Does anyone have a fortnightly cleaner?

[milkysmum]

Hi, decided to get a cleaner in as both dh and I work full time, have two small dc and both really hate cleaning! Got somebody round who recommended 3 hours for our house and she did an initial clean last week to see what we thought and in that time she did the kitchen, bathroom, hoovered/ swept/ mopped all floors and stairs, dusted all the bed rooms, front room, cleaned the mirrors, visible skirting and inside of windows. Does this sound reasonable for 3 hours? I can't afford weekly and she thought fortnightly would be okay as the 3 hours obviously gave her time to give the place a really good clean and I'd just need to give it a quick wipe over in between. So we agreed this but now I'm thinking things like- do I really need my windows doing every 2 weeks? And if not what could I get her do instead? Or would I be better with less hours but more frequently?
I live in a smallish 3 bed terrace, kitchen diner, one bathroom. Thank for any advice

[tryingtocatchthewind]

That sounds like heaven! Never had a cleaner but I think I'd agree with you and get a fortnightly deep clean which I could keep on top of in between.

[Oodlenoodle]

Yes we do. We are absolutely hopeless on the housework front though so she has her work cut out. It makes a huge difference to us. She does slightly different things each time and so the windows aren't always done for example.

[Akire]

Would she change all the beds? Not saying do ironing as some don't but changing beds would be ok and one less job to do. Could she clean out fridge for you, wiping and tidying kitchen cupboards. I'm sure there are bits and pieces of you make a note as you go along.

[Mostlyjustaluker]

The windows don't need to be done every week. I have a four bed house and because we were away for a week the house did not need cleaning so I asked the cleaner to do the inside of the windows. She did not manage to get them all done in two hours but we do have lots of patio doors.

I would get her to come every week and get her to do the skirtens and windows in one room on rotation.

[Snowberry86]

We have 2 hours per week for a tiny 2 up 2 down. She does my ironing as well as cleaning though. For £7.50 an hour she is an absolute bargain!

[milkysmum]

Oodle do you leave her a list of what 'rotational' jobs to do or does she just get on and do what ever? I'll be at work when she comes so is it ok to leave a note saying ' don't bother with the windows this type but please clean out the fridge'? Type of thing.

[TheAuthoress]

I think I'd prefer the cleaner to come weekly for 1.5 - 2 hours weekly and do the bathroom and downstairs toilet, clean kitchen and Hoover and mop downstairs. Just because these are the things I think need done the most frequently and I find most difficult to do with two under 5. Stuff like cleaning the inside of the windows... it gets done when it needs done and I have the energy, I definitely don't think it needs done every fortnight.

I think the whole point in having a cleaner (IMO) is to take the stress out of trying to fit the cleaning in yourself, and I know I couldn't leave the bathroom and toilet for a fortnight and would end up cleaning them myself inbetween and therefore having the stress again.

[Oodlenoodle]

Yes sometimes we do that and sometimes she just works out what might need doing. Normally DH is in so we dont have to leave notes but im sure most good cleaners would be fine with it.

[Variousrandomthings]

Could she just do the worst two windows each week instead, then put new bedding on beds?

[Variousrandomthings]

Fortnightly is great though.

[Variousrandomthings]

1.5 hours mightn't be worth the cleaners travel time

[Variousrandomthings]

2 hours a week might be better?

[Doilooklikeatourist]

We have a fortnightly 3 hours cleaner

She hoovers, mops , dusts , irons a few shirts

She makes her own rota , is deep cleaned the kitchen by wiping all the cupboard doors , then next time cleans the windows and dusts the ornaments in the sitting room , then the dresser , and bits in the dining room

We have a big old falling down house where cobwebs appear every 20 minutes and I need help
wishes I could afford a cleaner every other day

[NormHonal]

I've always had a fortnightly cleaner and find it's the best of both worlds. I like being able to do as much cleaning as I have time to do (it assuages the guilt that I can't do more) but I know that the house is always reasonably presentable and no more than a quick flick away from being visitor-ready.

I always feel duty-bound to tidy up pre-clean, and with young DCs this would be tough to do every week, but once a fortnight is a good discipline to get into.

And it stops it from being stupidly expensive.

[NormHonal]

A different room gets a deep clean each visit. The cleaner keeps track of this.

[Doilooklikeatourist]

Oops
should have previewed

[scarlettsmummy2]

I have a fortnightly cleaner- fine as I work part time and can keep on top of things I between visits! She cleans the shower which I hate doing!

[milkysmum]

Thanks so seems plenty do have a fortnightly cleaner and this works for them. Getting her to do a really thorough deep clean of one room on top of the routine stuff on each visit is a good idea, torn between this and asking her to change the bed linen which I do hate doing to he honest- I always seem to strip the bed and then somehow forget till I go to get in it that I haven't re made it with fresh sheets and have to start faffing at 11pm putting sheets on just to get in bed!

[milkysmum]

Any final comments? Thanks all

[BallsforEarrings]

Hi there! We have a cleaning company and about roughly a quarter of our clients are fortnightly instead of weekly.

Its absolutely fine, as with all cleaning companies, we charge a little more for fortnightly as there is obviously more build up in between visits but for those on a budget it really helps them to at least have a clean house some of the time and to have it regularly maintained.

Fortnightly is not meant as the only cleaning solution for a home as the homeowner will still have to do a little to keep it up in the meantime (unless they live alone or are all out most of the time etc).

Obviously I prefer weekly clients as we can keep the house up to standard more easily within our usual systems and rotations and they are easier to schedule but fortnightly is a fine solution for those on a budget.

[Purpleball]

We have a cleaner every fortnight for 3 hours for a small 3 bed house, no DCs yet.
In between I wipe around the kitchen, and clean the loo, sometimes the sink. The house is never dirty though.
I think in later years when we have older children then we might up it to weekly

[NonDom]

I had a fortnightly cleaning service for a while but it didn't really work out for us.

Out house was clean and tidy for a few days after the cleaning and it went downhill from there. About four days from the next cleaning, no one would lift a finger. I would get up at 6am to do the necessary tidying. We'd have just a few days per fortnight when the house was presentable.

[gamerwidow]

I have a fortnightly clean and it helps but I'd have it weekly if I could afford it. I Hoover twice a week and wipe down the kitchen and bathroom sides in between cleans.

[NonDom]

A living wage is £7.85 per hour, not £7.50, Snowberry, and definitely not in London.

[milkysmum]

Thanks all really useful insights. I'll see how I get on fortnightly for a month a so and then make a decision as to whether to have a deeper clean fortnightly or a 'quick once over' weekly' thanks