Cleaner anxiety

[aaaaabbb]

Please be kind, I’m not mentally well (getting support) and I tend to over stress over other things people find normal. I don’t want to talk to anyone in RL as to them it would appear a non-issue:

I’ve hired a cleaner and she hasn’t been yet. She’s been recommended by some school mums. My anxiety is I will (or DH will) have to pick her up from the station every time and drop her back off I feel this will really impact our weekends as we can’t really do much (I know I should have thought about this before but I didn’t know till I phoned her to arrange an initial appointment). Secondly as I work all week it looks like she will have to come weekends which is going to really impact the family time we have together plus really make it awkward for everyone whilst she’s here. Husband works away during the week so it’s only really Saturdays we have together as a family (the day she will come), Sundays husband usually goes to him mums and takes the kids and I’m home alone but I can’t have her here then as I will have no car.

im feeling so stressed.

Cleaners are a dime a dozen. You could find another one very quickly. Message this lady and tell her you’re very sorry but you didn’t think the logistics through and it’s not going to work out. Send her the money for what one session would have cost and move on.

post on your local Facebook site about looking for a cleaner who must be able to make their way to your house if you want to make it clear.

Message her now. She was unreasonable to ask for a lift.

Really good cleaners are sometimes harder to find though.
That said, this arrangement won't work for OP so it's pointless entering into it.
I agree with PP saying to employ an actual company.

Maybe @aaaaabbb DH doesn't know or isn't fully aware of this anxiety and hasn't been able to give reassurance if they aren't sighted on it.

Hi OP, I moved v remotely and picked up my cleaner from the station, as I loved the work she did and wanted to keep her on. It was a right old hassle. After a while she made noises about me paying her train fare and travel time beause money was tight for her, and she said she didn't have to travel that long for any other client! We parted ways after that. Most cleaners drive, and work Mondays to Fridays - find another one.

A cleaner who doesn't drive and needs the customer to collect is not going to work

Many cleaners don't drive but they tend to use public transport and/or work locally. It's unreasonable for a cleaner to routinely expect lifts or their transport costs to be covered (except perhaps if someone moves and actually offers to cover this because they value their existing cleaner so much).

A cleaner is supposed to make your life easier not harder. Absolutely ridiculous to be picking her up from the station there's no way I would do this. Bite the bullet and cancel and find a cleaner who can drive. I honestly don't think any normal person would think you are unreasonable.

How will she get the vacuum cleaner and all her equipment you with no car? I don't have a cleaner but my neighbour opposite does and she takes at least three trips to get all her gear in the house.

The time it takes to pick up and drop her off wouldn't it be easier just to do the cleaning yourselves? It doesn't make any sense

I doubt the school mum will be that bothered. Don't worry about that.

If cleaners are asking to be picked up you maybe need to go with a proper company who will have their own transport and come in as a team which is quicker.

I totally agree with previous posters, this doesn't sound like a workable situation at all. Our cleaner comes on a Friday when I'm working from home, she also has keys for when I'm not in.

Also just to add, once you find a cleaner you can trust, give them a key so they can come while you're at work, that way you don't have to hang around at the weekend.

Many cleaners use the employers vacuum cleaner etc. They don't all bring their own.

I agree with those saying you need to keep looking. There are plenty of cleaners who drive and can come in the week. The whole point of hiring someone to help with the cleaning is to decrease your stress, not add to it!

The only thing I will add re travel is that if your property is quite remote/out of the way then you will need to offer a very competitive rate of pay (etc) to encourage cleaners to want to travel to you in the first instance. Also consider how often you want the cleaning done so that they can maybe come less often? Big clean once a week/fortnight as opposed to two smaller cleans a week, for example.

As I said-if she was supposed to come today, pay her for the visit. Then you have absolutely no cause for worry. Make sure the person who recommended her knows you've done that. And move on.

My cleaners have always used my own products, one used to cycle to mine and the others had cars. Just pay her for today and then let her know that it’s just not possible to go ahead as you will be looking for someone who has their own transport.

Always make it clear when employing cleaners that it’s a trial session first, I had one come who was quite frankly terrible so didn’t have her back. My last cleaner was fabulous but she stopped cleaning when her children left school and got a job in a factory with regular hours.

If you work from home, would it disturb you if there was a cleaner in the house?

Mine just never cleans my office (even when I'm out) she just gets on with the rest of the house after a 5 minute chat when she arrives

Also, look at cleaning firms, they all drive themselves to appts

Mine uses my products and equipment.

I prefer that

I would pay her for today as it's too late to cancel but I'd say having thought about it weekends won't work for you x

God no. Any cleaner I’ve had come in while I’m out at work. I wouldn’t be picking anyone up from stations. That’s ridiculous! If they can’t make their own way to and from my house then unfortunately they can’t work for me