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?

"Joan" sounds a lot like Avoidant Cleaner.

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

Yes! I couldn't get over how little she managed to do in 2 hours. Nothing that would avoid 'tackling' something. Just feather duster cleaning. Anyone can waft around with a feather duster!

As far as all those saying stick pretty pictures on bottles and have buckets made up for each room with the right cleaning products... sorry but I could not be ARSED with this. You are paying for a service, this is not a favour to a friend to keep them amused.

I want someone to hit the ground running when they clean, to bustle around, getting on with it.

Never heard of a cleaner who refuses to change bed linen...

I do think that 2 hours is not long enough though

I don't understand why people are saying there are too many products. She's a cleaner. How challenging is it to figure out that you don't use toilet duck on windows and stainless steel cleaner on sofa? The products probably have big pictures on the bottles to help to identify what is what.

Get rid. She's not the cleaner you're looking for.

I would get rid of her and hire someone else. That's not on.

Had a similar issue, hired a cleaner for 2 hours every 2 weeks. On the first day she claimed she had spent 2 hours deep cleaning the bathroom. What a laugh.

I would not want a cleaner to change my bedding! It just seems too personal for me. I want cleaning done, not housework and laundry

Who recommended her?

I would expect a cleaner to know what products To use

Some change beds

Ask for what you want when you meet a cleaner. If not what you want then don’t use them

I would not want a cleaner to change my bedding! It just seems too personal for me

You never stay in hotels or holiday cottages then?

There's no need to put up with all this faff. Get a cleaner who does the jobs you want, does them well and is totally trustworthy. Pay them a decent wage for doing a good job, because they would deserve it. Think about it; do you want to do your own beds, spend hours making special labels for products and training someone in how to clean - OR, pay a couple of £ more per hour for someone who turns up and does the full job properly?

I would not want a cleaner to change my bedding!

Um, OK then. OP does though.

You’re absolutely not suited. You need someone to: clean your house and strip your beds. She: doesn’t do beds and would rather beautify things than really deep-clean. No, I don’t think it can work. End of. It doesn’t matter how nice she is. And I suspect she knows that, which is why she was so nice last time and brought you Japanese food. And yes, there are plenty of cleaners who will strip and change beds. In a few of the areas I’ve lived in, a lot of the clientele for cleaners were elderly people who could no longer make beds, so it would have been pointless to have a cleaner who didn’t do beds. I would definitely get one who will take care of the things you need before you have your surgery.

You never stay in hotels or holiday cottages then?

Totally different. I know my cleaner personally. A hotel or holiday cottage is a one off where I'd never meet the cleaners.

Um, OK then. OP does though

Just expressing an opinion, that's what a forum is about.

I didnt realise cleaners aren't suppose to strip beds

All the ones I have ever used strip and make beds. As do all my friends.

Contrary to what's said on Mumsnet there aren't actually any official 'cleaners' rules. The only thing that matters is what you and your cleaner decide together. Lack of communication is the biggest problem people seem to have with cleaners.

My current cleaner has been working for me for ten years. She is really lovely. If I want her to do something different then I ask her. It's not complicated.

OP I'd get a new cleaner.

Slight derail, but the posters that are cleaners what are the essential what products do you use?

I tired this morning using a kitchen spray with bleach in the shower and it still looks just as grubby as it did before. It's mainly slightly pinkish grout ( mould ?) and the shower tray. I used a rough sided sponge too and just it some elbow. I usually use an antibacterial bathroom cleaner Tescos own one and have even tried to tooth brush the grout. I did find vingear once every month works on the limescale build up on the tray but not the yellow / pinkish staining. The room is an en-suite with no window, it's only 3 years old.

You can try a mixture of bicarbonate of soda and white vinegar (ie not the fish and chips kind!) mixed into a paste and left on for a few hours. This somewhat worked on my shower grout, but I think in some areas it's just impossible to deal with.

I think I may have found the answer in that they now do coloured grout so I chose brown for the new bathroom. It'll probably still get as manky as ever but hopefully not show so badly now!

I want cleaning done, not housework and laundry

That's the first time I've ever seen "cleaning", "housework" and "laundry" classed as three separate activities! Surely cleaning and laundry are housework?

I've tried to resist to avoid derailing the thread and I can't, sorry OP.

@Roussette - what happens to your sheets that you don't want someone else to change them?

Nothing happens to my sheets! I just couldn't imagine asking a cleaner to strip the bed and change it, it's something I do.

Cleaning/housework/laundry - just my way of putting it. Yes they probably are all housework

I would give her a written detailed list of what exactly you want done in each room and which product should be used.

The first week I would start off each room with her then leave her to it.

If showing her and writing down exactly what you want and she still doesn’t do it then I’d give her the boot.

If her English isn’t great writing lists and physically showing her might help.

@Roussette- but why such a strong reaction that you "can't imagine it"? What about cleaning the toilet and shower, vacuuming, dusting, ironing clothes... What makes changing the bed so sensitive?

You need to find someone who will strip beds if that’s what you need.

She’s not being unreasonable it’s a service she says she doesn’t provide, fine, find someone who will.

I’m always really clear on what product where using google translate sometimes. If we need to talk we both use that.

MRex Sensitive is too strong a word. I'm the least sensitive person around , I would just prefer to do it myself and think that there are far more pressing cleaning jobs to be done in my house. Cleaning stuff. Changing bedding is up there with polishing silver and being more of a housekeeper than a cleaner AFAIC.
Just my opinion.

I wouldn't carry on with her myself. A cleaner really should know how to clean and which products to use. It's standard to offer changing bedding as well.

I’ve never had beds changed and wouldn’t expect it but find a cleaner who will provide what you need.

I had a similar problem with a cleaner! We became friends and it was harder to tell her when I was unhappy with the cleaning. She also used fairy liquid (?!) with water on surfaces! She damaged our tv stand, broke our hoover (and hid the evidence) and didn't do a proper clean for months. Just making things look pretty. I began to resent her and in the end let her go. You should be upfront from the start, explain what products to use where, and show her when bits haven't been cleaned properly. You can still do this in a nice way! Give her a month then decide!