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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

First world problem

25 replies

beepbeep · 27/01/2022 15:04

My husband & I both work long hours & we have 3 teen DCs. We decided that to try & lighten the load we would get a cleaner. We have a four bed, 3 bath house, but the cleaners are told not to do DCs rooms (up to them to keep them clean & tidy).

So just 1 bedroom, 2 en-suites & 1 bathroom upstairs. Downstairs kitchen, lounge, downstairs loo & playroom. (Have office but I do that myself). All the house is clear of clutter & tidy for cleaner arriving).

We have gone through a company & have 3 hours a week. I’ve just got home from client’s to find they haven’t vacuumed, scum still all round bathroom taps, hair & normal crud all over floors in bathroom, including an empty toilet roll one of DCs had left. They also haven’t cleaned window sill in lounge, half mopped the kitchen & hall but not vacuumed as bits in the corners.

What is the issue? Do they not have enough time or are they just crap? (I could clean the house easy in that time but it’s my house!).

DH thinks I’m expecting too much, but I think if we’re paying someone to clean I shouldn’t have to come home & get the vacuum & cloth out.

OP posts:
CUL8Rmasturbator · 27/01/2022 15:07

Hard to say without knowing the size of your rooms and exactly what you've asked for but if you know they've taken the piss, I would contact the company and take photos to show them and ask them to send someone to redo it and send someone who will actually do it properly in future.

beepbeep · 27/01/2022 15:07

Evidence! Not sure what to do, I’ve raised it with them before & they sent someone back to ‘re-clean’. But that was only a couple of weeks ago, now crap again

First world problem
First world problem
First world problem
OP posts:
Dragongirl10 · 27/01/2022 15:08

Get rid of them they are rubbish!

MeridasMum · 27/01/2022 15:09

My cleaner has more rooms to do than yours and gets it done in 2-2.5 hours.

She doesn't clean inside oven or fridge and doesn't clean windows. Sometimes there are things she missed (windowsills for example) but will get them the next week.

We ask her to prioritise bathrooms and kitchen then do whatever else she can fit in.

I'd try to find someone else if I were you

Knockoneofftheshelftowin · 27/01/2022 15:10

Cleaners are useless or taking the Mick. Even if they didn't have time to do it all, they still should have properly done the rooms they did.

lurker101 · 27/01/2022 15:10

I think it’s too little time for them to do enough (unless there’s more than one cleaner that attends) to a high standard. We have a smaller place than you and our cleaner comes for 2-3 hours.

It might be worth asking the cleaner(s)/company whether they have sufficient time and maybe leave a prioritisation list of what you want done. If they think they have enough time and leave it sub-standard it’s time to change company unfortunately

Eileen101 · 27/01/2022 15:10

Hire better cleaners!

lurker101 · 27/01/2022 15:12

Sorry just saw the photos. That’s a disgrace that they would leave it like that without an explanation!

girlmom21 · 27/01/2022 15:21

If it's not the first time and they sent someone to fix the issue which has occurred for a second time id find a new cleaner.

If they don't have enough time they should communicate that.

Although your DC's shouldn't be leaving empty toilet rolls lying around. That's just lazy.

beepbeep · 27/01/2022 15:25

@girlmom21 totally agree on the laziness! It was behind the door (not that that’s an excuse!).

They don’t do windows, inside fridge or anything like that. She seems to have cleaned all the kitchen cupboard doors, which is nice, but I would see that as something you do if you’ve finished everything else?

OP posts:
girlmom21 · 27/01/2022 15:26

[quote beepbeep]@girlmom21 totally agree on the laziness! It was behind the door (not that that’s an excuse!).

They don’t do windows, inside fridge or anything like that. She seems to have cleaned all the kitchen cupboard doors, which is nice, but I would see that as something you do if you’ve finished everything else?[/quote]
Definitely agree - you don't do the kitchen cupboards and leave a dirty floor!

D0lphine · 27/01/2022 15:32

I think you need to get a new company to be honest.

I used to clean and 3 hours seems like loads of time for those jobs.

If I didn't have time to do something id leave a note like:

Hi x, I found that I couldn't get around to (task) today because the guest bathroom took longer than usual. I can prioritise it next week.

People always fine with that. I also used to ask about priorities - what is a must and what's an if you get chance.

Harlequin1088 · 27/01/2022 15:33

Get a different cleaner. If you’ve already brought it up once and they had to send someone out to re-clean then one would think they’d be keen not to make the same mistake again!

I’ve just got rid of my cleaner as she was doing something similar - not hoovering the floors but mopping them so all the dust and dirt was just being smeared around the floors, moving furniture around - not to clean behind/underneath it but because she thought the room looked “better” that way! I’d then come home from work and have to move everything back which kicked up all the dust underneath them and made the house look dirtier than before she came! The final straw was when she mopped around a pile of cat sick that one of the cats had barfed up in between me leaving the house for work and her arriving to clean. You could even see the mop smears on the floor where she’d deliberately gone round it 😂

I’ve got a new cleaner starting next month who comes highly recommended so I’m hoping this one goes better!

The advice I’ll give you OP is when you do find a good cleaner, hang onto them as though your life depends upon it.

beepbeep · 27/01/2022 15:44

Maybe I’m being a bit anal but I’ve now spent an hour cleaning what she should have, bathrooms next!

In peoples’ experiences what is best, individual or a company?

First world problem
OP posts:
Fere · 27/01/2022 15:49

If you spent 2-3 hours cleaning what you expect them to clean and told the company hoover and maop the floors and they didn't, ditch them.
Write an exact list and you will be able to check against it with the next cleaner who comes along.

What kind of hoover do you have ?
Have they used it at all and is it working properly?

MrsR87 · 27/01/2022 15:49

I don’t think that’s good enough! Our house sounds the same size as yours. In 90 mins this morning I fully cleaned the family bathroom including floor. Cleaned the sink, toilet and floor in ensuite. Polished three of the four bedrooms. Polished the living room and study. Emptied and loaded dishwasher. That would give me an hour and a half to hoover everywhere and mop downstairs!

murasaki · 27/01/2022 15:53

Can you get a recommendation from a friend? That worked for me.

Theunamedcat · 27/01/2022 15:59

Get an individual they rely on word of mouth just make sure they are insured

I was a mobile cleaner my routine was spray what needed time to work and move fast so one client had a limescale issue I would spray down the shower clean the sink finish the shower clean the toilet do all surfaces around the house then hoover and mop myself out one house I would literally mop myself out the door put everything but my mop and bucket in the car and swish never had a complaint

Infinitemoon · 27/01/2022 16:04

It would take me longer than 3 hours to clean my whole house properly.

PattyPan · 27/01/2022 16:21

I use an agency, the first person we had was ok but then she left and has been replaced by a magic woman who is amazing and very efficient so I think it just depends on the individual. the company sent a list of what jobs you might want doing and then you check off if you definitely want them done or if you want them done if they have time - something like that might be good so yours knows to prioritise bathrooms over cupboard doors etc?

Phos · 27/01/2022 16:26

3 hours is enough for them to have done all that. My cleaner does all that in 3 hours and we're not always the tidiest!

I'd get a new one, some just take the p*ss. The one we had before this, I was once working in the downstairs office (it's a sort of upside down house) and she didn't know I was there. I heard her come in, she did a very light clean for less than an hour, left loads undone and left, whilst billing us for 3 hours.

beepbeep · 27/01/2022 17:27

@Phos we had similar, we have ring cameras so unfortunately for her could see she’d left an hour early!!

OP posts:
kw1091 · 27/01/2022 17:29

I wouldn’t use an agency, they’re not paid as well and imo don’t do a good enough job. Post on your local Facebook page to find someone that works for them self.

BarrowInFurnessRailwayStation · 27/01/2022 17:51

@Phos we had similar, we have ring cameras so unfortunately for her could see she’d left an hour early!!

I was going to say I bet she left early.

Walkingalot · 27/01/2022 18:36

You're paying for a professional cleaner and they clearly aren't doing a good job or even a reasonable one. Quit the agency and get local recommendations and have them on a 2 week trial etc. Good place to search is on your local Nextdoor site.

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