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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Did I have unrealistic expectations of the cleaner?

46 replies

Catingle · 23/12/2022 08:29

I had a cleaner for a one-off clean yesterday to prep for guests staying.

We have a 3 bed house, bathroom, downstairs loo and en-suite. Large kitchen-diner and small living room.

I asked for a standard clean of all rooms except 2 of the bedrooms I wanted a more through clean (skirtings etc).

Rooms were tidy ahead of the cleaner arriving.

Cleaner was booked for 4 hours.

Was I asking an unreasonable amount in the time?

OP posts:
HowDoYouOwnDisorder · 23/12/2022 08:31

Who knows?

what did he/she say?

did they run out of time?

Topseyt123 · 23/12/2022 08:31

What actually happened? Did they not clean? You don't say.

pelargoniums · 23/12/2022 08:32

How dirty was it? What level did they clean to and what was missed? How much time did they recommend for the clean?

Lkydfju · 23/12/2022 08:32

All the cleaners I’ve had would have found that fine; did your bathroom and en suite need much time spent on them? That’s where it can take longer if there’s lots of grouting that needs cleaning etc

UmbilicusProfundus · 23/12/2022 08:34

Yes you need to give a bit more detail.

I think it’s a borderline amount of time, certainly not totally unreasonable unless you have an eccentric definition of tidy

KangarooKenny · 23/12/2022 08:34

It depends on how much stuff you have to move about when they clean. If you have loads of products to move in the bathrooms, loads of trinkets and picture frames to move, and loads of stuff on the side in the kitchen.

KangarooKenny · 23/12/2022 08:35

When you say skirtings in the bedrooms do you mean dust or wash ? I’d expect all skirtings to be dusted anyway.

Realitea · 23/12/2022 08:40

4 hours is the right amount of time but it could be that the kitchen and bathroom took longer than anticipated. They usually do!

Thefailinghousewife · 23/12/2022 08:49

I used to own a cleaning company and I would say that is potentially very tight depending on the condition of your house. If you don’t regularly have a cleaner, the first clean always takes longer even for a standard clean. General rule of thumb is 3 beds = 3 hours, but I used to double that for deep cleans. Hard to say without seeing your properly, but on paper if you had emailed me I would have replied and said we would try but probably need another hour at least.

Thefailinghousewife · 23/12/2022 08:50

Also though, I would have managed your expectations from the start and kept you updated, so there wouldn’t have been a nasty surprise at the end like it appears you have had. Talk to the cleaner and find out what has happened!

thelobsterquadrille · 23/12/2022 08:52

I think for one person that's potentially not a huge amount of time, especially as it's just a one-off.

How clean was the house beforehand?
Did they have free rein or did they have to work around you?

What happened at the end - did they not finish or do you feel it wasn't cleaned properly?

Candleabra · 23/12/2022 08:52

Borderline I think. Particularly for the two rooms with a deeper clean.
What was the outcome, I take it you were unhappy with the end result?

pinkpirlie · 23/12/2022 09:13

My current cleaner would manage that in 4 hours for sure. We have 3 beds, and she does ours in 2 hours. So I would expect double as a one off would be enough if it was her cleaning.
My previous cleaner, no a chance. They were not as good and far slower. They didn't manage what our current cleaner does in 2 hours, in 3 hours.

Original poster
Catingle · 23/12/2022 11:51

Ok thanks, I wanted to get an idea if was way off in my expectations (we don’t normally have a cleaner).

My instructions were spend more time on bedrooms 1 and 2 and bedroom 3 + en-suite only if had time. She didn’t get to bedroom 3 and en-suite, which I thought maybe ok as that’s what I had asked.

Kitchen is ok, but some bits missed I would have done (wiping down bin and front of fridge, missed a couple of the kitchen units.

Cloakroom floor doesn’t seem to be cleaned.

Most of living room surfaces do not seem to have been dusted.

Bathroom ok but I will redo shower door.

Two bedrooms I asked for deep clean have been in places, but not thorough (picture rails not dusted, shelves not dusted, some dust bunnies under beds, mirror not cleaned etc).

OP posts:
Neolara · 23/12/2022 11:56

I think expecting that level of cleaning for the size of your house is unrealistic in 4 hours.

MarshaMelrose · 23/12/2022 11:59

You checked under the beds? 🤔

NeedToChangeName · 23/12/2022 12:00

When a cleaner comes regularly, they can do some jobs every week and others less frequently so it all gets done over time

That level of cleaning sounds a lot to do in 4 hours, if it's a one off clean

ThatshallotBaby · 23/12/2022 12:02

I think she/he took the piss tbh.

hopeishere · 23/12/2022 12:08

MarshaMelrose · 23/12/2022 11:59

You checked under the beds? 🤔

If the beds are on legs then you can see if there is dust under them.

Wiping down the bin is maybe not essential. What did they do in the bedrooms if all that was left undone??

Wonnle · 23/12/2022 12:37

Catingle · 23/12/2022 11:51

Ok thanks, I wanted to get an idea if was way off in my expectations (we don’t normally have a cleaner).

My instructions were spend more time on bedrooms 1 and 2 and bedroom 3 + en-suite only if had time. She didn’t get to bedroom 3 and en-suite, which I thought maybe ok as that’s what I had asked.

Kitchen is ok, but some bits missed I would have done (wiping down bin and front of fridge, missed a couple of the kitchen units.

Cloakroom floor doesn’t seem to be cleaned.

Most of living room surfaces do not seem to have been dusted.

Bathroom ok but I will redo shower door.

Two bedrooms I asked for deep clean have been in places, but not thorough (picture rails not dusted, shelves not dusted, some dust bunnies under beds, mirror not cleaned etc).

Sounds like a Mickey Mouse job if the surfaces haven't even been dusted

Dotjones · 23/12/2022 12:40

Cleaners don't generally like one-off jobs like this. Think about it, if they could cram a full house clean into four hours, people wouldn't employ them regularly - they'd just let the house get into a right fucking state and then pay a cleaner to clean it up once in a while.

Original poster
Catingle · 23/12/2022 14:04

I find it hard to compare with how long it’d take me to do it as I’m never working from a perfectly tidy house, so I’m normally cleaning and tidying as one job. Whereas I’d spent a good couple of hours in the morning tidying before she arrived. Sounds like I was expecting a bit much though.

I wasn’t necessarily expecting cleaning under beds etc, more that it wasn’t as though she’d done that level of deep clean on those rooms meaning she hadn’t got as far as the third bedroom.

.

OP posts:
Nevermind31 · 23/12/2022 14:09

As a one off, and first clean, I think this isn’t enough time. However, I would have expected more than they have done

Geranium1984 · 23/12/2022 14:14

I would have thought that was manageable in the time. We have a 4 bed house, two bathrooms and a downstairs loo and I have 3hrs cleaning every fortnight. It is done by 2 cleaners for 1.5hrs though. They are very efficient, one dusts then the other follows with the hoover and they then split and do bathrooms and kitchen.

Fynoderee · 23/12/2022 14:56

A one off clean - I could spend at least an hour in bathrooms.
Who decided the time? Did the cleaner view the house beforehand?