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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to be fed up with my cleaning lady?

86 replies

nowwearefour · 06/03/2009 21:35

she is a very nice person and i trust her completely. she babysits for me from time to time and is sooooo good with my dds. Her cleaning is even ok!! the arrangement used to be 2-4pm on a tuesday. she then decided she wanted to come on a monday morning. not ideal for me but i agreed 10-12 with her. only trouble is she keeps on trning up at 9.30. doesnt sound like a big deal but after i have done the school run i wanted the time to sort things out a bit for myself before she turned up. i have tried the 'oh you are early or wasnt expecting you quite yet line' but it isnt working. should i let it go as it is only 30 mins or should i say something??

OP posts:
LucyEllensmummy · 06/03/2009 22:27

actually come to think of it, DD does like to help with the dusting too much rose here!! im off to bed!

VerynicenonacidicTits · 06/03/2009 22:31

I have no problem with folk having a cleaner, but if she is doing a good job dont fecking moan about her turing up early, what do you need the extra 30 min to yourself for anyway? isnt it better she gets the cleaning done and out the way earlier so you have the rest of the day to lie on the sofa and MN?

blueshoes · 06/03/2009 22:37

tits, what do you mean 'lie on the sofa'. Is that what you imagine people who use the services of cleaners do?

VerynicenonacidicTits · 06/03/2009 22:41

sorry i forgot the

FairLadyRantALot · 06/03/2009 22:48

if you don't have any bigger/other probs consider yourself lucky, tbh....
You are happy with her work...surely it is not difficult to adjust to 1/2 h early...

theITgirl · 06/03/2009 23:08

But if the OP is anything like me (in the blissful days when I could afford a cleaner) those 30 mins are spent in a frantic rush picking the toys/pyjamas off the floor so that she can actually see the carpet so can hoover.
I wanted my cleaner to actually clean not tidy up after us.

FlorenceofArabia · 06/03/2009 23:15

... but when you'd finished picking stuff up off the floor, why not whizz round with the hoover instead of paying someone else to do it?

SerendipitousHarlot · 06/03/2009 23:18

Why do you care Florence? Do you think it's lazy?

nancy75 · 06/03/2009 23:20

what a strange thread, why dont you all try turning up to work half hour early/late/whenever you feel like it on monday, after all you all do have your own lives to live
if you are paying her to do a job and she has agreed to do it at a set time then that is what should happen, yanbu to ask her to arrive at 10.

ChippingIn · 06/03/2009 23:21

YANBU to ask her to stick to the agreed time. Do you know if she does something beforehand (so is already out of the house) or does she leave home to come to you? If she was coming straight from home I'd ask her to stick to the 10am, but if she was committed to something else and already out (like dropping a child at school) and it would mean her hanging around until 10 then I'd put up with the 9.30.

Even though our place is quite tidy, I still like to get sorted so our lovely, lovely lady can actually clean and not tidy... it's not her job to tidy and she gets more cleaning done When she comes varies quite a bit due to her other commitments, but she is lovely so we work around it - did I mention that she's lovely?? and GOOD ... and it took ages to get someone we were happy with. I try to be out when she is here though otherwise we talk too much and I feel guilty having her clean while I mn do other very productive things .

Florence - the OP didn't actually ask 'AIBU to have a cleaner'... are you jealous that she has one?? Maybe it's not that arduous to do it oneself, but it's a lot nicer not having to

FairLadyRantALot · 06/03/2009 23:21

well..IT that is a very good point...but well...you just prepare for the cleaner a bit earlier....lol....
honest I have no problem with anyone having a cleaner...in Cyprus we had one...it was bliss....
I just think if you happy with their work than be happy...

theITgirl · 06/03/2009 23:23

Because this was my "day to spend quality time with DS" as I worked a 4-day week. And there was still the kitchen, bathroom etc to clean.
I wanted to spend the day going swimming, toddler groups, walks in the park. Not trying to stop him drinking the bleach while I cleaned the bathroom.

theITgirl · 06/03/2009 23:29

Crossed with a lot of posts there. My last reply was to Florence.

To FairLady, it is just that I find Mondays frantic enough these days now I do the school run (but no cleaner) I cannot imagine being organised enough at the beginning of the week when I am trying to find bookbags clean & ironed uniform and where did you put your school shoes on Friday to try and tidy as well But you are right that I could manage this any other day of the week.

DandyLioness · 06/03/2009 23:29

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

FairLadyRantALot · 06/03/2009 23:38

dandy that is a good point, actually ,

IT...I am totally unorganised...but well...i you know that whoever comes at whatever time...it kinda gets done, iykwim...

I just think that 30 minutes is nothibg to get excited about!Certainly in that sort of scenario....not sure why I feel that way....possibly because I am rather early than late...saying that the early part is never officially added on....I just like to be where I need to be when I need to be there...

nessus · 07/03/2009 00:32

YABU. I have mine chopping and changing days on me and having 3wks random holidays regularly, leaving me in a spot. Now, that would be ground for getting fed up. In truth, she sounds lovely and she babysits! Wanna swap? lol

thirtypence · 07/03/2009 02:02

My cleaner had to get home to make her husband a proper lunch after he complained about being left a "cut lunch" (which I presume is old lady speak for a butty).

tigerdriver · 07/03/2009 02:03

sack her 30p and tell her to sack her old man

thirtypence · 07/03/2009 06:13

She left me, apparently we didn't fit it with her dh's bowls commitments.

It must be hard to be a lady of a certain age with a gentleman of a certain type and hold down a job.

Gemzooks · 07/03/2009 12:08

I agree with others that have said you are employing her as a job, and you are paying her, so you do have the right to ask her to come at a certain time. has nothing to do with snobbishness or whatever. if you work in an office you have to turn up at 9 am or whatever, that's it!

pamelat · 07/03/2009 12:28

I agree with Nancy

I dont have nor can I afford a cleaner but how odd to be critical about it. Are you suggesting we create more job losses ... for cleaners?! I am sure that the cleaner appreciates a few hours pay.

And how strange that people think that the time does not matter, its a job, a set contract, a start time. If I turned up half an hour early at work, thats fine but I would not expect to leave half an hour "early"

CrushWithEyeliner · 07/03/2009 12:33

FGS is this all you have to be worried about? Read your OP again; you sound unbelievably shallow and petty.

LoveBeingAMummy · 07/03/2009 12:35

I would say something don't think there's anything wrong with it you prefering a certain time, you are the boss!

pamelat · 07/03/2009 12:38

I dont think OP is being petty. She allowed cleaner/employee to change hours.

Cleaner/employee is now abusing that unauthorised (in work terms)

katiestar · 07/03/2009 16:03

It is all very well to talk about employment terms etc but I think you are very lucky to have found such a good cleaner/babysitter who you like and trust.is it really worth risking her leaving ?