How many cleaners have you been through.....

[Eesha]

Hi all,

I was one of those people who was the last to get a cleaner but I seem to have been through quite a few in the last two years. I don’t know whether I’m fussy or expecting too much. I’m not the cleanest or tidiest but can see these obvious missed things

1. Kept cancelling last minute due to family stuff
   
2. Were expensive and I thought I could get it done cheaper, big regret
   
3. Girl who did less hours but cleaned round things and wasn’t done fully
   
4. Recommended au pair looking for more hours but couldn’t cope with the work
   
5. Duo but item got stolen, went missing
   
6. Current one lied and said she did things but clearly didn’t
   

Now just booked in another recommended person.....sigh.

Is this normal?

[Aprilmightbemynewname]

Cleaner here!! I have had many of my customers for 5 years now!!
And I don't tick any of the boxes your others did!!.
Sounds like bad luck!!

[ThatchersCold]

Think you’re unlucky, mine is great! Only had the one and she’s been coming for 2 years. I get on with her really well and she only lives the next street over which is handy if I ever lock myself out as she has a key. She has had to cancel a few times but then I’ve cancelled her a few times, if we’re ill or in the middle of decorating or something.

[tortelliniforever]

1. Was unfortunately an alcoholic, drank our booze, didn't clean!
   
2. Everything fine until she got a controlling boyfriend who insisted on accompanying her to every cleaning job and sat on our sofa watching tv all the time.
   
3. Current cleaner has been with us for 8 years and is great. Touch wood!

[mynameismrbloom]

About 4 or 5 in about 8 years at my last place (I believe they come over to the UK on two year visas and then leave. None of them left because they were dismissed.)

And 1 here. I couldn't do without her.

You have been VERY unlucky.

[cindersrella]

I'm have a small cleaning business too.. I'm am none of these either (I need to employ someone else ideally but get worried that someone may be as bove and not up to standard)! 15 houses for the last year and a half more or less and have a small waiting list!

[Loopyloopy]

With 3 and 4, are you sure your expectations were reasonable? If you pay less, you get less.

[Lotsofplanetshaveanorth]

One - she was AMAZING

have since moved and have no money so cleaner is DH and whilst not up to scratch somewhat harder to get rid of

[underneaththeash]

I've had 2 in 6 years.

1. For 4 years she was great and then everything started slipping and we had to tell her we didn't need her anymore when she left the back door unlocked twice in a month.
   
2. Currently have cleaning company who are not thorough enough. I now have tick sheet for each room though and it seems to be getting better,

[altiara]

Think am on number 8

[Hoppinggreen]

1. Tidied but didn’t actually clean
   
2. Stole money
   
3. Decided she was allergic to my cats ( after 2 months)
   
4. Accused me of working undercover for the benefits people
   
5. Took 4 hours to (not really) clean the kitchen
   
6. Gave my number to loads of mlm bots
   
7. Didn’t turn up
   
8. Rarely turned up
   
9. Stole
   

10. Hated my children
I’m sure there were others I’ve forgotten - to be fair this is over a 20 year period

[Eesha]

Hi loopyloopy, they cost the same, 10-12 an hour but I think i tried to get it done in less time. Most say four hours now every two weeks, that’s a three bed house with only one room actually used. I’m just finding most wont come for less than four hours.

I just got frustrated as this latest woman came recommended and I could tell that she hadn’t moved any furniture when she said she did, and I could see there was evidence that things hadn’t been touched. Grrrrrrr.

[TuTru]

I’m a fabulous domestic cleaner. Specialise I’m spotless bathrooms. Nearly everyone I’ve cleaned for thinks I do a great job, but not all of them. Some of them have a different idea about what they want done and how. Maybe you are one of those people? The best clients are the ones who are in when I get there, but don’t have to be. Maybe because they physically see the cleaning being done, and that I don’t shirk. It’s easy to pick fault in someone else’s cleaner after they finish if you do not see what they do do xx That’s all I was thinking.
Maybe you should use a contracted cleaner so they are checked on, vetted, maybe even trained. I know it’s only cleaning but it’s not as simple to be efficient and thrifty in other people’s houses.
Anyone who lies to you, should be let go immediately. Saying they’ve done things they haven’t, that’s just lying.

[Eesha]

My pet hate is dust and dirt under sofas or furniture. This is what wasn’t done. Just toys left in exactly the same places on floor so I knew things hadn’t been moved. I do stay in but stay with children in other rooms. I think good point about vetted cleaners from companies, might be a good idea!

[mum11970]

None.

[cindersrella]

Do you expect her to move sofas on her own or can she get hoover/pipe under to clean?

I don't move sofas as no one will pay my bills if my back pulls and I'm off work..

Plus not to mention if it's wooden floors and the floors get damaged?

that said if I can get hoover pipe under to clean and mop I do.

[StrumpersPlunkett]

One.
She is fabulous.
She has seen me through a nervous breakdown and cleaned round me when I couldn’t get out of bed.
We are a bit messy and she copes.
I am delighted that last week she asked if I wanted another hour per fortnight. Yay!!!!

[JustMarriedBecca]

My best cleaner was called Lavinia. Lavinia the cleaner.
I've got a good one now but had to kiss a lot of frogs. She isn't perfect though. Tidies up so I can't find things like Calpol at 3am when toddler is teething and throwing a shit fit.

[MyotherUsernameisaPun]

I had one absolute shocker. First day I met her she was dressed entirely in orange and spent 20 minutes talking to me about her spiritualism. Her first day of actual cleaning she left all of the windows as wide open as they would go (on a brisk march day) and I got home to an icy cold flat and found my cat on the windowsill (we live on the 5th floor). Second time she came my downstairs neighbour came up later when I got home and told me that she had brought her dog with her and let it run around the stairwell and it had got into my neighbours flat and scared the shit out of her. On that occasion she also left her keys, wallet and phone at my flat. Third time she came she left the front door wide open when she left. Luckily my husband had pulled an all nighter at work and so was sleeping at home in the morning, so he noticed at about 11am when he woke up. Would have been open all day otherwise! We didn't have her back after that luckily the cleaner I have now is an absolute 💎

[MyotherUsernameisaPun]

Don't know what happened to my paragraphs, sorry!

[Echobelly]

1. Really good and used by members of my family, but DH (who always dislikes cleaners because they 'hide' his stuff by tidying it) demanded we drop her after she'd been with us about 2-3 years because she did one thing too many that annoyed him
   
2. Was the sister of a really good cleaner DH's family use, but her English wasn't very good and she wasn't that great at cleaning, so we let her go after about a year
   
3. Girl who also picked up my daughter from school, but got less and less reliable with both picking up and cleaning. Was on and off for about a year.
   
4. Was pretty good, but then got a full time office job - liked her a lot as a person
   
5. Friend of 4 - I think she's one of the best cleaners we've had although sometimes she oversteps the mark a bit doing things like throwing out stuff from the fridge that's past its best but still useable. I hardly see her as she doesn't come on the day I work at home. This does mean I can't easily pass on detailed messages to her, and DH gets annoyed at things she does, but I will deffo fight to keep this one!
   

I'm not too fussy as long as the house feels better for the cleaner having been there. Every now and then I have to struggle to find something of mine she's tidied away but honestly I just view it as 'If I wanted to be able to find it easily, I should have put it away somewhere so the cleaner didn't have to!' Do wish my DH would understand this philosophy - if you don't want it tidied/'hidden', don't leave it in the way.

[Eesha]

Can I ask what you’d expect done in four hours. Mine does one bed, landing, two bathrooms, open plan living room and kitchen. Downstairs is meant to be mopped and steamed.

[DairyisClosed]

I tried one that managed to leave things dirty despite clearly trying to clean them. Then another who I have had for two years. She works well for us because she is flexible and we are flexible. She is pleasant and trust worthy. I will be sad to loose her but unfortunately we are shortly moving far away so will be on the hunt again.

[MyotherUsernameisaPun]

In two hours mine deep cleans the kitchen and downstairs loo (including mopping floors), hoovers the whole downstairs, dusts / polishes the sitting room and cleans my en suite bathroom. She doesn't do any of the bedrooms or the family bathroom (because we just keep on top of that ourselves). She comes every week.

[Katinkka]

Ive had a few. The first one was amazing at the start and got lazier and lazier and started cancelling all the time. Sacked.

Second, made herself tea as soon as she arrived and was not thorough. Sacked.

Third, swanned around and chatted too much. Sacked.

Fourth, Russian woman. Absolutely amazing, highly educated. She finally got her qualifications sorted and got a really good job. I miss her so much.

Fifth, agency clean - didn’t do the bathroom and didn’t give a stuff when i phoned up so didn’t use them again.

The current ones, 2 ladies that do 2 hours so 4 in total. Pretty good but expensive. They also switch around the times a lot due to school/childcare which is irritating sometimes but hopefully i will have these ones a while.

[donajimena]

What the bloody hell is she doing in 4 hours? I can do a 5 bed 3 bath house in two. (Its not very dirty to be fair and I am fast)