I am a self employed cleaner- AMA

[DonnaSummet]

I clean domestic homes and holiday homes..AMA

Best hooover?

Yes, but it's not for cleaning with
😶

I've had a few cleaners. I find they do a really good job on their first clean then the standards start dropping. My current cleaner broke my bathroom mirror today. She must've pressed so hard. She said to charge her. But the mirror costs £50+ so we just decided to leave and not ask her back. Have you ever broken anything?

Yes, a couple of ornaments and a candle holder.

Henry

I bring my own products, cloths and equipment.

Some of the holiday homes/air bnbs get absolutely trashed.. I've seen a table with lines of coke still left on, post sex scenes- condoms and pillows and sheets everywhere, piles of sick over the house, fag burns in carpets, tobacco and drug paraphernalia left scattered around etc.
I've found butt plugs but never a dildo!

Ooo..brilliant thread.

Do you have any availability for a house in Chester??

What's the best vacuum cleaner for a house with three hairy dogs?

What's the best hand held vacuum for sofas?
😊

I'm naturally quite a tidy and organised person but my own home never gets a deep/proper clean,
I do the basics like wipe my sides down quick hoover but I haven't mopped my bathroom floor for about 8 weeks for example or done my skirting boards in forever.
I find it easier to clean others peoples houses that's for sure 😆

Do you ever have a nose through peoples cupboards/drawers?

I like clients who are ready for their slot and don't expect me to change it around all the time, who let me get in and crack on, clients who don't clean before I get there!! This is a thing.. some people clean before I get there which drives me mad, paying quickly is nice too and people who don't treat me like I am thick.. there's been a couple of clients in the past who assume because you're a cleaner you've never been to uni, eaten out or been abroad etc 🤣

No hand on heart never.
, I wouldn't have time to be honest. I am usually on a tight schedule and I treat clients homes as I would want mine to be treated and it really doesn't interest me.. the thing I do love to see is the contents of other people's fridges though! That fascinates me more than what's in the back of someone's drawers.

Chester is about 3 hours drive too far from me, sorry 😁
At work I use a Henry.
Handheld Dyson Animal V8 for quick sofa cleans, leave it on charge and its always ready for a quick whizz around!

How many slots a day / week do you work? And as self-employed, it's not easy doing a manual job and feeling unwell and need time off. How do you manage. Hope the customers are nice about that.

An average week i work 9 to 2, i work weekends too as this is a popular check in/check out date for the holiday homes but I don't do every weekend.
I schedule in time off around the year, usually a couple of days in the school holidays, the first week of January and a week in summer.
I've only had to take one week off for sickness since I've been doing this and.my clients were understanding, the hardest thing for me was the covid period when I couldn't work at all.

Our house is halfway through being done up. Some rooms are nice and some rooms, like the kitchen, are still very tatty and dated. Obviously it all still needs to be kept clean. But I worry that our house isn't very satisfying for our cleaner because our kitchen still looks shit even after it's been cleaned!! Am I worrying about nothing?

Miele.

Dysons are divas.
Henry falls over, is heavy and is a just a bit too sucky.
Sharks are OK but nothing special.

Never used a Miele.
I hate Sharks, personally.
I find Henry bullet proof but do have a Dyson cordless at home which I love, but I don't have pets and it's usually just for a quick hoover up.
I couldn't use a Dyson at work as the charge isn't great.

You sound really nice, I wish you could clean my home. I'd leave you in peace, to get on with your Henry.

I'm a cleaner. Same. I've literally never nosied through anything. No time, I have integrity and I'm really not interested either. Just as extra reassurance from another cleaner!

@DonnaSummet

I do now do cosmetic tattooing, microblading and aesthetics! Quite a change 😅😅

I love my cleaner, I gave her a pay increase because I think she charges too little.

She is coming with me when I move. As a thank you would you prefer a gift or a good tip?

I also felt the same, like the cleaning was all I knew and I felt unemployable tbh

I started cleaning, like you, to fit round the kids. And pre kids worked in offices / customer service but always hated it and never fitted in or coped with office politics etc. found it all so boring and I got sacked often for either not doing the job properly or I'd end up losing my shit at people (ie if customers were horrible to me)

I now realise I'm almost certainly adhd / asd which I truly believe in my case means I'm not cut out for working for other people

I did well at cleaning and I do well at what I do now . Could never go back to employment

Ah you sound lovely and I am glad you've got a good cleaner.
Any thankyou is lovely, its nice to even get a text sometimes saying thanks but a physical gift is lovely as is a tip.
At Christmas my clients usually send me a bit more £ to say thanks which is always so appreciated and I am very very grateful for. Bottles of wine are always nice too, whatever you decide I'm.
sure you're cleaner would be happy with. Its nice to know you're appreciated 😌

Interesting thread. Thanks for sharing!