To feel a bit awkward re the cleaner?

[Icanseethechurch]

We got a cleaner for the first time a couple of months ago. She comes every week for 2 hours.

She’s been brilliant to be fair, reliable, works really hard and to the time we pay her for. However, she’s almost a bit too good/ thorough as each time she comes she only ever manages to clean 2 rooms in the 2 houses she’s here.

We have a 4 bed detached, a small, under stairs WC downstairs, a family bathroom and en-suite upstairs. I told her from the beginning don’t worry about the bedrooms as I hoover and dust those every week so she doesn’t touch those.

I came home yesterday from work to find she’d cleaned the kitchen/ diner (average size) and the family bathroom. Each time she comes, she does 2 rooms, so a room an hour? She’s cleaned the kitchen and bathrooms multiple times now, one of those being a deep clean so it should really be a case of just keeping on top of it? I am a very clean person so don’t let them get too grimy in the week before she’s due back again anyway.

Ive always done all the cleaning myself but with 2 young DC and a full on job I just don’t have the time anymore.

The rooms she’s cleaned are fantastic, I’m always happy with the quality, but it does mean I have to go around and clean the bathroom that’s not done/ the WC, hoover the whole house (which I do anyway a couple of times a week) I guess I’d hoped that each time she came, she would be able to get the kitchen/ diner done, the main bathroom, the en-suite and maybe the WC too.

Are my expectations completely out of whack? (happy to be told so) If you have a cleaner for 2 hours weekly, what do they manage to do?

I should also add, on Monday night before she comes, myself and DH have a tidy up and make sure all toys are put away, surfaces are clear etc (the house is pretty tidy anyway as we have a playroom and all toys pretty much stay in there) we’re both out at work when she comes and DC are in nursery/ school so there’s no one there making a mess etc.

AIBU to feel awkward saying anything as she does clean to a good standard?

guess I’d hoped that each time she came, she would be able to get the kitchen/ diner done, the main bathroom, the en-suite and maybe the WC too.

You need to communicate this with her. It will be less thorough but most cleaners do speed up after a few cleans.

Mine does 4 hours and gets most of the house done plus ironing but if I have specific requests I just ask her.

You need to be specific, eg, please clean kitchen every time you come, and rotate between bathroom, living room etc. I have what sounds like a similar sized house to you, and my cleaner takes four hours to do the whole house.

We have a cleaner for 2 hours a week and she hoovers the whole (4-bed) house, mops all the downstairs floors and cleans the kitchen and three bathrooms. She doesn't do that much dusting or move the furniture, though she does wipe the accessible surfaces. To be honest, I think it's a challenge to get all that done in 2 hours (esp since we got a bigger kitchen and added a bathroom) but she is very popular and doesn't have a longer slot for us.

Wasn't sure how to vote as YANBU to expect more than two rooms cleaned, but your post sounds like you want to be told that YABU for feeling awkward?

I have a similar size house to you. We've had cleaners in the past, and also said not to worry about bedrooms. Even then, they've said it's 3.5-4 hours for the rest of the house. If you want her to do every room every week, she just needs more time.

Have you actually told her you are hoping for that? If so, ask for her feedback

I think to do what you expect would take 3 hours
My cleaner does 2 hours twice a week

2 hours isn’t a lot for your size house. Be more specific. Say the kitchen and all bathrooms must be done and the living room every other week.

I would love to have the model you describe and I think I’d just ask her to rotate the rooms. My issue is similar to others that my cleaner doesn’t have a longer slot available so she can’t deep clean and she wants to reset all the rooms for us. It’s good but it means we do the deep clean. I might ask my cleaner to copy yours! Sounds like you might prefer to copy our approach and lower the standard to cover more rooms or extend the time

Cleaning a whole 4 bedroom house in 2 hours is asking too much, but I don't think you are being unreasonable to expect a kitchen, two bathrooms and a cloakroom to be cleaned in a couple of hours, including a quick whiz round with a mop in those rooms as well. I wouldn't expect the rest of the house to be touched though

Hopefully she will speed up as she gets used to the house.

But I wouldn't expect all that to get done in 2 hours.

Kitchen/diner, hoover the whole house except bedrooms plus clean one other room on a rota would be reasonable to aim for I think.

In two hours my cleaner does:

• "proper" cleans of the kitchen and two bathrooms.
• light cleaning (just wiping surfaces, mirrors, mild tidying etc) of the living room, conservatory, dining room, and kids' bedrooms.
• hoovering/sweeping/mopping in all above rooms plus hallways and stairs.

She's a bloody gem.

I have a similar sized house to you- our cleaner does 4 hours and does the whole house every fortnight, then the week in between she does 2 and does the living room, kitchen/diner, and main bathroom to keep the high use areas topped up.

I think you need to say what your priorities are. Then ask her to rotate anything else.

For example ours comes two hours a week. I asked: every week to please prioritise the bathrooms and the hard floors. Then rotate anything else. She usually does this every week plus hoovers and wipes down the kitchen. Then rotates other bits as she likes….

We have a 4-bed detached and in two hours a week our cleaner does:

Hoover of every room bar husband’s office plus stairs
Mop all hard floors
Clean kitchen surfaces, sink, splashback, cupboard doors if needed
Bathrooms: toilet, sink, bath, shower cleaned.
Wipe surfaces in bedrooms

And on a rotation some other bits like doors and inside of windows if she has time.

I would prefer the whole house done v two rooms done to show house standard so maybe you need to have that chat with her.

For a 4 bed house (3 bathrooms) our cleaner does 4 hrs every week. I think you need to pay for more time or give her a list of rooms to d9 each week that rotates so different rooms get covered

Don't feel awkward, you're paying her so she should be cleaning as you ask her to. Explain what you want, texting might be easier

Thanks all. So I’ve never expected her to clean the whole house in 2 hours, I appreciate that’s totally unrealistic. I would’ve ideally just liked a general clean of the kitchen and bathrooms each week so I didn’t have to do it.

Cleaner is full so hasn’t got any more hours to offer as yes, I think in an ideal world she’d be here for 3/4 hours.

I think I have to decide as a PP said, what I prefer between having 2 rooms throughly cleaned (and perhaps rotated each week) or more rooms cleaned but more of a general clean like I would do. She does do a really good job on the rooms she cleans, I would just ideally like a third room cleaned if poss so it leaves me with less to do each week.

Cleaner here. I’ve just finished a weekly clean on a 4 bed, 2 shower room with large kitchen diner (high gloss finish). It’s a 3 hr every week. Every room dusted, hovered or mopped. Windows done, cushions/pillows plumped and bins emptied.

perhaps you need to be more precise with your instructions.

@Icanseethechurch that isn't a lot of time at all. I have a 3 double bed, 4 bathroom home and mine takes 4hrs. Mine is thorough too. Hopefully you can get more hours with her or else just ask her to prioritise

I just use cleaners on an ad hoc basis not a weekly basis and this is my experience.

So I used to have a cleaner that would do the kitchen and bathroom and hall really well in under 2 hours but I’d paid her for 2 hours of course and a bit more.

My apartment back then would get so messy and dirty unfortunately due to mental health issues. And she would do such a great job!

Moved cities and my new apartment is kept reasonably clean and uncluttered now and yet the new cleaning company I’ve worked with so far have sent various cleaners who are all a lot slower. Despite the fact my current apartment is in a much better condition for them to clean!

One girl took two hours for the bathroom and (small) hallway. I had only requested for those to be done so I guess she stretched it out. And it was done well so fair enough.

The next time I asked for the kitchen bathroom and hallway to be done and they sent two cleaners for one hour instead of one cleaner for two hours . They did it but the kitchen wasn’t cleaned very well. Like some parts were but the one doing the kitchen had not even cleaned the worktops or sink. But the one doing the bathroom left it sparkling.

It’s so hit and miss with cleaners. I think everyone thinks they can do it as a job as they clean at home, but a lot of people are not capable of being good professional cleaners.

I’ve had a Wonder Woman who was trained at a hotel who could do whole five bed house with time enough to also sort out a kitchen cupboard. I had another, lovely thorough woman who could not get half of it done in the same time. She was always moving never took a break but just not fast.
You need to be very specific and if she needs more time she needs more time, or you need someone quicker. Seems two hours should be enough to do what you want as you don’t include the bedrooms in my opinion.

Leave her a list each day: "Today I would like you to clean x.y.z rooms. Thank you."

When my cleaner comes in she always asks if there is anything in particular I need doing that day. She will do things like unblock the shower drain cos I have a disability and can't do it myself. Or sometimes if I will be having a visitor she will concentrate on getting the spare room ready.

My fortnightly 3 hours cleaner does the kitchen and utility room, stairs and landing and one reception room or bedroom . Very very thoroughly.
Its how he works, and your cleaner sounds similar. I suggest rotating the rooms she works on each week and doing a lighter clean on the others yourselves.

Tell her nicely you need more done. Especially the bathrooms. I tell mine the family bathroom and en-suite are priority.