To sack my cleaner

[Summerdayshaze]

I’m quite recently disabled, due to cancer. I’ve employed a cleaner for two hours per week. £12.50 an hour. I leave her £25 cash and go to my sister’s house (my support bubble) while she cleans. Has her own key. Two weeks ago I had a security camera fitted at front of house (for reasons entirely unrelated) and it alerts my phone when anyone walks up the path to my front door and out again.

So last week it alerted me and she only came for 55 minutes. This week she only came for 40 minutes. She took the £25 each time. I feel like I’ve given her the benefit of the doubt but this just isn’t on. So I texted her to say I need someone who will do two hours and I had to let her go.

She replied that she’s on a diet and is doing two hours work in half the time so she can burn calories and doesn’t see why it’s a problem.

This is bollocks isn’t it? Or AIBU?

Today stairs not hoovered, mirrors not cleaned, bathroom floor not cleaned, only wiped around kitchen appliances so crumbs etc under them, dusting not done much. I can’t physically do much and am in a wheelchair.

Next time you employ a cleaner, you tell them what needs doing and if they agree to do it and you are not happy with their work you let them go.
I think you have been too trusting.

I got rid of my previous cleaner as every second week there was some excuse why she couldn't come. She also brought her partner (not a cleaner) to help but she did a crap job. As soon as COVID started she went "sick" and when she came back to work I just said we didn't need her any more.

She was supposed to bring me my key back but there was always a reason why she couldn't, so we changed the lock.

Another cleaning business had put a card through the door at some point and I'd held on to it - 2 women and incredibly professional. They come for an hour and a half and go like the clappers, it's my happy time, walking into the clean lounge. I'm there when they come, but I think they'd still do a good job. I'm disabled and can't clean very well, so the " care " component of my PIP goes on them, and it's worth every penny.

Good cleaners are out there but finding one can be a bit of trial and error!

I always feel like if the house gets clean to the agreed standard, I don’t mind if it’s done faster, however it doesn’t sound like it’s the case here.

Just to everyone saying all cleaners are awful/steal your things etc, we’ve had two cleaners, one for 6 years and another last 3 years since we moved countries. Both have been incredibly hard working women, doing an incredibly hard job, that we don’t want to do! Plenty of white collar people steal from their employers, when was the last time you nicked office supplies...

She is BU. And it's really off her with you being in a wheelchair. Does she think your eyes are affected and you can't see dirt!!!! I would like her to see the vote on her to be honest and have a bit of shame.

Best of luck finding someone good. I have a cleaner once a fortnight and these are often two of my most content days of the whole month. I have kids and two jobs. I haven't got time for a 3rd one. But I wish for that whole-house-clean feeling for you. I went through two not very good ones and have had the current ones for 8 years now.

I would go through a proper cleaning company next time, she's taking the mick quite clearly. Did you get any references before hand or a cv of experience?

I'm a bit aghast that you are leaving her in your house whilst you go out. I have a cleaning company that clean my house once a week. It's always the same two ladies so I know them well. However I never leave and go out whilst they clean. It's not fair on them either.

@RubaiyatOfAnyone

Yes, that’s bollocks. If she can do 2 hours work in 1 hour then it wasn’t two hours work. Either she’s fibbing now or she was slacking before. Either way, you need someone you can trust, and there are many people like that out there.

That's exactly what I was thinking!

Of course what she's said is rubbish. She is actually abusive. Have you got your key back from her?

Use a trusted referenced cleaner from a friend, or a company.

Our cleaner of 6 years now charges us “per clean” so doesn’t always take 2 hours. She was upfront about it and always gets all the work done.

Yours didn’t do all the agreed work, so you did the right thing.

That's a brilliant excuse. Right up to the point she hasn't cleaned the bloody house.
Shame on her but double shamr on her given the circumstances.

In fact, it reminds me of the 2 separate gardeners that my blind brother in law hired. Both recommended and local. Quite what degree of arsehole you have to be to steal from the blind and disabled is beyond me.

That bullshit excuse only works if you are paying her by the calories burned.

She's a chancer. Let her go.

Please change your locks. She sounds like a con artist. Either get a cleaner from a company or through a friend's recommendation. Not Facebook

I have a team of cleaners who come in and do the house (plus a reasonable list of extra task I leave each week). I pay the same as one slower cleaner.

Sometimes they bring 2, or 3, or 4 people, depending on the next jobs they have lined up.

The deal is that whatever they do, the whole place is cleaned quickly and thoroughly. At the set price. With appropriate sanitising/gloves/ etc.

They know I can’t be arsed timing them or double-checking. There is a level of trust for sure. They want the dependable work (and recommendations), I want the convenience and not to be cross. It works.

If they ever took the piss, both sides know it would be game over very quickly. That makes for a very efficient and friendly working relationship.

And somehow there’s a freedom for me in knowing that multiple people who are working fast could come across something I’ve inadvertently left out (money, a vibrator, paperwork). I’d feel weird these days if it were ‘a cleaning man’ like my mum had, with Xmas gifts and knowing their family. I prefer some anonymity and efficiency. I get that it isn’t for everyone.

You probably don’t want the grief but once you have your key back I would put this on her Facebook page. She won’t just be doing this with you. Awful woman.

Change your locks and be a bit more cautious about letting random people into your house in future. I hope she hasn’t stolen anything, can you check? Go through an agency for a reliable cleaner

Always check recommendations. There are plenty of cleaners on Facebook, but go with people/companies that have business pages, a clear history and good recommendations.

How is the standard of her cleaning? You obviously felt you could trust her buy giving her a key etc. How did you find her, was she recommended?

I know my cleaner often worked quicker and got the jobs done in under the time I was paying for, it didn’t worry me as it was the tasks I wanted completed rather than for her to be at my house for the set period of time, she always asked if there was anything else I needed done.

Assuming you were happy with her standard of cleaning and her being trustworthy in your home. I would leave her a list of the areas you want cleaning, that should fill the 2hrs, and then if the cleaner has time remaining suggestions of what else you would like done, I would also mention that you know that she didn’t stay for the full amount of time and you were disappointed that the floor wasn’t cleaned etc.

Good luck, it’s really difficult to get a cleaner you can trust.

That's shameful. Really not on.

I'm a cleaner. And wouldn't ever dream of doing that, let alone trying to excuse it with the calorie thing!

Where abouts are you, OP? If you're local to me, I'd be happy to do your two hour weekly clean.

This is why cleaning companies charge per job as opposed to per hour. It’s the way they make the most money.

When you hire your next cleaner you need to make sure they understand it’s per hour, if that’s your preference, and you would also make sure they knew you had cameras that alerted you to when they came and when they left. Plus a list of what needed to be done.

At least then everyone is on the same page and if they didn’t like the job spec they could clean elsewhere.

I use a cleaning company and there is no mention of time allocated. There is a detailed list of everything to be done in each room. It took me years to find people I trust.

I'm sorry you are dealing with this on top of everything else.

If this was a proper company they would have been asking for the money back that they have overpaid!

If she was getting everything done in less than an hour I’d say 2 hours is too long and you should reduce her hours and only pay her for 1.
But considering she’s not even bothering to do her job she is fully taking the mick and not even coming up with a decent excuse either!
Well done for sacking her op.

That's awful, OP. I'm sorry your trust was abused in that way.

I would get the lock changed just in case, even if you get the key back.

Roselilly36

The poor standard of cleaning is mentioned in the first post.

Definitely change your locks before telling her that you’re not going to continue with the cleaning service. Ask neighbours for recommendations. Too many randoms on Facebook

It’d be almost nearly just about scraping an “OK” if her cleaning was genuinely thorough! But she’s not even done the job you paid her for, never mind put in the hours!!!

OP, she’s awful, of course you were right to get rid.