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?

Since when have cleaners been expected to change bedding?
I was a cleaner for five years during the 90’s and had scores of jobs; not one person asked me to do theirs and there’s no way I would have, I was a cleaner not a housekeeper.

Crikey, was I committing a dreadful faux pas by asking cleaners to change the beds? The reason I had a cleaner in the first place is because I physically wasn't able to manage this job.

The last time I had a cleaner she said upfront that she didn't clean bathrooms. Fair enough - I prefer to clean them myself, but for some people I imagine this would be a non-negotiable.

It strikes me that some cleaners are like some gardeners. What the customer wants is a strong person to take on heavy work, but some cleaners are akin to "landscape gardeners" - the latter want to design a garden, not stick a spade in heavy soil, mow the lawn and get up tonnes of leaves. I know it's most horribly sexist, but I do avoid "lady gardeners". I want some brawn - I don't need advice on where to place my begonia pots (if I had any).

A cleaner who didn't clean bathrooms??? What the four and a half is the point of employing one who doesn't do that?!

For me personally, bathrooms, kitchen (all sinks, baths, showers, loos etc) dusting and hoovering is an absolute necessity.

Changing beds, sorting out my washing, doing ironing is what a Housekeeper would be doing, not a cleaner.

Just my opinion.

Cleaner will do what you and the cleaner agree they will do. If you need a cleaner who cleans bathrooms and changes bedding, and the person you are interviewing says they do not, it would be a good idea to find someone who does. If you want the clearner to polish your silver and they agree, what's wrong with polishing silver?

OP, I don't think she will work out.
Best to cut and run.

I strip our beds and leave the fresh sheets on the bed to be made up.

I think each cleaner/client relationship is unique.

Best to be clear from the outset.

A language barrier probably isn't helpful.

Make a list of your deal breakers and look for someone else.

Mind you, the Japanese food sounds lovely!

I was a cleaner for five years during the 90’s and had scores of jobs; not one person asked me to do theirs and there’s no way I would have, I was a cleaner not a housekeeper.

Can you explain this one a bit more?

We have a cleaner and I would never get her to change the bedding. My partner had a cleaner when we were not living together that would change his bed, take home and wash his bedding would also send messages like I have changed your bed enjoy laying in your cleans sheets with love ♡ afterward the message. Made my crawl

EntropyRising
I’m not sure what there is to explain?

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.

Same

So the cleaner changes your bed whether you want it done or not? I would hate that.

I know 3 people who have cleaners, none of them change their bedsheets!

Crikey I didn't realise I'd started a debate on cleaners changing bedding! The only reason I need this particular job doing is for when I'm laid up post op and didn't think it would be a problem.

I think it's her bringing the cooking round that's made it awkward for me to fire her off. Iyswim

I would get rid and get another cleaner!

I just think you have to speak to her and be clear on which products to use where. My cleaner was also using fairy liquid and warm water to clean everything, so I just out each product out for each room / task (descaler for shower, anti bac for kitchen, wood cleaner for wooden surfaces, etc). It just takes a better communication on your part and I am sure she wouldn't mind (my cleaner's English isn't great but it just takes a bit more effort it's worth it in the end).

I have also never asked any of my clearners past and present to change my beds...

So the cleaner changes your bed whether you want it done or not? I would hate that.

Nope. You meet your prospective cleaner, you walk her round the house. You tell her which rooms you need doing, and she tells you what she normally does for people that she cleans for and asks if there's anything else you'd like her to do, or anything you'd rather she didn't.

Also, I don’t get the issue with asking a cleaner to make up beds... If it was me I would probably strip the beds, wash and dry the bed clothes and leave them on the beds for them arriving.

Changing bedding is up there with polishing silver

People here often suggest a shit-sandwich: good thing, bad thing, good thing.

"It's lovely to have met you. I've been thinking more about what will be needed when I'm laid up. Actually making the beds is essential, and you've said that's not something you do. Of course it wouldn't be fair of me to ask you, so I think this will be our last week. But I'm glad you came last week, and it was so thoughtful of you to bring your amazing cooking. What was the name of that dish you did with the prawns?"

And decide beforehand what you want to do if she starts offering to change. Are you willing to take the risk of sticking with her until it's too late to get a replacement in time for your op?

If nothing else, the "offering to change" would have to include her doing the beds this week, so she and you can find out whether this is a goer.

People on MN are so weird about "what cleaners do/n't do" confused 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

Housekeepers are paid to do housework. Cleaners are there to clean and it doesn't involve changing beds or using leather products on leather settees.

OP use an agency if you're want specifics or find someone who knows exactly what you want and see if they're willing. Don't assume.

@Zebraaa why would anyone want to clean if they could afford to have someone else do it?

OP, maybe show her how to do everything properly? I wouldn’t know how to clean leather either (I didn’t realise it required cleaning tbh). If that fails maybe hire her as a cook instead. I’d probably pick Japanese food over a clean house any day.

She brings you Japanese food. She's a keeper.

See, in a hotel the housekeepers are management, who manage the cleaners (chambermaids).

Hotel housekeepers (IME) do organisational stuff and quality control.

I wouldn't advertise for a housekeeper in my home unless I wanted someone to run bits of it for me.

I usually advertise for a "cleaner and household assistant".

In a former era, and if I had children, it would have been a "mother's help" or "weekly help". The word "char" seems to have gone out, like the expression "woman who does", but both of those roles seem to have involved laying fires and doing more than just cleaning.

If you want to work as a cleaner only, and have very strictly drawn boundaries like not making beds or not even cleaning bathrooms, that's absolutely your right. It's completely up to the individuals involved to decide between themselves what jobs A will do in B's house (or out of it – my assistants do errands for me sometimes, per discussion at hiring).

Sack her and move on lol

surely you have to have a big property/be very rich to have separate personnel for housekeeping and cleaning - let alone laundry .

I think back in the real world most people have one cleaner - or two Molly Maids or whatever - and they do whatever reasonable job is required.

Cleaners don't usually change bedding, unless it's a one off e.g. poorly client unable to do it themselves etc or elderly CV clients that might struggle with that type of thing. Able-bodied peeps can change their own! I think it's generally assumed that that sort of "task " is a bit personal, like most of us ensure our toilets are clean before the cleaner comes etc

She sounds pretty useless. I'd sack her off. She causes you more work.