Cleaners

[Familyflowers]

Am I being unreasonable

I have a cleaner who comes once a fortnight. She was due to come today. I told her yesterday that I had a cancellation for a really important appt and wouldn't have time to do my normal tidy up before she came today and she was fine with that. Said "she would do what she could"
She has just sent me a really long message criticising me, the house and blaming me for keeping her late for her next client despite the fact she is a chatterbox. She said she did not do the clean today but still wants her £60 cost for doing nothing today. AIBU for refusing to pay her?

Cleaner here. I don't understand why she didn't come today when she said she would do what she could? So no, she's not due any payment. You didn't cancel her. In that position I'd do what I could, hoover round and not pick everything up, do bathroom etc.

What did she do today then if she didn't clean?!

she did nothing and put the key I left under the doormat where I left it for her.

Do you mean that she spent so much time tidying that she never got to cleaning - or did she not turn up at all?

I don't understand - how we she late for her next client if she didn't actually do any cleaning at yours to hold her up?

How untidy was your house?

I always do a quick tidy for the cleaner coming, surfaces cleared, laundry away and bins emptied. But even if I hadn't done those things beforehand she would still be able to do most of the clean, i.e. hoover, dust, windows, bathrooms. I'd just expect her to do what she can in the time available.

Very rarely if my son's rooms are messy I will say to leave them out this time and there's no space for her to clean properly.

she came, did nothing and then left. Sent me a message to say she didn't do the clean and then launched into a l8ad of criticisms re the house and that she has so much to do in it every week that it makes her late for her next client etc.....this has never been mentioned before at all. Told her yesterday that I couldn't do the usual tidy up and she said she would do what she could. She did nothing today at all.....which she has put in writing.....but still wants her fee.

Definitely do not pay her. I'd be looking for a new cleaner

How bizarre that she came and did nothing.

SHE is responsible for her own timekeeping. Its up to her to end conversations and crack on to the next client. Not your fault.

Get another cleaner because it sounds like she doesn't like you. Don't be bothered by this. Sometimes (increasingly) I have problems for cleaning for people I realise I don't like. Weirdly, its also not personal, I just don't get on with them and/or their house. Also some houses are time-suckers, theres no rationale to it.

Show us what she wrote. I'd like to see exactly how she justifies getting paid.

What was her reason for doing absolutely nothing? What state had you left the house in?

So, she came into the house, did nothing and was late to her next appointment?

She came to house and did not clean. Sent me a raft of complaints, some of them lies. Advised her beforehand that could not do usual tidy up which she was fine with. She does not do a couple of rooms in the house ever as I do them.
Only things different from usual are :3 boxes were on hall carpet outside a cupboard...we had a water leak last week and I had to move stuff while area dried. Also 1 teenage sons bed was badly made....that was it.

If your teenage sons bed was made, albeit badly, you are doing ok.

Some boxes on the floor??? Can she only hoover in straight lines?

Possible complaints; 1. Have you got one of those plastic shower mats with suction pads because I hate them. They get so gunky esp. with 3+ showering blokes and it adds 10 mins cleaning round the little circles.

1. Do you leave a full bowl of washing up in the kitchen sink?
2. Do you have 47 bottles standing around your bath. You don't NEED that many products. Its all just shampoo at the end of the day. You're never going to have Rachel hair. Let it go.
3. Did you recently get a dog and think that it wouldn't increase hoovering time? esp. labradors and husky types.
4. Do you leave drug paraphernalia around? Not all coffee tables are as maintained as Johnie Depp's.
5. Does anybody work at home and decide to make lunch while the cleaner is doing the kitchen?
6. Is anybody in at all?

Don't waste any more energy on it. If thats the extent of your untidiness, get a more pleasant cleaner. She will be oozing her negativity around your home.

none of the above!

My lovely cleaner comes for 3 hours..if we have tided the house before, she cleans for 3 hours. If it's a tip, she tidies for 3 hours (just an example, to be clear it's never that bad.) Usually something in between. I fully understand she won't clean everything if she has to spend half an hour picking up the kids toys. She fully understands that sometimes, life happens. Sometimes I even try to put my mug in the dishwasher when she's here and she shoos me out the room. Your cleaner sounds pretty uptight. Fair enough if she won't tidy (I know I'm lucky mine will) but her attitude isn't great.

my spidey senses tell me…. Team cleaner here!

I would rely 'I am not paying for no work. Thank you but we will not be needing your services any further'.
Keep the text she sent.

She terminated the contract in her message. Have since discovered she has done this to 3 other clients,

In that case as she has severed the contract I’d hazard a guess she has taken on other clients who are paying her more, ditching regular clients to facilitate this.

Easy to get a new cleaner, don’t waste any more time thinking about it