Do you think my cleaner should be doing more for her money

[Pennina]

We have a large four bed house and my family comprises of my husband and two teenage DCs. I have a newish cleaner who I pay £10 an hour and she comes twice a week. She is fairly new (she's been cleaning for me for about six weeks) and so far although she cleans to a very good standard she is in my opinion rather slow.

Today I was out working and left her a note asking her to spend one hour ironing, 30 minutes in the kitchen to empty dishwasher put a small load of washing on the line, wipe down surfaces and sweep the floor. The kitchen was not dirty so there was no mopping or scrubbing or anything like that needed. I also told her to spend another 30 minutes sweeping the wooden floor in the hall and lounge diner and hoovering the stairs, landing and three bedrooms that we use. The cleaning part was done fine but when I went to the spare room which we use for ironing I was disappointed to see that in one hour she had only ironed about a quarter of the basket comprising of half a dozen pillow slips two T-shirts a polo shirt and one shirt. Left in the basket was three more shirts and four duvet covers. I quite like ironing and although I'm not brilliant at it, I would've got that whole basket done in less than an hour.

So aibu to be a little disheartened about this? I'm half hoping that you will tell me that Iabu as it's so hard to find cleaners! However I can't help but feel ripped off by having to pay £10 for only quarter of a basket of ironing.

I stand braced for your views!

I avoid giving the cleaner ironing as it's a bit of a black hole time wise. I keep the cleaner on cleaning only and use an ironing service. It works better for me.

YABU and need your expectations managing pronto

If she's a decent cleaner it will take her longer and if she's relatively new she's not in her stride yet so won't just be able to do it without thinking iykwim, like you do in your own home. At work the other day my lovely boss asked me to iron two flat sheets and three pillowcases and it took me an hour! Stick with her and don't give her time limits on things just say "I would like so and so done and if you have time please do this that and the other" and she may feel less pressure and be able to get on more. I have been a cleaner before and it ALWAYS takes longer than people think to do stuff well in others houses!

She's a cleaner not a laundress.

She probably saw the duvet covers and thought sod that....there is a huge difference in ironing a shirt to a duvet cover....i wouldnt do duvet covers for any amount of money !!

Does she shove a brush up her arse and sweep as she goes along?!

Shes a cleaner,not a housekeeper.

For £10 I'd be telling you to shove your job up your backside

This^^

You're taking the piss OP. Housekeepers do laundary/ironing. Cleaners clean. A good housekeeper would charge twice/triple that of your cleaner.

I would never ask my cleaner to do ironing - that's a separate job imo.
Maybe she's rubbish at ironing and that's why it took ages?

Yanbu. Two hours is plenty of time to do the work you asked for.

You tell her how long to soend sweeping the floor?

Infact you give her times for everything?

Cleaners clean. Not iron. And if you insist on telling her howlong she should spend on each job you are limiting what she does.

I can probably wizz through my ironing pretty quickly. However It would take me longer to do someone else's. It's like you say, you aren't brilliant at it but could do it in an hour...have you not considered that you're not great at it as you aren't taking the time needed?

Wtf do you need duvet covers ironed? And why would the cleaner do it for you? They are a cleaner not an ironer

Is emptying the dishwasher and hanging your washing out usual for a cleaner?

I've never known anyone ask their cleaner to do the ironing. I think YABU, not just for being disappointed in how little she'd ironed, but for asking her to iron in the first place. Sorry!

Sorry I think YAB a little bit U. It takes me ages to iron duvet covers that's why I don't iron them anymore

Oh dear. This isn't going go well OP

When I engaged her, we agreed between us that she would also do ironing from time to time. this is the first time in six weeks that I have ever specifically asked her to do ironing. I know some people are not bothered by duvet covers being ironed but that is my choice. This is also the first time that I have set her times to do work and this is because I have noticed that if she cleans while I am not in the house things are not done, so on this occasion I thought I would be very clear. I have previously asked her if she could do a little bit of ironing if she has time and she never does have time (!) l. This time I really needed the ironing doing.

I shall not ask her to do it in future and will use an ironing service if I don't have time to do it myself.

I am a cleaner - and I iron. . For £10 an hour. . But if you told me how to manage my time you would be sweeping your own floor with the brush that I had shoved somewhere. . . Leave a detailed list of the expectations but don't micro manage the minutes!!

I am a cleaner. I take pride in doing a thorough job.

I do not iron, or empty dishwashers. (I am actually pitifully slow at ironing)

And if my clients told me how long to spend at each job, I wouldn't be cleaning for them for long. Leave her alone to get on with it, and leave a note for her wrt what you want her to be focussing on.

Oh gosh an hour ironing as well as all the other things, I don't think that's reasonable for a tenner. Ours does the toilets and sinks, kitchen (washing up & cleaning surfaces) and hoovers every room for £10.

Of course some cleaners do the ironing!

I'm cool with the criticism - I don't want tbu and if I iabu I shall stop being!