Or am I expecting too much from cleaners?

[Bumspud]

I’ve had 2 sets of cleaners both for 4 months each and I’m thinking maybe I’m asking too much?

I have a 4 bed house (one bedroom not used) , 2 reception rooms (one reception room not used) 1 main bathroom, 1 ensuite with shower and a downstairs cloakroom, kitchen is pretty big.

All adults live at home, the house is very uncluttered and tidy. Bathrooms are all tiled and I’ve generally given everything a basic clean and wipe over before they come. Kitchen is minimal, all flat fronted cabinets, ceramic hob etc.

We do have a dog but she only really creates more vacuuming which should be done anyway.

Cleaners have been booked for 3 hours - after looking at the house this is their recommendation on length of time. Usually paid £20 per hour. They then turn up 10 minutes late and leave 15 minutes early.

I’ve had breakages, damage to a sink, damage to a cupboard surface, black marks on skirtings and walls which I can only think is from dragging the Henry Hoover.

Kitchen Cabinet fronts are not cleaned. Toilets haven’t been cleaned around the hinges of the seat etc. I can wipe a tissue into the corners of the tiled bathroom floors and it comes up dusty and with hairs etc. They don’t clean the sides of cabinets around the cooker, or the panels at the side of the dishwasher that get splashed.

Dead flies in the bottom of fitted blinds, surfaces in bedrooms not wiped down.

It seems they give everything the bare minimum of a wipe, vacuum through and use a spray mop on hard surfaces leaving the floors sticky.

First time I put it down to bad luck and choosing a poor cleaner but it’s happened again now and I’m wondering if I’m misjudging what a general clean involves?

Also, they start off with one cleaner then suddenly they’re sending someone else, no continuity on who you get. Around here it’s seems it’s a large bunch of the same women who go from company to company. (All small businesses usually set up by a one woman band who then expands).

Am I expecting too much?

I’ve generally given everything a basic clean and wipe over before they come.

Pretty pointless to have a dog and bark yourself.

I'd expect the kind of cleaners who would work to the very high standard you are looking for are certainly available. However, they would expect to be paid top rates and be supervised by a housekeeper.

The Lady is a good source for the right kind of people.

How many cleaners come for a 3 hr period? Our cleaner cleans one room less than what you listed and takes 6hrs (once a week). We used to hire a company where 3 people come and do the same for 2 hrs (so still 6 man hours) but quality was very inconsistent and I hated it.

I think getting an individual cleaner or someone from a small company where you get the same person every week is important, but you can still get shoddy work as there's a lot of demand. Turning up late and leaving early or creating marks or breakages would be it for me, that is totally unacceptable. I wouldn't be shelling out £60 for this.
I'd say expecting the whole house to be done in 3 hours is a tall order. You might be better off leaving a list of 4/5 rooms to do properly. Explain you'd like a thorough clean including skirting boards, tiles, whatever else.
Asking on FB groups for recommendations is a good way to find a decent cleaner.

I know two cleaners - both wildly different. One is a “windows don’t have corners” type - does minimum, leaves houses looking ok but not deep cleaning (which is what you seem to want as the basics are covered by the household occupants). She does this work because it’s flexible with family commitments, works for an agency.

The other has OCD and well controlled bipolar disorder. Is absolutely meticulous, very fast, and loves cleaning, laundry, oven cleaning etc. it gives her great satisfaction to review her work when done. Instead of re-cleaning her own home and her mum’s she now works for herself, no staff, charges and gets a fortune because she is so good. All customers are repeats and has waiting list. She likes customers to leave note of what they want done, she’s clear about what’s achievable in the timeframe depending on what state the house is when she arrives. Says only works long term if clear communication.

Think you have to be very clear about what you want - list of specified tasks, there’s no point them repeating everyday stuff if that’s not what you want them to address. Perhaps look for someone who is sole trader and invested in their business instead of agencies with a revolving door of staff who may be badly paid and uninterested. It’s not a desirable occupation so hard to get someone good. Any friends who can make personal recommendations?

I have the same sized property. I pay £16 p/h. I actually only have 2.5 hours (this was the suggested time). They wipe down all tables/surfaces and hoover. Mop the hard floor in appropriate rooms. Kids rooms is a quick hoover and wipe of the surfaces. I feel the bathrooms are done very well, better than I would but I experience all the other issues you have mentioned. Even when the kitchen units are quite obviously splashed they don't wipe them down so I do that prior now to make sure it's all clean. I have one lady now her own business as I was fed up of the larger company sending different people as I was meant to have a regular person.

Our first cleaner was good initially but quickly began cutting corners so we got our current cleaner. She works for herself but isn't really that good. £25 for 2 hours. She doesn't wipe cupboards, doors, skirting boards and seems to overlook things like hinges on things. I could definitely wipe a tissue in the corner of the bathroom after her and it would come away dusty. We only ask her to do 4 rooms. We hired a cleaner to save us but I regularly notice the corners cut when she has left and we often have to finish the job.

3 hours doesn’t seem very long for effectively 3 bedroom 2.5 bathrooms plus a big kitchen.

It's a no go to come late/leave before time. Your house/the job sounds a bit bigger than hours are I would say.

I would look for a student if your rate is £15-20/h or an individual with own company if your rate is £25-30.

Both ways have worked for us but the compagnies around £20 with different people coming round never worked great.

Same experience, some windowsills not wiped, never did bathroom tiles, toilet still dirty (obviously wiped but still not clean), different people, again sometimes late, leaving early, wipe around stuff, no hoovering under beds, sofa, chairs etc. Wasn't expecting a deep clean but it literally seemed like it was a quick hoover, wipe and mop. Gave them up as it was a waste of money plus it was always a mad tidy (2 kids) the night before to make sure most areas and surfaces where clear.

I have a cleaner for 4 hours. She does kitchen, dining room, sitting room and two bathrooms.

I ask that she dusts skirting boards, wipes kitchen cabinet fronts, cleans windows as well as all surfaces. Polish wood furniture.

I just don't see the point of a cleaner who just wipes surfaces and hoovers because I can do that.

Imagine your home was a holiday let. What would need to be done so a guest walks in and thinks it's perfectly clean?

I have a holiday cottage and sadly wouldn't trust my cleaner to do it as she often forgets to do quite major things, eg the whole shower, the floor. She did do the holiday cottage once and we got a 4 star review for cleaning so God knows what she missed. So, lesson learned there. I do it myself but sometimes need someone to cover for me.

£30 for a cleaner??

We have almost the same size but a dining room as well. I really can't see how 3 hours is enough? We have our cleaner do this for 5 hours. Seems like it's not enough time to do anything proper.

I think it depends on your standards. I have had 4 different cleaners, all doing 3 hours in a smaller house than yours. I would say you probably need 4 hours.

The best cleaner we had did deep cleaning tasks on a rotation, so she wouldn't clean blinds, inside of windows or cupboard doors every week but she did do these things on a rotation. Leaving early and arriving late is a total no no. Sadly she left the country. The others have been good but unreliable or just don't do the things I am interested in. For example to be spent loads of times straightening cushions, folding throws, remaking our bed etc but didn't do a lot of deep cleaning. Not really what I am paying them for. Not adjusting approach when told I didn't care about this.

I do my own cleaning now - I find basically I end up deep cleaning the rooms on rotation anyway so I may as well just do his myself and not bother with the peripheral stuff. I also have young children and a busy house so I found that tidying up for the cleaner took me 1-2 hours anyway. I work 4 days and do it as part of my day off, but id be having the day off anyway for other reasons.

Ive basically decided I'm not going to be happy with most cleaners and will end up doing loads of it anyway so I may as well just save myself the money.

I appreciate though that this was a because I probably have unreasonable/unrealistic standards and I'd be a happier person if I could live in a house which had been surface cleaned for a couple of hours a week only.

We have a similar sized house and we used to have a cleaner for 2 hours. She mopped the tiles hall and kitchen, hoovered and wiped (quickly) round sink and toilets.
Kitchen not touched, no dusting and baths/showers not cleaned. I stopped with the cleaner because it seems that unless you’re willing to pay 5-6 hours a proper clean is not getting done. Honestly if I do 2 hours with no distractions I get more done myself.
We were paying £20 up north too so I don’t think it was worth it really.

My cleaner does the whole house in four hours (including three bedrooms and three bathrooms). I had to go through loads of rubbish ones til I found her. She is amazing - wipes the inside of the dishwasher, the doorframes, fully cleans bath and shower. If she misses things it's because the house has been too untidy to start so I try to do better on that front. I really respect her work ethic and pay accordingly.