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!

I tidy before the cleaner comes to make sure no toys or socks are hoovered up accidentally, I strip the bed and she puts clean sheets on and I also take the bins out

I don’t think the house should be perfect but it should be relatively tidy for the cleaner. Tidying clutter (and it sounds like clutter) is a job in itself. I think you probably need longer.

And I get what you mean about the attitude. I wouldn’t want my kids to say that.

Also I’m in shock - my 3 bed house (no kids, no mess I shove everything in cupboard before cleaners come) takes 3 hours for half to be done! This means hoovering, dusting washing bathrooms etc.

How TF can you clean a 16 bedroom house - messy to boot?

Sorry I can’t believe that this is really true…

@MayThePawsBeWithYou

How much time are you allocated, did they specify in writing what needs doing. They sound lazy and entitled and I personally would tell the company you no longer wish to clean their house.

Lady an entitled? Really?

It depends what they are asking you to do. You both need to communicate.

This isn’t your family so there is no point in getting annoyed at them for how they want to live in their own home. Just say you need to spend an hour tidying before you can clean. If you don’t have long enough to do what they want done tell them. They can either up the time or adjust their ask.

And stop bloody judging them!!

Only this morning I said to adult DS that if he's ever lucky enough to get a cleaner he will need to tidy up first. I would never expect a cleaner to tidy up my mess. I had a cleaner when the DCs were small but used to run around tidying up on the morning she was coming.

I’m in Essex. I don’t stay overtime maybe 10 minutes max just to put equipment away, I just sacrifice the standard jobs I am supposed to do. If my company turn up for an inspection which they can do regularly, then I will be penalised for prioritising something I wasn’t told to do just so I could clean which is very unfair. I’m not comfortable speaking to the family about it, I wish I had at the first clean but I assumed it was a one off as they’d had a birthday party the day before. I obviously made a rod for my own back by not complaining and letting them think I’d do it weekly. I appreciate the replies I will have a think what to do from here and email my company the photos tomorrow.

I too raise an eyebrow at 3 hours for such a large house.

I recently got my four deb house deepcleaned. It took 8 hours.

I am employing a weekly cleaner and estimate it will take three hours for a regular clean. I live alone and two bedrooms are never sued, one is a study.

But I too am messy. I tidy for the cleaner. But I suspect this lady would still judge😂

You are paid by the hour so (within reason) you do the tasks that the client wants. If they want someone to tidy the bedrooms then do them as requested but when your time is up you leave even if the kitchen is not clean.

I have cleaners twice monthly and I have a chronic pain condition, but when they come everything is tidied and I move things to make it easier to dust. You should be paid for extra hours if they expect tidying as well.

I have a cleaner approximately once a month, I do tidy up for her as much as I can but she does more, and cleans. She spends 3,5 hours here (1 bed flat) and I don’t ever criticise what she’s done- I trust her implicitly and she does what she can in the time. It’s up to me to have it as tidy as possible if I want her to do more cleaning.

It sounds like they don’t really respect you op, they need to realise just how long all the jobs take! I hate the ‘the cleaner will do it’ attitude, it’s raising some horrible kids.

They should but they don't

I have a 6 bedroomed house with 3 bath/shower rooms (and cloakroom). I’m constantly tidying and putting things away. I do a “big clean” on a wed and it takes me a minimum of 4.5 hours. And that is with me doing micro cleans ongoing throughout the week. I think it’s completely bonkers to think you’ll have a house like the one you’re describing clean in 3 hours. And no, I’d never expect a cleaner to tidy.

How would a cleaner know what goes where and what is to be kept and what should be thrown away?

@MissMaple82

They should but they don't

Why should they? They don't know where all the belongings should go They are there to clean, not tidy

Absolutely you shouldn't be tidying to that degree.
When my two sons were living at home I told my cleaner not to be tidying their rooms. I wanted her there to clean. I always tidy clutter away before she comes so that she can concentrate on cleaning.
I am a generally today person anyway.
That family sound like a bunch of slobs.

Usually you shouldn't be tidying, but it's something you should be agreeing with the client. If you're being paid for 3 hours and they only get 2 hours of cleaning because you're tidying first, as long as they are Ok with that, I wouldn't let it bother you.

@Yummiliscious

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!

Good God have you even read OPs posts? She is expected to clean a 16 room house with FIVE bathrooms and tidy a hugely messy house - all in 3 hours. How rude? 🤣

OP I always tidy before my cleaner comes, sometimes I haven’t had time or my 4yo has made a mess in his room, and she will do a quick sweep but I would never expect her to do a proper tidy. And that’s 3 hours in a house with 2 bathrooms.

I would go back to your company and say the house has been wrongly assessed, there’s no way you can complete such a large house notwithstanding the tidying aspect. If they don’t agree just refuse to do this particular house.

You should not have to tidy and put away toys etc. You can't clean if there is stuff everywhere.

We have had the same cleaner for thirty years. We always tidy before she comes for the simple reason that we want her to concentrate on cleaning.

Sometimes she dies special tidying type jobs like organizing drawers, but that is when we are away and she keeps coming every week anyway.

I would ask your employer to pick up things before you come if they want a proper clean.

As everyone says, there is no way you can clean a house this size in 3 hours. I'd say that was a normal 4 bed house sort of time.

There is something a bit odd about this. You talk about working for a company and they gave you this house to clean, but you get paid in cash by the client??? Very unusual!

@Isgooglebroken

No. They should tidy so you can clean. However, if they want to pay you to tidy & and you don’t mind doing so then they would have to accept they get less of a clean.

This.

I’m surprised that you can tidy a 16 room messy house in one hour. Can you please come and tidy and clean my house ? 🙏

Fucking Hell, I live in a standard 3 bed terrace and have a cleaner 3 hours a week - admittedly spends around 30 mins tidying/putting my food shop away/putting fresh bedding on (I’m disabled before anyone kicks off at me, and it is agreed and paid for, and the tidying is generally only once a month).

How the fuck can you be expected to clean a 16 room house in 3 hours when my small 6 room house takes the same amount of time?

Your company are taking the piss too.

I always tidy up for the cleaner. I think she should be able to get to all the surfaces she needs to clean.
As for the kids rooms DDs is pretty good but she piles everything in DS room on his bed that’s on the floor. If there’s isn’t much on the floor she leaves him a sweetie! DD gets a sweetie most weeks, DS not so much.

My mum is a cleaner & it's made me hate people who treat cleaners like shit.

People like you OP & my mum are worth your weight in gold. You don't deserve to be disrespected and your company don't treat you right at all either. You should never have to run over & not get paid for it because people are too disrespectful and lazy to do a bit of simple tidying up to allow you to do the actual hard work that is cleaning!

I wish you could come clean my house it's soooo tidy but dirty

I'd be doing nothing for these entitled twats!

You (or the company) need to state the rules, no tidying, (how would you know where it goes) no cash, no going over set times.

Bloody hell we live in a 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom house and our cleaner does 3 hours a week. She changes the sheets and might have to move the odd plate or glass downstairs but the rest is basically perfectly tidy when she arrives (as it is generally tbh). We pay her to clean, not move our crap around. We have a great relationship with her and I guess this is why 😅