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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Useless cleaner but member of the family

8 replies

Superiorsweet16 · 08/10/2019 19:16

I've recently moved in with my partner and his cleaner is an extended member of his family. I've known my partner for donkeys years as well as this member of the family.

She is a lovely person, but absolutely crap at cleaning and over stepping the boundaries.

For example, I will regularly mop the floors throughout the week, when she'll come in she'll also mop the floors but won't scrub them. Therefore right now we need to scrub the floors as dirt gets in the nuts and crannies which obviously hasn't been done in years. Apart from polishing everything she does over the four hours she does once I week I'll probably do in an hour a few times a week. I'm not a clean freak by any means but I'm not a slob either.

Another example, my partner cooked us both breakfast and we both cleaned the kitchen afterwards (including hob/sides/dishes/sink/floors etc) - mixture had gone down the cabinets so then wiped the cabinet doors down. She came in, then proceeded to 'clean' the kitchen which had obviously just been cleaned. And made a song and dance over giving it a good once over.

Yesterday I came home to all of my laundry neatly folded. She had taken my laundry basket and did the whole lot but didn't actually clean the house. She them proceeded to make jokes about my laundry to my partner. The microwave/oven/fridge/floors could have been cleaned in that time she faffed around but no, that's left for us to do. She never deep cleans a room just the basic wipe over.

It's a modest two bed house with two bathrooms.

I think she's taking him for a ride (he still pays her) and he thinks she's the best thing since sliced bread.

I'm thinking of giving her a list i.e. clean all skirting boards, clean door frames etc etc. Things that aren't done just before guests come over.

OP posts:
Digestive28 · 08/10/2019 19:17

Giving a list is a good idea, maybe she has just got stuck in a pattern

Hederex · 08/10/2019 19:37

She is probably just cleaning the way she did when it was only your DP.
Give her a list.

Drum2018 · 08/10/2019 19:48

Doesn't sound like you need a cleaner if yourself and Dh are cleaning so much. Maybe it wasn't as clean before you moved in and she may have had more to do. Why are you washing floors between her visits? With 2 of you there it can't be that dirty. Leave her a list each visit with the things you need deep cleaned and maybe leave a few dishes for her to wash, or ask her to change bed clothes.

Zebraaa · 08/10/2019 19:54

I have similar situation in my DP’s house. His cleaner misses loads of dust and stains. She just focuses on the same thing each week- laundry, putting dishwasher on, vacuuming.
However I can’t say anything because I don’t live there. If I did live there I would want to get rid of her and just clean myself.

Superiorsweet16 · 08/10/2019 21:50

@Zebraaa that's exactly it. She misses so much dust and stains - it's literally the same routine every week.

I just feel like she's not cut out for the job at all as a cleaner. I feel like she's a teenager doing the same chores as quick as possible. Im starting to feel bad for my mum as when she used to ask me to do the dishes she would then have to ask me to then wipe up the dish juice.

I'm also thinking if I have to go around with a notepad I might as well grab a cloth and do it myself which completely defeats the object.

Another example is when I asked her to clean the microwave which she did do but then didn't clean the outside.

My DP isn't going to get rid of her and im not paying so I know I've just got to let this one go.

OP posts:
crispysausagerolls · 08/10/2019 21:53

God I am so keen to know a solution. I LOVE my cleaner. She is such a great person and fantastic with my child but she is really not great at cleaning and it takes her far, far too long to do anything. 45 minutes to hoover 6 rooms. Just hoover.

saraclara · 08/10/2019 22:11

Four hours to do a two bedroomed house? My cleaner does my four* bedroomed one (well) in two hours.

*to be fair, as two of the bedrooms aren't used, she only gives them a quick hoover most weeks

SleepWarrior · 08/10/2019 22:18

Would you feel able to (both) say that you don't need a cleaner and more now that you've moved in. Or could they just do ironing and bathrooms. Something that won't end up getting some twice. That or you personally just do less. The floors and kitchen perhaps did need doing when it was just him, and she's just continued her previous setup.

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