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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To expect more from cleaner?

27 replies

CleanerExpectations · 06/12/2023 01:09

So I had my first clean done today by a new cleaner, well, team of cleaners. We once had a lovely lady clean for us many years ago but haven't for quite some time now.

AIBU to expect more to be done? There was a team of two cleaners, here for a total of 1.5 hours (paid for a 3 hour clean). They managed:

  • Kitchen general clean and mop
  • Downstairs WC clean
  • Lounge and dining room dust and hoover
  • Downstairs office dust and hoover
  • Hallway hoover

That's all, no bedrooms, no upstairs bathrooms, no stairway, no utility room. They also don't regularly do skirting boards or windows as they are an extra deep clean charge. I'm paying £20 per hour in the Greater Manchester area, and the house is very tidy, quite minimalistic, and was clean to a good standard beforehand.

OP posts:
Pussygaloregalapagos · 06/12/2023 01:13

£20 per hour per cleaner or for the clean? Ie did you pay £30 or £60? If £60 I wouldn't bother again. Try and find a local person with free time in the day to do it or a school kid after school. Alot of the teens in our area do an afterschool cleaning job and they only get about £8 an hour for it.

Aria999 · 06/12/2023 01:20

In Los Angeles (I.e. expensive) I paid $120 for a complete clean (so about £90 I guess) which normally took 4 hours and included kitchen, living room/ dining room area, 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms.

My cleaner was utterly awesome and thorough (the previous one definitely missed bits).

I think in the north of England you should be able to do better on price, on the other hand depending on the size of your house I wouldn't necessarily expect a thorough job in 3 hours.

Our current house is insanely big and costs $650 for a team of 3 cleaners for a full day to get it clean, so I do it myself. Badly.

shivawn · 06/12/2023 01:24

YANBU. That sounds pretty crap for £60.

Original poster
CleanerExpectations · 06/12/2023 01:30

Yes, paid £60 in total. Four bed house but as I said no bedrooms were done on this first occasion. I didn't expect all four as well as downstairs, but maybe two and the main bathroom?

OP posts:
GotTheTshirtx1000 · 06/12/2023 01:32

Ours came today, two cleaners, 1 hour cost £34 they bring their own equipment they did (we do make sure it's tidy before they come so they aren't having to move stuff)
Hoover, flick of duster in 3 bedrooms and living room
Cleaned bathroom, downstairs loo and kitchen

So I wouldn't be very happy if I was you and would complain.

Original poster
CleanerExpectations · 06/12/2023 01:35

They do bring their own equipment I must add, I know generally you do pay more per hour for that

OP posts:
GotTheTshirtx1000 · 06/12/2023 01:36

I will say I'd expect less the first week as they are just getting to know the place but still it's a lot of money for not much cleaning imo

Fynoderee · 06/12/2023 07:51

What was the agreement? Did you ask for 3hrs? Did they come and quote and advise 3hrs? Was there a priority list of rooms to be cleaned?

For a routine clean of a 4 bed house, I would be booking 3.5/4hrs minimum once it’s up to standard. For the initial clean, I would allow longer so that I can get everything up to a standard that I can maintain.
The initial clean would include pulling out furniture (that I could manage
to move) limescale - then I’d have a nice clean sheet to maintain.
Paying around £20 per hour for a legitimate cleaning business is roughly the standard rate.

wherethewildtbingsgo · 06/12/2023 07:54

That doesn't sound great. We pay our cleaner £12 an hour and she does two bedrooms, hallways, kitchen, bathroom, sitting room and living room. She does hoovering/mopping and dusting and wipe round.

Tbh I'm never impressed with the standard she does it to (she doesn't move stuff when she wipes round and wouldn't do skirts or any extras) but she's only here 2 hours and helps me keep on top of it.

daffodilandtulip · 06/12/2023 08:27

For £40, I get hoover, steam, dust, wiping woodwork skirting and handles, tiles, bins and last week she said hope you don't mind but your shutters are dusty so I'll bring stuff to clean those properly next time.

Although I've only recently found this gem, had a bit of a nightmare finding a good one for a while.

Grimmz · 06/12/2023 08:31

You need to agree with them (or the company) what the cleaners will accomplish each visit. Was there no communication about this?

When my cleaner turns up we have a cup of tea and discuss what she will do and what the priorities are for that day.

Nevermind31 · 06/12/2023 08:33

First time does take longer, but I would have expected them to say that. I would also have expected the bathroom to be done. I’m in London, cleaner charges minimum wage (but we pay her £15 per hour).
in 4 hours she gets our 4 bed/ 3 bathroom (plus downstairs toilet) house done, and it is spotless. However, I have a replacement this week, and I have booked her for 5 hours as it will take longer.
i would find someone else and give feedback

Mrsjayy · 06/12/2023 08:36

they are just getting to know your house and it maybe did take them that long to clean the downstairs depending on how much was needing done they are not superhuman. did you ask about the bedrooms/upstairs,how long does it take you to do your whole house?

highandwindymoors · 06/12/2023 08:39

I'm lazy, and hate housework, but even I could have done all that on my own in an hour and a half. They must work very slowly...

Alalalalalongalalalalalonglonglilong · 06/12/2023 08:42

I would expect for a 3 hrs clean the upstairs would be done. If running low on time they should still do a quick vacuum and dust upstairs and quick bathroom clean and then explain that a deeper clean will take longer. It takes about 15 mins to do what I've just described. So it's bad time management either way IMO

App13 · 06/12/2023 08:49

For 12.50/hr

I get kitchen cleaned, hoovers dusted.
Two bathrooms cleaned
Every room is is hoovered, dusted and set up, meaning clothes folded, things out back in place , sheets changed, bins emptied and relined.

She does about 3.5 hours on each occasion.

And I love her 💕

maddening · 06/12/2023 08:57

I 2 hours my cleaner does 3 ensuite, hoovers and dusts 3 bedrooms (doesn't touch husband's office and only.flicks hoover in son's playroom) may freshen up the main bathroom which isn't used as much. Hoovers down the stairs downstairs loo and polishes up kitchen cupboards and hob and splashback (I hoover downstairs and mop downstairs and tidy up while she does the rest)

So yes, 3.hours I would expect more than that

Lordofmyflies · 06/12/2023 09:01

That doesn't sound good. Our cleaner is £15 ph for 3 hours (SW England)
In 3 hours she hoovers throughout a three story house, cleans 1 cloakroom and 2 bathrooms. Mops all hard floors, cleans kitchen surfaces, sinks, dusts lounge furniture and bedroom surfaces, empties all bins and polishes the mirrors / glass. She's non-stop though and gets a good xmas present.

sunshineandshowers40 · 06/12/2023 09:06

That isn't great, but I know the first week my cleaners came they did more hours. I'm in 3 bed semi and they clean all rooms, sometimes I will ask them to leave a bedroom to focus on bathroom/kitchen. I pay 16 p/h in the SE and they are here for 3 hours.

DinoHat · 06/12/2023 09:10

I have a 5 bed with 3 en-suites, family bathroom, downstairs WC.

In three hours they hoover the whole house, mop the hard floors, downstairs WC and family bathroom and one en-suite (they alternate) a basket of ironing and change two beds. They do the kitchen and general dusting too like skirting boards - which they alternate.

OkayScooby · 06/12/2023 09:10

The list you gave, I would have thought could be nearly done by one cleaner in 1.5 hours. I would have expected the other cleaner to be working on the upstairs.

Unless they spent a lot of time cleaning a specific item, eg blinds, oven, then they were poor.

helpfulperson · 06/12/2023 09:11

Were you there? Did they look like they were working the whole time or was there lots of pausing, chatting etc.

Sdpbody · 06/12/2023 09:17

We pay £17 an hour and 2 ladies do 1 hour, and my whole 4 bed house is cleaned.

Yorkshirelass21 · 06/12/2023 09:22

We have 5 bedroom 3 storied house, £52 full clean by 1 lady, 4 hours. Just hire someone else. I had cleaners like that before, I call it a superficial cleaning:) We live in North Yorkshire

user1471523870 · 06/12/2023 09:27

I have a 4 bed house and have 2 cleaners for 1,5 hours a week, exactly like you.
I pay £15 per hour, so £45 in total (Berks).

They:

  • clean all 5 bathrooms if needed (1 is guest bathroom and need only occasional cleaning, only 2-3 are in regular use and there is only one bath)
  • take all the bins out
  • dust/hoover all rooms upstairs
  • change 1-2 beds
  • clean kitchen, living room, playroom, hallway, entrance and my office (dust/wipe surfaces, clean sink, shake small rugs outside, hoover all floors, mop all floors)
They also do some small things that are very nice even if not strictly needed, such as plump sofa cushions and arrange them nicely, re-do the beds 'hotel style' (on the beds that don't need changing), put zoflora in the sinks/toilet brush holders and probably more things I don't even remember.

For context, my house is large but I keep it tidy and reasonably clean.