To throw my toys out the pram with cleaner?

[Createana]

I’ve just gone back to work and have begrudgingly had to employ a cleaner (I say begrudgingly as it’s an expense I could do without). Anyway, I appreciate there are good cleaners and this is not a cleaners bashing post but am I being unreasonable in expecting it to be cleaner than when I left?. There’s marks on the floor, dishwasher is dirty, table is still sticky, oven top is dirty. I’ve had cleaners before but this lady doesn’t actually move anything, is this a new thing? If you are a cleaner please tell me how long you’d suggest for a 3 bed house with 2 kids. No laundry, bed change etc no tidying, just cleaning. Exasperated.

If it's tidy, 4 hours top to bottom. If there is stuff, a lot of clutter, toys and knick-knacks, a lot longer because of moving and dusting items open to the air. Every kitchen surface should be cleaned - it's one of the first jobs you do along with bathrooms as it is a priotirty to have hygenic kitchen, loos and showers etc

You could maybe text her and, to be ‘helpful’ put a list of things you’d like attended to: bathroom/toilets/ sinks/ hob etc just so there is no ambiguity. Obvious I know but at least she’ll know what’s expected (she should anyway but 🤷‍♀️).

I have a two and a half bed cottage with one bathroom ( no bath) my cleaner comes for 3 hours. In that she hoovers, mops floors, polishes and cleans shower room. House is definitely clean after she has been. I have three dogs and my floor is covered with their hairs. She comes every two weeks, i tidy before she comes though.

Just to add when she came 1st, we went through everything what was expected to be done though. And every so often i will mention things to be done, like this week was cob webs ( old cottage they get every where )

That doesn’t sound right, house should look amazing after cleaner gone! We tidy everything night before so only actual cleaning needed but it looks amazing and sparkly clean afterwards! That’s the whole point isn’t it??

Bad cleaner. Find a new one

She sounds lazy. Some people are. Not cleaning the loo is unacceptable. If she didn’t have time to finish she should have eg just done bathrooms then told you she ran out of time.

Fire and get a new one.

I'd expect certain thingsnto be moved, so your tea etc cannisters, fruit bowl etc. From my experience they will be put back near to where they were but not in the same place to let you know the cleaner has done underneath them!!

That doesn't sound right, especially for a first visit when you would think she would be giving you a fresh eye on the place.

However, you could ask what she actually did as I had a cleaner once who did very specific jobs the first time she went to a house - which were 1. Windows and 2. Skirting boards. Both are jobs which I just don't even notice, (which is why they were so bad, in her eyes) and it took her 2 hours to do them. When she pointed them out I could see she had scrubbed them and they were probably very dirty before.

After that she cleaned well and rotated through jobs weekly/monthly/seasonally and was all organised, a very efficient and thorough cleaner who wouldn't deviate from her idea of what order things had to be cleaned in.

Just message her and say 'I can see that you weren't able to make it today. Please let me know if you aren't coming in future'. When she says she's been, say that you really can't tell because x, y, z is dirty. See what she says.

Don’t even bother to message her asking why it’s not clean.
Just get rid or you may feel you have to give her another chance if she comes up with a sob story.
Try to get someone on recommendation.

As someone who had cleaners for quite a while when I was working, you've got to be quite pragmatic - if you're not happy then don't faff about, just.go.elsewhere. it's the simplest way.

In the end we shelled out the £££ on a Roomba and robot mop and have great piles of microfibre cloths (and wet wipes - easier though less ecologically sound), and the house now looks acceptable without the stress of periodically dealing with cleaner-related issues from "left the windows open" through "never does the corners or backs of things despite being asked" to "appears to be doing their clothes in our machines".

Bottom line, the moment it becomes more than a rare niggle, make an excuse and dispense with their services and go get a new one or agency. They're in your home, there has to be that basic trust and transparency or it doesn't work. The moment you start counting teaspoons / have the neighbours ask you if the cleaner is only supposed to come for two hours when you pay for three / peer at the odd residue in the sink and wonder if they are putting Harpic down it.... it's the end.

If you can get someone who always does what they say on the tin, accept any and all fee increases / consider offering the odd rise if they're not agency, and appreciate them!

Did you go through an agency? If so I would take photos and get the agency manager out to complain and request it’s redone.

We have had nothing but issues with ours to the point it was then getting worse and I just decided it wasn’t with it and we are on the waiting list for a recommended cleaner. It’s sold destroying paying £45 a time for nothing to look any different!

There should be good cleaners becoming available when people need to cancel as they feel the cost of living go up. The only positive here is that lazy cleaners who exploit customers will find little work or need to up their game and actually work hard!

I just do my own cleaning then I can only blame myself if it's a mess

Your cleaner shouldn't be leaving your house as they found it OP!

Thanks all. Im just going to message and say it’s not working. Seriously nothing has been done today. She’s been here, camera tells me what time she came and left. Just so disappointed.

Leave a ticklist for her of what you want her to do. My grandson is my cleaner so I have established the regular jobs - hoover everywhere, steam clean all downstairs floors, cleans ensuite & cloakroom, then kitchen cleaning. He does this in 2 hrs a week. I add a job a week, like brush stairs, clean patio doors etc.

Agree with others, get rid!

I've had poor cleaners, the current one is brilliant, had her six years now.

Good cleaners are out there.

Some cleaners are just rubbish. They are just people who decide to set themselves up as cleaners without actually knowing how to clean properly. I had one of those and I dread to think how her house was because she didn't know how to clean. Use a proper company as they will be professionals and clean to a standard that they are trained to.

@Dotdotdotdashdashdashdotdotdot

If there is no tidying what do you mean when you say she didn’t move anything? What would she need to move?

I would expect a cleaner to move something like a welcome mat in the hall (to hoover/mop under it) for example. Or if there are a couple of things on a shelf in the bathroom - I'd expect those to be lifted so the shelf could be cleaned.

Even a very tidy house has things in it that you would need to clean under.

@CloseYourEyesAndSee

Some cleaners are just rubbish. They are just people who decide to set themselves up as cleaners without actually knowing how to clean properly. I had one of those and I dread to think how her house was because she didn't know how to clean. Use a proper company as they will be professionals and clean to a standard that they are trained to.

I've used an excellent company in the past, but I tried a company where I live now and they were terrible.

They sent a woman who did a dreadful job - so bad I just immediately ended the contract. It was like the OP describes - whole areas missed or not done properly. E.g. she wiped the OP of the loo seat cover, but didn't actually clean the toilet!

All the locals recommend this company in the local FB group, it's crazy.

^ top of the loo seat cover

Your cleaner sounds unsatisfactory, Creatiana; let her go and find someone else with references or hire through an agency. I found agency cleaners to be amazing on the few occasions I used them. Prior to that I had a cleaning person who came fortnightly and they were very good. My mother in law's two hours a week cleaner was an absolute treasure and became a valued friend.

If you are a reasonable person and pay decently, you have a right to expect your place to be cleaned properly. Therefore say "Goodbye" and replace.

Don't be reluctant about paying for domestic service, it takes a huge weight off your shoulders and that is well worth the cash when both are working full time.

The only time someone complained was when their house was so cluttered. I took before pics and sent them to the husband as he was moaning we did no work.

@Dotdotdotdashdashdashdotdotdot

If there is no tidying what do you mean when you say she didn’t move anything? What would she need to move?

I think some people genuinely think this and that’s why you end up with hopeless cleaners who just wipe around the toaster, mop around mats, dust without picking up picture frames and never replace cushions/throws or anything else.

IME cleaners never get better so get rid