To think it doesn't need take 2 hours to clean 4 reasonably clean and tidy rooms

[polkadotsrock]

We hired a cleaner 3 weeks ago. She explained that it may take her a few weeks to hit a routine in the house and find her stride. Fine. However, she makes a point of only doing upstairs or downstairs each week. This week my inlaws took the kids for a few days so the house was pretty clean and tidy. Still she came this morning and only managed to clean the smallish living room, dining room, kitchen and downstairs toilet (none of which were particularly desperate of a clean). And she hoovered. I can't honestly believe that took 2 hours. AIBU to text and ask her if she was here for 2 hours today? I was out when she should be here.

A thorough spring clean including skirtings polishing mirrors and windows and all cobwebs top to bottom of each room maybe ... but If she's not doing all of that - i think she may be taking advantage here !

My lovely cleaner can do 2 bathrooms a lounge, large hallway, three bedrooms and landings in the time it takes me to do the other bedroom and a bathroom, a smaller lounge and gym before we meet in the middle for a cuppa - that's usually about 2 hours in !

Everyone's definition of 'cleaning' is different.
Do you vac the middle space in the living room, or do you move all the furniture? In the kitchen, my cleaner does stuff that it had never occurred to me to do in previous 25yrs of owning my own homes . I read on here of people who do things like clean skirting boards each week. Kitchen is an absolute minefield of what you want doing.
You need to have a really good conversation about what your priorities are.
It is right that it takes a lot longer to begin with (finding where things are, even down to things like where the sockets are, etc.

Maybe I need to be more specific with her. I'll try to be here for some of her time next week and sort it out. I do feel a bit ripped off today though.