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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

my cleaner has quit - says my house is difficult to clean! embarrassed

396 replies

allaboutthatsass · 27/07/2017 22:16

So I've had a cleaner for 3 hours pw for the past year. She cleans our 3 bed detached and does our ironing. All agreed when she was hired.

Sometimes she comes alone, sometimes she comes with 2 staff (and they might finish in an hour).

She's now quit, saying my house is just too much for her. She says I have too much ironing to be done in 3 hours and that I'm not doing anything in between her visits.

I work full time as does my husband (in fact he has two jobs, a sunday is the only day I see more than an hour or two of him a day whilst awake). Our DD is 9.

I've never been houseproud, I admit, and I'm crap at ironing BUT my house is not tidy. There is zero clutter. I do my laundry daily, I make the beds, put stuff in the dishwasher, open windows for fresh air, I really try my best with the little time I have.

I'm very embarrassed that she thinks my house is too much work. My mother and sister tell me I'm a lazy shit (they are both a bit aggie and kim) but my friends say my house is a normal family house so I don't know if AIBU or my cleaner is?

I hired her to help me but seemingly my house is that bad she doesn't want the money...

we have a mutual friend and according to this friend if I want her back then she wants more money to do my house due to the amount of work she feels needs done every week. I pay £30 for 3 hours a week. I have recently had a drop in pay so not really keen on paying more.

Can anyone help me with advice on managing housework without a cleaner on such little time?

Oh and in addition to my full time job, I'm also a distance learning uni student as of September, so even less time!

OP posts:
SpottedGingham · 27/07/2017 22:18

Don't have her iron?
Give a list of taskd

SpottedGingham · 27/07/2017 22:18

Tasks

rollonthesummer · 27/07/2017 22:18

I've never been houseproud, I admit, and I'm crap at ironing BUT my house is not tidy

It's not tidy? Maybe you should tidy it?

JigglyTuff · 27/07/2017 22:19

I think expecting anyone to clean a 3 bedroom house occupied by people in 3 hours AND do stacks of ironing is too much.

My cleaner cleans my house in that time but there's only 2 of us (so one bedroom is a guest room) and she doesn't do any ironing. I also pay £15/hour.

Can you find another cleaner? And do you really need to do so much ironing?

dementedpixie · 27/07/2017 22:20

Give her less/no ironing and let her concentrate on the cleaning?

GeillisTheWitch · 27/07/2017 22:20

I don't think I could clean a whole house and do a weeks worth of ironing in 3 hours. Maybe get a new cleaner and find a separate ironing service?

FortyFacedFuckers · 27/07/2017 22:21

I think that sounds like too much maybe you could give her more hours or send out the ironing?

itstoolateforthisbollox · 27/07/2017 22:22

How can she be being unreasonable? You want her to do more in 3 hours than is possible to do, and you seem to think that a weeks worth of cleaning can vbe done in 3 hours!

VimFuego101 · 27/07/2017 22:22

You don't need to clean but you do need to tidy (as in clear surfaces and floors) otherwise she'll spend her whole time picking up and moving things instead of cleaning. 3 hours to clean a whole house plus ironing sounds like too little time to me. Can you just have her clean and send the ironing somewhere else?(or pay her for more hours)

NoncommittalToSparkleMotion · 27/07/2017 22:22

3 hours to clean a whole house and iron really isn't a lot of time.

NoncommittalToSparkleMotion · 27/07/2017 22:23

Xpost and posted too soon!

Find a new cleaner for more hours?

NapQueen · 27/07/2017 22:23

There is a difference between tidying and cleaning.

Are you expecting her to tidy and clean and iron within 3 hours per week?

Honestly, pre cleaner arriving you should - clear floors for vacuuming, clear surfaces of random paperwork and crap for dusting, put dishes away or load dishwasher, put all laundry away/dirty in the basket. You cant expect a cleaner to do this. This isnt cleaning it is tidying.

And send your ironing out if it is that important to you.

HeadDreamer · 27/07/2017 22:24

Why are you ironing? I'm crap at ironing so I don't iron. It is really that simple. How long do you think it takes you to do all that yourself? Then you can see if 3 hours is too much.

TheAntiBoop · 27/07/2017 22:24

Doesn't sound like anywhere near enough time tbh

and £10ph is a good rate

SparklyLeprechaun · 27/07/2017 22:24

It's not that your house is too dirty, but that's a lot to do in 3 hours. She's simply saying she can't do what you want her to in 3 hours, which is fair enough. My suggestion is to iron less Smile

OlennasWimple · 27/07/2017 22:24

Send your ironing to the dry cleaners if you can afford it (or just things like work shirts and fitted sheets, they're the real time-consuming buggers)

Bravas · 27/07/2017 22:25

Sounds like you need to send your ironing elsewhere and just have a cleaner to clean.

peekyboo · 27/07/2017 22:25

It sounds like there's the expectation for her to do everything needed in the timeframe you can afford rather than the time it should actually take. I bet she's been really stressed at the thought of coming and trying to get it done each week.

It's probably not that your house is too messy, more like there's just too much to do. For one woman to clean and do the ironing you'd realistically need to add another hour at least.

GinIsIn · 27/07/2017 22:25

Our cleaner cleans for 2-3 hours in a 3 bed house - not sure how there would be time for a week's worth of ironing too!

BeingMePls · 27/07/2017 22:25

How much ironing is it?

Bumdishcloths · 27/07/2017 22:27

Bit cheeky of her to complain that you're 'not doing anything between visits' as that's what she's been hired for HmmBUT it does sound like your expectations are too high for three hours work. I can clean my three bed house in three hours but I wouldn't have time for anything else like ironing.

twattymctwatterson · 27/07/2017 22:27

You're asking her to do too much. A 3 bedroom house and a weeks worth of ironing for 3 people in 3 hours?

Livedandlearned · 27/07/2017 22:28

I don't think she's bu, she's been cleaning for you for a year and has had enough. Can you send the ironing out to be done to take the pressure off your cleaner or a potential future cleaner if you choose to find someone else instead.

londonfeather · 27/07/2017 22:28

It's not enough hours - my cleaner does 5hours a week for a large two bed flat that is kept clean and tidy throughout the week. She does do some ironing but not tons. Maybe ask her how many hours she would suggest the house needs?

maudeismyfavouritepony · 27/07/2017 22:28

What ironing is she doing?

I don't iron anything, you need to be expert at low machine spins and quick removal from washing machine to a hanger Grin

Give her a lost of the top jobs, or pay more.