New cleaner today

[Horaciochops]

We had a great cleaner who was very reasonable and did a great job. We live in a small home (living room, kitchen, hall, 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms) but it takes ages to clean it. I dont know why! When I do it myself it takes me a good 4 hours, and that's what it has taken subsequently cleaners, in order to do each room to a good standard. Our previous cleaner can't come any more and we were really stuck.

I met someone recently who said she cleans. She charges more than the previous cleaner but said she works very quickly, so I booked her for 3 hours.

She came today and was doing an OK job but after 2 hours said that she had an appointment and had to leave, leaving a bedroom and a bathroom uncleaned. I kind of just wanted her to go and told her I would therefore be paying her for 2 hours.

I'm not going to have it out with her. I think she should be paid for the time she worked but I'll not use her again. She is an older lady and I was silly to think she could clean the place in the time she said she could, but I was expecting her to make at least some attempt at finishing!

Do cleaners ever run out of time like this, and if so, what do they do? Just leave rooms uncleaned or do them quickly? I'm putting it down to experience but it's a bit disappointing. Anyway, it's done but just wanted to see what others thought.

It's odd that she agreed to do three hours but then said she had to leave after two.
Perhaps she thought she could get it all done in two as she was a quick worker.
(And then piss off but still pocket the full three hours pay as she had completed the work)
But you're absolutely NBU in just paying her for the two hours that she actually did work, given that she hadn't completed the job.

Yeah I'm really confused! When people do weird stuff I kind of freeze and can't think properly! When she was here I did a big tidy, emptied bins around the house, emptied the kitchen bins, put all the rubbish outside etc. I don't think she cleaned under the bins in the kitchen. That's my kind of cleaning, if I wanted someone not not clean under the bins, I would have done it myself!

Sometimes you do underestimate. My own personal rough rule of thumb is 1 hour per bedroom, so a three bedder should take 3 hours etc.

Personally, I would have done the bathroom and left the other bedroom.

I think she could have given the other 2 rooms a reasonable clean in the final hour that she was supposed to work rather than just clearing off.

I'm really funny about people doing work in my home. If things go sour in the slightest, I just want them to leave, so I wasn't going to argue.

I think I'm just disappointed.

My cleaner would just ask me what my priorities were if for any reason she had less time or not enough time.

Is it possible she thought it was too much for her and freaked. Four hours is a long time for such a small house and would suggest its in real need for a clean. Maybe she is used to places needing a lighter clean?

My cleaner does four beds and three baths in 2-2.5 hours. Im happy with the standard. Weekly.

I have no idea why it takes so long and have often wondered why other people's places take less time. I really try my best to keep on top of it. I've got young children and our place is a bit cramped. There are lots of surfaces and storage areas etc and we live in a very dusty climate where dust accumulates very quickly. I vacuum and/or sweep the floors each day, wipe down all surfaces in the kitchen multiple times throughout the day and am doing some kind of cleaning/tidying at every chance I get through the day. I am bad at it but it is getting done. Any ideas why it takes so long to clean when we keep cleaning it? Help!

I wouldn’t have her back. 3 hours of work was agreed and she left after 2 hours without finishing. Cleaners are supposed to be a help but yours sounds like someone who either can’t communicate or can’t organise herself so not suited to this job.

It's hard to judge how long a house will take until you're there doing it.

I've just done a 2 hour clean at a retired couple's home. In that time I cleaned: small downstairs loo, large hallway, barely-used dining room, sitting room and large kitchen diner. I alternate, at their request, so next week I will be upstairs cleaning large bathroom, small ensuite, 2 used bedrooms, 2 barely-used bedrooms and the large landing and stair case.

I also go to a young family, SAHM, dad WFH, young baby and 2 dogs. 3 bed room, bathroom, small downstairs loo, kitchen diner and sitting room. In 2 hours I either do: kitchen/diner, sitting room and downstairs loo OR kitchen/diner, hallway, loo and bathroom. It takes so long because it's a busy, chaotic, messy house (no shade from me, it is what it is).

I'm about to clean a family of 4 home: 5 bed, 1 bath, 2 ensuite, 1 cloakroom, large entrance hall, sitting room, huge kitchen diner. I've got 3 hours and I get it all done to a decent standard (my client is always very happy with it, but it's a lot in 3hours so isn't the deepest clean).

So what I'm saying is, each house and family are individual so each cleaner needs to take this on board but also the client needs to fully explain what they want doing so the cleaner can fit everything in in the alloted time.

Oh and your cleaner was odd, leaving after 2 hours.

Useful to hear your perspective @MayDaze . We're closest to the second family on your list, minus the 'chaotic' bit. Our previous cleaners just did the whole place in the 4 hours. I never thought about getting the cleaner to alternate rooms each week but we don't get a cleaner weekly which is possibly the problem!

I once filled in for a regular cleaner as they were going away for six weeks.

she paid me for three hours in a huge house. I started and soon realised how she did it in short amount of time. I picked up the bin to clean behind it and it was filthy.

as I had a ton of stuff to clean and didn’t finish on time the lady moaned at me. I tried to explain but she wouldn’t have it. I stayed as I needed the extra money. But all I heard for six weeks was how wonderful her cleaner was. She wasn’t. Sorry. I don’t call not moving stuff and not cleaning in things actually cleaning.