To tidy up before my cleaner arrives?

[SheStoopsToConquer]

I have a fortnightly cleaning lady, and usually the day before she arrives I'll give the house a bit of a tidy - putting away all DC's numerous toys, making sure we've not left clothes lying around the bedrooms or bathroom etc.

However, I happened to mention this to a friend and she said I'm crazy as what's the point of a cleaner if I'm cleaning too? But surely I'm not that unusual? I'd rather my cleaner had more time to do the stuff I don't do like scrubbing and mopping than tidying away toys!

[userabcname]

Yeah I do the same. It's best to tidy so they can actually clean iyswim.

[honeysucklejasmine]

She's a cleaner, not a tidier.

[MachineBee]

No you’re not BU. Your cleaner is there to clean. Tidying isn’t cleaning. I tidy up before my cleaner comes so she can actually clean.

I get my lot to make sure their rooms are cleanable before cleaner day.

[SmiledWithTheRisingSun]

Of course you tidy up for the cleaner.
Do you want them to tidy it or clean
It?

[Believeitornot]

When I hired a cleaner via a company they were clear that cleaners clean, not tidy. The tidier it is, the more they can get done.

Although I used to have one who did more of a tidying role as well and would put the washing out etc. Miss her!

[AlternativeTentacle]

Of course, have just done mine today. Why wouldn't you?

[welshweasel]

Yep our house gets a thorough tidy on a Thursday night in anticipation of the cleaners. All surfaces cleared and no piles of stuff on windowsills. I'd rather they spent 3 hours cleaning rather than tidying.

[knottybeams]

I long for a cleaner (once I'm done with maternity leave...) but I agree with you, not for tidying.

What's the point of paying for 2 hours cleaning a week if at the end of that you still end up doing the deep clean stuff yourself, as in the time available the cleaner gets to the point it can be done.... next. By the time I got round to it all the tidying would need doing again.

DD can make mess in an empty room in under 5 mins. That's daily tidying not a weekly/fortnightly clean. Would love to have someone deal with the ironing and putting away of clean clothes though.

[Jacana]

I pay my cleaner to clean. For 2 hours she cleans, and a bloody good job she does too. She's a . And to facilitate that I make sure that stuff is put away before she comes. So, no, she's never asked to tidy up/wash up/empty the dishwasher/iron, or any of the other non-cleaning jobs I see mentioned here when the subject arises. She cleans.

[junebirthdaygirl]

When l had a cleaner l found it a great motivation to tidy like mad. They don't know where stuff goes. Then next day l had a clean and tidy house which was bliss. Yes tidy before they come.

[Lweji]

YANBU.
You tidy up. She cleans.
Unless you want to pay her more hours to tidy up as well.

[yousignup]

I tidy so she can clean. I don't want to pay her to clear surfaces of stuff she won't know where to put.

[IHaveBrilloHair]

Same here, I tidy so she can clean

[Bluntness100]

I agree, there is a big difference between cleaning and tidying. You can’t clean properly if you haven’t tidied first.

Your friend would, or does, clearly pay a cleaner to tidy. However most people wish a cleaner to actually clean. He or she is not the maid and there are only so many chores that can be done in thr hours allocated. Time is not elastic where they can stretch it to fit all the tidying and cleaning in.

Personally though I tidy daily, so no big tidy up is required, and it’s fast because it’s done daily.

[IamtheDevilsAvocado]

Unless you want cleaner to waste time tidying before they clean!

[DanglyBatOrnaments]

We have a cleaning company and it is within our terms that clients prepare the house for the cleaning service.

You simply cannot find the time to clean if you have to spend the cleaning time tidying up first. We can only do this if we charge for the additional labour that it would cost us to provide but most clients prefer to just prep the house themselves.

[nokidshere]

We tidy up every Thursday night so the cleaner can clean. It means she has more time to actually clean and we have no more than a few days 'stuff' hanging around. Why would I want to pay her to either tidy up or clean round our stuff?

[WorraLiberty]

It sounds like your friend doesn't know what a cleaner's job involves - ie, cleaning, not tidying.

Mind you, from your OP I'd say you're not sure either, given that you didn't simply point out that they are there to clean rather than tidy.

[CantChoose]

I try to tidy before mine comes so she can focus on cleaning. If I don’t get a chance (or can’t be bothered) she will tidy but will miss off some of the deep clean jobs.
We are both happy with this arrangement.

[dantdmistedious]

I always tidy for the cleaner - how’s she supposed to clean otherwise?

[EssentialHummus]

Bit of a variation... I don't tidy. But I do the dishes/load them into the dishwasher myself, because she refuses to put anything in the dishwasher without washing it fully first despite my asking repeatedly, and even if it takes her over her allocated time.

[SheStoopsToConquer]

Mind you, from your OP I'd say you're not sure either, given that you didn't simply point out that they are there to clean rather than tidy.

Ah there's always one...

Actually I did tell her that but then got to wondering if I was that unusual by tidying. Hence the AIBU.

[Flokidoki]

I have my cleaner precisely so I can focus on being tidy.

I actually know someone who lost three cleaners in turn because the house was too untidy for them to actually do their job. When the third one left she finally accepted that she was the problem, hired a personal organiser to help her create balance and has now happily had the same cleaner for two years. I know that's an extreme example but if you want a cleaner they need to be able to get to what you would like to be cleaned.

YANBU

[bridgetreilly]

That's what I always used to (try to) do, when I had a cleaner. Though sometimes they turned up early and told me not to worry, they'd do the tidying as well. They were very good at it. But I definitely want to pay people to scrub the floor, not put my stuff away.

[BitOutOfPractice]

I'm relatively tidy all the time but always used to tidy for the cleaner so she could clean sometimes I'd be tidying one room ahead of her