Cleaner - is this normal?

[Starling543]

I've never had a cleaner before so unsure if this is standard or not?
She charges £18 an hour, comes for 2hrs. I asked when she was cleaning the bathroom if she could try to get the small amount of black mould off in between some tiles (only like 3 tiles) and wipe the skirting boards as they are dusty. She then said I'm just paying for a basic clean and the tiles and skirting boards would both be extra, if I want those doing I would need to pay an extra £100 for a deep clean.
I had assumed the cleaner would just clean whatever you wanted (within reason) during the time there and not assign things basic or deep.
AIBU?

Well that’s not how it works in my experience (had quite a few cleaners over the years), but I guess yours is different! Mine would just do something if asked.

Mould possibly needs special products/ more time so she might not have enough time for everything else.

Skirting boards though I’d expect to be a weekly job!

Ooh she is taking the piss. Skirting boards should be as standard, the mould I would just spray with mould cleaner or Bleach it before she comes then she'll clean it off. Neither such things count as a deep clean or are worth £100. Throw this one back to the sea of cleaners and find a new one!

1. I would clean the mould off the tiles and wipe the dust of the skirting board myself.
2. I would find a different cleaner.

My cleaner used to do what ever I asked. So if I wanted a whole house wizz through one week but a deep clean of the bathrooms the next she would. Look for a new cleaner and ask before hand if they charge different prices for different tasks or just charge for their time.

Were you clear that you wanted her to do that instead of her regular tasks rather than as well as?
My cleaner will happily do "one off" tasks but I will always make it clear what core tasks she can drop that week. Even in that case, I will suggest an amount of time to spend on a "one off" task. They can often take longer than expected but she is no doubt worried that you'll be critical of the rest of the clean

Surely you can clean a small amount of mould between 3 tiles yourself if you think it is no big deal? My cleaner would have a go at cleaning something like that if she had time but isn't going to spend 30 minutes scrubbing mould unless it's agreed as an extra job.

I agree with her mould is a deep clean job. If she comes and cleans regularly and properly then no mould appears. Assume she hasn't been with you very long?

I agree she should do small jobs as asked and skirting board should be standard, but can understand why she might have a plan for her time that doesn’t take into account mould removal. But when starting with a new cleaner I always pay for a “deep clean” first, then they are just keeping on top of that for their hourly rate.

Yes I agree, instead of mopping can you do the windows instead etc.

Mn is not usually the best place to ask about cleaners. People on here act like your house has to be immaculate before they come in, god forbid your house is messy or you expect them to do the dishes or a load of laundry 🙄 in reality I’ve found that cleaners will do what you ask them to in the timescale they’re able to do it. You’re paying them for a service, they’re not doing you a favour. I think the vast majority of them will do whatever you ask within reason, though you do get companies that had a set list of tasks they will do with no flexibility, using your own example of a basic clean they may just list ‘hoover, mopping, bathroom clean and surface clean’ and that’s all they’ll do for a basic clean price. I think you’re better off looking round for another company that will cater for you better. You’ll definitely find one

Nope. Mine does it all. I pay for 3 hours. If she takes longer on somewhere else because of something like that then other areas aren't as thorough as a result

Just put some HG mould spray on the tiles and kick her up the arse for saying skirting is a deep clean.

weekly?! 😂 my god. I have't cleaned mine for... I'm gonna say about 18 months. Maybe more.

Your house must be lovely and look like a hotel!!

I’ve had a good few cleaners over a few decades and never had anyone who didn’t clean what they were asked to.

She can run her business as she wants of course, but I’d find someone else.

They must be half skirting board, half dust then by now.

Skirting boards are a weekly thing surely

Skirting board is a weekly job, she's taking the p.

However removing mould takes time and different products so YABU there.

My motto is whatever needs done in the time you are paying me for.
In the past I have :
Put up +decorated Christmas trees.
Take down and packed away the same.
Organised the fitting of carpets and hung curtains..
Bathed a ddog.
Walked several ddogs.
Cleared up dcat chewed dead birds.
Supervised dc off school poorly.
Organised dc's wardrobes of too small clothes +shoes and dropped at the charity shop.
Washed and ironed curtains /bedding /clothes.
Cleaned out manky fridges and lived...

You're paying the cleaner, so you get to decide what tasks they do.

We have a cleaner every other week for 3 hours. For our house that's not enough time to do everything, so I've asked her to focus on certain specific things (kitchen, bathrooms, floors, then whatever she thinks needs doing each time). I haven't cleaned a skirting board myself in ages, so I presume she does them, but I do clean the bannisters on the stairs when I notice it needs doing. It definitely does not get done weekly though - just when the dust builds up enough to be noticeable!

She would do them if I ask her too, but I'd expect her to either not do something else instead, or charge extra if it's going to take more time.

In your example tiles would normally be extra, but if you're providing an anti-mould cleaner and it's only 3 tiles, I don't think it's too much to ask. Skirting board is definitely a usual cleaning task!

Ask her what she considers to be a "basic clean" then choose something from her list to swap out.

Cleaner here, no that’s absolutely not normal. Get rid.

I’d expect skirting boards to be done every time the room is hoovered I’ve never understood why people see this as a separate job from hoovering the floor!

If any mould has built up I spray Astonish mould remover onto the tiles a couple of hours before the cleaner arrives and they get cleaned as part of the normal bathroom tile clean, any mould just lifts straight off!

I haven’t used big firms like Molly Maids. I’ve had small companies and individuals. Almost no one has ever cleaned the skirting boards, and only then if asked.

If you want extra things doing, you usually do have to be very clear that they can drop something else that they would normally do.

I wonder if cleaning mould might be a bit daunting for a cleaner because you can’t always tell how long it will take to remove it and the stain might not come off, hence nothing to show for your effort. Don’t agree with you @NoKnit that if she’s doing her job properly, no mould appears. If your bathroom is prone to mould it appears regardless of cleaning.

@Sunburnisrareinscotland you sound amazingly (and very unusually) flexible in what you’re prepared to do!