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 think it's pretty common for cleaning companies to charge more the first week, to get a house to their standards.

Wait @lightcurtains they broke something and have now only just mentioned it to you now?

Sorry, one hour for two people in a three bedroom house on a fortnightly basis is optimistic at best but more likely impossible.
Even vacuuming all through, dusting, polishing, cleaning work surfaces and bathrooms, mopping kitchen and bathrooms to a reasonable standard is going to take longer than two man hours.

No. They cannot just add time without consent so I would not pay. You booked 1hr so that's what you pay for.

Only do this if you are happy to find new cleaners! A previous post of your said you were pleased with what they had done so you have a tough decision to make - pay the asking price and continue using them ( clarify price/hours going forward) or pay the £30 you agreed and find another cleaner or go back to doing it yourself!

NRTFT, but I'm a cleaner for a living.

First off: "It is 2 cleaners who come for 1 hour. The fee is £30 for the 1 hour."
That's 2hrs then. They're earning £15ph each. 2 man hours worked over one hour by two cleaners. You were quoted for a 2hr clean, not 1hr.

Regarding the extra time, whenever I start with a new client, I often recommend an additional hour for the first initial clean to make a good start on getting things up to my professional standard. HOWEVER this is a choice for the client. If they say no to that extra time, then I advise that they may not see a huge improvement INITIALLY, and things won't be as perfect as they hope on the first clean, but after several cleans they'll notice things starting to get better and better. But as I've offered to do an extra hour to achieve a higher standard quicker, and they've turned it down, I can't accommodate complaints as I've made it clear it will take time to build up to it

Under no circumstances would I take it upon myself to do extra time off my own back without discussing and agreeing it first with the client. For one thing, I have other appointments to get to, so can't turn up late to them without giving those next clients advance notice.

I would do a clean in the agreed time only and let you know afterwards what I achieved, what I was unable to achieve and what I planned to achieve at the next clean.

They should have checked in advance but I’ve paid more for first clean or first clean after a gap. I don’t mind if it needs it. I pay 3 hours a fortnight in a 4 bed. £15.50 an hour.

You are having a 2 hour clean it’s £15 an hour which is going rate where I am in Lancashire. I pay 3 hrs for 4 bed sometimes one cleaner comes for 3 hours or 2 come 90mins each it’s same.

Just be really clear from now on about what you expect and how much you can/will pay. Tell them which things are high priority and that they are to stop after one hour and not go over. I have the same arrangement, 3 bedroom house with bathroom and extra toilet, 2 cleaners here for one hour, they vacuum & mop floors, clean bathroom/toilets, and kitchen, and will change beds if I leave linen out. But they don't waste time doing origami with the loo roll.

Two hours of cleaning a fortnight sounds very little unless you have a 1 bed, 1 bathroom flat?

I think they are having you on. They could have charged an extra half hour as stated. They are going to pull this one every 2 weeks and charge more saying more needs doing.

I would be annoyed that they've just time wasted on folding toilet roll. The longer they faff about the more money they make.

I wouldn't carry on with these pair. However if you do I'd probably stipulate to do general cleaning, bathrooms, hoovering, kitchen and mopping etc.

I’ve never had a cleaner put bedding on either. That would add to time.
If you only want to pay £30 max be clear and ask them to prioritise what you want.
I’d rather they did bathrooms and kitchen to very clean standard and hoover well as their vac us better than ours.

Did you think it was two fir the £30?

Id definitely pay £75 if it was sparkling top to bottom

Making up beds is good too

Give it one more go and see if it's worth it

Cancel the cleaners ! Do not keep people who aren’t able to manage their time or do this. 2 hours of labour to clean a 2/3 bed house was pushing it - but not unreasonable, And you agreed to an extra hour of labour / 30 minutes each. You didn’t agree to 5 hours worth of cleaning.

cancel, find another cleaning company, be clear that you would like to book a cleaner for 3 hours, if they want to send 2 people then 1.5 hours each, you would only like to pay for 3 hours. show them round, ask what they would expect to be able to get done in that time. Changing beds and folding towels etc is unlikely to be included.

Be clear you don’t want your loo rolls titivated.

I have 20+ years of experience of employing cleaners weekly.

They are trying to defraud you.

Sack them and start again with someone else, and make yourself 100% clear on hours/pay etc.

How long did that take? Even if only two minutes, you've paid 25p for something you are going to rip off and wipe your arse on!!!

We used to need a 4 hour shift (3 bedroom house) once a week but I can imagine it would be 5 or 6 hours if it was every other week..
15£ per hour is pretty standard too so it is reasonable, just odd they have not anticipated hat beforehand

They should've cleared it with you 1st but instead of having 2 cleaners once a fortnight why don't you have 1 every week?

Why are you doing half their job for them?

Clearly I’m in the wrong job 🥺

@MadeInYorkshire69

remember these are generally self-employed people with no employment rights and whilst the hourly rate sounds high they are not likely being paid for full days.

But obviously there is lots of flexibility etc which suits many people but people hear £15ph and don’t think about the rest.

If they charge £30 per hr, that's the cost. They can bring as many cleaners as they want. It's still £30. YANBU. They are also BU for staying longer.
I would pay but say in future you will pay 1 cleaner for 1 hr. Alternatively, get rid.

Maybe lightcurtains you should try to see how much you can get done in two hours next week, when they will not be coming. Then you will get a good idea.

You need to be specific with what jobs you want doing.
In my case its basically all the floors ( I gave a back problem) & dusting
I can do my own bathrooms.
But sometimes I ask her to iron, or clean the windows...
If I wanted the sheets changed, bathrooms, kitchen done too, it would double time.
I pay for 2 hours,