Would this annoy you if a cleaner did this?

[Movinghouseatlast]

I have a fairly new cleaner.

I work at home and every single time I come into the house to get something she is sitting at the kitchen table eating a sandwich or a packet of crisps or drinking coffee. She continues to sit there while I go up to where I store my equipment and come back with it- so 15 minutes twice today.

She does 4 hours and I ask her to do the kitchen, dining room, sitting room, hallway and two bathrooms. Previous cleaners have taken 4 hours to do this.

I have said to her that if she has extra time when she's finished she can do the porch or one of the bedrooms but she never 'has time'.

I think she is being really disrespectful by sitting eating and on her phone but maybe I'm wrong? We've all skived at work at some point but she's being a bit blatant about it. She does clean the rooms I've asked her to do though though often misses bits and I have to tell her the next time.

I also don't want to lose her as cleaners are very difficult to find in my area. But I feel she's walking all over me!

She's taking the piss. Reduce the hours to three.

Yes it would annoy me. Her lunch break shouldn't be taken during the hours she is being paid to clean your house. I'd expect her to take her breaks in between clients.

Four hours to do what sounds like just the downstairs is a deep clean job. I'd expect an efficient cleaner to take less time though, and that's still doing a decent job.

I'd expect her to need to take 2x 10m breaks in a physical job that length (plus a couple of breathers whilst something is drying etc), but the fact that she's sat down whenever you happen to come in suggests to me that she's regularly taking longer.

Cleaner here. This is unprofessional and sounds like she has spare time. I'd just get another cleaner. Ask friends and colleagues for a recommendation

Yes, that's what cleaners tend to do, she's being paid to work those 4 hours so that's what she should be doing

I would expect no more than a ten minute break in a four hour shift. She's totally taking the piss.

I think it would depend if she did it in my time or her own. Does the four hours include these breaks? I’d object to that.

Yes, I pay her for 4 hours, she's here for 4 hours and takes the breaks within the 4 hours.

It wouldn't bother me if it was her own time.

I think a short break is reasonable, cleaning non stop for 4 hours is a lot. I suppose the question is how long is she taking for her break. Also, that doesn't sound like many rooms to clean in 4 hours, unless they are absolutely massive.

You wouldn't say it to a decorator or plumber. It's because it's 'women's work' and cleaning that it's seen as 'lesser than'.

On one hand everyone should be able to eat, but yeah she should be doing in her spare time. Even eating when driving between jobs if needed.

What's the difference between deep cleaning and cleaning? Genuinely interested as a cleaner quoted me for £35 an hour for deep cleaning and £25 for cleaning. In her book wiping kitchen cabinets was deep cleaning.

Where do you live? I’m in a fairly swanky bit of London and we our cleaner doesn’t charge that!

ETA: she’s clearly extracting the urine. You need to have a conversation.

Don’t assume thoughts in my head please! A very close relative of mine is a clearer and I’ve got upmost respect. It’s a skilled occupation. No job I can think of necessitates 30 mins of break in 4 hours of work time.

Cornwall! Yep...

Cleaners here are very difficult to keep hold of, I had one tell me she wouldn't work for me anymore because I said could she let me know in future if she couldn't turn up. Another sacked my friend off because she was 'too demanding' when she asked her to clean the inside of kitchen cupboards during an 8 hour clean!

I’d look for a new cleaner. I did some cleaning while I was at uni. 3 hours for a 3 bed, 3 bath house, with a dining room including sills/skirting/blinds, all floors hoovered or swept and mopped, and internal windows. Kitchen was all visible surfaces including doors wiped clean, sink, hob etc. for £20ph 5 years ago. (Hertfordshire)

She is definitely taking the piss , you pay for 4 hours I’d expect 4 hours of actual cleaning with maybe a 10 minute coffee break .

I'd say a 15 min tea break would be reasonable during a four hour clean. But half an hour is too much. My cleaner sometimes has her lunch at my house after her allotted time before going on to her afternoon job, but that's not time I am paying for.

Any other job I think you have to work over 4-5 hours to get a break, cleaning is hard work though, think a short 10 min break is fine, for a drink and snack.

I'm a cleaner and I don't have breaks and if I do, I don't charge my clients for that time. When I bill you for 4 hours, you've had 4 hours of cleaning. That said, it really is the case that many/most people don't asign the same level of respect to cleaning as they do to other domestic work (plumbing, tradesmen etc) because it's seen as women's work.

When I used to have a cleaner she was there for 4 hours and she didn't take a break. She was there all morning and her break would have been lunchtime before she started her next client. I offered her tea/coffee but she never accepted.

With decorators/builders they don't give me a cost per hour, they give me a cost per job. So they can take all the breaks they like, it costs the same however long it takes.

What's the difference between deep cleaning and cleaning? Genuinely interested as a cleaner quoted me for £35 an hour for deep cleaning and £25 for cleaning. In her book wiping kitchen cabinets was deep cleaning.

You are being right royally screwed over here.

1. The hourly rate
2. Being charged 4 hours and not even touching any bedrooms / stairs / landing
3. Then not working the hours she is charging you for

Seriously - give your head a wobble.

You're paying her £100 per week? Cash in hand? Holy crap.

My cleaner does approx 3 x the same cleaning in 3.5 hours. For £15 per hour