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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To expect a cleaner to have done more

61 replies

YourBlueDuck · 12/04/2024 19:40

So we've cracked and decided to get a cleaner, DH and I both work about 60 hours and just can't keep on top of it. House is a 3 bed semi, a reasonable sized semi but still a 3 bed house with standard living room, kitchen, dining room, 1 bathroom, no downstairs toilet. We agreed that we'd book in for 3 hours a week for ironing, a light clean and some things to rotate fortnightly, and that first we'd have a deep clean which would take 6 hours. The house was tidy and I don't think it was dirty before they came, we do clean just struggling to keep on top of it. I've come home today from work (DH has been at home while they've been here but been on calls a lot and didn't want to micromanage) to find that they've done general hoovering, dusting and cleaned the bathroom to a nice standard, they've not properly dusted the skirting board on the stairs and they've not dusted any picture rails or pictures on the walls. They've also totally missed out cleaning my office (box bedroom) and the porch, and also didn't do the ironing. They told DH when they left that they'd not done the ironing (even though I'd listed this as a priority but didn't mention the rest. AIBU to feel ripped off? I really don't understand how this standard of cleaning has taken them 6 hours, I feel like I could've done it in about 3 and I'm not a professional cleaner. I don't particularly want to pay £90 for it now to be honest either!

OP posts:
Georgieporgie29 · 12/04/2024 19:46

That doesn’t sound a lot for 6 hours of cleaning although tbf not many cleaners will do ironing.

Ive recently had a deep clean 2 cleaners for 3 hours (so 6 hours for 1 cleaner) and they managed to clean:-
kitchen/dining room/lounge (open plan)
3 bedroom
1 ensuite
2 lots of stairs and 1 landing

this included pulling out things like the microwave etc. and cleaning on top of the cupboards, windows etc.

they were great but it cost me a lot more than £90

Mrsttcno1 · 12/04/2024 21:22

Was it just 1 cleaner OP or a team of 2+?

EvangelicalAboutButteredToast · 12/04/2024 21:29

This is literally why I wouldn’t employ a cleaner. I’d be so irritated by the waste of money. I’d rather free up some time and do it myself.

NigellaAwesome · 12/04/2024 21:32

IME it takes cleaners a while to settle in to a house and to learn what it is you want. Our house is a 3 hour clean, always has been and in fact now DD has moved out there is less to do.

We have just got new cleaners and they are really struggling. It took one 30 minutes to hoover the stairs last time. I think for the first few times you need to be there to supervise and direct your cleaners to where you see your priorities to be and where they aren't - for example I don't need my cleaner to empty and polish the toaster as it is rarely used, but for someone else this could be important.

YourBlueDuck · 12/04/2024 21:39

Mrsttcno1 · 12/04/2024 21:22

Was it just 1 cleaner OP or a team of 2+?

It was 2 cleaners for 3 hours so I just said 6 hours for simplicity's sake

OP posts:
mrsbyers · 12/04/2024 21:41

Nah that’s unacceptable was your DH in the whole time they were there ? Were they working on separate jobs ? One doing the ironing and one cleaning they could have done more in 3 hours. My cleaner does more in 3 hours on her own including two bathrooms and a cloakroom

TinyYellow · 12/04/2024 21:41

Find someone else, they sound shit.

xxxjanxxx · 12/04/2024 21:42

@NigellaAwesome We have just got new cleaners and they are really struggling. It took one 30 minutes to hoover the stairs last time.

Flipping heck!! How many stairs do you have!! .........

YourBlueDuck · 12/04/2024 21:42

NigellaAwesome · 12/04/2024 21:32

IME it takes cleaners a while to settle in to a house and to learn what it is you want. Our house is a 3 hour clean, always has been and in fact now DD has moved out there is less to do.

We have just got new cleaners and they are really struggling. It took one 30 minutes to hoover the stairs last time. I think for the first few times you need to be there to supervise and direct your cleaners to where you see your priorities to be and where they aren't - for example I don't need my cleaner to empty and polish the toaster as it is rarely used, but for someone else this could be important.

That's useful to know, thank you. I've never had a cleaner before. Trouble is I can't work from home to supervise (teacher) so it has to be DH at home and it's definitely me who is more particular! Has your 30 minute stair hooverer improved?

OP posts:
YourBlueDuck · 12/04/2024 21:44

mrsbyers · 12/04/2024 21:41

Nah that’s unacceptable was your DH in the whole time they were there ? Were they working on separate jobs ? One doing the ironing and one cleaning they could have done more in 3 hours. My cleaner does more in 3 hours on her own including two bathrooms and a cloakroom

Yes he was in, although working. They didn't split up he says, which does seem an odd way to approach it doesn't it. Like you're really only getting 3 hours of cleaning but they get to bring a friend!

OP posts:
Justsomethoughts · 12/04/2024 21:44

I agree it doesn’t sound like they did much during that amount of time. Skirting boards I’d say is more deep cleaning territory though unless otherwise specified.
Could you list your priorities in each room so they know what to focus on? (Although I hear what you say about them ignoring re the ironing!) if it’s written down and agreed then more difficult for them to ignore though

YourBlueDuck · 12/04/2024 21:46

Update I told her that we'd pay but we weren't happy and didn't want to go ahead with weekly cleans. She's apologised and offered to come back and complete the things they missed but has basically blamed my DH for not saying anything...she didn't tell him they'd skipped 2 rooms and he entirely fairly didn't realise he needed to go and scrutinise everything! Not sure I really want her back now, it just makes me feel uncomfortable.

OP posts:
motherboredd · 12/04/2024 21:48

Yeh sounds a bit crap. I had a cleaner but she never really cleaned properly despite me giving clear instructions of what I wanted and it would annoy me that she hadn't cleaned stuff.
So I don't have her anymore and whilst I don't always have time to clean properly either, at least I'm not paying anymore!

YourBlueDuck · 12/04/2024 21:48

Justsomethoughts · 12/04/2024 21:44

I agree it doesn’t sound like they did much during that amount of time. Skirting boards I’d say is more deep cleaning territory though unless otherwise specified.
Could you list your priorities in each room so they know what to focus on? (Although I hear what you say about them ignoring re the ironing!) if it’s written down and agreed then more difficult for them to ignore though

Today was meant to be a deep clean so I expected everything cleaned. We had discussed my priorities for the general clean (top of the list was ironing so I was pretty shocked that was skipped today)

OP posts:
Alloveragain3 · 12/04/2024 21:49

I've had a rubbish cleaner and 2 great ones.

The rubbish one spent an hour cleaning a nearly new sink (new build house, had probably used the sink 50 times and there was no staining or anything!), and we said thanks but no thanks after one visit.

You just need a different cleaner.

motherboredd · 12/04/2024 21:50

Yes and if the first time was crap, I wouldn't expect improvement necessarily. I initially wanted a deep clean which she didn't really do, I kept her on anyway as I felt a bit awkward and was very clear about what I wanted but she didn't do it...

FfsJaney · 12/04/2024 21:52

YourBlueDuck · 12/04/2024 21:46

Update I told her that we'd pay but we weren't happy and didn't want to go ahead with weekly cleans. She's apologised and offered to come back and complete the things they missed but has basically blamed my DH for not saying anything...she didn't tell him they'd skipped 2 rooms and he entirely fairly didn't realise he needed to go and scrutinise everything! Not sure I really want her back now, it just makes me feel uncomfortable.

I wouldn't have them back. Good cleaners don't need micromanaging and they know to do skirtings, picture frames etc. They know how to manage their time and they work hard to prioritise the important jobs for clients.

Justsomethoughts · 12/04/2024 21:55

YourBlueDuck · 12/04/2024 21:48

Today was meant to be a deep clean so I expected everything cleaned. We had discussed my priorities for the general clean (top of the list was ironing so I was pretty shocked that was skipped today)

Sorry you did say in your OP it was meant to be a deep clean, my bad! I definitely wouldn’t have them back. Cleaners normally try and impress first time round- sounds like they were fairly rubbish!

FfsJaney · 12/04/2024 21:55

And it can take a couple of times until a cleaner speeds up. Like any job. They're finding out where plug sockets are, where all the cleaning equipment is, being extra careful picking things up until they figure out how robust things are etc but they should still get through way more than yours did in 6 hours.

YourBlueDuck · 12/04/2024 21:55

FfsJaney · 12/04/2024 21:52

I wouldn't have them back. Good cleaners don't need micromanaging and they know to do skirtings, picture frames etc. They know how to manage their time and they work hard to prioritise the important jobs for clients.

Thank you, that's exactly how I'm feeling. I'm going to say thanks but no thanks!

OP posts:
QuestionableMouse · 12/04/2024 21:59

xxxjanxxx · 12/04/2024 21:42

@NigellaAwesome We have just got new cleaners and they are really struggling. It took one 30 minutes to hoover the stairs last time.

Flipping heck!! How many stairs do you have!! .........

It can take me up to 30 mins to do the stairs at work - but they're massive and the carpet is horrible to hoover. And there's over 200 spindles to dust 🙃🙃🙃

If you want ironing and laundry doing then you need to pay for a housekeeper - most normal cleaners won't do it.

TooExtraImmatureCheddar · 12/04/2024 22:10

The point is though that OP asked them to iron and they had an opportunity then to say no if they don’t do that. And they didn’t.

I’ve had one excellent cleaner and a lot of shit ones. It’s irritating. The good cleaner left to go back to uni and I miss her.

YourBlueDuck · 12/04/2024 22:11

TooExtraImmatureCheddar · 12/04/2024 22:10

The point is though that OP asked them to iron and they had an opportunity then to say no if they don’t do that. And they didn’t.

I’ve had one excellent cleaner and a lot of shit ones. It’s irritating. The good cleaner left to go back to uni and I miss her.

They definitely do iron, she just "didn't get to it". Most we've spoken to / seen when I asked on our community Facebook page do seem to do ironing round here

OP posts:
Zanatdy · 12/04/2024 22:14

My cleaner doesn’t do skirting boards weekly, it’s a surface clean, so for example the tiles in the bathroom are not cleaned, just the tray. For the whole bathroom / tiles I’d need to ask for a deep clean of bathroom and sacrifice something else. If asked to iron they should do. Maybe worth trying someone else

Applecrumble24 · 12/04/2024 22:19

Just get a different cleaner, life is too short.
I had one I wasn’t happy with for similar reasons, she never wanted to do what I asked. I got rid.
my new cleaner seems much better so far