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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:
GMH74 · 21/12/2021 16:23

I called my cleaner out on this. She had gradually started leaving earlier and earlier to the point where she was getting paid for 40 minutes more than she was doing. I said I was going to revise her hours to reflect what she actually did. She got the huff and wouldn't come back. I've had it with other cleaners too. I've never found a good cleaner who actually does some honest work. I think a lot of people think its an easy way to make money but don't actually work very hard.

rookiemere · 21/12/2021 16:28

I think the issue with cleaning as a job is that you're never getting much in the way of good feedback from a job well done, so I suppose it must be tempting when you've been doing somewhere for a while to cut corners.

We had an amazing cleaner for a number of years, did wonders in two hours and wouldn't let me up her hourly rate. But then the results started to decline and various areas weren't cleaned that had been done before. SIL advised she had left after 1h30 when they were there, but it was only when she did the same when I was wfh that I believed it. We were getting a puppy anyway so it seemed like a good time to stop having a cleaner anyway.

MaryAndGerryLivingInDerry · 21/12/2021 16:43

[quote BertramLacey]@MaryAndGerryLivingInDerry really they're Scrodinger's cleaners. Cleaning is simultaneously so easy that anyone can do it, it's unskilled, and asking for the living wage is daylight robbery but also, so difficult that no-one does it properly and you can never find anyone to do this very easy job that pays a king's ransom. It's a mystery why cleaners don't stick around to be treated like the poorly-paid master criminals they actually are.[/quote]
Yes indeed. It always fascinated me how so many people on MN appear to have cleaners and yet so few have any actual experience of having a cleaner Grin

Butchyrestingface · 21/12/2021 16:47

Well, if a dental nurse gets a tenner an hour, then 14 for a cleaner is a bit steep.

How many self-employed dental nurses do you know?

FFS.

TractorAndHeadphones · 21/12/2021 16:51

[quote BertramLacey]@MaryAndGerryLivingInDerry really they're Scrodinger's cleaners. Cleaning is simultaneously so easy that anyone can do it, it's unskilled, and asking for the living wage is daylight robbery but also, so difficult that no-one does it properly and you can never find anyone to do this very easy job that pays a king's ransom. It's a mystery why cleaners don't stick around to be treated like the poorly-paid master criminals they actually are.[/quote]
Yeah everyone moans 😂

The truth is - cleaning is shitwork. It may be ‘unskilled’, but it’s a physical job, not always pleasant, and if you’re self-employed and travel between homes you don’t end up with much. You can’t work a full 8 hours and no turning up = no pay.

If you want people who take pride in their work you should be paying more than the bare minimum! This applies to everyone.
Our cleaners charge above market rates but are great, tidy and the house sparkles when they’re done. Appreciate they’re a luxury and cut back elsewhere to afford them but they deserve respect!

Original poster
Holeandthentwo · 21/12/2021 16:52

£14 an hour - in cash ? So, assuming not being declared to the Inland Revenue, the equivalent of £20 per hour for anyone who does pay tax/NI.

I haven’t said I pay £14 and I haven’t said I pay in cash.

For those who’ve asked - it isn’t a big house. Two bedroomed terraced house. I don’t have kids (or a DP) so it’s clean and tidy enough when she arrives.

OP posts:
Puzzledandpissedoff · 21/12/2021 16:56

Just giving more work to do without explaining why is an odd and passive aggressive thing to do

It would be, yes, if that's what happened, but it's not what most have suggested ... rather, they've said to offer more work to fill the 2 hours

I agree with the rest though, especially that it's unlikely she can do a thorough job in just an hour (unless OP lives in one room I guess!!)

FreeBritnee · 21/12/2021 16:58

I think you can definitely talk to her about how it seems she can complete the job n an hour now so you will be paying her for an hour instead.

GhoulWithADragonTattoo · 21/12/2021 17:04

YANBU - If my cleaner takes less than the agreed time I always leave some ironing so she can do that to make up the time.

NameChangeCity123 · 21/12/2021 17:26

If it started with a few mins and is now an hour, she's testing your boundaries. You need to let her know that you're aware and that she will need to make the time up

Justheretoaskaquestion91 · 21/12/2021 17:33

@BertramLacey

Not everyone feels that way. Like I said upthread: I have had two fantastic cleaners. My current one - honest to god I couldn’t get through the week without her. She’s my right hand. She is unbelievable, is getting a crazy Christmas present and receives untold praise from me. An old one I had was also just marvellous.

Which is how I now recognise the deeply, deeply shit cleaner I had in between the two who took me for a ride absolutely!!!!!!!! Not everyone is just blaming or hating on cleaners. Some are just absolutely fucking useless though/lazy - as I said as well earlier, just like in every profession you get shit ones. Can’t say I was great as a barmaid at my uni job 😆🤦🏻‍♀️

riceuten · 21/12/2021 17:35

It would depend on the size of the house, the tasks she is required to undertake and the thoroughness of the cleaning. If she does everything to your satisfaction during this time, then I would accept it.

TractorAndHeadphones · 21/12/2021 17:40

@Holeandthentwo

£14 an hour - in cash ? So, assuming not being declared to the Inland Revenue, the equivalent of £20 per hour for anyone who does pay tax/NI.

I haven’t said I pay £14 and I haven’t said I pay in cash.

For those who’ve asked - it isn’t a big house. Two bedroomed terraced house. I don’t have kids (or a DP) so it’s clean and tidy enough when she arrives.

Does she do all of this : www.mollymaid.com/cleaning-tips/schedules-charts-and-checklists/house-cleaning-checklist/

You can always leave dishes for her to do, laundry or get her to change sheets

Wheresmywoolyjumpers · 21/12/2021 17:41

I would say if you get through the regular cleaning quickly here is a list of the extra jobs I would like you to do. Bleaching the skirting boards?

Mirw · 21/12/2021 17:48

Even if it is paid in cash, it doesn"t mean there is no tax paid. Maybe the owner values her workers and doesn't pay minimum wage...
I own my own business and will take cash from small organisations as it is easier for them. It still all goes through the books.

Fairylights25 · 21/12/2021 17:48

I would find a new cleaner, she has no respect for you and is showing contempt by leaving so early. I would find someone else, and tell her why you are letting her go and then not pay her the balance of what is owed deducting the number of hours she hasn't worked. There is not a chance I would continue under any circumstances. Two things will happen, you will speak to her and

a) she will be quietly be seething and do a rubbish job or worse
b) she will change for a short time before reverting back to form as soon as she sees a moment to do so

Get rid!

Alicatz66 · 21/12/2021 17:50

Definitely say something! .. if you get paid for 2 hours you work for 2 hours

NotABeliever · 21/12/2021 17:57

Even if you have a small house and no children or pets, 2 hours cleaning is not difficult to fill. Is she dusting everywhere, moving furniture to clean behind, scrubbing limescale, cleaning inside the microwave, wiping kitchen cupboards, emptying bins etc. She can't be doing a thorough job in 1 hour.
I also have had very fast cleaners who shortened the time spent cleaning more and more but have never put up with more than 10 minutes less than scheduled. There is always somthong else they can do.

blotblot · 21/12/2021 18:03

@AndSoFinally

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
Totally agree. Deep clean something specific, or a different room each week.
Ceramide · 21/12/2021 18:09

Next week pay her for only 1 hour. If she questions it, say it's because she only did half the agreed time last week. Don't mention the doorbell as it may just mean she spends the second hour on the sofa before leaving.

DogsandCatsB4u · 21/12/2021 18:39

Minimum booking is two hours so if she does finish early if doesn’t matter because she doesn’t do bookings for less than two hours.

DogsandCatsB4u · 21/12/2021 18:39

I’m a cleaner with cleaning company.

LouBan · 21/12/2021 19:09

If you have to pay for 2 hours give her some extra jobs to do so that she will have to be there for 2 hours.

Usuallyunreasonable · 21/12/2021 19:13

I agree don’t mention the ring doorbell

Jewel52 · 21/12/2021 19:18

What a problem to have - reliable cleaner is whizzing through jobs and still reaching the standards you’ve set but your surveillance is picking up when she’s coming and going. Hope your diamond shoes aren’t also crushing your toes 🙄