Expectations of a cleaner

[CleanClothes]

Hi all - just looking for some perspective on cleaning expectations (from professional cleaner).

I am a mum of 2 and work full time (including shift work), as does DH. We recently hired a cleaner through an agency for a few hours each week (the length of time the company recommended when doing a visit to our house and going through what we wanted/needed). We are paying £18/hour, £16/hour goes to the cleaner.

The first cleaner was really good except for folding the clean washing - everything was still inside out from the wash and all in one big pile (not separated into adults vs children's clothes or in piles of tops/trousers etc.). I didn't mention anything to the agency, and planned to speak to her the next week, but unfortunately she was unwell and the agency said she wouldn't be able to work for a while (and would probably be decreasing her workload so she couldn't do the amount of hours we needed).

The second cleaner was OK on the surface. I mentioned the clothes to her, and asked that things be turned the right way, and put into piles of kids clothes/adults clothes so I could put them straight away. As my boys are close in age (3 & 4) it's hard to tell whose clothes are whose, so I don't expect them to do this, but it's pretty obvious about adult vs child sizes. However, when I went to put the clothes away, they were mostly still inside out. So I had to refold everything again. I then found loads of things hadn't been done properly, pots had been put back in the cupboard dirty, mirrors were covered in streaks, dishes left to dry weren't properly clean, bins not taken out etc. It was a long list - I was pretty upset.

The third cleaner arrived over an hour late, left an hour early and did the same with the clothes. I left a dirty air fryer tray on the bench and she just put it back in the air fryer? It's only cooked some chips the previous night, so wasn't baked in shit...

AIBU to expect clothes to be turned the right way before folding? AIBU to expect a proper clean from a "professional"? Or have I just found a crap agency?

• I wash most clothes inside out to preserve the colours etc.

I wouldn’t have expected the cleaner to be folding your washing?

maybe you need a housekeeper.

you can definitely expect more. I would switch agencies. have a look on the taskrabbit app if you are in London, you can see the details of individual cleaners etc. as well as reviews. there is also care.com.

My cleaner cleans the house, she may put a wash on or strip the sheets if I ask, but it's not expected. Dirty pots are not expected, but i see them folding clothes as a 'nice extra'. Would you benefit from some kind of assistant or housekeeper?

I contacted the agency and explained the jobs that I needed, which included folding clean clothes. I don't expect them to deal with dirty clothes or other laundry. They came to our house and advised how long it would take to do what was needed. If they didn't want to fold the clothes, they could've said and we would find someone else.
I don't see why a cleaner wouldn't fold clothes though?

I've never heard of a cleaner folding laundry before.

That's not cleaning, that's a housekeeper job.

Because that's not cleaning?

How many hours a week and how big is your house?

Folding / sorting clothes isn’t good use of a cleaner’s time and your money IMO, and not typical cleaning work.

If I wanted something like an air fryer cleaned I’d ask or leave a note, not just leave it out

I would expect a cleaner to clean rather than full laundry/do washing up, but obviously, if those tasks form a part of the contract that you have with the agency, it's perfectly reasonable to expect that they will be done.

2 bed, 2 bath
4 hours a week

Our cleaner folds washing, irons, cleans dishes and rooms and so far does anything that she sees needs doing with great efficiency. Sounds a normal request to me. You just need to find the right person. Can you ask around for recommendations rather than use this agency as they don’t sound very effective?

Cleaner here. I'd go with a recommendation rather than an agency, you'll get the same person every week. Unless your cleaner is tidying up I'd probably be advising 2 hours for a 2 bed 2 bathroom.

As someone who owns a cleaning company....using a cleaner to sort/fold clothes is a waste of their time/your money...why not get every one to put clothes in the wash the right way.
If things are just left out then I wouldn't expect my staff to clean. Nor is it normal for them to wash up.
I think you perhaps need to look for a specialist house keeper rather than a cleaner.
But I wouldn't be happy with the late and early departures

I have a 4 bed 3 bath with 2 cleaners doing an hour a week and the house is spotless (I have me, DH and DS who is 3). I don’t waste my money on folding laundry or making the beds / ironing - they come in, clean, and each week I’m allowed one deep cleaning job. One week it’s the oven, another it might be the tops of the cupboards or the insides of our windows. I think you might benefit from using a family run company over an agency

I also wouldn't expect them to be doing laundry OP. I strip our beds for our cleaners coming and leave out the clean bedding and they put it on but that's as far as it goes. No folding or sorting clothes or putting away. No washing of dishes either. If my dishwasher happens to have been on when they come, and it's not every day that it will be on so it's rarely that it coincides with them coming, they might empty it. If they do it's a bonus. I also tidy for them coming so it's easier for them to do the actual cleaning.

They sound a bit sloppy but folding clothes is a house keeper not a cleaner. That is not cleaning.

Most people seem to be missing the point though that OP wants folding clothes to be included as a task and the agency agreed. Whether it's a good use of time is beside the point.

OP I think it's down to having a different person each time so they don't get to know how you like things done. Maybe try to find someone not from an agency so you can set out expectations at the start and know you'll have the same person each week so they should be able to get stuck in without you re-explaining it to a new person each time.

I'm with PPs here - I've never heard of a cleaner folding laundry. My cleaner only cleans areas that aren't done daily and does not tidy. She cleans:

Kitchen cupboard fascias
Shutter blinds
Vacuums velvet headboards
Skirting boards and bannisters
Photo/picture frames on walls
Mirrors
Radiators
All bathrooms

Anything else is a bonus 🙂

If OP contacts an agency and states she wants clothes folded then it IS their job

The usual bovine answers here trying to make it all OP's fault for having the temerity to ask a person she employs to do a job she wants doing.

You're not wrong @CleanClothes you clearly state what service you want, you pay for the service, the employee doesn't perform that service. Give the agency the heave ho and ho by recommendation or advertise. Good luck and ignore the idiots.

Oh my goodness, loads of people are missing the point. OP asked for clothes to be folded as part of the job. The agency agreed. My cleaner changes beds, puts washing on and folds if needed and cleans. She does quite a few hours. She calls herself a cleaner not an assistant.
OP, complain to the agency and ask them to find you somebody who can do the job. It’s not hard to do washing the way you want it.
I would also ask around friends for if they have somebody reliable the my know

Thanks, @DGPP , @CalistoNoSolo ,@UdderlyPumpkin , @LoveBluey - This was my main point, as the folding clothes was agreed beforehand, I want it to be done... If this is something so strange, why did they agree?

A few people are also mentioning that it's not good value for money - I really dislike folding laundry. I'd rather hire someone for an extra hour or two to fold the clothes than do it myself. So to me, it IS good value for money. And to be clear, there are no dirty clothes on the floor and no clothes to "sort", just fold a basket or two of clean clothes which the agency said was absolutely fine.

Our cleaner - of her own accord - noticed the clothes on the line were dry and took them in and folded them so week they didn’t need ironing at all (and I am a diehard ironer!).

There is NOTHING WRONG with wanting someone to do a task, asking them if they will do it and paying them accordingly when they agree. If a cleaner is happy to fold clothes so be it (I’d be very happy as a cleaner to get paid for half an hour of folding!).

Our cleaner folds and puts away clean clothes. Took a couple of weeks to work out the system (e.g. whose socks are whose) but she got the hang of it all very quickly. It's a huge help as my least favourite chore.

Put your clothes right side out before you put them in the laundry basket and then you'll be more likely to be happy with the results of the cleaning.

When I was a cleaner I wouldn't do dishes or laundry because I learned that they'd leave everything for the week for me to do after first saying they'd just need a little bit done occasionally. But, if you make it clear that you want it as part of the job, that's perfectly reasonable.

Unwashed dishes in the cupboard is not a minor issue that can be resolved with a bit of feedback. That's just someone who does a sloppy job.

Plenty of cleaners fold washing! Any task they don’t want to do they can say so.

Find a different agency OP