To tell the cleaner what I really think of her attempt at cleaning my house

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My regular cleaner is on holiday for three weeks and was unable to provide me with a replacement. No problem, I love her and have no issue with her having a holiday etc.

I asked around for recommendations for someone who could do a couple of cleans over Xmas, got given the name of a fellow nursery mum by the nursery manager, she's looking for any domestic work. I know and trust the nursery manager so sent this woman a message, she came round to visit bla bla we agreed she'd clean for me today for 3 hours at £11 ph.

She came round today and slightly missed the mark. Every toy in the living room she picked up and brought to me in the kitchen to ask where to put it. Each time I told her, as I'd said at the look around the day before, and when she arrived, to put them ALL on the playmat and ignore the whole thing. She must have asked about 20 different toys, also a baby sock, a pen, a piece of paper... I repeatedly asked her to just tidy stuff on the coffee table i to a neat pile and ignore it. She repeatedly ignored what I'd said.

Then she had to ask me how to work the hoover including how to turn it on. It's a Miele, so simple. Plug it in and press the on button?!

Then the bits she left! Bloody great muddy footprints by the back door. When I looked round at the end nothing was wet, no sink, no shower tray, no shower screen, no floor which shed supposedly mopped. I think she sprayed cleaner onto a cloth and rubbed about a quarter of the areas to clean, and left the rest.

There are bits of dried toothpaste in the sink, both shower trays and screens are grubby. She didn't put the hoover or mop away, left the wet cloths hung on a peg next to a socket? She didn't tidy any of the stuff on the bedside tables. And she didn't empty any bins.

She said if there was anything I wasn't satisfied with to let her know for next time. I was her first cleaning gig so I guess maybe she didn't know things like tidying bedside tables?

I really don't want to give her a list of what she did wrong though. I'm too British. AIBU to just mumble it was fine and never have her back? It was only going to be this and next week anyway, then my normal cleaner returns in Jan. Or should I do a community service and make us both really uncomfortable to give her some honest feedback on how to do a better job for next time?

Its a small nursery and I don't want to have to see her for the next 4 years and feel awkward

Thanks for the views re feedback. I think I'll just leave it.

I don't clean my own house because I hate cleaning and am not very good at it. And I earn good money so like to spend it paying someone else to do something I dislike. Why wouldn't I do this? I get so little free time that it would be silly spending it cleaning when I have enough money to pay someone else to do it.

I love cooking so spend a lot of my own time eg making stock, pasta, bread, things a lot of people don't do themselves. I wouldn't dream of calling someone lazy for buying sheets of lasagne.

To clarify re 20 toys vs couple of dollies. The 20 (poss a slight exaggeration) includes a couple of pens, two doorstops which were in use under doors, whiteboard and to do list left in a side table, the baby wipes which were on a changing mat (I thought this was really weird), so not just toys at all. Also quite a few things had spilled just off the playmat and needed literally nudging back on, as I'd specified repeatedly.

Thanks tons for views anyway, very interesting

OP ignore the jealous people asking why you can't clean your own house. I could. I don't want to, and I can pay someone else.
Did you sit down with your cleaner and say what you wanted and expected (and what they expect)? It's definitely worth it.

OP, you don't have to justify not tidying your house or cleaning it. If you are paying for a service, you are entitled to specify what comes within the service.

There are certain standards for cleaning if the tasks it encompasses differs based on time and preference, but this cleaner is not even meeting the base line standard.

If you give her feedback, it will be as a favour to her. For the sake of nursery harmony, I agree that you should just leave it and not give detailed feedback because it would be crushing as she is so far off the mark it is not funny. I agree with others she has probably never done cleaning for herself.

A cleaner needs an eye for detail. That she does not have. She should find another job. But that is not your problem.

Does she want to set up a business as a cleaner? You might be doing her a disservice by not giving constructive feedback. Also, it could be awkward if she requests a reference. I'd ask her to return and be honest about your expectations.

She does sound lacking in either common sense or perhaps a severe lack of confidence (?) You don't need experience, surely cleaning her own house is experience enough? I've worked as a cleaner- It's not difficult, just hard work and at least some initiative is required!

If you have her back I think a detailed list of exactly what to do in each room is needed. Leave out the relevant cleaning materials. She needs handholding I think.
Alternatively, give her ironing to do for her allotted time? That will free up your own time for cleaning.

It's awkward to give negative feedback when you have to see her regularly at nursery pick up. You can hint that you wanted a more thorough clean and your cleaner works much faster..

At least she's temporary!

Why is everyone being so arsey?!

If you want a cleaner, that's your business op, whether you work from home, or sit on your arse, doesn't matter.

As for tidying before she can clean, that's also up to you, knowing of course that it'll take significantly longer.

Tidy round, and make her a detailed list, if it's still not right next time, make up an excuse to cancel time after, your usual cleaner should be back by then.

OP, do you have any sense whether she thinks she did a good job? Is she genuinely looking to improve and do this professionally, or is her asking for feedback just a superficial knee-jerk thing she said in passing.

Some people are inherently better at cleaning than others. My aupairs help me out with cleaning that makes me the devil incarnate on mn Hence I have a front row seat at observing unskilled people clean. You have to be anal to be good at it otherwise standards tend to slip over time. It is almost a personality thing whether a person is good at it, though the skill can be taught if someone is willing to learn.

as the context is OP complaining that her house is not as clean as she likes, asking why she can't clean it is a pertinent question.

No. It isn't.

She obviously wants someone to clean for her, hence her employing a cleaner. Her actual question was how to handle the bad cleaning done by a temp cleaner. Are you really that hard of thinking, or do you have some kind of ideological objection to people employing someone to clean?

It is not a pertinent question. There is no point paying someone to clean if you have to top up the cleaning yourself because that someone did not do a good job within the allotted time.

Is it possible it was made a bit awkward by you being in the house while she was there?
Next time can you go out then she'll have to crack on without you?
I have a few friends who have cleaners, sometimes they are up until 1am tidying the night before the cleaner is due!

Sorry I think YABU. Before my cleaner arrives I ensure that all surfaces are clear and everything is tidied away. Apart from it not being a cleaner's job to tidy up, it obviously reduces the time she actually spends doing what you pay her for - to clean.

parasite yes, I do have an ideological objection. I think everyone should clean up their own shit in life, both literally and metaphorically. With the obvious exception of those who are actually unable to.

Do you not pay anyone to do anything you could do yourself then wisterical ?

No online shop? Window cleaner? Car washer? Nothing?

@Wisterical by your logic, then everyone should drive themselves to the airport and go and collect their own food shopping. In fact bugger that, they should be growing it themselves.

You don't need to justify having a cleaner. Jesus.

Anyway, I have given up having temps over when my usual cleaner is away. They are unfamiliar with your house and what needs doing and seem to get much less done, it's just not worth it.

She sounds inexperienced and maybe not a good cleaner. If you need to see her around though I'd just say you've decided to not have a clean next week then your usual cleaner will be back.

bastard, pickachew That's conflation. I said we should clear up our own shit, which is an easy (if boring and unpleasant ) task, not that we should learn every skill/trade in the world.

Of course it's ok to hire/employ other people but I object to the idea that some people leave crumbs, smears, dirty linen, whatever around their own living space and just think oh it's okay I'll pay someone else to clean that up (but of course I won't give them holiday or sickness pay, or pension contribution).

Is there nothing you wouldn't pay someone else to do?

Crumbs and smears? Heaven forbid..

I know delatron just give it a wipe. Or don't. But to think someone else should wipe it for you, jeez

You paid her £33 though. £33.

Did you pay her for the pre visit?

When I had a cleaner I tidied up as it made it easier for her to actually clean.

£33..

It is not just crumbs and smears - those are drops in the ocean of cleaning. Your standards of cleaning sounds pretty low if that is all you can come up with.

blueshoes yeah I'm not the best but at least I do clean up after myself.

She doesn't sound great. But cleaners can't be expected to tidy things away if they don't know where to put them. But bit annoying she kept asking you every time. Agree with poster who says you leave surfaces clear for cleaners to clean. Like bedside tables. You can't leave loads of personal stuff on surfaces and expect them to be cleaned.

So faults on both sides I'd say. Muddy footprints should have been cleaned though.

Wisterical your low cleaning standards don't work for a lot of people and hence others pay for professional help to clean. Cleaning is not just wiping up a few crumbs. Done properly, it is an art and skill and worth the money. Some people, most likely OP's temp cleaner, just do not see dirt and mess. If you prefer to wallow, that is your choice.

OP, could you book a couple of “one off” cleans through a website like Helping to tide you over until your regular cleaner is back?

Seriously blueshoes, housework is an art?! No, cleaning shit smears off your loo, dust from the skirting boards, grease off the cooker, cobwebs from the corners, pet hairs from the sofa, hoovering up pine needles, changing sweaty sheets - they are just menial tasks that most of us can do and to expect another person on a zero hours contract with no employment rights or benefits to do it for you is disgraceful. Even more offensive when coupled with patronising declarations of how much you 'love' your cleaner.