Is my cleaner CF

[nc2710]

We have a 3 room flat- not 3 bedroom, 3 actual rooms. It has a tiny hallway, a bathroom with shower/bath combo, one bedroom and a living room that we converted to a studio bedroom (I.e. the bed bit is behind a panel) This room also has a sofa and a small kitchen area behind an island. But like I say, it’s a 3 room flat on one level. I keep it tidy, minimal clutter as it’s small, I hoover myself at least once a week and clean the surfaces between cooking/showering etc. In other words it’s not a very untidy or dirty little flat. However I recently took on more at work and we have been using a friend’s cleaning lady.

She comes once a week midweek and does the following: changes 1 double and 1 single bed, hoovers, mops the floors, cleans the toilet, cleans the shower/bath, puts away odd bits of washing up, dusts. If she does anything else it’s not very evident. I have been wondering for a while if I should have set the hours instead of asking her how long it would take (she lets herself out so I don’t know how long she’s there.)

I have asked her if she can just do 2 hours tomorrow because I need to work from home and she came back saying she would not have time to change the 2 beds, dust or do surfaces in 2 hours.

Does this sound right? Has she been a CF all along with saying it takes 3 hours?

My cleaner is a friend who lost her job and doing a few cash in hand jobs till she finds something else. So not professional (or legal but I don't care, so please don't start)
She does 2 hours a week, and will wash and dry up, clean surfaces, Hoover three bedrooms, two sets of stairs and two landings, sweep and mop the kitchen and clean three toilets and sinks. Sometimes she does other bits too, like this week she wipes down the handrails on the stairs.

Our cleaner can clean our huge place in under 3 hours.....
She doesnt do all the rooms, as our request......

But she does mop the floors of the utility room, long hall way. Big kitchen the floors of the 3 bathrooms... She hoovers everywhere, front room is big. Has 3 sofas in there...
Dusts everywhere...
Cleans 3 bathrooms....
Tidy the kitchen, can be messy sometimes

Hi I run my own cleaning business and I could do all that in an hour. She is totally mugging you off x

Nc2710 you are being ripped off. I could do that in less than an hour. I rin a cleaning business. Get rid hun xx

@Boristhecats where are you based?

To the pp who said why do I have a cleaner when my flat is this size; I’ve had a serious mental health crisis recently which built up for a while and I really needed to take the load off around the house because my dh works away a lot.

I do know now that I should have set the hours myself. Never had anything like this before so I was probably naive.

In the end, I have actually got a meeting tomorrow so it’s a moot point in terms of wanting her to do 2 hours, I let her know 3 was still ok. But the main point is I probably am not happy with the arrangement and should look elsewhere!

You should apologise for you asking to cut her hours like that. And give her a bit of notice if you want to change. Basic manners.

Does she not clean the kitchen? I would prioritise that.

It all seems straightforward to me, you can ask her to give certain areas special attention when you think it is needed.

@Bofster37 Suffolk.

I would text back something like ‘Really, 3 hours? It’s just that when I have time to do it myself it only takes me round 1.5 hours max (or whatever it takes you). Appreciate you might be cleaning things that I wouldn’t, but maybe we could go round the house together next time you’re here and chat about what I really need doing, as I don’t think I can justify paying for 3 hours of cleaning a week in a place of my size’

Or just find a new cleaner. Ours does 7 rooms very thoroughly in 2 hours.

I used to have a similar flat and cleaner did 4 hours a week

We have a 1000sq foot house, all one level. It takes my cleaner about six hours!

She’s absolutely taking the piss! Cleaning for 2 solid hours would leave a house that small absolutely sparkling!!

How long did it take you to clean before you had a cleaner? They should give you an indication of how long it takes to clean it.

Are you happy with her work / hourly rate? Personally I would let the length of time go if I had a 100 percent trustworthy and thorough cleaner.

We have had years of various issues with cleaners one stole money from my children's piggy bank, gave us what turned out to be fake documents and ended up being deported back to Columbia, another was lovely but was just thoroughly unreliable. Our cleaner now is slow in comparison to both of those but leaves the house beautiful. Worth the extra payment in her case.

My house is cleaned in 3 hours. 3 bedrooms, one super king duvet changed, 2 bathrooms, 2 lounges, dining room, study, kitchen and conservatory plus hall and stairs!

Our cleaner comes once a fortnight and does two hours, for 3 bedrooms, a bathroom and an en suite, big kitchen/diner and a living room. They hoover, tbh don't really dust, but do floors, baths etc, surfaces, mop, a reasonable once over clean. They quite often leave a bit early. There's no way your flat couldn't be done well in an hour if it's tidy.