Cleaner driving me mad!

[Strawbsss]

Been getting annoyed with my cleaner for a few weeks now.
Cutting corners, standard not as good etc.

Noticed a few times on the Ring that she's left earlier than usual... she quite often brings another cleaner with her and says "it's still a 2 hour clean but as there's two of us it only takes an hour", which is fine...

Today I check the camera to find they arrived at 12.07pm and left at 12.52pm.... I paid £50.

How do I politely let this woman know I don't want her to do my cleans anymore? She's finished now does Christmas but I'm booked in for a deep clean the first week in January (and paid the deposit) so I will want her to fulfill this, but after that I don't want her anymore.

Feeling like a wimp but I'm really fed up now.

‘Hi, we won’t be needing your cleaning service any more after the deep clean in January. Many thanks.’

I might mention now that you’ve noticed she hasn’t done the full time, which is a shame because XYZ weren’t done. Don’t sack her until she’s done your deep clean.

Just tell her you don’t require her services any more.

£50 is to expensive anyway. However, just text her and ask her about the timings today and if you’re due a partial refund.

Can You get your deposit back? If not let her do the deep clean and stay there to supervise. Then tell her by email that you won’t be needing her anymore.

How much is the deposit for the deep clean? I'd actually just cancel it and lose the deposit - given previous cleans, how good is it going to be. I wouldn't get into the ins / outs of why your cancelling her - just cancel and move on.

If you are going to cancel her and still want the deep clean - I agree with PP do not tell her she is cancelled until after.

If you think there’s a chance she won’t turn up and you won’t get your deposit back, then I would only let her know about cancelling her after she’s done the January deep clean.

However I would text her about today…

”Hi X, I’ve noticed you and X haven’t done the full time today. Can you let me know what do you plan to do about the 30 minutes I’m owed? Would you prefer to refund me today, or deduct it from the cost of the deep clean in January?”

So cheeky when people you're specifically paying by the hour don't give you the full time.

I wouldn't sack her before the deep clean (unless you don't want her to do it at all) otherwise she has no incentive to do it well.

That's a good idea.

I sacked my cleaner today because for about the third time she's cancelled on me at short notice. I had stripped the beds in readiness for her to make them, had schlepped in the rain to the ATM to get cash out to pay her (at her insistence, I sense tax avoidance) and done the mad tidy up ready for her, when I get a text from her to say she has "car trouble" and can she come at the weekend. Fucks sake. So then I have to make the beds myself or I'll have nothing to sleep in tonight, and by that point there's no point in her coming three days later as I've done half her work myself. I told her to leave it and ended up finishing the cleaning myself and feeling very cross and hot!!

You don’t have to tell bet your life story just say you won’t be needing any more cleaning after the deep clean.

I'm such an anxious person so this is really playing on my mind.
I paid a £50 deposit for a £140 deep clean in January so I really don't want to lose that really but at the same time, as a PP said, how good is it really going to be?

She's not even swept / hoovered under the dining table.

I'm so annoyed but hate any confrontation x

It’s not confrontation. Message her politely and say you noticed she was only in your home for 40 minutes today and her cleaning wasn’t to their usual standard. Underneath the dining table hadn’t been cleaned for example. Going forward, after the `January deep clean, you won’t be availing of their services.

What the poster WickedlyCharmed wrote - you could text about deducting the unworked paid time. You are right and they are in the wrong. If it gets nasty just think you’ve saved £90 from the deep clean hassle.

I honestly don’t even understand why this is hard. After the january clean send her a message saying ‘Thanks for the deep clean, I have just settled the bill. We’ve decided not to carry on with cleaning services going forward. Many thanks for your help to date.’

I’m not sure how it could be more complicated or difficult than that.

I'd message and ask why the clean was short today and why so and so hadn't been done. You are paying for a service, not doing her a favour. She's cutting it short because she can; you won't bring it up or she thinks you don't know. Keep her booked for January as you've already paid, and then go from there. If you feel awkward or anxious, just say your circumstances have changed.

If she’s not cleaning properly I wouldn’t want to give her £140 in January to do a half arsed job which I could do myself, so I would let her know I no longer need her services and loose the deposit. If you want to give a reason tell her she’s not cleaning properly and you’re having to go over it which defeats the point of having a cleaner.

Be there when she does the deep clean and ask for your key back.

Thank you all. I think I just need to put my big girl pants on x

Would you spend 2 hours cleaning someone’s house for £50….less tax, supplies, transport, sick pay, insurance, holiday pay?
I think I know most peoples answer to this.

Absolutely not which is why I’m not a cleaner. However, it’s way more than the going rate. No need to attack me on that one though, I’m not the one setting it.

£25/hour? Gosh that's steep and I live in London!
If she's leaving early and cutting fitness - her time is up. Do you have a notice period? I'd give her notice asap (either deep clean in place), or after she's done that if no notice period. Just say you don't need her anymore. You don't have to make up some excuse.

I'd tell her after the deep clean in January and the off the money she owes you for leaving early on last clean.

Ask her can you swap the £50 as payment for the next 2 hour clean as you decided against the deep clean. Let her do the 2 hour clean but be there so she doesn't leave early, and then tell her she is no longer needed.

Honestly you are overthinking this. It is business - you're not sacking off a friend. She loses and gains clients all the time.

As long as you phrase it as alalalala suggested or similar it will be fine. For all she knows you can't afford a cleaner any more, have got addicted to Fly Lady videos, or have entered a BDSM relationship and make your sub. clean your house.

Great idea!