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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think a cleaner can clean a house in 3 hours

26 replies

Nevercan · 23/09/2012 21:16

Just been lucky enough to get a cleaner and I am wondering if it is unreasonable to clean our 3 bed medium size house in 3 hours I.e dust, Hoover, mop, and clean all rooms?

OP posts:
YouMayLogOut · 23/09/2012 21:17

YANBU, 3 hours sounds about right :)

GoldShip · 23/09/2012 21:17

Can you do it in 3 hours?

ihatethecold · 23/09/2012 21:18

Mine does that size house in 2, but it's tidy already. So she is cleaning not tidyingSmile

OwedToAutumn · 23/09/2012 21:22

My cleaner can clean my house quicker than I could, GoldShip. It's what she does for a living, and she's good at it. On the other hand, I'm not very good at it, and don't get as much practice.

HereBenson · 23/09/2012 21:23

Our cleaner used to do our 4 bed house in 3 hours. (Not a big house- smaller than a lot of Victorian terraces).

Almandine · 23/09/2012 21:25

Most cleaners I've had have done a 4 bed in two hours.

Now I have a 3 be, and it takes more all day. Blush I would be a rubbish cleaner.

FreddieMercurysBolero · 23/09/2012 21:25

It does need to be tidy first, then I could probably manage it. Picking crap off the floor before hoovering is time consuming.

bumperella · 23/09/2012 21:28

Depends if it's 3 hrs/mnth or 3 p/w!
I'd say if you're expecting her to clean windows/dust endless knicknacks/clean oven/you have a coal fire/sort vast amounts of recycling/clean up after home brew explosions/ etc then not enough. For normal 3 bed house per week sounds fine.

fengirl1 · 23/09/2012 21:29

It really depends how much tidying has to happen as well - I can do it in half the time if everywhere's already tidy with no picking up of things from the floor or too much moving around of things on surfaces!

Nevercan · 23/09/2012 21:31

Goldship I am a rubbish cleaner and can't seem to ever get the house clean so it's not a good comparison Grin

OP posts:
roseum · 23/09/2012 21:31

Our cleaner comes to do our 3-bed house fortnightly - it takes 4hours. She reckons if she came weekly it would take 3hours.

Nevercan · 23/09/2012 21:33

She is coming once a fortnight at the mo...

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Nevercan · 23/09/2012 21:44

I did tidy up too so nothing scattered on the floor etc...

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forevergreek · 23/09/2012 21:52

Just let her get on and see how it goes. I would probably expect basics done but extras ( inside cooker/ fridge/ windows) would be a bonus

maymoon · 23/09/2012 21:53

Hopefully your cleaner is not my husband. Dread fills me when I hear the words 'I'll just quickly hoover".

He hoovers on all fours using the attachment I normally use for corners it takes around an hour (he takes all sofa cushions off and hoovers each one, every time) it would normally take me 10-15 mins tops.

He also washes up dishes in a sink filled with water, puts on worktop, empties the bowl, then rinse's each item under running water and places on drainer.

I really don't think this is normal!!

So yes.Unless my husband turns up at your door!

MacyGracy · 23/09/2012 21:53

Depends how many bathrooms etc too, when we had a small 3 bed terrace, one tiny bathroom, they took 3 hours but that also included ironing. Next house was 4 bed medium size, 1 bathroom, 1 shower room, 1 cloakroom, wooden floors throughout, she also took 3 hours weekly but no ironing and she is amazing. She is still with us and does current 5 bed, 4 bath 5 hours fortnightly.

If you have floors as opposed to carpet this can add a lot of time on as they need to be vacuumed and then mopped.

Nevercan · 23/09/2012 21:54

Is that why there are less male cleaners Grin

OP posts:
Nevercan · 23/09/2012 21:56

Wow macygracy loving the house size increases Smile

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Nevercan · 23/09/2012 21:58

We have 3 bedrooms, I family bathroom, one cloakroom bathroom, lounge/diner, small galley kitchen and conservatory. Medium sized detached house.... Is weekly or fortnightly better i wonder?

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Mintyy · 23/09/2012 22:00

Mine does our large 3 bed with a lot of stairs in 3 hours. She hoovers all rooms, landings and stairs, makes the dc beds (changes them if I ask her to), cleans our one bathroom, dusts, cleans mirrors, cleans kitchen, kitchen sink, hob, draining board, mops kitchen floor, empties all the bins. Will do dishwasher or a bit of ironing if she has any time left over. Best £30 we spend all week.

nokidshere · 23/09/2012 22:02

Mine cleans ours in 2hrs a week (4 bed 3bath) but I have minimal nick nacks and we tidy everything the night before so all she has to do us actual cleaning.

toomuchmonthatendofthemoney · 23/09/2012 22:06

I would say regular weekly basics yes. Extras like windows, ovens, skirting boards etc would need extra time?

Disclaimer, I have never had a cleaner but am going on what friends who do, describe.

MacyGracy · 23/09/2012 22:08

I changed to fortnightly as I don't give keys to our cleaner so I always have to let her in so it is more convenient to have her less often. Also I felt the house just didn't get dirty enough to justify it as I often do a quick vacuum and kitchen cleaned every night. She also brings a friend so is finished in 2.5 hours which suits me fine as I generally get out of the way so quicker is better! She is a real gem and I wouldn't be without her.

MatriarchalDreams · 23/09/2012 23:38

I'm thinking about getting a cleaner for two hours per week and was hoping that they'd be able to clean the bathroom and vacuum downstairs every week with a bit of dusting or vacuuming upstairs if they had time. It appears that I'm clearly underestimating a cleaner's abilities! How much do you think a cleaner could do in our house in that time? We've got smallish kitchen and living room, dining room, bathroom and two fairly large bedrooms. We have two dogs so I expect that would mean vacuuming would take longer. We also have a fair bit of clutter although I would definitely make an effort to keep surfaces clear of extraneous crap/pick up dog toys. Do you think a cleaner could really do the whole house or even a fair bit of it in two hours?!

glenthebattleostrich · 24/09/2012 08:27

Maymoon, can I borrow your husband on a monthly basis? I'm willing to swap for cake and booze :)

Otherwise I guess I'll have to bite the bullet and get a cleaner