Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask cleaner to wash bathrooms...

55 replies

mishmased · 19/08/2022 18:29

Instead of praying and wiping?

We had a cleaner until 2020 and post Covid she has moved on.
About 4 months ago we got a new lady, she was recommended by my next door neighbour and cleans for them every week.

I was due back to work after Mat leave and we could do with having one less chore at home.
She started and the first month was fine. She comes weekly for 3hrs (€15/hr) and we have a 4 bed semi with 3 bathrooms. Just average not too big but not small.

In the last month I have noticed a few things namely, she sprays the bath and wipes as opposed to washing/wiping with a cloth and rinsing with water. The bath doesn't look clean because the faint dirt marks in the middle of the bath is still there.
Also she doesn't mop the bedroom floors. I only realised that because I asked her if she's done it and that was when she told she doesn't because some of her clients do not want her to mop the floor.

Another issue, when she cleans the bathrooms (smallish bathrooms) she wouldn't for example wipe the step stools. I don't mind her not wiping the kids toilet seat if she doesn't want to but the step stool was so dusty.
In the downstairs loo we have a changing table and underneath that is dusty too. It seems like she cleans 'around' things rather than moving things. She doesn't mop the bathroom floors or wipe down the basin or outside the toilet seat. This means I have to do them or ask DH to do which defeats the purpose of outsourcing it.

I'm honestly not sure what to do. It turns out she used to clean for a friend and said friend stopped using her due to similar issues as she ends up having to do the chores herself.

Another one that annoys me more because it is inconveniencing is that she insists on being paid cash. I was sending payment to her husband's PayPal account but last week she asked if she could get cash. I asked to put in her account t but she refused. It is so annoying having to remember every week to take cash from the ATM.
Am I being unreasonable? Do your cleaners wipe your baths or do they wash it? Is it too much work for 3 hrs? She will be in tomorrow but I will be at work all day as I work 12 hr shift.
How would you approach this?

OP posts:
BigChesterDraws · 19/08/2022 18:32

Praying and wiping? I think if you are paying for a cleaner you should get more than just a “Hail Mary” and a wipe.

Teadrinkingmumofone · 19/08/2022 18:32

I don't have a cleaner but she sounds absolutely useless. Just be honest and say it's not working for you, for the reasons you've given above, and let her go

Tootsey11 · 19/08/2022 18:33

For what you want doing, I would want more time. I'm a cleaner. Nothing worse than having to rush a clean.

ilovepixie · 19/08/2022 18:36

BigChesterDraws · 19/08/2022 18:32

Praying and wiping? I think if you are paying for a cleaner you should get more than just a “Hail Mary” and a wipe.

😂😂

MiseryWIthAStent · 19/08/2022 18:39

I think it sounds like not enough time tbh.

TwoBlueFish · 19/08/2022 18:43

I think you have to give her a clear list of what you want doing and be prepared for her to say she needs more time. If she still doesn’t clean to your satisfaction then probably time to find someone else.

Unorthofox · 19/08/2022 18:44

Honestly I don't think 3hrs is long enough for a 4 bed with 3 bathrooms.

I think a full scrub of the kitchen, full house hoover/dust, then 3 bathrooms is too much for 3 hours.

catandcoffee · 19/08/2022 18:46

Of course she should be cleaning the bath with spray and water.
The fact you need to explain this to her...🙄
Get rid of her

Azandme · 19/08/2022 18:49

Three hours for a four bed, three bath really isn't enough time for a proper clean.

sunshinebananas · 19/08/2022 18:49

We've got a similar size house and our cleaner comes for 2 hours weekly. I have a list of things I want doing in order of importance and wet cleaning of bathrooms and kitchen are at the top. Things like dusting etc should only be done if the main things are done - sometimes they are, sometimes not. That said, I still notice that she rarely does 2 hours.....🤷‍♀️

imnotthatkindofmum · 19/08/2022 18:56

My sister used to do my house for 1.5hrs a week. She is a cleaner, that's her job. She's well regarded by her clients.

My house is 4 bed semi, 3 bathrooms.

In that 1.5 hrs she would whip round the bathrooms (with water), hoover and mop.

Whip round the kitchen, hoover and mop

Hoover stairs (townhouse so 2 flights) and landings and lounge and family room!

Admittedly she didn't do any of it to her preferred standards but mopping floor is definitely one of the basics!

Luredbyapomegranate · 19/08/2022 19:04

It’s not enough time to clean a house this size fully. you need to rotate jobs or give her more time.

Original poster
mishmased · 19/08/2022 19:27

BigChesterDraws · 19/08/2022 18:32

Praying and wiping? I think if you are paying for a cleaner you should get more than just a “Hail Mary” and a wipe.

😂😂😂 apologies spraying and wiping. Would be great if she was praying for prosperity 🤣

OP posts:
Original poster
mishmased · 19/08/2022 19:35

Thanks everyone. I did ask initially if 3hrs was enough and she insisted it was more than enough. I don't expect her to do everything in the 3 hours. My preference is bathrooms, dusting and floors. Anything more is a bonus. Usually when she's working my husband is usually working in the fourth bedroom so that has never been cleaned.
At the start I did give her a list of what to do and as time went on I figured she'll rotate the jobs. I don't mind as long as bathrooms are done weekly.
I will give more directions as to what needs doing. But I was told she leaves early tho, so if she doesn't have a Pugh time why is she leaving early.
DH has often said she's been like 'oh I hope mishmased doesn't mind but I have to rush'.
Thanks everyone.

OP posts:
Clymene · 19/08/2022 19:37

3 hours is not long enough to clear a 4 bed, 3 bath house with multiple occupants.

I have a much smaller house and I'm the only adult. My cleaner is here 3 hours.

YesitsBess · 19/08/2022 19:46

Sometimes miscommunication can cause these issues, I agree that you need to make clear what your priorities are. When I did housekeeping I had to make it clear that 3 hours a week wasn’t going to be enough for a 4 bed 3 bath fairly regularly. But also that it depended on their standards, I can bosh a house to an acceptable standard in that time, I can’t do detail cleaning in that time.

She may not have realised you expect her to rotate jobs? I made it very clear that if my family of 5 with 3 under 3 wanted me to prioritise laundry and ironing one week they would not be getting hotel standard cleaning throughout on the same day.

If she’s constantly leaving early then take that up with her, that’s not ok.

SafelySoftly · 19/08/2022 20:11

Yes especially if it’s not just a case of hoovering floors that sounds far too short a time. I’d say 5 hours plus easily…

TooMuchToDoTooLittleInclination · 19/08/2022 20:17

She sounds dreadful I'd give her notice immediately but pay her for next week (or whatever's in your contract).

it may be that your next cleaner needs more time to do it properly, but this one has more time (leaves early)!she just doesn't know how to clean properly it chooses not to!

Original poster
mishmased · 19/08/2022 20:27

I only added the other annoyances just to give the full picture. I don't expect immaculate cleaning, if I was to clean it thoroughly it would take me about4-6 hours. My main gripe I guess is the bath being sprayed, the rest I can have a chat with her. Thing is how do you tell someone to wash a bath when they're cleaning?
I will
Also chat about increasing hours although she previously said that's enough time but I suspect she has a lot of clients. She is very nice which is why the conversation will be so difficult.

OP posts:
Caroffee · 19/08/2022 20:27

She's not a good cleaner. Many aren't. Finding a good cleaner is like finding the end of the rainbow. My sister once had an amazing cleaner who did so much in two hours. She now does end-of-tenancy cleaning for agencies and earns £100 an hour doing it.

Imverynewhere · 19/08/2022 20:31

I think you’re totally within your rights to be annoyed. You’ve got two options 1) make it clear what you expect to be done and give her a few weeks to change 2) tell her it’s not working and find a new cleaner, but bathrooms to me are always a priority to be done properly, along with the kitchen in my view, a good hoover throughout the house and a mop.

Also the cash thing really annoys me too- I do appreciate times are hard and so cash avoids tax and also reduction of benefits/universal credit which we know doesn’t really cover everything people need let alone want, and whilst I mignt not approve of the above I understand why people do it - but it is a bit dodgy AND it’s also a massive faff when for the most part we have a cashless society these days!

YesitsBess · 19/08/2022 20:32

I’d approach it as baths are a priority for you? I have completely misunderstood client priorities in the past because of a lack of comms (they were focused on dusting when what they needed help with mainly was laundry?!?) and once we’d sorted that I worked with them for a year.

Pinkglower · 19/08/2022 20:32

BigChesterDraws · 19/08/2022 18:32

Praying and wiping? I think if you are paying for a cleaner you should get more than just a “Hail Mary” and a wipe.

🤣

Original poster
mishmased · 19/08/2022 20:35

Teadrinkingmumofone · 19/08/2022 18:32

I don't have a cleaner but she sounds absolutely useless. Just be honest and say it's not working for you, for the reasons you've given above, and let her go

It's so hard as she's a very nice person. I'll give areas that I need doing and see how the next 2-3 weeks go.

OP posts:
Duettino · 19/08/2022 20:37

Many moons ago I was a cleaner. I don't remember doing a 4 bed but 3 beds were two hours and my biggest, a 7 bed and 5 bath was four hours. That was a push but I think 3 is enough, even if things that aren't essential are alternated.