Am I expecting too much of my cleaner?

[Hamiltonfan]

I have had a cleaner for several years. We pay almost £20/hour and supply all cleaning products. She comes weekly for 2.5 hours.

In this time she:
Cleans the kitchen (although doesn't move the microwave/toaster/kettle etc and clean "properly")
Cleans 2 bathrooms - sinks, toilets , shower (doesn't clean wall tiles, doesn't move bottles around the bath)
Hoovers 3 bedrooms only (doesn't dust, clean)
Mops and hoovers all other rooms (2 sitting rooms, utility room and an office/spare room).

My husband and I work long hours so maybe IABU and out of touch but in 2.5 hours should she not be able to clean worktops in utility room, dust living rooms and bedrooms, wipe down walls occasionally, even wash up her coffee mug after I make her a drink etc? Even to do on a rotation every few weeks?

I once asked her to just spend her time deep cleaning the kitchen and 1 bathroom - she did it but told me she'd have to charge more next time (why? It's an hourly pay?) She's a lovely lady but I do wonder if I'm being taken for a ride. Thanks. Be gentle with me 🙏

Cleaner here... Cleaning under kitchen appliances should be standard practice ime.
Ask her outright why she can't lift the toaster to wipe underneath..

I’d want more than that for the money.

She doesn't move the bottles round the bath to clean under them? So what, she just cleans around them?

That's not really cleaning IMO.

Same with moving the microwave/toaster. Just lazy and misses the point.

£20 an hour is quite an expensive rate for a self-employed cleaner, so for that I would expect that whatever room is done is done properly (e.g. moving the kettle, toaster, cleaning all countertop...).
It's hard to tell whether she could do more in the time or not, I don't think our cleaner do a lot more in that time. She does less rooms, but better.
She would also fit the windows and other tasks etc in rotation. And come to me if she sees something that needs doing, and ask whether I want her to prioritise that over another room the next time, or add 30 min the next week. Her proactivity is definitely appreciated.

Ultimately if you're not happy, you should look to change.

What does 'clean kitchen' and 'clean bathroom' mean if she isn't cleaning all surfaces?

I am disabled, and I can do all the things on your list, but including tiles and cleaning full surfaces in 5 hrs. I also move non heavy items (bins/cat bed) out of the kitchen to mop.

I would expect an able bodied professional to do all that in 2.5hrs

20 minutes per room is a very rough estimate. It depends if there's loads of ornaments, books etc to move for instance but in a clear bedroom, it should be pretty easy to dust all surfaces, hoover and make a bed in that time. I always recommend to clean the rooms yourself and see how long it takes and what's reasonable. Bathrooms can take ages though. Shower screen is wash/scrub, rinse, squeegee and dry. It all takes time. You do also have to allow time for carrying everything between rooms, carrying hoover around, putting away etc.

To me it sounds like she does a lot, though a bit superficial. Could you do all that in 2.5h?

It’s not cleaning if she isn’t moving and cleaning under things, that is what I do on a daily basis and I’d expect a cleaner to be more thorough and wouldn’t pay extra for it. I’ve cleaned in the past and could easily do what you need in 2.5 hours, unless the place was filthy to start with perhaps, as you say, with somethings on rotation.

Every week I clean my house in about 2.5 hours. That includes hoovering all 14 rooms plus hallway stairs and landing, then mopping three of them, cleaning three bathrooms and a downstairs loo, thorough kitchen clean inc moving everything off the surfaces, and the utility room. Also changing a superking and at least one king bed plus putting bedding and towels through 2-3 washes. I do the bins too.

I’m not sure why your cleaner can’t do much less in 2.5 hours.

How many rooms require mopping as well as vacuuming? As that's a lot more time if you have reception rooms to do as well the kitchen, multiple bathrooms, utility room, etc.

Is she also working around people in the house? Even if they try to stay in one area this still takes longer as she won't be able to work as efficiently.

It sounds like 2.5hr isn't enough, although she should of course clean underneath the toaster, wipe down the bottles and clean underneath, etc.

(The rate sounds perfectly reasonable for someone working well and efficiently.)

Thanks all. She used to do 3 hours but I cut it down to 2.5 as she was meant to dust etc the bedrooms and it blatantly wasn't happening. I removed this from her job and we haven't seen any difference in the amount she gets done. No she's not working around people. I am occasionally in - she spends 15 mins talking to me about stuff so I actually get even less done on these days, although the ring doorbell also shows she often leaves early if I'm not home. I think I'll get rid. Thanks everyone x

Yes get rid . She does not do a thorough job.

£20 an hour is extremely cheap, even for the North! But no point paying anything if you aren't happy. Dusting before vacuuming should be standard and moving lightweight things in the kitchen and bathroom. I wouldn't expect my cleaner to move the microwave though. And some cleaners are reluctant to move things in case anything gets broken.

£20/hour is cheap??! It's more than I get!

Cleaners are often not as good as you want them to be. I don't know how big your house is but 2.5 hours is about right for a smaller 3 bed. I have a bigger house and don't expect my cleaner to do everything in 3.5 hours.

Just tell her to move bottles in bathroom and kettle / toaster etc.

I have 6 bedrooms but we use 2. In 2 hours my cleaner: moves all counter items to wipe surfaces, including toaster. Cleans thoroughly the downstairs toilet. Cleans the en suite (most used bathroom) including limescale and thorough clean. Tidies and cleans the open plan kitchen/diner/living room. Vacuums open plan bit, hallway downstairs and upstairs, master bedroom and mops the open plan, downstairs hallway and ensuite.

It’s slow, my cleaner does kitchen/dining room, 2 bathrooms and downstairs loo, living room, hall landing stairs and 2 bedrooms dusted and hoovered in 2 hours. Also we only pay £15 p/h! She moves the bottles but I do give the house a very good tidy up before she comes so all she has to do is clean.

I absolutely do not believe this. Whatever it is you're doing, you're really not cleaning.

I think she's taking the piss.

My cleaners come for 1.5hrs (though 2 of them) and do 3 bedrooms, a bathroom, kitchen, living room and stairs/landing. Everything on the surfaces is moved, wiped and cleaned behind/under.

They do the detailed jobs as needed like tops of cupboards, doors etc, focusing on different bits each time.

This costs £60.

She has already disappointed you with not dusting the bedrooms and to not even move the toaster or bottles in the bathroom is just poor behaviour. I would get a new cleaner. It is meant to make your life easier not frustrate you.

If you want to know how long things can take them do them yourself but just small tasks at a time, not the 2.5 hours. Wipe down the kitchen and see how long it takes as you must be doing this daily anyway, just add in moving the toaster and kettle.

I do think this is fairly common with cleaners - not the good ones obviously! But some cleaners have a tendency to not move anything on the surfaces and just clean around things. Almost as though they thing “the real clean” is something you’re going to do another day.

I pay over £20 an hour and I would expect much more than what you’re getting, at the very least she should be moving things to clean under them!

I don't know. Mine comes for 3 hours and does fewer rooms but more thoroughly than you're describing - wipes down all surfaces, often does windows, and will load/unload dishwasher or wash up if there's a couple of bits left out, plus all my floors. 2.5 hours maybe isn't enough to do everything you want?

Yes, that's just superficial cleaning in my opinion. I've had a few cleaners and the standard varies enormously. I've had people who don't go above or below waist level, then others who are on their hands and knees cleaning in the corners. One told me she wanted £35 an hour for the whole clean if I wanted the fronts of the kitchen cabinets cleaning!

Well I’m not sure what else I’d call it 🤷‍♀️
I work fast and am really thorough. You don’t have to believe me, of course.