AIBU or cleaners?

[Moominmummyzzz]

Background: We have been using a cleaning company to clean our house for the last three years. We had seven different people and all of them (bar one) left the company. The last five months, the owners (age 72, 73) have started doing the job. We employ them to come to the house two hours twice a week (4 hours a week in total). They have also done a deep clean of the house (8 hrs) in April. We pay £12.50 per hour so around £200-225 a month.

DH and I have a toddler and we both work full time. I mainly work night duties. DH and I are really knackered as we have no family nearby to help us. We have someone to help us clean our house for our mental well being.

Since the owners have taken the role, I have noticed the following

• cancelling the job at the last minute (like texting at 12:00 to say they cant come in for 12:00 noon job)
  
• charging us for days they did not turn to work (this happened twice but did not question it for goodwill as we have used them for three years)
  
• last week owner/cleaner was to do a two hour clean but she left after an hour but still charged us for the full two hours.
  

The owner/cleaners were suppose to come yesterday but they didn't turn up. We got this email from her today:

_______________
Dear Moominmummyzzz,

I have given the cleaning of your home considerable thought, and no matter how I try I can no longer contend with the state we find your home in each time we come.

I really do not want to offend you but when we spoke last you asked me to be honest, are efforts are in vane, the constant wiping of the sofa which is covered in dried on food, picking up stuff from the floors, clearing food and cereal bowls, clearing food and various other things.

Putting washing in the baskets picking up toys and various other things from the bath.

My staff and I are not servants having to clear up behind people.

You are a young couple and there is no reason why you cannot pick things up so we are able to clean, you have the capabilities of making your home a well kept and pleasant place to bring your little toddler up in.

Please take all this on board as being constructive. You are really nice people and I have enjoyed knowing you.

I put your key back through the door yesterday I hope you have found it . If I can be of any help please let me know.


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I'm just confused at this. It sounds like we're disgusting pigs but we are just a real tired couple with a small child. AIBU?

[BoGrainger]

Of course it was helpful! Op now knows that not all cleaners want to clear up detritus and will explain to the next one exactly what's expected and what state the house will generally be in when they arrive.

[MrsCampbellBlack]

Well I've had quite a few cleaners over the years due to house moves and every single one has tidied up - it wouldn't occur to me that this would be an issue for a cleaner because it just generally isn't.

The email was not designed to be helpful it was designed to make the OP feel bad.

[OneEpisode]

By the way, a person with a penis can also tidy & can also clean.
OP, either you or your dh could hire the cleaner, & if you decide to clear the decks before they visit, this could be done by either or both.

[thebakerwithboobs]

I haven't read every response but I'm sure I will be repeating someone else. Don't worry about the email, which is rude and unnecessary, just advertise for another cleaner who doesn't mind doing the picking up-you may get less actual cleaning from them if you pay for the same amount of time IYSWIM but most cleaners don't mind doing the 'extra' stuff, as long as they know to expect it. You said that when the contract started you didn't have a baby? So perhaps these owners remembered your house as it was when they first came to see it and allocate you cleaners and then made a direct comparison and felt you were taking advantage? I don't know. Regardless, find a cleaner, pay them to be in your house for X amount of time, and explain that sometimes they'll find it pretty messy.

All of that said, some of these jobs, like clearing cereal bowls and so on, take seconds. Perhaps you could start to tackle just a couple of these weekly to get yourself into a routine of seeing it? I say seeing it because sometimes it's easy when you live a certain way to stop seeing it for what it is?

[OnionKnight]

I don't think that the email was rude, sounds like she was telling it like it is.

Dried food on the settee etc makes me think that the cleaner has a point, you can't polish a turd.

[llhj]

Unbelievable. They are totally unprofessional. I'd send them a sharp email asking for the money they owe you Asap.
Some people are so ridiculous, they are totally in the wrong. Unless you're leaving human waste around, it's their job to deal with it. They've done it or supervised it for 7 years! You sound a bit soft tbh. That's top whack you're paying too. You've nowt to apologise for.

[Iwantagoonthetrampoline]

You are both a bit unreasonable. I don't see the point in wiping down/ hoovering befor the cleaner comes, but house should be tidied with floors and surfaces cleared for them to be able to clean. Dirty washing on the floor and dirty dishes out is not on. Have they tried to raise this more tactfully with you before? If not quite a rude email, but maybe you should bear their honesty in mind when you manage to find a new cleaner.

[Purplebluebird]

I have both been a domestic cleaner, and employed a domestic cleaner. My number 1 thing is that a house should be tidy ish when I come to clean, or when my cleaner comes to clean. This means, toys put away, washing put in basket and dishes at least stacked up "neatly". I would not expect to do these things when I get to a job. Also a cleaner imo should not have to do the dishes for example, unless specified in the contract. My cleaner did hoover, cleaning of floors (wooden), dusting of surfaces, cleaning bathroom and shower etc, and occasionally the kitchen cupboard doors if they've got a bit messy. Windows will be cleaned on occasion when asked for, same pulling forward the sofa to hoover/clean under it. This has been both my set up as a domestic cleaner in my "main" house (when I was much younger), and also the set up when I employed a cleaner myself. I cleaned for a short while in a messy house, and it got boring pretty quickly. I was very happy when the woman moved to a different town and no longer needed me, as it was just frustrating to come to such mess. I would not bother hoovering before the cleaner comes though!

[DanglyEarOrnaments]

We are a cleaning company and it is written within our terms with regard to 'preparation of the home on cleaning day' that the house needs to be picked up with clutter and valuables stored away to avoid confusion.

If the scope of the work is discussed with me at the initial consultation and I can factor into the price the help with picking up the house before it is to be cleaned then the additional labour is paid for and included within the price I've set.

If however we just find the state of the house gradually deteriorating then the job becomes no longer viable for our business.

Having said that, I find that email to be very unprofessional and would never shame a client like that, we would simply part ways kindly without giving a reason if a house was too cluttered to clean within the time-frame paid for.

There is so much demand for cleaning services that even as a growing company you can choose who to work for but in the interests of professional conduct you don't tell clients they are super-messy! They should not have done that at all IMO. I agree that any arrangement has to continue to suit both parties but nobody needs to be rude upon parting ways.

[OnionKnight]

I don't think it is a cleaner's job to put dirty washing in the wash basket, to wipe dried food stains off a settee or to wash up dirty plates and cutlery etc, sure some might do it but I completely understand why some don't.

How can a cleaner be expected to hoover or to clean the kitchen worktop etc if there''s dirty stuff covering it.

I presume that the OP and her DH have functioning limbs? It sounds like they need a maid rather than a cleaner.

[Sooverthis]

1 died. nothing to do with us

[Chrisinthemorning]

We have a cleaner and a small child. We always tidy up for the cleaners, they do a great job but they can only clean well if it's tidy. So if your house is very untidy for your cleaners YABU.
The email is a bit rude though.

[Idefix]

I don't think the email sounds rude op just very factual, you don't seem to dispute that this is how the cleaners have found your house.
We always remove the clutter so the cleaner can clean not tidy - including for example emptying the shower cubicle of shampoo etc.

If you have a spare room I would recommend an au pair. Ours stayed with us for 3.5 yrs and was fantastic. She was a fantastic addition to our family, filled our childcare gaps and our house was pristine. I was on my own with 2 dc and shift work.

I can't imagine how you are managing nightshifts and toddler care, and not surprised that you might be feeling depressed

[purplefizz26]

My DH and I are a busy working couple with a messy toddler.

We don't have a cleaner, we do it all ourselves. Our house is always clean and reasonably tidy, toddler has toys out everywhere during the day but tidied away if we're out or at bedtime.

There is no excuse for food stuck to the sofa, laundry left on the floor, food left in bowls... That is lazy and grim.

[BalloonSlayer]

You pay them for 4 hours a week, and you try and clean up and hoover before they arrive?

One week they do it all in one hour instead of two - it can't have been that bad.

They complain about cleaning dried food off the sofas - isn't that er cleaning?

[Psychomumsucks]

Did i say they could ctiticise and give advice about laziness?

[Inthebathprobably]

As an ex cleaner I had houses where they were really tidy before I arrived, they ended up the cleanest. And houses where they were as yours sounded. I would tidy, do the washing up, put on washing and hang it out, wash the baby bottles out and put in steriliser etc. And then clean and even though the result was still of a very high standard obviously in a 2 hour clean it wasn't as deep.

But in 4 hours a week your house should end up amazing.

They clearly don't want the work, find someone who does.

Don't Hoover before they come but clear as much floor as you can even if it's into a pile in a corner and tell cleaner to ignore. Or when employing someone say that you realise you're messy but in the 2 hours they are to do as much work as possible.

I could clean a 4 bed 3 bathroom including tidying in 2 hours. To an immaculate standard.

But then all my clients said they would never be able to replace me polishes halo

[StealthPolarBear]

So they have sooooo much to do they can leave an hour early? Bollocks

[StealthPolarBear]

Also interesting that none if the actual cleaners who have replied think it sounds too bad

[Fleck]

This makes me nervous! We have a cleaner starting next week and goodness knows what they are going to think of us now. As a precious poster said, there's not much point of a cleaner if you have to get the place practically pristine beforehand! I will try and make sure there's not too much clutter, but a couple of cereal bowls?? All they have to do is put them in the sink/ to the side. I think the email was very rude indeed, no need at all for them to go into that detail. I find a pp's assertion that they would be too embarrassed to post this on an anonymous forum hilarious! Because having a tidy house is the epitome of a good woman, right