To think my cleaner should stay for two hours?

[Holeandthentwo]

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

However good a cleaner is, a two hour job can't really be done in an hour, anyway. You can tell if your cleaner isn't good at their job -they cut corners and don't do things they've agreed to, forget stuff, leave early, take endless phone calls/check messages a lot, fag breaks, etc. Sulk if reminded about an agreed regular job which has dropped off the list, whilst still leaving early. Our last cleaner was like this, so I stopped having a cleaner in the end.

As a long time housekeeper heres my thoughts. Does she get everything done you ask her to do, is it that she get all done faster because she has a routine down, which makes it easier for her to get through your home? If you want the full 2 hours then you may want to ask for something extra each time, or discuss it with her. I know when I do residential homes I have a 2 hour minimum regardless if it takes me that long or not. Depending on the size of home and cleanliness it gets easier and faster each time, I will however do deep cleaning every month (baseboards, windows, ceiling fans, ect) so it makes up for times I do leave earlier than the 2hr mark.

Even if she can get all the jobs you have given her in an hour - which tbh I doubt she is doing a full job because certain things take a certain amount of time regardless of who does them.
I'd give her extra tasks and if she asks why tell her the truth.

You need to talk to her and give her more work by

I clean a large house for four hours and I struggle to get it all done in that time and have worked over for free many times. How can you clean a house in 1 hour? Even a 1 bed flat should take longer than that, high dusting, skirtings, bathroom, hoovering, kitchen sink and surfaces, mopping hard flooring and many many more jobs....never going to happen in 60 minutes.

@Shai77

Had to weigh in here because I also have cleaners that come in and bottom line is I pay for the job they do, not the time. And they do an excellent job in about an hour and I have a fair size house - 4 beds, 3 bath, 2 living room, etc. Two come because it's they're business together but sometimes only one can come over. If it's just one then it still takes that person a little less than 2 hrs. Still a great job done and it's time off my hands having to do it myself. Over time it has taken them less time to clean up. Why? Because they got used to how to clean my house AND it's been maintained from the last times they've cleaned. Perhaps the same situation is going on with your home. In the end I WANT them to get done quickly but with the same quality since I also WFH and so I can back to work. So if the quality is still there why hunt for extra things she can do? She prob already did it or will end up learning how to do it in less time bringing you right back to where you started.

Absolutely, after a while you get the hang of the place and work faster. I'm a fast worker and do a thorough job. But I know people who can take 4 hours to do what would be a two hour job for me. Once I start, I'm on auto pilot. Could you do what she does in hour or 2 hours? that should give you an idea Of whether she's a fast worker or not working.