Our cleaner got offended

Personally, I would think you'd need a cleaner even more while you're on maternity leave, as you'll be recovering from the birth and caring for a newborn. Plus, at least for me, I find the house gets much dirtier when I'm spending a lot of time at home.

I do two hour tutoring sessions. I like to be honest so the time doesn't start until we do - usually there's chat and a cup of tea first. And I take extra work in case we finish early.

Now I charge less for two hours than per single hour so theoretically it's the same as one hour forty. However I wouldn't dream of stopping until one hour fifty at the earliest. I don't understand why people think they can be paid the same for less time spent.

If it's agreed that you'll do a job for a flat fee, that different. But an hourly rate is just that.

Definitely.

My elderly parents have a cleaner that was recommended by a friend, and she’s a wonderful cleaner!

She has a set approach for cleaning every room, doesn’t need telling. Works the full 2 hours.

If my mom wants anything specific focussing on she’ll ask her and she’ll do whatever is needed in the cleaning session instead. And she’s a fantastic cleaner. Knows what she’s doing and a lovely lady.

Mom really feels she’s hit gold with her she’s so good.

All my cleaners have ended up knocking off early after a while. I presume it's along the lines of they have done the same work in less time.

I am so desperate to keep my trusted cleaner that I wouldn't dream of saying anything. I live in London though, high cost of living, high turnover of staff, lots of other jobs.

I love this thread because I always wanted to hire a cleaner but felt I didn’t know how to manage one. I hired one last year who thought our house was clean and left in an hour and 15 mins. I paid for only that, and asked not to come back as I had to do the cleaning afterwards.

I now found a new cleaner, who sometimes is late, leaves slightly early, but a few times she has asked to be paid less. I don’t know why she doesn’t fill in the time with other chores. I understand that our house is generally clean and minimal, but there are lots of windows, cupboards etc that she could clean. I’m currently pregnant so I don’t want to lose her, so I have not said anything. I’m still wondering what to do while on maternity leave.

Did you use a cleaner while in mat leave? I’m sorry I know this is not the topic of the discussion.

@RosesAndHellebores I am so jealous! We live in a small town with a very English population. We have had two wonderful cleaners over the last 7 years - (one moved and another gave up to work for her husband. Everyone else has been rubbish. One "deep cleaned" (with a list of tasks) a huge room in 15 mins - claiming she HAD dusted everywhere, wiped lampshades, etc. Our current one has let us down approx 1/3 of the times she should have been in the last 6 months and basically ignores the list and does what she wants. She came highly recommended, as someone that cleaned properly, in nooks and crannies, etc. etc. She too leaves 15 mins early, especially when we are not here (we have a video doorbell). I have messaged her and she says she came early (even though I was here at the time .....) We too pay £17.50/hour. She supposedly brings her own materials, but she doesn't.

I had a cleaner like this and it didn't last long op! Now I just clean myself, no dramas.

Do you really want to be, straight off the bat, suggesting to them that if they do a bad job; they’ll be dealt with?

Depends how it's put, @KitsyWitsy, and there's no need to threatening-sounding things like "they'll be dealt with" when "I'd appreciate it if you could ..." does the job just as well

I agree it's not especially easy though, but my point was that it's a lot easier than trying to straighten things out when not doing what's being paid for has become a habit

Sadly I agree with most of the posters here and think she is trying to rip you off. I had the same thing when I had a cleaner years ago in the less frugal years, she did 3 hours (large 4 bed detached house) and then started cutting corners, arriving late and leaving early, and leaving tasks undone. I was usually out at work but surprised her a couple of times on a day off, or sick child at home.
'Luckily', I could no longer afford her when I became a one income household 😂

It is so difficult to have that conversation though. Do you really want to be, straight off the bat, suggesting to them that if they do a bad job; they’ll be dealt with? You are in your home, youre leaving them amongst your things. It’s awkward. And let’s face it, I doubt very many of us are ‘Lady Mary” types used to having lots of staff. We’re as ordinary as our cleaners and it’s difficult to discipline them.

With the last agency, I went through about 3 cleaners in about 6 weeks. The agency were rubbish and I still had to deal with the cleaners being salty that I’d asked for someone else. They had my phone number so would text me asking what the problem was. For 3 weeks I asked the cleaners to clean the windowsills in my bedroom. Even wrote it down but despite paying £50 a week, I ended up doing it myself. They’d also say they’d finished, yet hadn’t even hoovered the carpets.

I also had ones that just hoovered away with malfunctioning hoovers. They wouldn’t empty it or clear a blockage. Just completely oblivious.

Those who are saying that your cleaners keep doing this: I would recommend nipping it in the bud straight away (on week 1 or 2) and making your expectations very clear

Wise words there, @Longtimelurkerfinallyposts
So many feel awkward expressing their expectations, but it's much better done early and without nastiness to avoid exactly this situation developing - and much easier to do it early, before angst and resentment have clouded the picture

A cleaner I had a while back was leaving early and still charging me for 2 hours. I don't know how long it had been going on but noticed it on the CCTV one time and texted ' I'm surprised you sent me a bill for x hours as I noticed on the camera you left at xx time " . She did not last too much longer after that

This is why I use an agency. They have only cancelled twice in six years, due to last minute sickness. They charge for the job, not the time taken and two (or occasionally 3) people descend on my house, work hard for a couple of hours and leave the place looking good. It costs more so I just have them fortnightly and do it myself in between. But I would rather that than employ someone directly. It's too awkward.

I've done cleaning work in the past and never snuck away early - if you're being paid to do 2 hours then you can normally find things to clean!

If it's a house you go to regularly, you can rotate tasks, like extra dusting and deep-cleaning of particular places.
(I used to do things like completely emptying out and cleaning the fridge, or kitchen cupboards, every few months, as these didn't usually need done every week)

Those who are saying that your cleaners keep doing this: I would recommend nipping it in the bud straight away (on week 1 or 2) and making your expectations very clear. If you've agreed an hourly rate and your cleaner needs to leave earlier than scheduled, either they get paid less or they 'owe' you those minutes and make them up the following week.

I think good cleaners take pride in doing a good job, and focus on cleaning the things that matter most to their employer, so it's good to be clear about what really matters to you (eg i don't care about ironing, but really need you to do the vacuuming of the staircase). I quite enjoy tidying/ organising people's houses as well as cleaning, so never asked people to tidy before I arrived.

If any of you are looking for a reliable cleaner in Glasgow, feel free to get in touch!

She's a twat.

If she does come back, I would install a ring doorbell then you can say to her she left early so wages will be deducted accordingly unless she stays for the full 2 hours. Personally I would say that if she's telling lies about working for the full 2 hours then she can't be trusted and I would get a different cleaning lady anyway

All cleaners seem to do this - i just accept it

You can't possibly think why there would be any confusion?. Ever? And you have never heard of paying for a job to be done, versus being paid an hourly rate?

It happens. It really does. And it's absolutely fine to operate this way- as long as that what was agreed up front. If you read the OPs posts AFTER mine was made- you will see she clarified by saying it was an hourly charge they agreed....but I do find it sheltered that you don't understand that there could have been miscommunication- and there are different ways of pricing tasks.

For example - washing a car. The amount might say £16 and list what this includes. Some cars might take 35 minutes. Some might take 37 minutes some might take 55 mins. But they all are priced at £16.

So yes, the person washing the car that took 35 minutes could leave after the task was finished.

HTH.

She wouldn't get the option of coming back with that attitude if she cleaned my house , she would be told not to bother coming back. Why do ppl put up with shitty behaviour because it's nearly Xmas ( forgotten who was worried about not keeping their own cleaner) you dont owe them anything, they are not doing the job they said they would to an agreed standard. Find someone else or don't but you choose to let them take the piss if you don't address it

I stopped the cleaner due to shortened visits and got a roomba and spend money on low effort cleaning products like bathroom mousse and toilet fizzers.
I hate cleaning and miss having a pristine house for the day it was done, but forking out so much money when I can do a half assed job myself for free was beginning to get annoying.

If money's no object, why bother. Lots of people find cleaning dull and boring and value the extra hours free to do something they enjoy.

I have no advice except to agree with everyone saying that it's hard to find a good cleaner.

We have compromised with our cleaner who is reliable, personable, trustworthy and a really lovely person, but ironically not terribly good at cleaning and generally lacking in initiative. For example, she doesn't empty the hoover and if I forget to empty it before she arrives she will spend half an hour diligently hoovering the whole house with it anyway despite it clearly not picking anything up. She dusts around objects unless I specifically request them to be moved. She leaves streaks on all the mirrors. We were on holiday for 3 'cleans' recently and I asked her to do other jobs like windows, cupboard doors etc on the 2 weeks after the first clean. She forgot and did the exact same clean 3 times. she spends up to an hour in the bathroom mostly on her phone I suspect and rarely stays the full 3 hours.

HOWEVER, she turns up every week without fail, forces me to keep the house tidier than I would without a cleaner and maintains a basic level of cleanliness that we would struggle to keep without her. I still clean, but because the basics are done the half-hours that I do have here and there really make an impact.

TLDR: cleaning is a poorly paid job that isn't most people's first choice of career. A good cleaner is near impossible to find, but if you are prepared to compromise you can find a good-enough one.

I had the same issue with my cleaner. She would do everything in 2 ISH hours ( 3 hour clean) and then say she had done everything and dart out of the door...so I gave her a set job each week such as clean the fridge, cupboard, window etc. Basically, she just wanted to do a surface clean and then go. She left...

We don’t have anyone , and to be honest I could do with the help , my house is a bit much for me .
But quite a few years ago , we had a fortnightly clean of a larger house for a few months .
I would leave to walk my dog and come back after an hour and they’d be still busy so I’d pop dog outside and keep out of the way in the study area for work .
This got so that as time went on I did a shorter dog walk and they’d be heading out the door as I returned ☹️ leaving much of the finishing off to me