaned every week. We had 4 hours for 4 bed 2 bath but one of the beds was spare, so they only did it if we’d had guests, but that also included hanging up or folding away laundry.

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suziedoozy · 28/10/2020 15:10

I have 2 / 3 cleaners come to do a 3 hour clean each week. They usually split up and do different rooms but often end up checking with each other that everything has been done.

I find it odd that they all tried to squeeze in one (presumably small) room? I would understand if 2 were in the kitchen / diner for example but all in the bathroom sounds like a waste of time.

Our cleaners are super efficient in their time.

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Mumtumwobble · 28/10/2020 15:12

I think this can be fairly standard for some companies. My gardener works like this. They’re a husband and wife team and they stay an hour, but charge for 2. I don’t think it’s particularly a problem with cleaning in this way, but it’s not great if they were getting in each other’s way so couldn’t clean properly.

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suziedoozy · 28/10/2020 15:13

I meant to say ours do 2/3 beds (don’t bother with spare room or my study if I’m working it in!) and 3 bathrooms and I think 3 hours in about the right length of time. Because they come every week I do minimal cleaning in between - Daily kitchen wipe / robot hoover and that’s it (toddler & 2 dogs!)

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WhatHaveIFound · 28/10/2020 15:13

It's normal. When we could afford a cleaner they worked as a team of 2 but it was always one upstairs and one downstairs. It's very off that they would try to clean a small ensuite as a group.

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nicerbeing · 28/10/2020 15:14

I wouldn't have 3 people In my house unnecessarily right now. The company should be allocating jobs with minimal risk considered.

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FiddlefigOnTheRoof · 28/10/2020 15:14

4 beds and 4 baths, with kitchen and living areas included should be around 4 hrs plus for a thorough oven/underbed clean.

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FiddlefigOnTheRoof · 28/10/2020 15:16

We had a similar experience to you with Fantastic Cleaners. Millions of them with substandard equipment desultorily wiping things throughout the house. It really should be a max of two at a time.

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Pogmella · 28/10/2020 15:18

The company have now emailed and said there was a mix up and they thought it was a 2hr clean so stayed 40mins.

I might try them again for 3hrs but yes- I did pop up to check they were ok and all 3 were in the en-suite shower room which can’t have floor space if more than 2 or 3sqm... I do appreciate they might need a few cleans to get on top of what’s built up and get to know the house do I’m not hugely fussed they didn’t do it all, it just seems a very strange way to work.

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AintOverUntilTheCatLadySings · 28/10/2020 15:19

Yeah… that's really weird. I'd try another company tbh.

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Oblomov20 · 28/10/2020 15:21

At least tell them? ask the company if it's normal because it seemed like a tight squeeze?

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OhToBeASeahorse · 28/10/2020 15:24

No that's weird! I've had cleaning teams before but they have always split up. Personally I dont like it- I much prefer one cleaner.
Dont be afraid to try others - I went through a few before I found one I was happy with!

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ShellsAndSunrises · 28/10/2020 16:28

Given the company has emailed you, I’d go back and query this. If they’re going to fix the time, they can let you know if it’s normal for them all to be in one room, or if it’s possible for them to separate and work on different things/places...

It seems really odd to have everyone together, and even if that’s standard, surely you’d separate people in rooms that are too small?!

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Meowza74 · 28/10/2020 16:33

Bit weird that they all did 1 room together.

I book a 3hr clean and they send 3 people for 1hr, but they all do separate rooms.

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Twickerhun · 28/10/2020 16:34

I’d be telling them where you want the focus of their attention and let them back but direct them a bit more with the outcomes you require ie kitchen to be completely done all floors need hoovering and The en suit should only need one person in it... also that comments on your house are out of order

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BusterTheBulldog · 28/10/2020 16:41

V weird, I used to have a team and they all did different things, so much quicker!

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Pogmella · 28/10/2020 18:05

@Twickerhun yeah DH let them in and gave them a ‘hit list’ of stuff we definitely wanted done- He didn’t specify ‘don’t all squeeze into the en suite together’ in fairness but I think that might have seemed creepy on his part! Grin

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Sexnotgender · 28/10/2020 18:09

My cleaners split up and tackle different rooms. Though tend to do the living room together at the end.

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