Am I being too picky with the standard of cleaning by my cleaner?

[Crazyladee]

If recently taken on a cleaner. She was a recommendation from a friend. She's coming for two hours a week and we've discussed the rooms I'd like cleaning each week.
This is cleaning a smallish main bathroom, a tiny ensuite and a downstairs loo. I've also asked her to dust the lounge, hoover the stairs and wipe over the two leather two seater settees.

She told me from the start she doesn't provide her own cleaning products and cloths. Or strip/make up beds. I was a bit disappointed in this as the reason why we decided to get a cleaner was I'm due to have a knee operation soon and will struggle doing the beds. I thought id give her a try anyway and maybe further down the line she might change her mind or we could come to an agreement about it.

She's a lovely little japanese lady and I've noticed she struggles to understand what product to use on what. The first week I showed her where I keep all my cleaning products and cloths and left her to it.
I love accumulating cleaning stuff and have tonnes of really good branded cleaning products but was taken aback when I noticed she was using an anti bacterial multi purpose spray in the lounge on all my wooden furniture and fireplace.
When I saw her start tackling the leather sofas I quickly stopped her and ran and got my leather cleaning product and explained to use that on the sofa. She agreed and off she went. It's the kind of product that a little goes a long way plus you have to buff afterwards.
She's made a bit of a mess as I've realised after she went she's used tonnes of the stuff and not buffed so the sofas have got drip/spray marks on the sofas and look like they're covered in grease. So I've had to go over them myself after she left.
I've also noticed she's not done a thorough clean in the bathroom. A glass shelf where all our toothbrushes are kept which gets full of toothpaste has not been cleaned plus the hinges of the toilet seat are still dirty.
What she does love doing though are making things pretty such as she puts little bows and foldy things on all our toilet rolls which are nice but id sooner her give the place a deeper clean.
It's difficult to explain things to her due to the language barrier but she's so nice it's difficult to fire her off. This week she came round with a load of japanese food that she'd cooked for us which was lovely. She's also a little cheaper than other cleaners in the area too. Am I being too picky?

I would hire someone else tbh OP. She doesn’t sound great.

The best thing about having a cleaner is having my bed freshly made. And all the cleaners I've had have done it without me needing to make a special request.

But basically your cleaner doesn't know how to clean, and that's an issue. Using the wrong product, or the right one wrongly, could ruin stuff.

I'd get another.

Could you print off and stick pictures on the cleaning products so she knows what to use it on. Or google translate?

I'm disabled. My cleaner re-makes the beds, I strip them. Not that unusual and I find stripping far easier as not grappling with tucking in sheets and filling duvet covers.

God I hope she's insured if she's using the wrong products on people's furniture!

Our cleaners occasionally do beds but it’s not part of what they do every week. If I’ve a houseful, they’ll come and do an extra session with beds included. They’ll water the garden if we’re away too.
That said, mainly they clean rather than housekeep. They’ll hoover the dogs beds but I cannot imagine them polishing a leather sofa. I didn’t even realise it was a thing. We’ve two ancient leather library chairs that I don’t recall ever cleaning. They get waxed about every two years when they look a bit dry.
I think it takes time to build a relationship that works and following them around telling them they’re doing everything wrong won’t help with that.

sack. Useless cleaner.

My cleaner tidies our beds so this isn’t an unreasonable request. Sounds like your cleaner isn’t a good fit- time to look for someone else.

I would cut your losses, it will never get better. I say this because someone who uses antibac spray on wood hasn't a clue.

My elderly parents desperately needed a cleaner and insisted on this local woman. What really needed doing was all the toilets, bathrooms and kitchen sink cleaning. That was priority.

When I went down after the first clean, my DM said 'look how shiny Joan has got the finger plates on the doors!' She had done nothing to the bathrooms or kitchen at all, just cleaned the finger plates on the doors. This went on for weeks, my DM wouldn't let me speak to her. She ended up having coffee with my DM for half an hour and pushed the hoover around, and did nothing else. I ended up cleaning their house!

OP strike while the iron is hot, this will not get better.

I don't think she sounds like a great cleaner.
If you want to give her another chance then spend some time with her showing her which product to use for what (stick pictures on the bottles if the language barrier is a problem). Also point things out like the glass shelf and toilet hinges. Tell her she should clean rather than make things look pretty with bows etc.
If the standard then still isn't up to what you expect, then find someone else.

If you need the beds making and she won't then find someone who will.

How do you expect her to do beds as well as all the rest in 2 hours ?

OP if she's a nice lady and comes recommended by a friend, I'd give her more time to adapt to your needs. We had a cleaner who didn't speak English and I made 3 separate buckets (lounge, bathroom, kitchen) with each containing the right products/wipes/sponges. Worked a treat. Maybe you could try this or like someone else mentioned, label the cleaning products with drawings/translations? If the bed making really is a deal breaker for you, then maybe you should find someone else.

Make a list in order of what you want done .
Also label products as above .
Willingness and attitude are more important than laziness and shifty fingers .

2 hours a week isn't much for doing the leather stuff. I'd say that's an occasional bigger job and that would require extra negotiation, time, say once a month.

You need to make a list of what you want done, how long it would reasonably take (and which special products you want used)
Then go through with your cleaner (or a new potential one) showing how you want it done. And then the cleaner will give a price, based on which of the jobs you have listed they will do.

Everyone's happy.

How do you expect her to do beds as well as all the rest in 2 hours ?

It takes five minutes to change a bed. She could use some of the time she’s spending on fripperies.

Part company now.

You're not a good fit for each other, and she's already said she doesn't want to make beds, which will be high on your list once you've had the operation.

I'm disabled and have been reduced to tears on several occasions by a cleaner – also recommended by a friend – who wanted to waft around doing her own and ignoring the list of Must Dos. She'd smile, nod, and agree... then bugger off and do what the heck she liked. She also "didn't see dirt".

All my cleaners have made the bed for me. I ask up front, and if they're not happy to do that and other assistance jobs round the house, we don't go any further. It's absolutely fine for someone to draw that line for themselves; it just means they're not for me.

(Although this was yet another of the things Avoidant Cleaner smiled, agreed to... and then tried to avoid actually doing. She was sly and manipulative about it, too, and exhausting to manage.)

It takes five minutes to change a bed

Really ? I suppose it depends

Rousette, "Joan" sounds a lot like Avoidant Cleaner.

She basically came to the house to chat and play with the things she enjoyed.

She even knew I was on disability benefits and money was very tight, and that I couldn't do things for myself. Made no difference.

Are cleaners supposed to strip beds and clean leather sofas?

People on MN are so weird about "what cleaners do/n't do" Why wouldn't they strip beds or clean sofas? They are paid to do housework. Anything that falls under "housework" is fair game. If they have jobs they prefer not to do, or the amount of work expected of them in the time they're paid to work is unreasonable, they say so. If the client wants to pay them for an extra hour a week to fold their fitted sheets into swans, and the cleaner's happy to do it, then have at it.

Really ? I suppose it depends hmm

What does it depend on? Remove old linen, replace with clean, it takes five minutes in this house, less for a single bed.

Cleaners can do whatever you are seeking in a cleaner. I've been a cleaner- if someone wants me to strip a bed, I'd strip a bed. If someone's not willing (bizarrely!) to do what the employer needs, (and you particularly needed the bed stripping thing) the employer can just employ someone who will do it (which would be most cleaners if you want them to) from the start. The only thing I personally wouldn't do again is ironing- just because I'm shit at it, the results aren't good, and it takes me hours. People who are confident and competent at ironing might well do it- what I'm saying is just that different people are happy to do different things, and you could easily find someone prepared to strip a bed.. You can call it a 'housekeeper' I suppose, if you want to be sure someone will strip a bed.

Her work doesn't sound good- it doesn't do what you asked her to do, even if she does prettify stuff and is nice.

Get someone who will do what you need, and who will actually do what she's employed to do.

If people are implying there's some shame in having a cleaner, there's really not if that's what you need and want, especially as you have an operation coming up, or that you work.

Just say to her that you can't afford or don't need a cleaner anymore, and then try a new one. Best wishes xxxxx

If you have specialist cleaning stuff for certain items I think its reasonable to have to explain which to use and how to use. Give time to adapt.

'tiny ensuite' presumably still means a loo and basin so three sets of white stuff to clean.

if the furniture is the main sticking point then it shouldn't take long to show her what to use and how to use it, then give it time to settle in

Maybe you have too many products - this can be confusing. Give her access to just the 3 she might need and give her a demo on how to use the leather cleaner. I am sure she can understand more than you think and I imagine she wants to do a good job but you need to show her what your idea of a good job is.

Give a demo on the shelves and loo and point out what you need cleaning. Show her the dirt.

Don't get shot of her before showing her what you want. That is unfair she is not a mind reader.

You specifically need someone to change the beds and she's not going to do that. And that should be the end of any further thought on the issue.

Gosh, changing the beds would be my main request! Years ago when I was floored by a difficult pregnancy I had a ex-prisoner cleaner from an agency. Boy, she was fantastic . The large spider's web tattoo on her forehead had me a bit at first but I immediately got past this when I saw her change a bed and wield a vacuum cleaner - marvellous. Most unfortunately she didn't come again (I hope things turned out all right for her...). I also had the awkward situation of this agency sending a person with SN. I tolerated the fact that she spend most of the time "tidying" ds's Lego, but when she cleaned the kettle with bleach . I felt too bad mentioning it to the agency and just said that I didn't need cleaners any more.