Should cleaners tidy too?

[Em90876]

Wasn’t sure where to post this so I hope here is okay.
I am a professional cleaner, mainly for end of tenancy cleans/offices and events. My company offered me some private house cleans which I accepted, but there is one in particular that is making me very stressed.
The family consist of 2 parents and 6 children, it’s a very large house with 16 rooms to clean overall. The parents are very relaxed about hygiene and tidiness so there are toys on every floor and surface, washing on the floor (even in the bath), food from the meal the night before scattered across every kitchen surface and floor, and don’t get me started on the condition of the 5 toilets.
I spend roughly one hour tidying the mess before I can actually clean which means a deep clean is impossible and things like skirting boards, doors, tiles etc get missed so I can focus on the bathroom and kitchen surfaces and floors which is all I have time for. The parents have spoken about it before and that it is a priority to them that I tidy their children’s bedrooms, and they will have a giggle that their children are so messy and lazy
I cleaned for them today and as I was so annoyed that it was worse than the previous week I put every toy, item of clothing and other mess onto beds, tables and sofas instead of putting them in their proper places. The parents raised an eyebrow but didn’t say anything as the house got a decent deep clean instead, but I’m expecting a complaint tomorrow.

I’m in two minds whether to speak to them directly and refuse to do this anymore or if I should give up the clean and inform the company why. Sorry it’s so long I needed to rant just as much as ask for advice!

God I hate that attitude of 'the cleaner will do it', especially when kids can't then be bothered to tidy their own stuff up. You're a professional coming in to do a job not a slave! I used to clean, and have also had cleaners, and it was very rare that people wouldn't at least have done a quick tidy before I came to clean. When there was a complete mess I'd scoop it to the side of the room/kitchen counters etc and clean around it. I think this family either need to pay for more time if they want the tidying done or accept that if they don't tidy they won't get a full clean. Or you could just not do it too, they sound like a nightmare and very disrespectful of you.

Our cleaning company came round pre-clean to quote and said "is it always this tidy?" It is and I always tidy before the cleaners come. It may be that they've included the tidying aspect already into the quote.

I try my best to clean up for the cleaner (and I make my little DS tidy his room too) but I am busy juggling long hours at work, overtime, nursery run and caring for DS 2 days a week and sometimes don't manage to tidy everything in the allotted 90 minutes I have for tidying before the cleaner comes. I prioritise making sure that the bathrooms are in a state that it is reasonable to expect someone else to come in and clean them. After that, I do what I can and we have a big 'junk box' upstairs and downstairs where our cleaner can chuck any mess for us to sort later. I know our cleaner works hard in the time she has so I'm not bothered if she doesn't get round to doing something because our house is untidy and I don't really expect her to 'deep clean' (we do jobs like the fridge and skirting boards at weekends).

So yes we do our best to tidy for our cleaner and we don't expect her to pick up our shit but sometimes we run out of time and she just has to take us as she finds us. If I'm running out the door at 5am that morning to catch a 6am train for an early morning meeting, there may be some plates left in the sink or clothes not put away and there's not much I can do about that.

You need to be firm business wise : Take photos and report back that it can't be done both cleaning and tidying.

Oh and we have 2/3 cleaners for a similar sized house!

You’d need more time, but honestly it just sounds like this isn’t the house for you. Just tell the company they are super messy buggers and they need someone who wants to tidy as well as clean. Sounds like they need a housekeeper a couple days a week.

Should also say that we pay for 4 hours for a small 3 bed house (our cleaner also changes the beds).

A large part of the problem is that you're expected to do too much in too little time. No wonder you can't get round everything.

My cleaner tidies, but that is part of what the role was advertised as (cleaner/housekeeper to be exact), and she has 6 hours a week over two days to clean 8 rooms and do other things.
For 16 rooms, 5 toilets I think the problem is that 3 hours is vastly not enough, plus you sound really angry at the family so maybe you aren't cut out for private cleaning and should tell the company you work through that you don't want to do this house. They aren't being unreasonable, the company that said a big house could be cleaned to a high standard in 3 hours is!

Ask them what they want to prioritise within the allotted time each week. If it is untidy it means less cleaning can be achieved. You should not be clearing yesterday's washing up.

If there isn’t adequate time to tidy/pick up and then clean then they should either be paying for more hours or tidying up first so you can get on with the cleaning. Please don’t work extra unpaid hours for people who don’t give a shit about you.

I always tidy before my cleaner comes - I want her to be able to spend the full time cleaning, not have to pay extra for time spent picking stuff up.

Also I agree 16 rooms including 5 bathrooms in 3 hours is completely unrealistic.

You sound very judgmental. With 6 kids they probably don’t care about skirting boards and deep cleans. They want to get home and and get a general feeling of some order in their chaos. Why is typing up so derogatory? Putting things away and making them looks in order is worse than cleaning dirty surfaces? The attitude here amazes me. I have a cleaner and I tidy up before she comes as that’s the easy job, cleaning is so much harder with all the scrabbling etc. they probably love it after you have been, except the time you threw a tantrum and placed their stuff on the beds and sofas. How rude!

I’m not angry with them I just feel disrespected they expect it all done in the allotted time and show no concern or respect. I’ll take all of your great advice on board and send photos to my company so they can look into the allocated hours and job specs. If it wasn’t so outing I’d post the photos here!

Why ask us? As your boss what is expected of you.

No. I don't expect my cleaner to tidy. My house is 4 bed (although she does 3 as one is my office which I'm in when she comes) , 2 toilets, 3 reception & kitchen. My cleaner is here 2 hours and I don't expect her to do everything each week (so alternate skirting one week, dusting shelves the next).

3 hours is not enough, even if it is tidy. Definitely not enough if it's a mess.

Mn has a deeply self-flagellating attitude to having a cleaner which seems to express itself in terms of how much tidying is done before the cleaner arrives, and how little the cleaner then has to do. The impression frequently given is that the cleaner arrives into an already essentially spotless house with conveniently bare surfaces ready for cleaning.

Yummi, they haven’t got an agreement that I will tidy their house they expect it and tell their children I will do it for them. It’s not judgement it’s frustration that I’m essentially their minimum wage slave. My job contract is to deep clean, every place that gathers dust HAS to be cleaned, every washable surface and floor. It’s my job and if I don’t do those things I could be in trouble. My job contract doesn’t state tidying. If they wanted that they should have asked but they expect it and I’m never thanked for those extra jobs that aren’t part of our agreement and are done for free out of kindness. If they are struggling to maintain a house, laundry, toys and 6 children they need as housekeeper as many PP have said. I’m not rude and have a fantastic working relationship with all my clients and colleagues.

The clue is in your job title, you are a cleaner. It's massively disrespectful not to tidy up before you get there.
I'd be worried if something went missing tbh but that's another angle
Ask for other clients it's not worth the hassle

I would say unless you are desperate for ther money , you should run.
Life is way too short, you don't have to explain yourself in person if it is too uncomfortable for you , which is probably the case as you haven't spoken with them after the first few times you have noticed the state of house and their expectation and level of it. From what i have read , they are the , type" who would not change their ways and expect you to do it all in 3 hours is laughable, i have seen amaizing cleaners doing 5 star cleaning in 3 hours and that is your average 3 bedroom , 1- 2 bathroom mid terraced house, without picking toys up after 6 kids.
Unless you actually like them and can imagine working for them in the next coming years, i would just explain to your company that you no longer wish to clean for them , you may or may tell why or tell you prefer different type of cleaning jobs ( offices , etc)
Good luck

No I make sure house is tidy, I've said if the kids rooms are a mess they can avoid doing them! I don't mind keeping the house tidy, it's cleaning I don't like doing so that's what I'm paying for.

Sounds like a nightmare op. They are clearly being disrespectful to you. I think you should say you don’t want this house anymore. Not worth the stress when it’s not appreciated.

Cleaners clean. I needed some extra help before Christmas from our cleaner with tidying following a bout of illness. I messaged her and asked if she could come in at a different time just to tidy and left it for her to decide.

If they won’t budge, and you want to keep the gig (I wouldn’t-doesn’t sound like nearly enough time and the “leave it, the cleaner will do it” would burn me) could you arrange a specific place in each room where the out of place things will be assembled-a box or wash basket-so they can ‘put things where you want them’. This would give you a two minute sweep of junk, leaving the room clear to clean.

Agree on the ground rules, surely?

OP where are you based? This is very strange!
Domestic cleans are based on hours, not jobs (unlike end of tenancy).
If a house is untidy yes cleaners can tidy but that means they won’t have time to clean. That’s why people tidy up before the cleaners come, if they wanted both done they’d have to pay extra!

I’ve never heard of working unpaid overtime and this makes my blood boil. Not only is it unfair to you - but isn’t you’re company losing money?

Unless they’re secretly overcharging them