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Original poster

Expectations of cleaner

41 replies

dopeyduck · 27/04/2021 19:05

We have recently (about 6 - 8 weeks ago) employed a cleaning company to clean our 4 bed detached house. This is a weekly 2hr clean.

We've had to complain a couple of times as routine things were being missed, for example dining table not being cleaned / french doors not touched with finger marks from toddler all over them etc. The final nail in the coffin was when we were billed for a full 2hr clean and our ring door bell showed them in and out in just over an hour.

Raised with manager of company and she apologised and offered to do our next clean (and keep up after if we were happy with her).

This week the cleaning was generally fine but a few things were missed that I'll list -

A few 'bits' on carpet / floors particularly the stairs but also atleast three other rooms

Tv cabinet has clearly been dusted but finger marks remain (where DS cruises)

A tea stain on kitchen floor

Bathroom mirror has a obvious Mark still on it

Side tables in bedroom have a couple of marks that came away when I cleaned them after

A mark on kitchen side missed

I now feel a bit deflated, however I'm worried that due to the issues we have had I'm potentially now looking for things and therefore being overly critical.

I've had a cleaner in the past (when I had my own home and lived with just a partner) I never had any issues, it was always spotless but I can't remember ever walking round checking either.

What do you all think? Am I being OTT to expect it to be perfect or are they not doing well enough?

If it matters we are SE England and paying £15 an hour which I think is about standard.

OP posts:
LadyPoison · 27/04/2021 19:09

When I employed a cleaning company 2 hours bought 1 hour with 2 staff members working so 2 hours of cleaning in total. That would explain the 1 hour visit.

As to the marks - are you allowing a realistic amount of time for the work that needs to be done?

Original poster
dopeyduck · 27/04/2021 19:11

They do sometimes bring 2 but I could clearly see it was just her from the ring doorbell. I raised it with the manager and she said the cleaner accepted she hadn't been there the full hours so it was the cleaner being cheeky.

Yes I asked the manager today if she felt that 2hrs was enough (she had full permission to just clean and see how long it took her) and she said she felt 2hrs was right and she had time to look at limescale on taps etc (in the process of renovating). Would actually happily pay for longer for everything to be done.

OP posts:
ComtesseDeSpair · 27/04/2021 19:12

It doesn’t sound like the company as a whole has very high standards, I’d terminate the service. Look on local forums such as Nextdoor for good cleaner recommendations.

Was it the cleaning company who recommended a two hour clean, or you who thought that’s all it would take? Two hours seems like a fairly tight schedule to clean a large house, with presumably several children who make more of a mess than a childfree household - I have a small two bed house with only DP and I and that’s a two hour job for our cleaner. But that doesn’t excuse at all her doing a poor job and trying to pass it off as acceptable.

MrsSprogett · 27/04/2021 19:15

When I had a cleaner I never noticed anything not cleaned . If it stands out I'd change companies. You've given them a chance

Icecreamsoda99 · 27/04/2021 19:16

Were in a three bed terrace, one bedroom isn't cleaned by cleaner as it is being used as my DH office, cleaner takes 2hrs and 30mins and it is immaculate, so I'd say 2 hours for a four bed property is not enough time.

Original poster
dopeyduck · 27/04/2021 19:16

Cleaning company did a trial clean and recommended 2hrs. It's just 1 DC - 17 month old and two adults. We both work full time as well so whilst of course a 17 month old is messy, he's not actually here 40-50hrs a week and a lot of the time he is here he's asleep. We get on average 2 days off a week and they're the days we're here full time.

Neither of us work from home.

We do have a dog but she is only allowed downstairs and we have no carpets downstairs.

OP posts:
Paranoidandroidmarvin1350 · 27/04/2021 19:18

My advice ( and I’m a housekeeper). Get someone who doesn’t work for a company. Many solo cleaners out there. They depend on their reputation to keep jobs. So they tend to be better.

AmyLou100 · 27/04/2021 19:20

I think for 2 hours you can't expect anything more than surface work.

Original poster
dopeyduck · 27/04/2021 19:22

Happy to have longer than 2hrs but they're saying that's what they need. I guess it's weather we talk to them again about issues or if we just find someone new.

OP posts:
FudgeFlake · 27/04/2021 19:24

Putting on my hat of someone who runs a rather similar sort of company, although we're dog walking and day care rather than cleaners - thanks! That's the sort of feedback I really appreciate, because it's fairly obvious that one of the staff is taking the piss. I had a person working for me for over two years - so entitled to take unfair dismissal proceedings - when I became aware that she was abusing her responsibilities, but I couldn't completely prove it. There always seemed to be some legitimate excuse or another for her turning up late or finishing early, usually traffic. She blew it when she called me to say she was running late due to a traffic jam in a well known local blackspot. Unfortunately I was on handsfree in the middle of the well known traffic blackspot at the time Grin

LadyPoison · 27/04/2021 19:24

I think it sounds tight too.

My cleaner takes 3 and a half hours to do the main part of the house which is 4 bedrooms. There are only 2 of us and no small children with sticky fingers.

FudgeFlake · 27/04/2021 19:27
  • Which was running absolutely clear and free and had been for several minutes before, and after.
salcombebabe · 27/04/2021 19:28

If the cleaner is to do a thorough job then 2 hours just isn’t enough! It used to take me 4hours with one short break to do my four bedroom house!

Aprilx · 27/04/2021 19:29

I think you are being very unreasonable to expect a 4 bed house to be spotless after two hours, that is only enough time to do the basics, not things like cleaning mirrors. I think you need to double your hours for a more thorough clean.

BackforGood · 27/04/2021 19:29

I agree with Paranoidandroidmarvin1350 re you doing better with someone who is self employed.
However, I do think you are looking for things now.

I also think you have to be quite specific if you want specific jobs doing. My cleaner doesn't clean patio door (or window) glass, for example as part of her routine clean (she does, as an extra, every now and then). A 4 bed house is probably do-able in 2 hours on one level, but if she is having to remove toddler fingerprints off every surface then I think you would probably need more.

You will see from every cleaning thread every written on here, that people have completely different standards. Also different priorities of what they feel is important. If you have things that are really important to you, then you perhaps need to list things in order of that importance and see how far down the list the cleaner can get in the time.

For me, I just LOVE coming in to the house on the day my cleaner has been, and quite frankly I wouldn't be bothered if I noticed a mark here and there she has missed, as I'm too busy enoying all the stuff she HAS done.

sbhydrogen · 27/04/2021 19:32

I'd say 2 hours for a four bed property is not enough time.

Same here. Try three hours, and if it's still bad then switch companies.

VodkaSlimline · 27/04/2021 19:37

Have you given the company a room by room checklist of exactly what you want done? If not, this would be a good thing to do.

If you want to change agencies and are in/near London, these guys are good: www.starletcleaning.co.uk/

kaleishorrid · 27/04/2021 19:43

If the company thinks 2 hours for a four bedroom house is enough then they don't have great standards. I absolutely understand that you accepted their recommendation but I think you need to rethink.

We have three bedrooms - one only vacuumed,no dusting - 2 bathrooms, kitchen/diner and living room. Two adults - dd is at Uni - and my cleaner takes 3 hours.

Things get dusty so everything does really need going over and hard floors downstairs so floors need to be washed.

It seems that your standards are different and you have said that you are happy to pay for more.

There's nothing worse than paying for a cleaner and feeling it's not clean.

I would echo others who say try and get a recommendation.

I used to use a company- paid quite a lot but I was working ridiculous hours do they came when I was at work. Once I was in when they came - they were in and out in less than half an hour - I wasn't too bothered as it was a rented flat but I want my own home properly cleaned.

Good luck

WalkingMeAway · 27/04/2021 19:45

Definitely not enough time for that size house (I have a 4 bed) so whilst the standard isn't acceptable, nor is the time

You need at least 3 hours, preferably 4 which I would expect a thorough clean with nothing missed.

My cleaners are here for 3 hours and they just about get it done, if it's a bit grubbier than usual sometimes they don't manage to do my En Suite, which I always ask them to leave until last.

I'm here when they clean and they are non stop and very thorough.

eatsleepread · 27/04/2021 19:46

No cleaning company I know would advise a 2 hour clean for a 4 bed house! (presumably more than one bathroom too?).

AnnaMagnani · 27/04/2021 19:48

Not long enough for the size of house.

If the cleaning company think it's long enough then they either have v low standards or were hoping you were to get the work.

Waterfallgirl · 27/04/2021 19:50

The thing you explain about her being there for a shorter time is what I would be worried about and a dealbreaker for me . And if you are not happy then don’t have them.
But as many say 2 hours for a 4 bedroom house is not enough if you want every room doing and every surface wiping and floor mopped, as it seems you do.
My cleaner is here 2 hours and she does

  • 2 x bathrooms
  • vacuum hall stairs and landing 3 storey house
  • vacuum 2 x rugs downstairs where we have wooden floors
  • Mop kitchen and wooden floors in hall
  • a few other bits

She does not have time to wipe surfaces, clean furniture and certainly not cleaning windows.

I think they have underestimated what time you need tbh.

nolovelost · 27/04/2021 19:55

2 hours isn't long enough to do a thorough clean on a 4 bedroom! But the disappearing after an hour is completely out of order.

sergeilavrov · 27/04/2021 20:01

Their inability to appropriately determine how long your house needs in terms of cleaning time is another signal they aren't professional, especially when the manager had permission to clean for as long as necessary. Tell them exactly what the concerns were after this clean, and seek out an independent contractor as a pp suggested.

We're not in the UK, but our cleaner gets four hours for six bedrooms and bathrooms, and our living space. She leaves lots of signals to show her progress, including a habit of rearranging books because she individually dusts each one. She even does the dishes, cleans the disposal, and hangs up the dry cleaning.

tashac89 · 27/04/2021 20:01

I run a small cleaning company. For a 4 bed, we have a minimum of 3 hours, unless the client themselves has asked for a set time. I do all initial once overs myself so I know exactly how long things will take based on the house, and I've only come across one 4 bed that takes 2 hours, and only because the client wants a quick wipe over of things, low level dusting and the floors. No windows.

The leaving early however takes the piss and I'd be asking for money back from that myself. If it happened again, I'd be changing companies.

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