How clean should your house be after a cleaner visit?

[Merryoldgoat]

I am trying to work out if I have unreasonable expectations of my cleaner.

She does a bit of tidying as well and some ironing. She has plenty of time, isn’t rushed but I’m finding that stuff I think is basic is being left unclean.

Should they move stuff to vacuum around?

Should they move stuff on the kitchen worktop to clean under?

Should there be smears on windows or glass surfaces? This is kind of where she’s obviously wiped it down but not ‘polished’ it off.

Would you expect the floor in the gaps between appliances to be cleaned?

Would you expect cobwebs to be removed?

I’m having a real internal struggle as I really like her, she’s a lovely women, but I just don’t feel like she’s doing a good enough job.

I pay her well, she has good conditions, I am just trying to understand if my expectations are too high.

Happy to answer any questions if it helps.

@mathanxiety

I don’t know what she’s using specifically for each task but I provide the cleaning stuff and I have pretty much every product you’d want plus microfibre cloths, glass cloths, scourers, Jay cloths, good kitchen paper, Aircraft floor cleaner, shark vacuum and telescopic dusters.

The taps: it’s not limescale - it doesn’t need a scraper (although Viakal and scrapers are under the sink) - cif bathroom and a sponge scourer gets it off easily. I did it today whilst bathing my son and it took about 30 seconds.

We had a cleaner like that and got rid. Now dh takes the toddler out every few weeks and I do it myself.

My house is also a 3 bed and in 2 hr 20 min I got it spotless. So satisfying too.

She is sloppy. Not a good cleaner. A good cleaner is a perfectionist. This one does not notice and/or care.

Four hours for a house of your size is plenty.
Our cleaner does it in two (minus ironing) and still has time left for extras.

Saying that it’s not always up to my expectations either but I’ve sort of had to ‘train’ her to my expectations. She definitely cuts corners.
Ive specifically asked her to use an old toothbrush to clean any tricky bits in the bathroom. I pick up everything off the floor before she comes or she will hoover round it. I clear things off surfaces as much as possible and pull out the toaster, kettle etc from the wall so it’s obvious I expect her to go behind them.
There are things I don’t expect her to do like pull out heavy furniture, change beds, climb anything.
All I want her to do is clean.
YANBU. Either train her or find a new cleaner.

she is not doing a proper job. I don't understand all the hand wringing on these threads? you are not paying her to be lovely, you are paying her for a service - if a cleaner left early after doing such a bad job, I personally would pull them up on it and if not fixed, hire someone else.

Op, I have four bed, my cleaner does 2.5 hours. As much as she doesn’t do things like skirting boards every week and generally there are two of us living here, she does do them when she has time every few weeks, same as windows. She also does our bed. When I’ve guests or my child home, she increases by 30 mins and does all the beds. I don’t get involved. And just let her crack on.

your cleaner is not doing a good job, in fact she’s taking the piss.

I paid a lot for a cleaner and was shocked to find she did exactly the same job I do probably not as good. I was expecting sparkling clean! It's partly products though- when you know which product actually cuts through limescale or which cleaner gives you that sparkle it's hard to go backwards.

She cuts corners because it's impossible to do it properly in 2 hours.

Just got rid of our cleaners. Cobwebs were escalating, wooden floors not mopped, they cleaned the same bits over and over and other areas above eyeline went uncleaned.

Same.

You are literally describing my cleaner... and she leaves early sometimes. The kitchen worktops are sticky and still have crumbs on, I'm starting to wonder if it's her eyesight! I don't know how to bring it up though. I really like her and she's very nice, it just feels so awkward. I've tried to sat do you mind doing such and such today (a job you'd expect) and she says I do that every time..

I tried a new cleaner yesterday. Lovely girl and she never stopped in the 3 hours she was here. But..she didn’t clean the 2 shower doors and I don’t think she really did the trays. That’s really disappointing as the bathrooms are what I most want cleaned. The rest of the house seemed good bar a few little things like she didn’t clean the glass door going into the sitting room. I don’t know whether to get her again and explain about the bathrooms or try another cleaner. It seems really hard to get someone good. This isn’t the first one we’ve had. We are in Ireland and it was €45 for 3 hours. The last one we had was €20 per hour but she seemed slow and didn’t get as much done in the same time.

She has got worse over time and I hope it’s redeemable.

I will give her a chance to improve but if she doesn’t get better I’ll let her go.

I have probably not been clear enough about being unhappy.

Little update.

I had a relaxed chat with her and it’s improved a great deal.

We’re here together today and had coffee and breakfast and from some snippets I think she’s had a tough few months and she seems tired. Her daughter has been diagnosed with a chronic condition and there’s been lots of hospital visits and she’s struggled to fit everything in.

She’s obviously got Christmas off, I’ve given her a gift and small bonus so hopefully she can rest and feel a bit better after Christmas.

I’ll revisit in the new year if it slips again but so far we’re back to a good standard.

Thank you for all of the advice.

Yeah I think you need to either have a chat or get a new cleaner. Ours moves stuff (even furniture and area rugs), cleans the ovens, scrubs down three bathrooms and the utility room, does the windows, empties all bins, mops, waters the plants… she is going flat-out for about 5 hours to get the place really clean. We pay her 20/hour, and she is worth every penny.

Ah sorry I didn’t see this until after posting. That’s great!

I am a domestic house cleaner and have been for the past 20 years. I carry out all the jobs that you mention. Maybe leave your cleaner a note listing what you would like doing.