Do cleaners not do dishes?

[Fifi00]

My new cleaners seem a bit rubbish. I clean the loo , move clothes, I had already hoovered a couple of days ago and gave everything a proper scrub/mop there wasn't much for them to do but DD and DH had left breakfast dishes in the sink. The dishes were untouched and the cleaners left 30 mins early. I pay for 2 hours a week , 2 cleaners so 1 hour. Is washing some dishes and cleaning the sink really unacceptable?

No.

if ours has time, she will do some windows or clean down a wall or two.

I cant get over how many people are missing the point, which is that the person I quoted, not the OP, let's and expects their cleaner to tidy away packets of crisps that their child has got out and not bothered to put away.

Are people honestly dragging their children up this lazy because the cleaners are expected to tidy up after them?!
I'd be mortified if that was either of my children

If my cleaners leave early, I just pay for the hours they did

Why is it a stupid comment? The OP has already said she would prefer to do the cleaning herself and pay someone to tidy, arrange and organise

@AbreathofFrenchair yes, some parents really are bringing up kids to be that lazy. As a domestic/commercial/hotel/education and medical cleaner, I can say it’s been this way forever. They grow into the most lazy and entitled adults who think cleaners seem to be ever so slightly above a dog turd in the evolutionary process.
The flip side is that there are also some kids and adults which are appreciative of a cleaner/domestic/housekeepers skills and their abilities to keep a home/workplace setting clean, tidy and a nicer place to be in.

Maybe unpopular, but I would think doing dishes was part of cleaning up and cleaning.
They left early , aren't you paying them for a service i.e cleaning.
Obviously you didn't have a 10 person dinner party and leave the dishes, just a few . I don't see why the big pile on.

I think just specify you want it done, like ironing or changing the bed. And if they don’t want to do it, they’ll say so, although they probably will be fine with it.

Agencies especially often have a very standard list of jobs, and you have to specify what you want.

I was chatting with my new cleaner the other day and told her how more conscientious I am with keeping the house tidy. She laughed and said she has the same conversation with everyone and tells us all not to wash up dishes or clean because that's what we're paying her to do.

Nuts.

You obviously have to say what you want - But why is cleaning the loo ok but not washing the dishes?

I work from home so I know what ours gets up to in the two hours she is here. She wouldn’t have time to do dishes and I prefer any spare time dedicated to the aforementioned windows and walls.

but surely it’s just a matter of having a conversation as to what is important ?

If you're paying for 2 hours then I'd expect them to clean for 2 hours. There's always something more to do. I would expect them to do the dishes in this situation you describe, especially if they really didn't think there was anything else that was needed.

Of course cleaners clean dishes! Or whatever you ask them to do! The whole point is that a house is left clean, whatever is dirty needs to be cleaned, whether it is your carpet or your dishes. Since when it is written they need to clean the same every week? it could well be, like in this case, that the OP had some work done before (for whatever reason), but whatever is dirty needs cleaning. I have had more cleaners than I can remember in my lifetime and I would be shocked if I came back to the kitchen and it wasn't spotless. If that includes cleaning the dishes, then that is what needs to be done. Plus leaving half an hour early without asking if anything else is needed (when there is dirty stuff around) is just wrong. Sack them and find other cleaners that just get the Job done.

I mean fair enough the odd cup or breakfast dish fair enough, but I certainly wouldn’t be cleaning last nights dinner dishes snd pots and pans! Sod that! Do lazy sods!!

The half an hour early is a big no no though

You are doing their job for them but not doing your own dishes. It’s all back to front!!

Cleaners not doing dishes is a new one on me. Mine have always done them if any are left, which is rarely. Ijust don’t understand why they shouldn’t

Exactly. Tell them it's not working, get new cleaners, don't clean before they come! Given the posts on here re doing dishes ask them to do them if any are left after the morning rush

I wouldn't expect cleaner to do the dishes or move clothes etc. That's more the role of an au pair. I wouldn't have paid their full time if they left 30 minutes early though. I'd certainly speak to them about that. If they want to make the time up, rather than lose money, let them know specifically what you want them to do. And let them do the bathroom.

OK, a bit late to the party here, but I AM a cleaner - and I definitely do dishes, move clothes, fold, sort and iron if asked (hate ironing, though XD). The people I work for are working mothers who want to come home to a clean environment and have room to relax for a bit when they come home. Am I unusual ? This is in France, BTW - and it's considered normal to leave a sinkful of dishes from the evening before. I'm a cleaner - I clean.

I'd never expect my cleaner to do dishes, I'd feel a bit embarrassed if she did. Although conversely I'm not in the least embarrassed at the marvelous job she does on our bathrooms. The fact that the dishes were not even moved suggests that the kitchen sink wasn't cleaned and disinfected which is a fairly basic cleaning requirement.

Glad to hear you've got rid of them, they sound useless! A decent cleaner will do what they need to do and do it well but if you have specific expectations you might like to leave a list in future.

Why would you have to pay extra if you’re paying an hourly rate and there is time spare?

My db’s cleaner does dishes. I suppose it’s a question of communication. But it does seem odd to leave early when there is something needing doing.

My Dh left dishes in the sink when our cleaner came the other day......so she didn't clean the sink.

I run a cleaning business and all our cleaners do dishes without being asked. We would never leave before the end of the time and cleaners who did this would be sacked.

Maybe just advertise for a mother’s help? A more flexible job description? Put a note in the local shops with a list of the tasks you’d like done. See what comes back.

Already done sacked the old company they have blanked me although it says read 🤣. And I have hired a new one which is mixed housekeeping and cleaning.t I hink I hired the wrong thing , I needed a mixed housekeeper/ cleaner.