Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To say cleaning is hard work?

135 replies

Iwantafuckingbreak · 04/09/2020 16:30

I'm a cleaner, I work for myself and I've just finished for the day. I only worked 8-3.30 today but I am dead! I didnt have time for a break and only about 10 minutes of that was travel time. Lugging around hetty, up and down stairs and cleaning houses with a million bathrooms. My knee is buggered, my back hurts like hell and I'm just knackered. But I still get people make comments about how it's only cleaning or get clients with ridiculously unrealistic expectations.

I had one lady who only had me once because I said it was impossible to clean her 4 bed house top to bottom in 1 hour a week. I only agreed to go for 1 hour because she said she only wanted her floors doing because she had a bad back, my normal minimum is 2. When I got there she gave me a massive list to complete in 1 hour and then got arsey when I couldnt do it all.

Luckily the majority of my clients are lovely and I understand if they did their own cleaning I would have no work! But some people only have me 2 hours a fortnight or something like that and dont lift a finger between visits. Sometimes this is ok but one lady didnt even hoover.. or anything for that matter in 4 months during lockdown. It took me pretty much 4 hours just to Hoover her house when I came back! (It is a big house to be fair) but come on!

Obviously it goes without saying I am grateful for the work ... especially since my partner was made redundant. I also hope to grow my business in the long run but right now I'm slogging my guts out everyday and the "but it's only cleaning" comments piss me off! Along with clients who have no idea how long it takes to clean things properly!

OP posts:
dooratheexplorer · 04/09/2020 17:59

When you take on a new client, tell them how long you will need to do XYZ 'to your standard'. If they try to cut your time then tell them you will only be able to do X and Y.

A friend of mine does a customer facing job and she astounds me with tales of entitled customers telling her how long it will take her to do things. She's pretty quick off the mark to point out that they are the customer not the expert in the nicest possible way.

Don't bother with the difficult ones. Cleaners are hard to find.

listsandbudgets · 04/09/2020 18:01

I hate cleaning, I'm no good at it ( partly because of dyspraxia partly because I'm lazy) and I do not begrudge my cleaner one single penny. anyway she's cheaper than therapy and does me more good

Its hard work OP and IMHO its not only cleaning there is a skill to doing it well.

OchonAgusOchonO · 04/09/2020 18:04

@Iwantafuckingbreak - I move whatever I can physically move myself. Was moving all the sofas today and feel a bit like the hulk

I'm talking about moving canisters or the toaster on the counter to wipe under them or lifting a mat to hoover/wash underneath. I don't expect Hulk like performancesGrin.

OchonAgusOchonO · 04/09/2020 18:07

@dooratheexplorer - When you take on a new client, tell them how long you will need to do XYZ 'to your standard'. If they try to cut your time then tell them you will only be able to do X and Y.

Absolutely. Also, whenever my cleaner takes on a new client, she does a full day to get their house the way she likes it and to get used to the house. First day with me, she reorganised my kitchen cupboards. I have way more room in them now.

Original poster
Iwantafuckingbreak · 04/09/2020 18:09

@OchonAgusOchonO do some cleaners not even move a toaster?! Shock oh no I definitely move everything on kitchen counter, bath mats, door mats etc. I make sure to take off all sofa cushions too because the horrors you find under there Envy

OP posts:
killerofmen · 04/09/2020 18:11

Oh god it's so hard and I hate it so much. My cleaner retired during lockdown Sad and now my house is a tip.

I don't know why people look down on it as it's a skill like anything else.

dooratheexplorer · 04/09/2020 18:12

Even cleaners need to be assertive otherwise you get walked all over!

I think the only way to do it is to take control of the situation and make the ground rules clear from the word go. There's lots of cheeky fuckery out there!

WitchesGlove · 04/09/2020 18:12

What’s wrong with putting used sanitary towels in the bin??

Where were they supposed to put them?

Original poster
Iwantafuckingbreak · 04/09/2020 18:14

@WitchesGlove I wish my clients would put then In the bin! They get left on the side of the bath along with used nappies stashed everywhere Grin

OP posts:
OchonAgusOchonO · 04/09/2020 18:14

@Iwantafuckingbreak - do some cleaners not even move a toaster?!

Your shock at that is exactly the reaction my current cleaner had when I told her the same. That's why I love her and am never letting her goGrin. I spotted her hoovering the ceiling the other day. I assume it was a cobweb.

Izzy30 · 04/09/2020 18:14

I agree! I clean my own house and it’s hard work! It takes hours a week to do it properly but I know lots of people that have a cleaner fortnightly for a few hours and don’t clean at all in between. Massively unfair for the cleaner I think!!

Beachcomber1 · 04/09/2020 18:17

My sister is a cleaner. It’s backbreaking work. I don’t know how she does it.

By comparison, I get paid a lot more to sit in a comfy office.

She definitely works harder than I do.

I had a cleaner and loved her. Actually cried when she left.

OchonAgusOchonO · 04/09/2020 18:19

@WitchesGlove - What’s wrong with putting used sanitary towels in the bin??

It depends on the bin and whether the cleaner is expected to empty the bins. Open waste basket in bedroom - bleuch. Dd did that once (it didn't happen a second time though as we had WORDS). Thankfully we empty the bins before the cleaner arrives so she wasn't greeted with that beauty. Closed bin in bathroom with a bag in it that only requires the bag to be removed and tied - ok.

thenightsky · 04/09/2020 18:20

Cleaning knackers me. Just a bit of hoovering and I have sweat pouring down my face and my hair looks like I just stepped out of the shower. Seriously.

DH compares it to a hard session at the gym (he hoovers and steams all our floors and shower screens every Saturday, instead of gym).

Islandblue · 04/09/2020 18:20

It takes me an hour just to clean my small bathroom and YES it is very hard work. Most people are in dream land about these sorts of things.

OchonAgusOchonO · 04/09/2020 18:22

@Iwantafuckingbreak - I wish my clients would put then In the bin! They get left on the side of the bath along with used nappies stashed everywhere

You need to ditch those clients. That is so disrespectful.

AmICrazyorWhat2 · 04/09/2020 18:22

I always emptied bins before my cleaners came, no way did I want them having to deal with napkins, San towels, etc. Blergh. 🤢

AmICrazyorWhat2 · 04/09/2020 18:22

*nappies 🤣

Advicewouldbeappreciated · 04/09/2020 18:22

@WitchesGlove

What’s wrong with putting used sanitary towels in the bin??

Where were they supposed to put them?

If i had a cleaner coming I would not expect them to deal with my body fluids They would have been bagged up and put in the outside bin before the cleaner arrived. Ditto skid stains or pubes in the bath Ditto stained bed sheets or dirty nappies or pubes. It is human respect to another to do those things-those who dont lack respect for others and themselves
OchonAgusOchonO · 04/09/2020 18:24

@Beachcomber1 - By comparison, I get paid a lot more to sit in a comfy office.

I really hope you're paid to do more than that. And if not, what is your job and are there any vacancies?

Lydia777 · 04/09/2020 18:25

It is a very hard job and one that takes skill to do really well! I like cleaning and am a good cleaner but everything gets dirty again so quickly!!!

Pinkchocolate · 04/09/2020 18:26

YANBU, I clean my flat and it’s a work out if I do it properly. I hate it with a passion and dream of the day I can afford a cleaner.

Werk · 04/09/2020 18:26

I was about to say - I clean my own house and it is proper exercise!
We used to have a cleaner who was amazing but she has spoilt me for life as I just can't find one as good as her (an agency actually sacked me because I went through all of their staff Blush).
I think I will try again though but just be really upfront with what I want done - my excellent cleaner did 2hrs a week - kitchen, bathroom, dust and hoover everywhere PLUS iron my DH's shirts. I don't actually know how she managed it - all the other cleaners I have had have done 3 hours and no shirts and still they were a bit rubbish and obvious things were missed.

Original poster
Iwantafuckingbreak · 04/09/2020 18:27

@AmICrazyorWhat2 I did wonder what was wrong with napkins 🤣 I think I'm so used to people leaving their shit everywhere (sometimes literal shit) that I've just got used to it and it doesn't phase me so much.

The worst things is pulling out the plug and having a whole head of hair on there 🤢 I have an irrational fear of detached hair which makes things interesting 🤣

OP posts:
kerkyra · 04/09/2020 18:47

I'm a cleaner and this week is my first full week since lockdown.
I had two farmhouses to clean today,both three hours each and am physically shattered.back and legs aching! Yesterday the same.
Feeling the second house had me not at my most energetic! Not that it was obvious to her,but was almost flagging so I've given her a morning slot next time on my day off Smile