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?

I wouldn't expect them to do the dishes anymore than I would expect them to do the Laundry. It's not their fault that you had already cleaned up and left nothing for them to do.
However if you prefer them to do the dishes in the future if they have time you should ask them.

No our cleaner doesn't do dishes, and she did say to me it pisses her off when people leave them out for her.

She would, however remove them from the sink / side then clean the sink / side and put them back rather than just ignore the whole area.

I'd say doing the dishes is a cleaning task and a chore. Weird

@Fifi00 yes a grey area - just by reading the comments it’s evidently a grey area. As I said, you need to look at your contract.
The leaving 30 mins early is a separate issue though. Have they had to stay later unpaid at sometime? Have the actually billed you for this time - assuming that you are billed in arrears and not ahead of the clean? If the answer is no, then yes I would view that as theft and would cancel the contract. But you could present than with a detailed list of extra chores to do, if they do have spare time in the future. It’s an option.
Personally, I would have either done extra tasks to fill the time and left a note to that effect or (if self employed) have just charged you less. But the kitchen dishes as I said, I would see as part of cleaning the kitchen!

Me too, hence my cleaner does them if they're there

Disrespectful to expect them to clean your dishes, but not disrespectful to expect them to clean your loo?

Wheres the logic?

My cleaner does dishes, ironing, changes bedding, hoovers everywhere, dusts everything, washes floors. Anything we want really. She's brilliant and as pensioners with several health issues, we are really grateful for her help.

I pay afterwards it's an agency I've used them for 2 years. The new ones aren't great and I'm getting sick of the leaving early when yes there's still things to do like skirting boards or even just the fricking dishes in front of their face.

Mine does dishes.

Exactly I always clean the loos before they arrive as I think it's disrespectful to expect someone to clean where i shit and piss. I don't think washing dishes is disrespectful though..

Who is your cleaner do you live in the north west ? 😁

I find this really odd - maybe it’s a cultural thing? I live in Ireland and my cleaners have always done dishes - if I haven’t managed to get the dishwasher reloaded before they arrive they put them in. Surely cleaning a toilet is more “disrespectful’(???) than cleaning a few dishes? It is all cleaning after all.

oh and I worked as a cleaner in Germany when I was in college - the Germans had no qualms about leaving dishes for me to wash!!!

My Mum worked as a cleaner, both in homes and offices. She always did washing up when she had time left over. She was paid to clean and they needed to be cleaned. She also did ironing when she had the time.

In my opinion there’s always something else to do (in my house anyway!). I have a new cleaner who has left early both days she’s been here so far. I was at work and DH was wfh in calls, so although he heard her leave he couldn’t go down to speak to her. She hasn’t dusted under the TV or the windowsills or polished the mirrors or dusted the cornices. With the half hour she isn’t using I’d expect her to do some of that! She could also clean skirting boards and there are still a fair number of dusty surfaces. I’m at home when she’ll be here tomorrow, though, and I’m going to talk to her about leaving early.

my old cleaner used to do them if they were there, however it was once in a blue moon and a complete non-expectation from me with profuse apologies.

Her response was "dont be daft I'm doing the sink anyway doesn't take me a moment"

so i suppose its two sides - whetehr you take the piss and whether she's ok with it

Why cant your child put away their own crisps they've left on the side?! How lazy!

The clue is in the name, cleaners are there to clean, not tidy away the shit you and your children cant be bothered to put away

My old cleaner did them but she was also a saint in human form and generally kept the house looking amazing and put up with our messy untidy ways. I honestly miss her every day since we moved!!

im looking at getting a new cleaner now but I don’t think they are as comprehensive as our old lady was….

It’s more a tidying up task imo, and it’s standard to tidy up so cleaners can get to the surfaces to clean them. If you turned the house upside down and shook it, everything that stays fixed is for cleaning – floors, loos, surfaces, the sink. All the contents – clutter, dishes, etc – is for cleaning around or if there’s too much, like too many dirty dishes, the sink goes uncleaned.

Having a cleaner is to make my life easier , I actually hate the tidying organising , washing the dishes putting away more so than actual cleaning. I don't mind cleaning so it's probably a waste of money for me and I should sack and do it all myself.

@Fifi00 Then that may not charge you for the 30 mins on your next bill? (fingers crossed for you they are honest and don’t)

from your update I see suspect this will an ongoing problem and probably caused by two issues 1) Complete lack of training by the company on how cleaning should be done 2) A mismatch /miscommunication between customer expectation and what was relayed as required by the client to the end cleaners.
The only solution to this is to be extremely explicit on exactly what you want doing and how it’s to be done, with an additional wish list of extra time is available within your core billing hours.

The clue is in the name, cleaners are there to clean, not tidy away the shit you and your children cant be bothered to put away

Bold of you to outline the job specification of someone you don't pay.

If OP is paying then the cleaners remit is whatever she says it is.

Mine do. I try not to leave them out because I’d rather they spent the time doing bigger jobs but if there are a few breakfast pots still out when they come, of course they clean them.

This!

I make sure the sink is clear for mine.
They shouldn’t leave early though

Why do you have a cleaner then?

If they come two at a time, it sounds like you've employed a company? They'll have a list of what they do and will do it, so they'll have cleaned the loo even if it's clean.

It wouldn't usually include dishes, unless you've asked. I might leave a note saying sorry the kitchen's a mess would you mind washing up instead of the downstairs loo this week?