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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think my cleaner should stay for two hours?

231 replies

Holeandthentwo · 20/12/2021 15:27

I pay for a cleaner to clean my house every other week. The minimum you can pay for is two hours, which is fine.

However, I’ve noticed over the months that she leaves early. At first it was only ten minutes or so and I didn’t care, but it’s built up and built up so that today she arrived at 2pm and left at 3pm. I always make myself scarce when she’s there so I’m not getting in her way, but I know the times because my Ring doorbell sends an alert as she arrives and leaves.

I’m torn about whether to say anything, because it’s now half the time I pay for, but she is a good cleaner, provides all the equipment, and is happy to let herself in with the key, and I feel trusting of her having a key.

Should I say anything? Or just accept that she can clean the house in half the time I pay for?

YABU - say nothing because the clean is still being done

YANBU - say something because it’s not what I’m paying for

OP posts:
DismantledKing · 20/12/2021 15:28

If I was paying for 2 hours I’d expect them to be there for 2 hours.

AndSoFinally · 20/12/2021 15:29

Give her some more jobs to do! Ask her to deep clean the fridge or oven if she's got time left, or bleach all the skirting boards (😂). An hour is taking the mickey, she could definitely find something else to do in that time

hopingforabrighterfuture2021 · 20/12/2021 15:29

Say something! An hour is not acceptable. You could perhaps talk to her about other jobs that could be done, eg cleaning out the fridge/cupboards/doing some laundry etc if there’s not enough to do in the two hours.

Beamur · 20/12/2021 15:30

A few minutes here or there wouldn't be an issue. A whole hour is taking the mick.

Insectscount · 20/12/2021 15:30

Does she get done in one hour what others would do in 2?

WindyState · 20/12/2021 15:31

Yeah, she's taking the piss. If you are paying for 2 hours work you should get 2 hours. Surely a decent clean of most houses would take that long?

RozHuntleysStump · 20/12/2021 15:31

Fucking lazy cleaners. I’ve had a few like that. My last one was charging £14 an hour!

ShinyballsAndChocolateTinsel · 20/12/2021 15:31

So, basically you are paying her double time? 🤔 I'd love a job that did that
Say something

FangsForTheMemory · 20/12/2021 15:33

I would increase the amount of work you need doing and if she comments say sweetly 'well I noticed you were only needing an hour to do everything.'

Themadcleaner · 20/12/2021 15:33

I want to know how she's doing enough in a hour, she must fly round. I'd ask if extras, if she has time etc etc but taking pay for 2 hours is taking the piss really

Mustbeteatime · 20/12/2021 15:34

This really annoys me and you need to say something.

I have recently booked cleaners who are supposed to be there for 2 hours. There are 2 of them. First week - fine. They did a very good job with 2 full hours. Their charge is over the going rate locally (nearly £2O per person hour, almost £80).

Second time, they turn up 5 minutes late and I catch them preparing to leave 15 minutes early.

I pointedly looked at my watch and gave them more to do to make it up to the 2 hours I'm bloody well paying for.

Not sure if I'll ask them again.

tangone · 20/12/2021 15:37

She may just be very fast and efficient. Add a few jobs if you are really peeved.

To a previous poster - why shouldn’t cleaners earn £14 an hour?

WhoopsWhatsMyNameAgain · 20/12/2021 15:39

You should DEFINITELY say something! You're the paying customer and you've paid for 2 hours. She clearly thinks you don't know she's leaving early.

"Hi cleaner, my ring door bell alerted me today that you come at 2pm but left at 3pm. My understanding is I get 2hrs of cleaning for £X. Please can you confirm, and if so, can we arrange for you to make up the time next time? Many thanks."

But for me this is a red flag and I'd look for someone else. I wouldn't trust her given she said nothing to you. She sounds like a cheeky witch and I'd only want people I trust in my home.

WhoopsWhatsMyNameAgain · 20/12/2021 15:40

@tangone

She may just be very fast and efficient. Add a few jobs if you are really peeved.

To a previous poster - why shouldn’t cleaners earn £14 an hour?

What you say makes sense if OP is paying by the job/task.

But she's paying by the hour so should get 2 hours, irrespective of what gets done in that time (which should also be discussed with the cleaner).

Akire · 20/12/2021 15:41

I’m sorry but you can’t do double the work in an hour. Not unless your standard rate was so slow it was sloth like. If you don’t want pay £28 an hour change cleaners. Really dishonest and would put me off totally

WhoopsWhatsMyNameAgain · 20/12/2021 15:43

@tangone

She may just be very fast and efficient. Add a few jobs if you are really peeved.

To a previous poster - why shouldn’t cleaners earn £14 an hour?

They didn't say she shouldn't be earning £14/hr. She meant they should be working hard for £14/hr. Which is absolutely correct.

I couldn't leave early in my £10/hr job. And the higher you earn, the more you need to justify your earnings. That's pretty standard.

GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 20/12/2021 15:44

Yes you should say something.

“If this isn’t taking the full two hours, can you do x y and z?”

I did have a cleaner who went round in circles with this sort of thing

Me: can you do x please?
Her: there’s not time to do that
Me: oh how much time do I need to pay for so that you have time?
Her: I don’t get paid by the hour,‘I get paid by the job
Me: so can I pay you to do x?
Her: no there isn’t time

She didn’t stay long!

rookiemere · 20/12/2021 15:44

I gave up having a cleaner and this was one of the reasons. There's almost enough cleaning to fill up two hours.

roses2 · 20/12/2021 15:45

My cleaner has been doing this since September although I pay for 4 hours and she has gradually been cutting down to 3. I gave her a list of extra jobs each week but she still whizzed through finishing in 3 yet taking money for 4 hours. Last week I gave her a long long list and made a point if she finishes then she should work her way through the list of extra jobs. I think she got the message as last week and this week she worked the hours I paid her for.

IncompleteSenten · 20/12/2021 15:45

Try not making yourself scarce next time and see what happens but yes, it's ok to say that since she's finishing the 2 hour clean with an hour to spare, you'd like X, y, z done too please.

Bubblty · 20/12/2021 15:46

I'd ask politely if she can do x y or z if she finishes early and see what happens then

Allgreyeverything · 20/12/2021 15:47

Well, if a dental nurse gets a tenner an hour, then 14 for a cleaner is a bit steep. But they all are taking the piss as the time goes. Mine used to get £50 for a 4 hour job and I realised she was leaving after 2.5hrs. She wouldn’t bother with most cosmetic things- like adjusting the pillows on the sofa so at least there would be an impression of tidiness.

thetinsoldier · 20/12/2021 15:48

She's doing of what you pay her for. That's dishonest. Give her more jobs to do! And I'd say that I expected her to work the full two hours too.

thetinsoldier · 20/12/2021 15:48

Doing half, that should say.

MaryAndGerryLivingInDerry · 20/12/2021 15:48

If the house is as clean as you like it in an hour then I’d ask her to do other jobs to fill the rest of the time- like cleaning windows/inside fridge etc. If the house isn’t as clean as you’d like it in an hour I’d ask her to be more thorough.