What's your opinion ?

[LyndsayLoLoSWLondon]

Hi
I currently employ a cleaner for 25 hours a week 5 hours on a Monday- Friday. (especially before and after the weekend!). The trouble is I don't know if I am being unrealistic about what I'm expecting her to do and not giving her enough hours or if she just isn't as good as my last amazing cleaner who sadly retired 4 months ago after working for me for 12 years prior to me having kids (just cleaning my apartment) and the last 10 years with an ever expanding family! So here's the jobs I ask. I pay £12 p/hr so £300 a week.

1. Change my bed and all 4 kids beds once a week on a Friday and nanny's bed. All sheets are sent to the dry cleaners to be washed and pressed every week so all she needs to do is strip he beds and bag up and leave in the utility. All clean sheets are left in airing cupboards. Sometimes there's the guest bedroom to change also. I don't think this is difficult I just don't have the time to do It myself.

1. Clean kitchen 'generally' Hoover and mop tiles, clean skirting boards, wipe over splash backs clean gas hob. Wipe over ovens and dust over the AGA, clean microwave. Empty the dishwasher if finished. Empty bin, Clean the dining table. Clean bi fold doors. I ask all this to be done on a Friday and then again on the Monday because everything marks easily. Clean out fridge empty out of date things and clean with anti bac spray.

1. Clean and dust the best lounge - not much mess in there.

1. Clean and dust the main lounge and Hoover.

1. Dust and Hoover the kids rooms.

1. Dust and Hoover my bedroom and dust and Hoover my office.

1. Clean 4 bathrooms and 3 separate loos.

1. Clean guest bedroom if it's been used and their bathroom.

1. Hoover all stairs and dust banisters.

10. Hoover sofas.

Note: there is never Outside doors or windows to clean. Never and deep thorough clean of ovens as I have someone in every 3 months to clean the ovens professionally.
There is no ironing or washing to put on or hang out, I have someone collect and drop of ironing and nanny puts it away.

What do you think ?

Thanks in advance.

I am going to talk to her tomorrow not dismiss her right away ...I do need help until I can get someone better. I was spoiler with my last lady she worked for me for so long...I just need to prioritise what jobs need doing and how often. Honestly the kids bedrooms the older 2 anyway are a disgrace I'm ashamed of it really so if we have guests I have to get the cleaner to tidy away first before cleaning because I'm so embarrassed of other friends children seeing such a mess! They do need to appreciate what they've got but they don't seem as though they do (oldest two anyway)...

Spoilt *

I wish I hadn't mentioned sending my sheets 'out' it's commonplace amongst my friends.... Seriously though I might ditch that ease the guilt

Is there any particular reason you're looking to save money op?

Lyndsay don't worry about the sheets. If that's what you want to do, so be it.

I have someone do the ironing even though I have plenty of time and am able, but we rarely get takeaways. My neighbour gets takeaways twice a week but irons every day.

My choice, her choice.

Well I've got 2 days off work to try and get some organisation in my house, life, kids etc. This morning I looked at all my outgoings - hadn't really re evaluated since my husband and I split. I've taken a long hard look at them and realised the cost of everything now I'm on my own, in contrast to when we had two incomes. I know this might sound silly but when we were together I really didn't take too much notice of costs now I realise I have to...hence I have to start somewhere and a good place to start I thought was with my cleaner and her costs, then work my way down my very long list! Emphasis on long!

Blueeyesanddarkchocolate - I appreciate your opinion but it just would not work I couldn't go part time.

She doesn't get the sheets dry cleaned blueeyes. Read the actual thread. (Fwiw OPI used to send my laundry out, and I'd do it again if I could afford it, in a heartbeat!)
And as for the comment about going part time to "raise your own children", how has cutting back your work hours to do more cleaning got anything to do with raising children??
I bet you wouldn't tell a high earning man to go part time so he could do more of his own cleaning.

Your sheets do what ever you wish with them!!

I'm tempted to start this practise myself! Sounds bloody marvellous takes me FOREVER to get the things dry! And there is nothing like getting into bed with freshly pressed sheets ;)

As for going part-time, I expect you have a cleaner and a nanny because you work damm hard, and if that's what you want to do then do that too. It really does frustrate me the idea that if you work you can't raise your children (DP was a single full custody dad he was never told he wasn't raising his kids) by working his arse off and having nannies and cleaners he actually had more quality time with his children at weekends. Otherwise he would spend all weekend cleaning (he really would he's so bloody slow!)

I think you sound marvellous OP! But please give that cleaner and nanny a boot up the bottom as they don't sound like their doing as much as they should!

Good luck!

Well said ifnotnowwhen!

You are paying £15,000 per year to have your house cleaned. That's obscene. You can easily get that cut down.

BlueEyes? 1950 called; they want you back now.

Seriously, though, I'm thoroughly sick of the judgment that working women aren't rearing their own children. And I'm a SAHM.

Also I think I'm going ask the nanny if she would take over the food shopping/online ordering instead of me. She has full use of a car so could go to the shop if she preferred or do it online. I currently do it online and leave it 'open' and she just adds everything in she wants and checkouts it. But then I don't think I even do that particularly well because nanny often has to whizz into the supermarket most days to get bits for meals, so again before I know it it's another £100 a week on quick bits. Nanny did try with meal plans but my kids are such fussy eaters it ended up being a waste because they never want the same thing, so I appreciate this takes her longer as she cooks different meals every eve

£15,000 a year is, in my opinion not obscene if you can afford it. But I do think five hours a day is excessive and that it could be cutdown.

What is obscene is a cleaner being paid £15,000 a year and not doing the job properly, it's not like the OP has her sweeping chimneys...

I'm aware I don't really raise my kids mon-Friday but weekends are brilliant we really have a lovely time and quality time - that's what's important to me

All that in 25 hrs a week? She's having you on!!!
I could comfortably do that and have a Netflix binge. She is having you on.

That being said. 25 hours a week is fine, Call me, I could do a better job no worries. £1200/month would be cushdy thanks!

Virtually all my friends are working Mums most married and need 2 incomes. Things have moved on but some people get very judgemental and yes I had 4 kids for a reason I'd never change that - but weekends are our family time, in the week I have to rely on others like a lot of families...

All else aside, I do think you are indulging your kids. If you are looking at cutting down outgoings I think a meal plan is the most obvious tbh. I couldn't be doing with making several meals every night, and I think if it was you having to make them you would have nipped that in the bud long ago. But it gets to the point that its gone on so long its easy to lose sight of how crazy it has got.

They don't clean up after themselves and they have personalised meals. That is doing them a disservice because they are going to go into adult hood entitled and unable to look after themselves. Not to mention the money it must be costing you.

And also, if sorting out the fridge is a big enough thing to be an actual job on the cleaners list, how much money are you throwing out every week?

BTW my comment about "if it was you doing it" is not meant in a judgy way at all. I just want to be clear as I know how things can come across. I would work full time if it was financially viable. I would also hire a cleaner, a childminder and I would get my laundry sent out if I had the money.

Liz - I didn't read it that way at all don't worry. I get your point I know I probably wouldn't do it - it would drive me insane. But it's just gone on and on and when I have mentioned it to nanny she says it isn't really a hassle for her but I think she's being polite!

I'm actually checking how much it would cost me to have our sheets cleaned and pressed...

...rats! I'd have to give up wine. So that's not going to happen.

And as I cleaned the fridge out myself last Friday I did think Oh what a waste, I probably threw out £70 + in food that was out of date,