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Original poster

Do cleaners not do dishes?

358 replies

Fifi00 · 13/02/2023 13:47

My new cleaners seem a bit rubbish. I clean the loo , move clothes, I had already hoovered a couple of days ago and gave everything a proper scrub/mop there wasn't much for them to do but DD and DH had left breakfast dishes in the sink. The dishes were untouched and the cleaners left 30 mins early. I pay for 2 hours a week , 2 cleaners so 1 hour. Is washing some dishes and cleaning the sink really unacceptable?

OP posts:
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Original poster
Fifi00 · 13/02/2023 14:02

Alphabet1spaghetti2 · 13/02/2023 14:00

@Fifi00 yes a grey area - just by reading the comments it’s evidently a grey area. As I said, you need to look at your contract.
The leaving 30 mins early is a separate issue though. Have they had to stay later unpaid at sometime? Have the actually billed you for this time - assuming that you are billed in arrears and not ahead of the clean? If the answer is no, then yes I would view that as theft and would cancel the contract. But you could present than with a detailed list of extra chores to do, if they do have spare time in the future. It’s an option.
Personally, I would have either done extra tasks to fill the time and left a note to that effect or (if self employed) have just charged you less. But the kitchen dishes as I said, I would see as part of cleaning the kitchen!

I pay afterwards it's an agency I've used them for 2 years. The new ones aren't great and I'm getting sick of the leaving early when yes there's still things to do like skirting boards or even just the fricking dishes in front of their face.

OP posts:
Mysmallgarden · 13/02/2023 14:01

My cleaner does dishes, ironing, changes bedding, hoovers everywhere, dusts everything, washes floors. Anything we want really. She's brilliant and as pensioners with several health issues, we are really grateful for her help.

Paturday · 13/02/2023 14:00

Disrespectful to expect them to clean your dishes, but not disrespectful to expect them to clean your loo?

Wheres the logic?

WednesdaysPlaits · 13/02/2023 14:00

Fifi00 · 13/02/2023 14:00

I'd say doing the dishes is a cleaning task and a chore. Weird

Me too, hence my cleaner does them if they're there

Alphabet1spaghetti2 · 13/02/2023 14:00

@Fifi00 yes a grey area - just by reading the comments it’s evidently a grey area. As I said, you need to look at your contract.
The leaving 30 mins early is a separate issue though. Have they had to stay later unpaid at sometime? Have the actually billed you for this time - assuming that you are billed in arrears and not ahead of the clean? If the answer is no, then yes I would view that as theft and would cancel the contract. But you could present than with a detailed list of extra chores to do, if they do have spare time in the future. It’s an option.
Personally, I would have either done extra tasks to fill the time and left a note to that effect or (if self employed) have just charged you less. But the kitchen dishes as I said, I would see as part of cleaning the kitchen!

Original poster
Fifi00 · 13/02/2023 14:00

I'd say doing the dishes is a cleaning task and a chore. Weird

OP posts:
GreenTeaTuesdays · 13/02/2023 13:58

No our cleaner doesn't do dishes, and she did say to me it pisses her off when people leave them out for her.

She would, however remove them from the sink / side then clean the sink / side and put them back rather than just ignore the whole area.

Suedomin · 13/02/2023 13:58

I wouldn't expect them to do the dishes anymore than I would expect them to do the Laundry. It's not their fault that you had already cleaned up and left nothing for them to do.
However if you prefer them to do the dishes in the future if they have time you should ask them.

Original poster
Fifi00 · 13/02/2023 13:57

TaRaDeBumDeAy · 13/02/2023 13:55

Confused They are cleaners, not home help. They are there to clean your house, not tidy up your mess.

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So I'm basically paying money for them to leave early and not assist in making my life easier. I may as well just sack them waste of time.

OP posts:
Original poster
Fifi00 · 13/02/2023 13:56

Figmentof · 13/02/2023 13:54

I would not leave dishes out for a cleaner, I would rather they were cleaning than doing dishes.

There's nothing left to clean really unless deep clean level. Which perhaps I'll ask them next time.

OP posts:
BirdyBoop · 13/02/2023 13:56

Cleaners don't do dishes.

TaRaDeBumDeAy · 13/02/2023 13:55

Fifi00 · 13/02/2023 13:53

Grey area chore? If a house is clean there's 30 mins left on the clock surely you would see the dirty dishes and think I'll do them.

Show quote history

Confused They are cleaners, not home help. They are there to clean your house, not tidy up your mess.

Original poster
Fifi00 · 13/02/2023 13:55

BreviloquentBastard · 13/02/2023 13:53

Mine doesn't unless I ask, for a lot it's not a standard thing. It's an extra you either have to pay for or request as part of the standard service.

Why on earth are you bothering to pay cleaners if you clean everything before they arrive? Seems idiotic to be honest.

It's just how it fell , DD wanted to have friends over and the house looked like a bomb hit it, so I did some. Cleaners came today so it's still very clean.

OP posts:
HiccupHorrendousHaddock · 13/02/2023 13:55

I’ve never had a cleaner who did dishes. If they’ve finished early I’d expect them to do something else like wipe the baseboards or something, that’s been my experience.

Figmentof · 13/02/2023 13:54

I would not leave dishes out for a cleaner, I would rather they were cleaning than doing dishes.

RealBecca · 13/02/2023 13:54

The office cleaners dont do dishes so I wouldnt expect a domestic one to do so. They usually being their cleaning tools and dont think I've seen washing up liquid in there.

Have a list next time and expressly ask about dishes.

BreviloquentBastard · 13/02/2023 13:53

Mine doesn't unless I ask, for a lot it's not a standard thing. It's an extra you either have to pay for or request as part of the standard service.

Why on earth are you bothering to pay cleaners if you clean everything before they arrive? Seems idiotic to be honest.

Original poster
Fifi00 · 13/02/2023 13:53

Alphabet1spaghetti2 · 13/02/2023 13:52

Probably a grey area chore. Personally I would see it as part and parcel of cleaning a kitchen, and would do it so I could clean the sink. So I guess depends on exactly how your contract with the cleaner is worded.

Grey area chore? If a house is clean there's 30 mins left on the clock surely you would see the dirty dishes and think I'll do them.

OP posts:
BlackCatTabbyCat · 13/02/2023 13:53

I used to be a cleaner and I didn't do dishes. However since they had ran out of things to do and left 30 minutes earlier then they should have done them or asked you if anything else needed done.

Floofydawg · 13/02/2023 13:53

Why would you clean before they came though - what's the point in having a cleaner? And cleaning toilets is literally their job.

Alphabet1spaghetti2 · 13/02/2023 13:52

Probably a grey area chore. Personally I would see it as part and parcel of cleaning a kitchen, and would do it so I could clean the sink. So I guess depends on exactly how your contract with the cleaner is worded.

OrigamiOwls · 13/02/2023 13:51

I wouldn't expect the cleaner to do my dishes, but also I wouldn't scrub or mop beforehand - that seems to somewhat defeat the point of a cleaner.

TimeToFlyNow · 13/02/2023 13:51

Well it depends if they have time, as they left early then it isn't unreasonable to think they could have done a few breakfast pots

Original poster
Fifi00 · 13/02/2023 13:51

Silverribbons · 13/02/2023 13:50

I wouldn't expect my cleaner to do dishes unless I expressly asked her to. But I also wouldn't clean the loo (unless of course it was visibly gross), hoover or scrub and mop before she came. What's the point in having a cleaner?

DD wanted friends round and the house was grubby so I did it. I find it more disrespectful the cleaner cleaning my toilet Vs washing some dishes.

OP posts:
SomePosters · 13/02/2023 13:51

You need to leave the sink clear for them to clean

leaving 30mins early of a hour slot is a sackable offence as far as Im concerned though. Thats just deceitful