To expect my cleaner to do a bit more, erm, cleaning?!

[BeGentleImNew]

Opinions please! And I know this is v first world problems, and petty, but I need to know if I'm being a mug here! We have a standard sized four bedroom house, and a cleaner who comes once a week for three hours. Costs £12.50 an hour. There is zero tidying to do i.e. she doesn't have to work round any clutter, move lots of trinkets to dust, etc etc. It's a pretty clear space. However, on days that she's been, the house really doesn't look a great deal different... she hoovers, and mops the floors, the bathrooms must have been cleaned as stuff has moved slightly, but the taps aren't shiny and the few bottles that are in there aren't put back nicely. Ditto for the lounge, she doesn't Hoover under things or straighten up the throws for example. Trying to be fair, I don't think I could clean my whole house in three hours perfectly, but I could certainly do a lot more than the floors and a bit of dusting. Am I expecting too much for the time and price?

I do a big 4 bed for 4 hrs every week.

Empty all bins into main bin
Collect cups/Crockery and put dishwasher on
Strip main beds and put sheets in to wash
En suite bathroom, scrubbed/bleached and buffed
Family bathroom, scrubbed/bleached and buffed
Straighten up upstairs rooms (shoes/clothes/cushions)

Hoover upstairs
Dust upstairs

Kitchen. Sides cleared and bleached
Cupboard doors wiped down.
Wipe over appliances
Clean downstairs toilet/sink

Hoover kitchen, two main living rooms, study and den room.

Dust downstairs

Hoover stairs

Hang up bedding to dry

Mop all floors (no carpet)

Wipe down front door

Thanks so much for that @Presstheresetbutton you sound fantastic! Good to know what can be achieved in four hours. Food for thought

In 2hrs mine cleans 2 bathrooms and cloakroom, hoovers (and lightly tidies) 3 beds and 2 living rooms, mops kitchen and hallway. If it was 3hrs I'd expect dusting too.
She leaves cushions plumped and shampoos in size order.
I love her.

In 3 hours mine does 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 3 reception rooms, utility room and kitchen. She doesn't change bedding and the house is tidy but you cam absolutely tell she's been! The house looks immaculate

Mine has 5 hours at 12.50 p h
Small 2 bedroom house. She does all the normal stuff as well as changing the beds and a small pile of ironing. In truth i wish she would clean out the fridge or wipe down the cupboards or something sometimes - instead I think she spends a lot of time on the phone or smoking in the garden, but somehow we've got into a situation where this is normal. I like her too much to do anything about it.

I have a large 5 bed house. The cleaner(s) come for 2 1/2 hours once a week (half it is two of them).

They do all dusting, hoovering, mopping. Wipe down kitchen, shine taps, cooker surface, cupboard doors wiped if needed.

Cloakroom and two bathrooms done thoroughly.

Will help me to change the sheets of one bedroom per week (although with a bit of eye rolling).

Randomly will refuse to straighten duvets on beds. I don't really understand the bed issue, but otherwise good. £12 per hour

Sounds like she is is wiping over and doing a top clean. My cleaner does a deep clean in my 3 bed every week. This includes skirtings, paintwork tiles etc. The house glows after she has been. I would employ somebody else and be specific on exactly what standard you want.

In 20 years I have only had to sack one cleaner. I gave her two chances, but she does did not get it.

I've been ill so I had a once off clean done last week. 3 hours, she dusted, hoovered mopped, cleaned the bathroom wiped kitchen cupboards and the bins and washed the downstairs windows.

In 2 hours, my cleaner hoovers a 3 bed house (including stairs), mops all of downstairs plus bathroom floor, cleans bath/shower/loo/sink, cleans downstairs toilet and sink, does light dusting without actually moving objects around.

She straightens beds if they're not made brilliantly and puts cushions just right before she goes. Oh, and most of the tinkle she will clean kitchen sink and draining board too.

Most of the TIME, there's no tinkling!

Thanks everyone, very helpful! I want to be realistic, and give her the benefit of the doubt, so this all helps. I will try and explain specific things I want doing, and see what she says. Ta! Xxx

I would give a list by room, it is much fairer on the cleaner. For my cleaner who did not perform well I noticed how few cloths she used. I gave her a very specific list to work with.

For example 'clean all surfaces using appropriate products' is too vague. So the list included
Wash all paintwork, ledges and skirtimgs with detergent.
Polish living room furniture with....
Also specified using particular limescale products in the bathroom, what to use on the windows. I added In that hard to reach areas, under sinks, behind doors etc where cleaned thoroughly.
Previously she had used one microfibre cloth dry just to dust everything.

I don't think a good cleaner should need to be told this things, but I wanted to give her the opportunity to keep her job.

You're paying top whack so you should get a top service. I had to let a cleaner go recently as she was sooo slow, didn't know what products to use etc and, as she spoke no English, I couldn't explain. She was sweet and reliable but I couldn't keep it up

Personally I'd sack her and get another one.

The key thing is that you're not seeing much of a difference after she has been in. If the house is tidy, then 3 hours should be enough. Unless of course you are one of these odd people who clean the day before the cleaner arrives. Then there will be noticeable difference.

You shouldn't have to give a cleaner a blow by blow specific list u less you are particularly. Interested about exactly what product to use on what surfaces.

It's their job. Cleaners should be better st cleaning than I am!

You should not have to, but it is easier to try to get the existing one to improve than go to the faff of finding a new one. I do think that one chance only should be the rule.