To ask: if you are a cleaner, what are the things in the house that would make you judge someone?

[Eastie77Returns]

I spend about an hour doing a pre-clean/tidy before our new cleaner arrives. There are some things I think look too messy for her to deal with and I also worry she will judge me on the general state the house has fallen into in between her visits.

A friend who has the same cleaner thinks I'm nuts for doing this.

Can I ask, if you are a cleaner are there certain things that would make you think someone is an absolute slob or you don't think you should have to deal with? I know surfaces should be as clear as possible and also cleaners should not be expected to tidy up,fold clothes etc (unless mutually agreed).

I think Keeping Up Appearances is not a reality show 😉.

I tidy (declutter) so the cleaner can clean. I also check DC bathroom for any signs of skibidi toilet. DC are asked to declutter and clean their toilet if necessary.

Ours comes once a fortnight (she was ill last time so it's been a month. She's been today and I can't wait to get home!)

Part of the appeal is that it makes us do a fortnightly re-set. Me, dh and ds do 20 minutes the night before she comes. We:

Change the beds
Make sure toilets aren't gross
Tidy up
Empty bins
Clean the litter tray

That's it. She's never said anything assume the house is fine!

I had a cleaner who told me I needed to clean the floor in the downstairs loo before she came (just dried mud on the floor, nothing really icky), I’d already heard on the grapevine that she’d asked other clients to leave the place broadly clean before she got there. I decided that wasn’t the sort of cleaner I needed 😂 I have a lovely cleaner now!

@MounjaroUser

i think it's more skanky to have toilets that need cleaning before the cleaner comes.

This and the others like it are completely bonkers.

I mean, what on earth is the point of employing someone to do a job you have already done ?

Listen to the cleaners on this thread.

My cleaner said she loved coming to us as she felt she really made a difference 😂👍

Clear surfaces, make sure the toilets are OK, that's it really

Why are you paying someone to do something and then doing it for them! Get your money's worth or just clean yourself.
Or do whatever it's your life just saying what I'd do

I make sure the house is tidy so ours can concentrate on cleaning. I roll up some rugs so it’s easier for her to hoover and mop the floor, and then she puts them back afterwards. I’d give the toilet bowl a quick clean if anyone had left some skid marks. I try and remember to empty the bathroom bins, as she’ll always empty them if I don’t, and I don’t think she should have to do that.

I used to be a cleaner. I didn't really judge the cleanliness of a house but I didn't like cleaning houses that were so cluttered and grubby that I couldn't make them look nice.

I mostly judged the character of the client. Most of them were absolutely lovely, made me tea and chatted. The odd one made me feel that I was a servant and inferior (I think one referred to me as 'The cleaner'). I've got a degree...I was cleaning because it fit in well around school hours.

I used to clean when I was at uni. Hated seeing shit in the loo or grimy knickers on the floor. Oh and cat shit! On the stairs in one place. Nearly lost my lunch.

I tidy a bit so that it’s easy to clean but certainly not clear surfaces everywhere. Just what I can do in half an hour max at the end of the weekend before she comes on Monday morning.

I make sure nothing is gross - basically toilets, bins. But I do that daily anyway - not like they are dirty all week then I suddenly clean them.

we just had our cleaner start this week so I was thinking about it too!

I find MN attitudes towards cleaners quite patronising.

They are there to do a job, in your workplace do you expect other people to do half of it before you arrive?!?

As long as you are not being disrespectful e.g leaving things out like sex toys or dirty underwear on the floor then just leave your cleaner alone and stop feeling sorry for them!

It’s really condescending - most cleaners are running their own businesses or doing work they find flexible around their children’s needs. There are tonnes of service workers in the UK, but MN have this obsession that cleaners are to be pitied and are some kind of helpless sub class of humanity. Stop it

I did cleaning and babysitting to pay for my university studies - and I didn't care or judged people homes. I just did the job.

You loons - you need to tidy, as your cleaners won't know where to put stuff, but you don't need to clean - they are CLEANERS

I make sure the floors are tidy to hoover, that washing up is put away and surfaces are clear. And make sure toilets are looking OK but that's just out of respect rather than thinking they would judge...

All these people saying they clean poo from the toilet have shocked me. I literally pay a cleaner so I don't have to clean my toilets. What's the point of scrubbing poo from a toilet then having your cleaner round? It'd be scrubbed clean

Cleaners are human too and isn't it common courtesy not to leave poo for the next person? How bad is your poo left behind if a quick wipe round yourself (so the cleaner can scrub it!) is too much hassle... I'd like to think anyone who has anyone round to their home wouldn't leave skidmarks on show. That's all I've got to say in reply, we clearly have different views on bathroom etiquette!

I tidy things away, and check that there are no poo smears in the loo. That's it.

Do you have a cleaner come round daily or do you just leave your toilet dirty until the cleaner is next in?

Is it worth getting a cleaner? We have an 11 year old and work ft. I’m also doing a course so would appreciate the extra time but I wouldn’t say our house is dirty. It’s things like scrubbing the kitchen and bathroom and cleaning skirting boards and windows inside, sliding doors etc. Also surely you clean the toilet as you use it?

I tidy up so the cleaner can spend more time cleaning. I don't feel judged. She's lovely, and good at her job and she knows how much she's appreciated.

Aren’t you both saying the same thing?

We have a cleaner for four hours a week, so quite a lot. Our toilets don't get particularly dirty with that level of cleaning. I certainly wouldn't clean before they get there.

I tidy things away before cleaners come, but that's more so they have more time to tidy rather than clean.

I'd say a cleaner is definitely worth it. Think of it as a way to offload cleaning jobs onto someone else!

My cleaner comes fortnightly to do all my bathrooms and hoover/mop the entire downstairs (tiled floor throughout). I do clean as I go, but not thoroughly everyday. I tend to clean up spills/messes from the floor but not a full mop each time. Same with bathrooms, I keep on top of the sink and loos, but my cleaner will get rid of all the dust that lives behind the loo/sink, polishes everything e.g. shower hose/taps/any chrome in the bathroom.

I also arranged for her to do a deep clean of the oven/fridge ever few months. It's just another thing I don't have to think about!

Edited to add I do not clean before she comes.