AIBU to fire my cleaner

[Probablyveryirrational]

I’ve had a cleaner for 2 years. To be honest she isn’t actually very good at cleaning, but she’s nice and she’s friendly with DS and the dog and with a toddler I am not keen on the hassle of replacing her etc.

However she is often late- like 40 mins or so late (and sometimes this doesn’t matter but sometimes I have people coming and it does actually mess up my plans), and today she just didn’t show up at all. I asked if she wanted some time off over Christmas (she comes twice a week), and she asked for a day off for NYE, which would be Tuesday, a day she usually comes. She is also supposed to come today and didn’t. I’m pregnant, vomiting all day and tired and very fucking pissed off because I get the impression she just doesn’t want to be here/doesn’t really give a shit about her job.

AIBU to let her go over this? Feels especially awkward as she has a set of keys...

YANBU tell her you no longer need her and just tell her to drop the keys through the door.

Suck it up. She does a good job and is trustworthy and god knows you’ll really need her when the next baby is here. It’s annoying but even a half reasonable cleaner is worth their weight in gold.

I would line up someone else first, given your current situation if pregnant and with toddler. Once you have someone else, next time your current cleaner comes, be at home, tell her you no longer need her and take your keys at the same time.

No don't suck it up. Tell her to post her keys as has been suggested and tell her she's no longer needed. She'll know why.

If she isn't that good at cleaning, there is no point in keeping her! Get your keys back and let her go.

Ah I’ve re-read it, I thought I’d seen that she was a good cleaner. Sorry.

Bin her.

She does a good job

No, she doesn’t. She’s really not very good. The amount of stuff she doesn’t do is actually quite appalling. It takes her 1 hour to hoover a 2 bedroom flat. With nothing on the floor.

Once I was on holiday for 2 weeks and asked her if she wanted to keep coming for the cash could she clean the windows please. She said she couldn’t because she couldn’t find the back door key - it’s a ground floor flat with wraparound Access! No reason she couldn’t use the front door.

Have also been a few items missing that she has clearly broken eg coffee cup and said she hasn’t. My family all think I’ve been a soft touch but she is a very nice lady/I do like her. I just feel a bit like she’s taking the piss.

No issue if she wanted today off, but I needed to know as I would have done stuff a bit differently.

Where do you live? I have the best cleaner in the world- you shouldn't have to put up with this shit she can't just not turn up to work!

My main issue is we are moving in March. To a considerably bigger place - so I wanted to line up a new cleaner for that place (she really, really won’t be able to handle the space given how much time this takes her/it’s all new stuff and I don’t trust her not to ruin it since I’ve found her cleaning worktops with window cleaner etc).

So I can’t really line up another cleaner until March I think - seems a bit stupid to hire someone for the smaller place when I need them for more time and more space. Don’t want to mislead anyone. Also I don’t want to sound like a lazy madam but I really really don’t want to do without a cleaner until March with the toddler and the dog and all the mess 🤯

@rosieandjim

In Surrey... please be in Surrey!!!!!

But I am just so fucking annoyed I want her gone now....but need to not do anything drastic...

People voting that IABU please tell me why - I want to understand another point of view please.

Get rid of the piss-taking bitch

Wow!! That's a bit uncalled for.

She isn't meeting your needs OP, so on them grounds, you certainly should let her go and find a new cleaner.

Get rid of the piss-taking bitch

How over the top and uncalled for.

Suck it up. She does a good job and is trustworthy

I don't know where you are getting this interpretation from - the OP states clerly in her initial post that the cleaner is not very good at cleaning, is unreliable, & is giving off waves of not giving a shit.

Not worth the drama now. Hold on till March and get a new cleaner when you move.

I think the other reason I am so over the top annoyed is the way these situations occur. Eg 2 weeks ago Via text

Me: “hi cleaner, hope you’re well! Just checking you’re coming at 10 on Thursday as my parents in law are coming for lunch at 1”
Her “yes great see you at 10”

On the day, at 10.30 when she’s still
Not there:
Me: hey where are you
Her: be there in 15

Arrives at nearly 11, not in the least apologetic, is still ironing when PIL arrive so place looks a bit dishevelled and it’s all a bit awkward/limited living room space with ironing board out etc and mop Hoover lying around blah blah. I know it doesn’t sound important but it’s the principle! Why say 10 if you can’t do 10?! Why not at least say sorry if you are late? I am her only client so she isn’t coming from some other job.

A cleaner who isn't good at cleaning is surely not worth having? She's unprofessional and I'd be asking her to drop the keys back. Why keep paying her to do a crappy job until March?

@littletinseltown

The honest answer I suppose is I have preferred to pay her to do a very average or less job, slow job, than do it myself! Which I feel ashamed of but it’s the truth. I’m probably very annoyed at myself for this too.

I know it doesn’t sound important but it’s the principle! Why say 10 if you can’t do 10?! Why not at least say sorry if you are late?

Yes it is the principle, & this would piss me right off if done by a friend calling, let alone someone whose professional services i am paying for.

She says 10 & doesn't stick to it because you never pull her up on it btw. Same as doing a poor job of the actual cleaning - it's no good telling us, you needed to tell her.

But I'm a bit puzzled as to why it's even an issue if you are moving in a couple of months & finding a new cleaner anyway?

Find another cleaner. She sounds terrible.

You can look for a cleaner now with the understanding that you will need more hours in March. You don't want someone who is almost full anyway really, someone with flexibility to increase in March would be fairly easy to find

But I'm a bit puzzled as to why it's even an issue if you are moving in a couple of months & finding a new cleaner anyway?

Because from
Now until we move that’s 770£ we will pay her to take the piss. I’ve told her about the cleaning and she says I expect to much. But our previous cleaner did a far, far better job in the allotted time. We never had any of these issues. It was awful when she had to leave 😢

This would drive me absolutely nuts - you need someone you can rely on. Get rid! I'm sure you'll find someone more reliable and who is better at their job.