To expect a cleaner to have done more

[YourBlueDuck]

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!

6 hours and they couldn't clean a 3 bed house with a bit of ironing?!?! That's shocking!!

A good cleaner knows what to do - moving room to room doing all the important stuff (including bathroom) and then moving on to the finer details when time is running down. You're quite right to not want her back.

Good cleaners often have long waiting lists. They're busy because they're good! And I find most cleaners are physically fit - to be thorough it's really demanding!

I teach, but on one of my days off I attempt to clean our 4 bed house. In reality a decent clean takes 4 hours, but I know exactly what to clean to make it LOOK like I've done loads, when in reality I only have a spare 1 to 2 hours! The nitty gritty can wait until the weekend when DH can help!

I've had 3 cleaners in the past, 2 were excellent and 1 was very poor.

I'm a minimalist and so the homes were easy to clean. In 2 hours the good cleaners could clean every room and strip and remake my bed. The bad cleaner couldn't be arsed to even pick up the dining chairs to mop.

For a deep clean everything should be cleaned.

You need a new cleaner.

Even I could have done your cleaning in 3 hours , and I don’t deep clean my own house , husband does it . I’d get a different cleaner for 2 hours per week and find an ironing service for the ironing .

I don't agree. It should not take cleaners anytime to settle in. We have cleaners who come twice per month and they deep clean everytime. Not one thing is left undone. It is three people, they spend two hours and every part of our house is spotless when they leave. They move furniture to clean under, clean under rugs, skirting boards, inside (and outside, of course) of the refrigerator, oven and microwave, bedding changed, glass/windows, three full bathrooms, three bedroom, playroom and office, kitchen, sitting room, all floors and all surfaces.

They never had to settle in and the quality of their work as never decreased.

We also have at home childcare for a few mornings per week and our childcare provider will clean floors if they need it, fold, put away and iron clothing, clean the kitchen counters, load and unload dishwasher, help children put away their toys and change bedding and this happens in less than 2 hours. So, I use that as an example that even one person, while watching young children is able to do more than your two cleaners did in three hours.

Agreed. Good cleaners don't need a list, or things that they have missed pointed out to them or a settle in period to figure out how to clean the stairs.

He's a senior accountant in financial services and I'm a teacher so sadly long hours are par for the course for our line of work!

I found the cleaners who worked in teams didn't get as much done as one by themself.

I've given up on cleaners for now. Last had one in 2022, a team of two who did the absolute basics - hoover, mop, wipe kitchen worktops down etc and never as good as how I'd do then myself. Was just a waste of money as the house was always spotless anyway. I wanted the detail done, eg inside windows cleaned, skirtings done.

I've had 5 cleaners in total. Only one was amazing and that was because she LOVED cleaning!!

Before covid, there was no real deep clean thing. If i wanted skirting boards done, they'd do skirting boards. If one week I wanted my fridge cleaned they did it. Now though, these things constitute a 'deep clean'and I'd have to pay extra 😳

Cleaners are very hit and miss. Their first clean is the best so don’t take them on if this is the result.

OP said she paid for 6 hours for a deep clean on first visit

Yes I realised afterwards and posted again 😊

The first cleaner I had for 6 years was like this. She was brilliant. I'd get home on Tuesdays and Fridays and it was spotless. She used to peel a few potatoes and carrots too or hang out washing for me. She ironed DH and DS's school shirts on Fridays for the next week, put them on hangers and hung them back in the wardrobe. She did 3 hours twice a week and sometimes did an additional hour to do a specific job like sewing on name tags on school uniform and cleaning outside of UPVC doors and window frames front and back. She became a friend and was allowed to borrow our holiday home when she wanted too and she always left it cleaner than when she arrived. She really was a terrific help. Sadly she got cancer and had to leave. I've had cleaners since who are ok and get the jobs completed but nowhere near her standard. I was lucky to have her when DS's were younger and I needed more help around the house. I was very upset when she died.