What do you expect from cleaners?

[MrsResponder]

Just wondering what you expect cleaners to do if you have them?

I have ADHD and the scale of jobs terrify me. I either have a little set routine, procrastinate about other jobs outside of that, or I go completely OTT without a plan and end up cleaning behind appliances with a toothbrush for several hours or some such...no middle ground! I'd love to be able to have a comprehensive plan to do each week, but in the absence of ability to do that we've hired cleaners.

So I don't feel all that qualified to know what's a normal level of service. But I was a bit miffed that no kitchen counters seem to have been touched after this week's clean. I had thought they hadn't been previoulsy, but wasn't sure if we'd just messed them up again! Surely wiping down counters is standard? We moved recently to a significantly larger property and the new lot are actually here for a shorter time than cleaners at old house. They said they just stay until it's finished rather than giving a specific time, but having been here for the last 2 cleans it's only 1.5 hours with 2 people (so 3 hours) whereas it was a 4 hour job at the old house.

I'm not sure it's worth it, I feel like DH and I could do that at the weekend. Seems like one walks around with a hoover and the other cleans bathrooms and mops floors downstairs. That's not a full clean, is it?

If you don’t set expectations cleaners will clean what they think looks dirty.

So in week 1 I spend the time just briefing on how I want it done, and I have a printed list of tasks to refer back if the cleaner wants it.

Eg for kitchen:
“Every I’d like you to wipe the counters - please move appliances to wipe behind; clean the sink, wipe the cooker hood and clean the splash back. Also wipe door handles and the bar-stools, and mop the floor every week. I’d also like inside windows wiped every several weeks or if they look mucky. I don’t need you to clean inside the fridge or microwave or handle trash.”

I definitely don’t expect every task done to perfection every week.

As a cleaner I used to clean every surface in kitchens, including cupboard doors. You probably need different cleaners

Thanks for the reply. I get the feeling we are being had! We have an 8 bed house with 3 receptions and a kitchen but only ask them to do ground and 1st floor, which includes w/c, 2 bathrooms and 4 large doubles. There's no way they can do that in an hour and a half with 2 of them. Nothing is being dusted or cleaned under. Just checking the bathrooms; window sills, skirts and radiators are dusty, so haven't been touched. For which were being charged £90 a time. They are cleaning up, just not in the way I expected!

You are definitely being had