Do cleaners not do dishes?

Why would you vacuum and clean the house a couple of days before your cleaners were due??

My cleaners will do dishes, but they are under instruction not to. I have a dishwasher, and I want them to clean the floors, toilets & so on, not do my dishes.

I’m a cleaner do dishes wipe the glass on wood burners change beds clean the plug in the shower tray 🤢I even make sure there is loo roll available .I’ve been told “ previous cleaners were like Air B&B ones”.

Why an earth not?

What?? I do not understand this at all! What o you mean a cleaner is there to clean not tidy up your mess? What an earth do do think cleaning is? It's cleaning away a mess, be that a messy floor, a messy bathroom or a messy kitchen sink! Part of cleaning a sink would be tidying away any plates or cups. Why would this not be acceptable but cleaning your toilet is? Or making your bed? That's madness.....

You need to sort out the essentials that they should do every time they come , hoover, mop floors, clean bathroom and kitchen surfaces and sinks change beds or what you consider essential then say if there is time left can you wash any dishes in the sink or fold washing etc. Do you have a contract with the company? If so what does that state? If not get a list done and pin it up on your fridge/ notice board and make sure cleaners know about it .

They should definitely do the dishes... it would be part of cleaning the kitchen

I wouldn’t generally expect a cleaner to do dishes - we have a dishwasher for that. But in the circumstances you have described with half an hour to spare I think it was a bit lazy to have left them. I think in your shoes I’d be looking for a new one.

My last cleaner was an absolute godsend. I wish she would come to our new home but it’s too far away. She came for 4 hours and would do whatever needed doing within that time. She even pinned the washing out for me on occasion. She never left early unless by prior arrangement, instead she looked for things to do to fill the time. As a result my house was gleaming. But there are very few cleaners like that and I don’t expect to find another. That being said I would take what I can get at the minute, cleaners with availability are like gold dust round here.

If I was cleaning and the dishes were in the sink I would wash them before I cleaned the sink. To leave 30 minutes before time just goes to show there was plenty of time to do them.

Maybe just advertise for a mother’s help? A more flexible job description? Put a note in the local shops with a list of the tasks you’d like done. See what comes back.

I run a cleaning business and all our cleaners do dishes without being asked. We would never leave before the end of the time and cleaners who did this would be sacked.

My Dh left dishes in the sink when our cleaner came the other day......so she didn't clean the sink.

Why would you have to pay extra if you’re paying an hourly rate and there is time spare?

My db’s cleaner does dishes. I suppose it’s a question of communication. But it does seem odd to leave early when there is something needing doing.

I'd never expect my cleaner to do dishes, I'd feel a bit embarrassed if she did. Although conversely I'm not in the least embarrassed at the marvelous job she does on our bathrooms. The fact that the dishes were not even moved suggests that the kitchen sink wasn't cleaned and disinfected which is a fairly basic cleaning requirement.

Glad to hear you've got rid of them, they sound useless! A decent cleaner will do what they need to do and do it well but if you have specific expectations you might like to leave a list in future.

OK, a bit late to the party here, but I AM a cleaner - and I definitely do dishes, move clothes, fold, sort and iron if asked (hate ironing, though XD). The people I work for are working mothers who want to come home to a clean environment and have room to relax for a bit when they come home. Am I unusual ? This is in France, BTW - and it's considered normal to leave a sinkful of dishes from the evening before. I'm a cleaner - I clean.

I wouldn't expect cleaner to do the dishes or move clothes etc. That's more the role of an au pair. I wouldn't have paid their full time if they left 30 minutes early though. I'd certainly speak to them about that. If they want to make the time up, rather than lose money, let them know specifically what you want them to do. And let them do the bathroom.

Exactly. Tell them it's not working, get new cleaners, don't clean before they come! Given the posts on here re doing dishes ask them to do them if any are left after the morning rush

Cleaners not doing dishes is a new one on me. Mine have always done them if any are left, which is rarely. Ijust don’t understand why they shouldn’t

You are doing their job for them but not doing your own dishes. It’s all back to front!!

The half an hour early is a big no no though

I mean fair enough the odd cup or breakfast dish fair enough, but I certainly wouldn’t be cleaning last nights dinner dishes snd pots and pans! Sod that! Do lazy sods!!

Of course cleaners clean dishes! Or whatever you ask them to do! The whole point is that a house is left clean, whatever is dirty needs to be cleaned, whether it is your carpet or your dishes. Since when it is written they need to clean the same every week? it could well be, like in this case, that the OP had some work done before (for whatever reason), but whatever is dirty needs cleaning. I have had more cleaners than I can remember in my lifetime and I would be shocked if I came back to the kitchen and it wasn't spotless. If that includes cleaning the dishes, then that is what needs to be done. Plus leaving half an hour early without asking if anything else is needed (when there is dirty stuff around) is just wrong. Sack them and find other cleaners that just get the Job done.

If you're paying for 2 hours then I'd expect them to clean for 2 hours. There's always something more to do. I would expect them to do the dishes in this situation you describe, especially if they really didn't think there was anything else that was needed.

I work from home so I know what ours gets up to in the two hours she is here. She wouldn’t have time to do dishes and I prefer any spare time dedicated to the aforementioned windows and walls.

but surely it’s just a matter of having a conversation as to what is important ?

Nuts.

You obviously have to say what you want - But why is cleaning the loo ok but not washing the dishes?