Cleaner expectations - first time

[foodlovefood]

I am not too sure if I am expecting too much. I hired a cleaner for the first time. Life has gotten busy, plus injury. I admit I like a clean house and before life got busy I did down half a day cleaning. It’s a small 3 bedroom with me, chat and DP 50% of the time.

cleaner explained they would do a mini deep clean lasting 2 hours as there was 2 of them. Took over a week to organise as they were not great at answering messages. Arranged the day. explained what was involved. I explained had an old cat and be careful with the front door. She can go out the back door. Said they are careful with indoor cats.

they arrived 2 of them. Half hour later another 3 people turned up. She explained overbooked so quicker. I offered to lock cat away but they said they don’t need to go out again so all ok. I was working at home for first clean. They kept leaving front door open and I had to grab the cat who was trying to escape. Eventually locked her in a room.

stuff not fully clean, like not moving footstool or lights to hoover. Cleaned windows but not frames. Cleaned some doors but not others. Sticky worktops and my house stinks of zoflora. Shelving unit not dusted.

I don’t really trust them in the house. My DP says I am too fussy. But I was hoping to have a dust free house and hoovered floors.

when I paid her, she said it was only a mini cleaned and it was just surface clean.

am I expecting too much? Or are cleavers not for me?

How much did you pay? And why did you pay if they did a bad job?

5 people cleaning a three bedroom house. How long were they there and how much was it?

Some are just not worth the hassle imo.

It was £70. Was £75, but they took some money off. They were there for 2 hours. Was supposed to be only 2 people. people kept turning up.

upstairs was done great. Downstairs not to good.

The cat/door opening issue is not okay & if you are planning on having them regular then you need to be firm with this.

The 5 people turning up is a bit chaotic, I’d assume it’s because you are new to their client list & they probably slotted you in over given you a fixed slot - as you are new.

A standard clean wouldn’t usually involve moving furniture to vaccum, skirting boards, window frames etc, however it sounds like you paid for a deep clean (common for first visits) therefore they should have done those things.

Maybe consider finding a cleaner who’s used by friends/family/colleagues.

I wouldn't be keeping them on.

The door open is bad plus it doesn’t sound clean, a really good cleaner would leave the house better than you can clean as they know what they are doing.

Try and get a cleaner by recommendation and always trial them, I have never used an agency. I had my last one for a decade and she was brilliant. Took a while to find, trialled 2 before her and they just didn’t do a good enough job. I cleaned hotels when I was still at school and the head chambermaid as they were called back then trained us all.

5 people for £75 doesn't meet minimum wage, surely, even if they're not all on for 2h?

5 is also way too chaotic, there's a point when extra people just get in the way.

I would bin these off. Cleaners often only get worse and need more direction, the first clean usually blows your mind, then a few months later you're disappointed.

5 people for £75 is way too cheap. It's too cheap even for 2 people to do a deep clean.

Unfortunately you have got what you paid for.

Nope. Find someone recommended who will send the same person or 2 people every week. We have a cleaner who works on her own, 2 hours every week, sometimes brings her kid in the holidays, we know her and she knows us, and the dog. If she’s ill we just have a no clean week. Before that I used a company but again it was the same 2 women. We got to know them. Find someone else.