AIBU to pro rata cleaner's fee if she doesn't do the job properly?

[Sweetfa22]

She doesn't charge per hour, she charges set rates for whatever work she does. When she first started there were 2 of them doing the clean. 2 bath, kitchen, living room, windows and hall and stairs. Now she's working alone and doesn't clean the place properly. She came running in today saying she's so busy today with lots of cleans to do so she needed to get things done ASAP. Now my house isn't a palace by any means. It's well lived in. Dishes are lying from breakfast and a pot and tray from last nights dinner. The reason we have the cleaner is because I'm not fit to do it. Surely cleaner's shouldn't expect to come into a sparkling clean home? It's untidy but not minging. We do tidy as we go but when mobility is a huge issue then it's not easy to keep on top of things. To avoid drip feeding she charges £25 for the clean, she used to be here with another person for around 1.5 hours, now she's cramming it into around 1hr.

[CorbynsBumFlannel]

If there is stuff not being done then you need to discuss it rather than just docking her pay. If she can't do what you need then you'll have to find another cleaner

[KungFuEric]

Were doing dishes an agreed task? Some cleaners don't do it as a matter of course as it's time consuming and prevents actual cleaning getting done.

I do think though that if it was taking 1/1.5hrs of two peoples labour (2/3hrs) and she's charging for 2/2.5hrs labour then you should expect that as a guideline.

[gingerclementine]

Get a different cleaner.

[MoHunter]

Find another cleaner, for £25 you should get 2 hours of cleaning with most agencies (depending where you live).

[Justbookedasummmerholiday]

Cleaner here. You need to pay by the hour. I usually do a 3 hour clean and don't cut corners. More bits to do =work harder!!

[2beesornot2beesthatisthehoney]

I think the way you pay is a bit weird and it appears you are therefore paying £25 per hour which is very steep. I pay a total of £12 of which £9 goes to the cleaner. I know that is cheap compared to what some pay - up to £14-15 per hour from what I have seen on here. You used to have 3 hours of work done when there were 2
I think you also need to manage your expectations But what someone can physically do in one hour coming into a house which from your description is probably difficult to clean anyhow is not a lot. I suspect 3 hours did the job adequately but not brilliantly.


Why don't you fix the tasks to be done and pay an hourly rate ?

[Wishingandwaiting]

It does sound a bit minging to be honest.

I find if you went the best from your cleaner, you have to prepare for them. Otherwise they spend their time just moving bits around the place rather than actually cleaning.

[Squeegle]

You just have to agree what she will do. If she doesn’t have time to do that in an hour then she needs to spend more time on it. It sounds like you need a different cleaner really, she seems a bit flaky.

[Liiinoo]

It seems unreasonable to adjust the agreed cost because the standard is not satisfactory. That's like saying to a restaurant I know the lasagne and garlic bread costs £8.50 but because the portion was small and It wasn't very warm I'll give you £5.00.

That being said If you aren't happy with the standard of the clean (and it sounds like poor value for money) either sack her or talk to her. I used to be a right wuss with our cleaner who having started off well but then got quite lax. Eventually I spoke to her (Very nicely) and said as she seemed to be having difficulties doing everything as well as she used to in the time allowed I would start doing the bathrooms myself. She was very taken aback and assured me that wasn't necessary and she could definitely manage to do it all and she has.
We pay her £40 for 3.5 hours and she does 2 receptions, a big kitchen, utility, large halls up and down, 1 bedroom and 2.5 baths. No washing up, no windows and she is blind to high up cobwebs.

[Sweetfa22]

It does sound a bit minging to be honest.

@wishingandwaiting how does a couple of breakfast dishes, a pot and tray sound minging?
I told her to leave the kitchen since she's in such a hurry and she just said great.
I do think I need to find someone else.

[OkPedro]

sweetfa it really doesn't sound minging
A cleaner shouldn't be picking up clothes or moving things to clean floors etc
Your house sounds fine. I can't believe she agreed when you told her to leave cleaning the kitchen! She's a CF.. have a chat with her or get rid

[IamtheDevilsAvocado]

It does seem a bizarre way to pay.... And she is incentivized to rush and STILL be paid well!

Also she took on the job presumably realising you had limited mobility, so therfore she would need to adjust her expectations re cleaning before the cleaner arrives habits!

How she's done this seems odd and massively benefits her... So in terms of pure hours of cleaning - it's effectively halved (with only one instead of two cleaners) and she's not doing a good job.

Find someone else now.. And just text her and say that you've decided to make a change of cleaner.

[cherrycola2004]

I do cleaning, mainly in offices, it annoys me when their desks are covered in sweet wrappers, empty cups as well as piles of paper work. Rule is if you want your work area cleaned...computer/phone polished etc then move the crap and put on chair or tidy paper work as much as poss and i will go around it. (i dont move it as dont want to mess up their work have dropped a pile in the past! )Just think it's easier for cleaners to clean a tidy area. If putting the pots and pans away is part of her jobs then fine, it's not on

[SilverySurfer]

I always tidy up, which includes not leaving dirty dishes in the sink, before my cleaner arrives. I pay her to clean, not wash up and tidy.