To ask cleaner not to bring friend?

[cleanerissues]

My house is big and messy. I have a cleaner for 5 hours each week and she is brilliant. Recently she asked to bring a friend to help clean and it took them 2.5 hours to do the job. I thought this would be a one off, so said yes.

The issue I now have is that the friend is not very good at cleaning (kitchen floors not hoovered/swept or mopped, sink not cleaned etc.)

AIBU to ask for my cleaner to stop bringing my friend? Do you think the job is too much for her perhaps? I don't want to lose her but I'm not happy with the standard of the job now

I think you're fine to have a conversation, especially if you have a good relationship with her. Gently point out that you noticed the quality wasn't as consistent when her fiend helped and show some curiosity about why she needed her help? Does she find your house too much on her own? Is she trying to juggle a lot of jobs and is trying to save time without stopping customers? It doesn't have to be an inquisition.

You're entitled to get what you pay for - as long as you're expectations are reasonable so be prepared to be open minded in case the conversation highlights that they aren't.

Take your original cleaner to one side and say what you have said here. You thought it was a one-off and her standard of cleaning isn't up to scratch. Maybe she is finding it too much and you may lose her (I would suspect she is fitting in another job). If you leave it then you will end up having to live in a home that's not 100% clean or you will have to go over the work yourself despite paying for it.

Do you mean that ones session is five hours long? If so, that seems very long.

That’s a very long clean. It can take two people less time if they double up for example changing beds etc.

I would be suggesting that she does 2 x 2.5 hour sessions

So you're still paying for 5 hours of cleaning but it's being done in half the time due to there being 2 cleaners?
I'd be okay with that, on condition that standards remained the same.

They haven't.

You're not happy with the quality of the clean, so you need to communicate that and ask that she returns to a solo clean of 5 hours. Her pal may need money but that's a her problem, not a you problem.

It would be weird if you didn’t say anything and smiled along at substandard service.

Of course you say something. Tell original cleaner, you’re brilliant and do an amazing clean but your friend doesn’t - so let’s talk about just you doing to session, or doing two shorter sessions.

Zombie thread!