Am I expecting too much from a cleaner?

[poppet31]

Why is it so hard to find a good cleaner? After returning to work after adoption leave, we decided to hire a cleaner as we just didn't have the time anymore and wanted to spend the weekends with our son rather than cleaning the house. Our house is pretty minimalist, not much clutter at all and we have good storage so all toys put away under the stairs cupboard etc. I do a tidy each evening while husband is bathing our son and we always wipe kitchen units and table after use so they don't need to tidy up or do dishes etc.

We have tried two lots of cleaners - the first ones started good but progressively went downhill and they brought on someone who smoked so the house was stinking after they left. They were also taking small things away with them and not returning - parts for the hoover, bottles of cleaning spray etc. We let them go and did it ourselves for a while and have recently tried a new company. On the face of it, things look clean when they leave but I have noticed they are missing basic things like dusting and wiping down surfaces. We told them how important dusting was as my husband has a dust allergy but they just don't seem to listen. I asked them last week if they could focus on a few areas they had missed the week before and they seemed really offended.

We don't have a big house - big standard 3 bed new build and they're not doing one of the bedrooms as we're working in it, but they can't seem to get even the basics done. We are paying for 3 hours (2 people for an hour and a half) but they quite often leave after an hour and 10 minutes. I am quite picky and know I could do a better job myself but it's just finding the time. Am I expecting too much or is it just bloody hard to find someone decent?

I'd try another local cleaner with good references.
When they start be specific even if they do base boards every 2nd week insist it is kept on top off.
I'd draw up a tick list.

A good reliable cleaner never needs an agency; their reputation spreads by word of mouth so they can earn more AND pick and choose thir own clients.

Ditch the agencies and find a private cleaner recommended by someone you know.

I've never had a good experience with two cleaners coming together. Or agency cleaners.

The best cleaner I had (for 2 years before she left to be a chef!) I found through a local Facebook page, at least three people in the local area recommended her. Including the woman who lived opposite us at the time.

I had an amazing cleaner for years. Just knew what needed doing and had jobs in a rotation. She was great with my children even though she didn't have any of her own. We moved as did she. I then went through 3 Facebook recommended cleaners - one kept cancelling at very short notice, one couldn't unlock the front door on a regular basis (no idea why as I tried her key and it worked fine). The last one insisted on washing up when I specifically told her not to. She also would empty my dishwasher (asked not to) and put things in random places eg sharp blades off blender next to the children's cereal and snacks cupboard in a floor level unit 🙄 oh one used to leave the patio door unlocked often too.
I went with an agency next. The owner came round and did a complete Kim and aggy on me implying my house was filthy (it isn't, I get teased by friends and family all the time about how 'show home' my house is). She gave me a list of products and cloths I had to buy that would have cost over £40 and said I needed 5 hours a week (modest 3 bed semi) so didn't use them. I went to another agency and due to a really minor misunderstanding through our communications on both our parts she took great umbrage posting the conversation online, encouraging her friends to track down my employer to 'report' me and got friends and relatives to threaten me via SM. I had to get the police involved in the end!
So I do it myself now, begrudgingly and through gritted teeth but I would love a cleaner like I had for 5 years and I'm happy to pay well for it too

Absolutely, find someone working independently. Good cleaners are worth their weight in gold.

When our wonderful cleaner retired, she gifted us to a friend who turned out to be brilliant, too. I would not want to be without her. When we were moving house, the first thing I did was to check where where she was prepared to travel to work

No point moving if she wouldn't come to our nee house.

You aren’t expecting too much. Strongly agree with others about finding an independent cleaner if you can. Try NextDoor if you’re on it? We have a wonderful cleaner now (contradicting my previous advice, she is actually through an agency, but it’s a good agency). She’s amazing, to the point I have anxiety about her leaving us, but we’ve kissed a lot of frogs. Agency cleaners coming in pairs were the absolute worst in my experience - always leaving 20-30 minutes early, which between the two of them comes to an hour’s work!

I own a small cleaning company and the amount of clients we pick up because they're fed up with agency is unreal. I have a very small staff and I train everyone personally, its actually really difficult to find people that can clean professionally, most automatically clean to their own standards. Ask for recommendations on your local Facebook groups and check all the references.

My cleaner's ace. She is such a nice woman and cleans my house really well. She's 100% reliable. My only minor gripe is that she doesn't clean floors in the corners but I can live with doing that myself. She's been cleaning for me for ten years and we know lots about each others lives. She's away at the moment and I got someone in from an agency and dear lord he was dreadful. He scrubbed my beautiful Ercol table with kitchen spray despite being specifically asked to use only wood polish on the wood furniture, took a 40 minute coffee break and didn't realise he needed to empty and wipe the bin...

My cleaner gripe is slightly different (although I've experienced lots of those already mentioned).

I've had cleaners because my health is poor, although we can't really afford it.

Because my house is sometimes dirty (because I'm ill), several cleaners have assumed I don't know how to clean, and give me helpful tips and instructions. I stay polite, but I do put them straight.

Do people's cleaners turn up on time and on the agreed day?

Mine seems to just turn up randomly on a Tuesday morning having agreed to Wednesday afternoon.

Find an independent person who is self employed. We have had a few different self-employed people who have been brilliant (one left to go to uni and one had to stop when we moved away). I tried an agency once and on the 4 weeks they were supposed to come we had three different pairs turn up, up to 2 hours late, and 1 week was a no-show. They were more expensive too. Never again.
You sound like most cleaners' dream client if your house is tidy and basically already quite clean.

Thanks everyone. So interesting to hear everyone's perspectives. It's sounding like a self employed person is the way to go. Although this company were recommended sadly, which made me think maybe I was just expecting a bit much. Also interesting point about one cleaner being better than two. I hadn't thought about that. My husband thinks that by the house being so tidy, we've made a rod for own back as they've come in and it already looks clean so they don't think they don't need to do as much. We are paying £45 a week so not cheap at all.

We are just outside Glasgow by the way so by all means send me a recommendation if you're local!

@HolyBuckets

Do people's cleaners turn up on time and on the agreed day?

Mine seems to just turn up randomly on a Tuesday morning having agreed to Wednesday afternoon.

Yes - mine comes on a given morning around 8.45 and if she’s going to be later let’s me know.

people's cleaners turn up on time and on the agreed day?

We used to both travel a lot so I would say come anytime, because it really didn't matter. Treasure still has regular day / time to come and will email to check it's ok before changing to any other day / time

It's such a pleasure, we keep the place tidy-ish and leave pretty much all the cleaning for her. Absolute bliss, when we go away , to come back to freshly changed beds and fresh milk and bread (and chocolate ) in the 'fridge.

I am v v grateful.