What does your cleaner do?

[BananaPie]

So DH has suggested getting a cleaner. I would like to spend less time cleaning (currently renting quite a big house), but I'm just about managing to keep on top of it.

We can afford it, but I think it might be a bit of a waste of money.

I'm also a bit concerned that they might not do as thorough a job as I do - in my experience of friends' cleaners, they often seem to miss bits (like failing to scrub the grouting with a toothbrush). So I'm probably reconciled to still doing a bit of cleaning despite having a cleaner.

I'd be interested in knowing what the balance of work is between you & your cleaner - how often do they come, what do they do, and what do you do? I've never had one before, so not sure what to ask them to do.

[nextphase]

We got a cleaner when I went back to work after my second lot of ML.

We get 2 hrs a week (4 bed house), and she will hover, dust, clean 2 bathrooms and a downstairs loo, clean kitchen work surfaces, mop hard floors, and then either clean inside of the windows, doors or skirting boards. When we were on holiday, the oven got cleaned, as there was less to do than normal. They will also hang out washing if I put a load on before I go out.

It is just one lady on her own, so furniture doesn't get moved, but if DH and I shift something, it is cleaned behind. She would do ironing, but would need more time!

Yes, things aren't always done exactly as I would do it, but the house is clean, so I can choose to do something extra, or just live with it - it takes the pressure off.

I can't beleive how much gets done in the short time she's here, and wouldn't be without her now (unless work change their minds and reduce my hours, but even then....)

[Melody3boys]

I have no idea as I've never had one but I guess as you're paying them they do what you ask them to do. I've always assumed (maybe wrongly) that you can ask for missed things to be done in the following session, paying for more time if necessary...?

I'm interested to know how much a cleaner should cost. Like I said, I've never had one but am considering it during next pregnancy and post CSection.

[MrsMargoLeadbetter]

Ours hoovers, dusts & cleans the wet rooms. We pay £25 for 3 hours every other week. We have a medium 3 bed in London. She sometimes has time to do an additonal task like cleaning the fridge etc.

There is an element that she doesn't clean as I do, but it means the house gets cleaned every other week. We top up with our cleaning.

I would say that having good communcations is key. We haven't done that well on that. She has keys so comes when we are at work. She doesn't tell us when we need more flash etc but then we haven't asked her to etc.

There is nothing like coming into the house on the evening after she has been, beautiful!

[Melody3boys]

Thanks MrsM. Can I ask how you went about finding her? And how do you know you can trust her would be my husband's worry!

[MrsMargoLeadbetter]

She cleans for somebody we know. in addition (have similar sounding DH) we leave the alarm off, as we didn't want to give her the code.

Recommendation is best for both quality of work and security. I personally hate being there when she is there (working class guilt I guess).

[Melody3boys]

That makes sense I don't have many friends who have cleaners, maybe 2 or 3 but I shall ask around.

I would probably have to be in the house when she (or he!) is there especially later on as I want one for post caesarean. Initially it might not be too bad as she could clean on a day I work. I can imagine it would be a bit awkward otherwise!

[FelicityWasSanta]

In our 3 bed, she hoovers throughout, mops kitchen. Cleans surfaces in kitchen, cleans bathroom, wipes all windowsills, cleans dining table, coffee table, wipes over sofas, dusts everywhere, and tidies the odd bits and pieces - straightens the made beds out like its a hotel

All in 2 1/2 hours,

We pay £10 an hour- of which 7 goes to the cleaner and 3 to the agency.

The agency have insurance, and will cover sickness/holiday and deal with any management issues that should arise.

[FelicityWasSanta]

In our 3 bed, she hoovers throughout, mops kitchen. Cleans surfaces in kitchen, cleans bathroom, wipes all windowsills, cleans dining table, coffee table, wipes over sofas, dusts everywhere, and tidies the odd bits and pieces - straightens the made beds out like its a hotel

All in 2 1/2 hours,

We pay £10 an hour- of which 7 goes to the cleaner and 3 to the agency.

The agency have insurance, and will cover sickness/holiday and deal with any management issues that should arise.

[Murtette]

What your cleaner does depends on what you ask her to do, how quickly she works and how many hours you're prepared to pay for. Ours comes twice a week. On one session, she does the "proper" clean so cleans the cloakroom & bathrooms thoroughly, cleans the kitchen thoroughly, dusts the dining room, playroom, sitting room & occupied bedrooms, washes all hard floors, hoovers all carpeted floors, cleans the glass doors between the downstairs rooms which DD tends to leave sticky finger prints all over. The second session is to do some ironing and to make things ready for the weekend - so kitchen & downstairs cloakroom get a thorough clean, all other loos & sinks get cleaned, downstairs rooms are dusted and floors washed or hoovered.
On a daily basis, I still wipe surfaces in kitchen/bathroom, sweep kitchen floor, hoover/sleep other floors if really necessary and try and keep things tidy. Each weekend, I will do a task like the oven or inside of windows or similar so all of those get done on a regular enough basis. Our cleaner doesn't seem to dust skirting boards but DD loves using the feather duster so I've trained her up to do that

[Melody3boys]

Murtette that sounds amazing. Do you mind me asking how much all that costs?