to expect my cleaner to stay for 3 hours if that's what I am paying her for?

[mummypig]

Yesterday she definitely only stayed for two hours or less, as I was in the house before she arrived and came back two hours later and she had been and gone, pocketing my cheque for £24! She has done this several times before so she probably thinks it is easy money. I am definitely a wuss in that I didn't mention it beforehand, but now dp and I are getting fed up with it.

She probably covers a larger area than I could do in two hours (having tried it myself when she was away over Christmas) but not to the same extent, i.e. yesterday after she had definitely vacuumed and mopped the wooden floor downstairs there were still pockets of dust in corners and under the hall cupboards.

I even suggested to her when she started that 2 hours might be better, because it seemed to me that she was fitting me in around a rather busy schedule. But she said no, she would come for 3 hours.

Our only communication is by text message, unless I leave a note for her when she comes in. Plus I often don't know what day she's going to come as she's supposed to come on Mondays but usually texts me late in the day to say she will come another day. So I'm thinking of texting and saying that I know she only came for two hours yesterday, and she can choose whether to only be paid for two hours or for me to find more work for her in our house... which would be very easy, for example it would be lovely to have someone else change the bedclothes each week, or occasionally wipe out the fridge, or clean out cupboards etc...

Ultimately I would love to have a different cleaner, one I can communicate with and feel that she's actually working for me rather than doing me a favour when she does come round! (The last one we had was wonderful and would use her initiative to clean windows etc if she had a bit of extra time, but she went back to Hungary last year.) But I feel I should give this one a chance to improve... maybe I'm just being a wuss again, what does everyone else think????

Hmm, if its not being sone properly, with dust etc in corners then you arent being unreasonable. But if it is all done properly then maybe a little bit you would be.
No point lingering for half an hour if its all done. IMO. But if its not all done... then...well then it should be.

Very tricky. Have you thought of leaving her a list of things you would like her to do ie today could you do the skirting boards, windows etc?

I am a bit of a coward, and hate situations like this. Wish you luck.

From other threads I have started recently - it is clear I have no experience YET of having a cleaner -
but would it work to sit with her and ask if she has enough to do in 3 hours - you are paying her by the hour not by the task - however would you want her to do the same amount but slower?

Oh sorry I am changing my mind as I type..

not sure what to do but wouldn't ignore it.

I had this. Had a great cleaner, who did 7 hours. Cleaning, washing, ironing etc. She went back to Chile and recommended her friend. When for the third time I discovered she'd been and gone between 10am and 1pm and taken my £63, I gave her the heave-ho. It's just not on.

If I'm at work, I'm being paid to work. If my usual work is finished, I have to fill up the time with extra stuff. You can't just sit around. Take a Mc-Job as an example. If you're on the tills and it's not busy, you're expected to clean around the service area, stock up the cups, sauces... You can't just stand there having a break.

I don't see why a cleaning job is any different.

Hmmmmmmmmm................
Get rid of her!
It is as if she is stealing your money, if you don't do something she will get worse...

Ime you need to start looking. my first cleaner used to do this - although it would usually not be as much as an hour short; I'd chat to her about how long things took, and sometimes gave out a list of specific tasks to ensure the work was done during the hours agreed. She seemed to show willing for a bit, then it would slack off again and she'd go her own merry way. Apart from that she was honest, nice to my children etc., but rather inflexible in terms of doing things MY way.

When we moved the journey to us was not workable, so we left on good terms.

My cleaner now is fab, and will seek out work on her own i nitiative if her regular tasks are done.
Eg "I've just changed 2 of the beds as I had a few minutes left over"/"Just wiped Ds3's window where his sticky fingers have been because I know the window cleaner won't be around now for a while""

And lots of other general helpfulness and extra mile type of attitude.

hi mummypig - no you are not being unreasonable - we used to have a cleaner that did this and I wimped out on it for ages but it used to really get to me. Eventually I caught her out by being in the time that she came, then going out as I always did, but instead of being out for 2- 3 hours I came back after an hour and she was getting ready to leave!!
She was very embarrassed and I just told her that I didn't think it was working out anymore and I wouldn't need her anymore.

Until I found another cleaner I used to have Molly Maid (very very expensive) once a fortnight to help me keep on top of things. Now I have a wonderful cleaner who uses her initiative if there is some time left over - e.g - I cleaned on top of the wardrobes, or cleaned the inside conservatory windows.

Well my cleaner will only work for a minimum of 3 hours as it isn't really worth her while to do anything less. We live in a small 2 bed flat so 3 hours is plenty.

She rarely takes 3 hours and is usually gone in 2 or 2.5 hours BUT she also does all my ironing in that time and the place is spotless when she leaves. I often joke with dh as to how she manages to get the carpet so clean looking with just vacumming. She also often cleans out the vegetable basket and fridge etc without being asked to and generally looks out for things to clean over and above the 'normal' stuff.

I think if she is leaving early but you are happy with what she does that is one thing but if you aren't happy then you definitely need to look elsewhere for a cleaner.

no, YANBU. Basically it comes down to whether you can be arsed having to performance manage your cleaner. i decided i couldn't and got rid of a succession of cleaners - 5 cleaners later i got a good one and have had a great arrangement for over 2 years now!

why dont you just say "i noticed you were only here a couple of hours the other day, therefore heres 2 hours pay"

she will soon start to stay 3 hours

give her a list of jobs too, sometimes people need guidance

Wish my cleaner more had initiative. Mind you it is a man Sorry sexist, but oh honestly......

Leave her a list of extra jobs, for if she has extra time, or your ironing.

Or you could mention the bits she missed - and ask her to make sure those bits are done.

She sounds a bit slack, tbh.

Can you be there to let her in and tell her you'll be back in 3 hours with her money? Maybe you could pop back after 2.5 to see her working/sitting down with a packet of bisuits.

We had this problem and let the cleaner go but have failed to find anyone since and frankly would be happy to have the old skiving cleaner back. But this is probably just me - find inducting new cleaner and getting used to having someone else come in house excruciating!

I pay my cleaner for 2 hours and she only ever stays for 1, sometimes over, BUT she now brings an assistant. Can you be sure she is doing this work on her own?

I gurantee she will not improve. In my experience cleaners ususllay try harder when they're new to a job. If she is this bad at the start it does not bode well for improvements in the future.

If she has done all the jobs within the time, she should be looking for other jobs to do to fill in the time such as cleaning the windows and dusting the top of wardrobes or even a bit of ironing.

I would be inclined to leave her with a list of extras to do to fill in the time and if you are still not happy in a few weeks, get rid of her.

I used to regularly find similar probs with cleaners (have been through quite a few).

It is a mistake to be too friendly with them at the out set as you get better results when the relationship you have is more formal. She won't feel like she is doing you a favour and you won't feel awkward about telling her what to do.

I don't think you are being unreasonable. I'd leave a note for her saying that you noticed she only stayed for two hours or less, so you've left a list of additional jobs for her to do with the leftover time.

I'd start looking around for someone else though. I wouldn't be happy that she came along on whatever day suited her. Obviously, I'd be flexible on occasion, but I think she's taking the p*.

I used to have a cleaner (well 2 actually as they worked together as a team). We started well but over time they were in and out in a much shorter time than when they started and I could tell they were cutting huge corners.

They were especially prone to skimming round super fast if I happened to be out. I knew they were doing this as they cleaned for a couple of my friends and they were having similar problems.

I agree it's very hard to be confrontational, but it doesn't half nark away at you when you are paying money. I used to end up doing it myself and still paying them

You have the added uncertainty about when she's coming. That's not right (nor was it the original arrangement) and must be quite inconvenient for you.

I'd let her go if I were you. This is supposed to be making like easier not trickier. Just say it's not working out or you think you can manage. I'd listen out or ask about for recommendations, keep trying until you find the right one.

'life easier' not 'like'!

She is taking the piss. Tell her (or better still get im indoors to do it...) to do her hours or walk. Either that or leave her a list of jobs to to do that you know for a fact will take 3 hours (those windows, are they looking a little grubby on the inside). Have no middle class guilt about this- you pay the woman for 3 hours. If she can't be arsed to do them, someone else will.

You could mention to her how perturbed you were to return finding that she was not there when you were expecting her to be. Make a point of checking up every so often, or have a friend drop by with something at a time when you would expect her to be there to open the door.

Also £8 perhour is hardly the minimum wage!!

My mums a cleaner and so i can see it from the other point of view. YANBU because your cleaner shouldn't have said no to 2 hrs and yes to 3 hrs if she knew it would only take 2 hrs and still get paid for 3.

However, i would just like to point out that some people do take the piss when they know the cleaners coming the next day. Like the people my mum worked for who used to leave about 3 days worth of washing up for her to do all piled high at the sink with really filthy pans etc. She said it used to take her ages and would mean she had to work over her paid time sometimes because of the amount of time it would take to scrub the pans. Their childs room was an absolute tip and my mum would go in and make it spotless then the next week it would be a tip again. That's just wrong to me because what sort of message is that saying to your child? "Let your room get as messy as it can be because the cleaning lady will come along and clean it for you." My mum isn't afraid of hard work and has done every sort of discusting cleaning you can think of.

So to be fair, people do take the piss out of cleaners too so it's not all one sided.

Oh dear. Was just considering the luxury of trying to get a cleaner but, after reading all these posts, am not sure I've got the stomach for it. Then again, have just seen all the soap scum in the bathroom......

A bit of Cillit bang will sort out that soap scum for you, you don't need a cleaner!

Doesn't it involve me standing there, pressing the nozzle though? And wiping it down afterwards? Nah....