New cleaner

[Seaglass87]

We have started having a new cleaner and I just wondered if I ABU about my expectations of what can get done?
Last time she came she was here for 4 hours and she did two bathrooms and hoovered upstairs. I wasn't very impressed, but the bathrooms had been neglected so I gave her the benefit of the doubt and gave her another chance.
She came again this week and in 3 hours did the kitchen and living room. The oven and microwave weren't done. She had done the floor, sides and front of cupboards etc. It certainly isn't a deep clean.
To top it off she had said she would do 12.30 to 4.30 (4 hours) but I saw her come in at 1.30 on the ring door bell. When she left she said she had done 4 hours and I said "oh I thought you did 3?" She stuttered a bit and said "oh yes I did do 3".

I've had cleaners before and they've been able to do all the kitchen, living room, hallway, bathrooms, toilet and x3 bedrooms in 3 hours. However was I just lucky with the others or is she really slow and a potential time thief?

Get rid of her!

Hmm as a cleaner I'd say most people don't realise quite how dirty their homes are and the first couple of cleans do take longer. However, she does sound overly slow and trying to blag a hour that wasn't done is not a good start. Probably time to look for another cleaner

All of the cleaners I’ve had have managed to do the whole house (3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, kitchen, living room, all floors, surfaces, dusting, bins, etc) in two hours. Granted they’re not deep cleaning but they’ve done a pretty good job. So to only have done 2 bathrooms and a bit of hoovering in 4 hours is ridiculous. Get rid.

I can do more than that in 3 hours. I'm not very good at cleaning.

There's no way I'd have someone back who also was clearly trying to mislead about how long they spent.

Yep, she’s a wrong’un. Get rid.

Total con woman.

My cleaner does 4 hours. She hoovers two flights of stairs and landings, dusts, hoovers and mops 5 rooms; cleans a toilet, a shower and 2 basins; washes up, cleans the kitchen tops and a microwave, fridge and oven as needed. She does all my laundry, tumble dries it at the launderette down the road and folds all my clothes and makes my bed. She sweeps the patio, cleans the ground floor windows and the front door.

She asked for £10 ph but I pay her £12.50.

Have you made it clear what you would like her to do? I clean and always ask what they want me to do within the time. For example one place I only do the kitchen, bathroom, lounge, and hallway in the 2 hours because they want it deep cleaned, everything washed and furniture moved every time. I go every fortnight. But another I do kitchen, dining room, toilet, 2 bathrooms, stairs, lounge and landing in 2 hours it gets a clean like I do at home. Both clients are very happy but there expectations are very different, I have cleaned for them about 7 years. My other clients all require different things.

I don't think domestic cleaners generally do ovens. Has she agreed to do it?

@Maskless

Total con woman.

My cleaner does 4 hours. She hoovers two flights of stairs and landings, dusts, hoovers and mops 5 rooms; cleans a toilet, a shower and 2 basins; washes up, cleans the kitchen tops and a microwave, fridge and oven as needed. She does all my laundry, tumble dries it at the launderette down the road and folds all my clothes and makes my bed. She sweeps the patio, cleans the ground floor windows and the front door.

She asked for £10 ph but I pay her £12.50.

What's her phone number please

My cleaner was here today for 2 hours. In that time
Cleaned kitchen /diner Inc pulling out small appliances, front of cupboards, windows, French doors
Cleaned bathroom and ensuite
Cleaned living room including pulling out TV stand and visible skirting
Floors and surfaces cleaned throughout (3 beds)
2 door frames

My cleaner could do kitchen, 2 x living rooms, dining room, 2x bathrooms and stairs etc in 2 hours

Yesterday 3 hours: large two storey detached, 4 en-suite double bedrooms, large family bathroom and downstairs WC, kitchen diner, living room, large hallway with central staircase, landing and utility room. All bedrooms dusted, two beds made, laundry lifted and put into wash baskets, all bathrooms and toilets cleaned, dishes washed and kitchen counters & hob cleaned, dining area, living room, hall and landing all dusted and all floors hoovered and mopped.

Well at least two of the people on this thread are employing aliens to clean their houses. Can you send me one please?

3.5 hours cleaning for me tomorrow.
This means -
Stripping and making 5 beds,
Cleaning 3 bedrooms including wardrobes, shelving and bedside drawers
1 bathroom, downstairs shower and loo
Stairs, hall, entire Sitting room
Entire Kitchen including fridge/ oven/ microwave/ bins etc
mop all floors downstairs
Dispose of recycling, general waste bin and compost bin
Wipe down all light switches and door handles (covid precautions)

Your cleaner is taking the piss!

A cat with two dusters selloptaped to their paws could do better than this.

Although you do have to poke them with a stick occasionally to make them get a move on (...in my experience)

Get rid - I’m sure even you could it faster yourself!
I’m the world’s slowest cleaner and even I could do more than that

2 cleaners for 90 mins, maybe a bit longer (usually cos I'm in and they do love to chat!)

One does lounge (hoovering and steam cleaning hard floor, dusting, generally making it look awesome in a way I just can't!), downstairs loo, kitchen (on a rotating pattern, microwave, fridge, cupboard fronts all get done every couple of weeks) including empties dishwasher and cleaning hob (not oven, she knows a great guy who does the oven about once every 6 months), steams hall and kitchen floor, even scrubs out dog bowls if I don't get there first!

Other does our bedroom, en suite, spare room/office, family bathroom and stairs, including changing beds. We don't ask her to do teenagers rooms! Plus she does bins and recycling.

It's worth every penny. They've even only had one week holiday in all the time we've had them since 2nd lockdown, and they worked all through that, we were delighted. We pay £45 a week, and make sure we still pay on holiday weeks and bonus at Christmas. They'd be well down the list of things to get rid of if we couldn't afford as much. I'd almost give up my wine!

Lying about the hours would be enough for me. You have to trust her, she's in your home.

You've given her 2 chances, I would move on.

I agree with @ncmcr - it's the trying to get away with a lie that would do it for me.