To wonder about Mumsnetters and their cleaners?

[MrWallet]

I notice quite a few posts on here with people sharing various gripes about their cleaners and their lack of satisfaction with their work. I wonder why they have so much difficulty talking it through with the cleaner? Is it because they fear the cleaner taking offence? Walking out? It is not as if there is a shortage of cleaners especially in the SE where I live.

You can always ask for what you want doing and then the cleaner can do their best to comply, allowing for detail work, eg. Skirting boards, cleaning behind furniture etc if it takes more time. Appreciate your thoughts on this.

Why would you appreciate our thoughts on this?

Middle class guilt.

Not only her main thought on Saturday, but she wants our thoughts too!
Amazing what people will do for a bit of market research....

Why don't you post in the media section with a survey monkey poll?

I think it's because it is so hard as it is to first of all decide on getting one, and then putting yourself through that vulnerability of letting someone into your messy house. After that, loosing that person and going through the whole process again is too tiring and emotionally draining!

Typical hostile and paranoid responses from AIBU. Still on your brooms from Halloween?

Forget I asked!

Very defensive I see.

Thanks Mamamed. I work as a cleaner and get on very well with my clients. I would prefer they would talk to me about what they want doing.

More incredulous I would say.

I've never had a cleaner (house not that big and couldn't afford it) but everyone I know who's had one just seems to moan about them not doing what they want. They seem to leave a lot of passive aggressive little notes all over the house and try to "catch" them out by leaving stuff to see if they've cleaned where they said they did. Sounds like a lot of hard work to me, just get the Marigolds out and do it yourself, save a lot of grief.

Hi mr wallet and welcome to Mumsnet

I am quite happy btw with my cleaner except that this morning I notice something broken which I think is her doing but I really hope it isn't and will be easily fixed.

If you are too dim to either post in such a way as it's not perfectly clear you are a man running a cleaning business or to do it openly on the right board, I fear you are beyond our help.

Typical nasty response from someone not getting the replies they foolishly hoped for. No problem forgetting you asked, none at all.

I think a lot of people with cleaners aren't use to being employers and don't know how to approach their cleaner in the correct manner.
As the cleaner I think all you can do is check with your clients periodically if they are happy with your work and if there is anything they would likeyou to cchange such as concentrating on diff areas of the house etc.

What Chipping said.

What purple said.

I think people also sometimes want to check if their expectations are reasonable, or if they are asking too much or not expecting enough from their cleaners.

God, I love my cleaner.

I wonder why they have so much difficulty talking it through with the cleaner?

Previously cleaner came while I was at work, and spoke virtually no English. And there were too many things wrong to address.

Current cleaner is amazing.

Yes I am definitely not a man! Was just a bit surprised by the responses to what I thought was an interesting question. I feel a bit tearful now actually. :(

Left getting a different cleaner for so long also partly because 1) it requires effort/life admin and 2) felt a bit bad about getting rid.

Thanks for the responses anyway.

Still on your brooms from Halloween?

Is this a way of asking if we do our own cleaning?

I love my cleaner & do not want to upset her + we have a bit of a language barrier.

But I do not gripe about her on MN.