Is this standard practice having a cleaner?

[lightcurtains]

I posted last year about DW wanting a cleaner and I didn't.

Well today was the first day of us having a cleaner. We tidied the house beforehand. It wasn't dirty as we cleaned it last week but obviously I know cleaners will do a more thorough job, and a deeper clean.

We booked a cleaner.
It is 2 cleaners who come for 1 hour.
The fee is £30 for the 1 hour.

The cleaners have now messaged to say that they were here for 2.5 hours so the fee is £75.

Is that usual practice?

I used to do a bit of cleaning. The first week is very difficult because you’re getting the house up to your standard and everything is unfamiliar.

One hour is a nightmare because it can take five mins just to settle in, get the cleaning things organised, plug in hoover etc. Then five mins at end putting everything away. So yes, trying to do this every two weeks is a tough job that I’d have never taken on because there’s so much more dirt and it takes a lot longer. But then with two cleaners working together I suppose they’re often having to do one hour jobs.

However, doing extra hours without asking and then charging for them isn’t the done thing.

In my area all the cleaners I tried said they needed double the time for the first week. They should have agreed it in advance though.

@ringoutsolsticebells

"Yes, you are paying £30 per hour. 2 cleaners each working one hour is £60. Thirty mins is £15"

Surely by that maths if it's £30 per person per hour, 2 cleaners for 2.5 hours would be £150, not £75?

Anyway, they don't just get to decide they're going to work more than double to agreed time without checking the client is happy with that

That is so cheeky of them, think you need to be firm that they can’t go over the time you’ve booked for again.

I live in a small 3 bed (only cleans 2 bedrooms though) and our cleaner does 2 hours once a fortnight and does an amazing job. She usually even does the washing up if she has time (nothing major just our breakfast cups and sometimes a bowl!)

She works for a company and before she started someone from the company came and met with DH and discussed exactly what we wanted doing each time and made sure it was realistic in the time we were booking.

You were engaging them... You should have asked what they normally do and expressly say exactly what you wanted them to do....

For example.... Do you want them to do purely cleaning or changing beds or emptying dishwasher? Some cleaners wjll dp this if you want tjem to... (nore housekeeping type duties).

@BaroldandNedmund
I understand that and I suppose all of that does take time. They hadn't seen the house beforehand. They have done a brilliant job. I was just so taken back when they said they were charging for an extra 1.5 hours. They've said they stayed that long because it was a first visit. I just would have liked them to say that beforehand.

Absolutely this! I think you’re bunkers oaging it without agreeing to it beforehand.

it would make me distrust them so much AND they broke something on top!!!

highly illegal

Our cleaners did this on their first clean, but we had agreed beforehand that they would do however long it took to get a good state, so we were expecting to pay a bit more the first week.. Every clean since has been the agreed 2 cleaners for one hour, standard bill.

I would probably just accept it this time but make it clear for next time you only want an hour and no more.

However, interested to know what they do in 1 hour every fortnight? I dont have a cleaner but if I did, it would be for all the lengthy jobs its hard to stay on top of with work - for example windows, oven etc. Just wondering what they actually can get done in an hour that isnt just the easy stuff (hoovering etc)?

@Hellybelly84
They have hoovered, mopped, cleaned the sides. Arranged perfumes and toiletries. Put new bedding on 2 beds.
Rolled up the towels. Cleaned kitchen and bathroom.
It does look really good.

Sounds like a miscommunication. They thought you were happy for them to stay as long as it was needed to do the first deep clean. You were thinking that they would just stay for 1 hours, regardless of whether the job was finished or not.
If you are only wanting to pay for 2 hours cleaning once a fortnight then you will need to make a priority list of jobs you would like doing each week. As 2 hours is nowhere near long enough to clean the average 3 bed house, especially including putting on bedsheets. When we lived in a 1 bed flat it took 2 hours for a thorough weekly clean of the whole flat. Maybe ask them to do the kitchen and bathroom, hoover and change bedsheets. Make it very clear that once the hour is finished then you want them to stop.

FFS. It is £30 x 2.5 =£75

Make sure you clarify for next time.

my cleaner is £18 an hour. Sometimes one comes for 2 hours and sometimes 2 come for one hour.

in the past I’ve had problems with cleaners leaving early eg 30 mins early as everything’s been done!! There is always something to wipe over.

Did you say they broke something and offered a discount of £20 because of that? What was it they broke?

Personally, if I only booked a cleaner for an hour a fortnight, i’d write a list of specific jobs. Its not enough time to deep clean the house (perhaps one room?). Arranging perfumes and toiletries, cleaning sides, changing bedding etc is something most people can do around work. It just seems like not very much time so I would give them a specific list if it was me.

It's not usual to just randomly do overtime however if you left a list of jobs and they seem to have done them (just its taken longer than expected) you need to pay up.
You are being very unreasonable to let them leave without any expectation or agreement about what's happening in 2 weeks time.
Discuss it with them, not us!

I need a day off to clean my three bedroom house (which luckily I have once a week) 😅You could perhaps clean a couple of rooms properly in an hour, run the hoover round and a quick bathroom clean. But not sure its enough time to be worth it every 2 weeks?

I have new-ish cleaners. Their first job they said needed extra time to get up to standard and I was very aware of their opinion that in subsequent visits anything that needed tidying away would eat into the cleaning time. With the result that they put everything away in random drawers, fold throws, reposition towels on towel radiators, exchange soap dispensers with toothbrush holders etc. But I assume that's so I know they've been there iyswim. They don't clean everything by any means, I've still stuff to do, but it has given me some weekend back.

Afraid in my experience, that's exactly what happens. They come and give you a quote for the job but then on the first clean, nearly always 'go over'. Had it happen to me last week. They quoted 2 hours (£18 an hour) and then texted me when they were done to say it had taken 2.5 and I owed them £54. I discovered they had done a stunning job though so I paid the extra. However if it happens again, I'll be telling them I want them to stick to exactly 2 hours.

Both previous cleaners did exactly the same.

Could they have meant a 2hr clean with 2 cleaners (coz they always come as a pair) so £15/hr each but it took half hour longer and next time 2hrs EACH should be enough.
I guess the question is do you thinknits worth £60 per clean to keep it at the standard they attained?

Is it those two who are all over Tik Tok? The ones who do the hoover lines? They're big on rolled up towels in sinks and toilet paper origami...😂

£30/hr for the pair. 2.5hrs work
30 x 2.5 is 75 not 90

I wouldn’t be using them again, look for an independent cleaner rather than an agency. They are definitely taking the p**s. You should pay only what you agreed.

I am in Cheshire and pay £11/hr, for 3.5hrs each week. Detached 4 bed. She invariably goes over and never charges me, although I have recently discussed with her, sticking to her paid hours, but prioritise kitchen, bathroom, hoovering main bedroom and lounge. Other rooms can be done once a fortnight/month.

She doesn’t fold anything, least of all toilet rolls, nor does she tidy my perfumes or anything else. She cleans only. We tidy up as much as we can before she comes, so she has free surfaces to clean.

@DesertIslandCondiment the part of my post in quotation marks was written by someone else, so I was saying their maths was incorrect.
No need for the "ffs" when you quoted my post!

You need to find out whether its £15 per hour for one cleaner or £30 an hour for one cleaner. If its the second obviously its £60. However, the agreement was for an hour.
Maybe the cost was a misunderstanding but they can't go over the agreed hours and charge you.
I'd try somewhere else.