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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to be so pissed off with cleaner I fear my head may explode?

102 replies

geordieminx · 04/06/2010 19:33

Started back f/t work 4 weeks ago.

Have struggled on for the past few weeks, but eventually decided it was time to get a cleaner, as I am out of the house 12 hours a day, and prefer to spend weekend doing nice things

So, instead of hiring from an advert in the newsagent I contacted a few agencies, had a lady come out on Tuesday to see me - she reckoned 3 hours for the first one, then 2-3 hours every week after that. I said that this was fine, agreed for one of her staff to come in today.

Gets home tonight, so excited about having a sparkly home.

Porch not swept
Bits still on floor
Rug half way up the wall... bits still under rug
Cushions not arranged
Glass on doors not cleaned
hob top not cleaned at all... still has last nights tea on it
None of applicances wiped down
Bin not emptied nor wiped down
No dusting at all -
tv not cleaned
sink not washed.. still bits of food in the plug bit
None of the window sils wiped down
Mirrored wardrobe doors not polished.

The list could go on. It isnt just that things havent been done very well - they havent been done at all. What kind of fool would not even clean the top of the cooker or make the cushions look nice.

As far as I can see she has cleaned the bathroom (well admitedly), and hoovered(ish)

I have spoken with owner of company -she is going to sort it on Monday but tbh I am completely disillusioned with them.

I cant believe anyone would think that it was acceptable to leave a house like this after you were paid to clean it. If it had been me I would have cleaned to a reasonable standard, and then mentioned that it took longer.. not just fucking left it.

Oh and I live in a 3 bed detached with 1 bathroom, so not exactly a mansion. Oh and there is only 3 of us.

Grrrrr

OP posts:
RunawayWife · 04/06/2010 23:04

Hello, we miss you on the kill threads.
YANBU at all, if you live near me I could have your hosue sparkling in 3 hours, oh the blessings of OCD

foureleven · 04/06/2010 23:06

Oh and a good cleaner will know that taking an extra 10 minutes to fluff cushions and keep photos and bathroom smellies at the angles they were in originally makes all the difference.

I could quite honestly have murdered the agency clener I had every time she had been and all my handsoaps/shampoos etc ere facing the wrong way... what kind of sick minded individual would put them ALL the wrong way round? It honestly gave me pulpitations just remembering it...

DontCallMeBaby · 04/06/2010 23:28

I have cleaners from two different agencies - I suppose at least yours are crap from day one, you can just get rid of them now; both of ours let things gradually sliiiiiide ... After a while there was just no resemblance between the sales spiel of 'we start at the top, and as we meet things on the way down we clean them' and the reality of 'we spray some polish around, then fuck off'. It stressed me out so much I figured I'd rather just live in squalor do it myself.

Spacehopper5 · 04/06/2010 23:34

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Snobear4000 · 04/06/2010 23:36

You said your head may explode. Over some cushions.

AIBU to think you're a complete freak?

LadyBiscuit · 04/06/2010 23:37

My cushions have been made into dens. It's nice if the cleaner arranges them in a non-den way. It's not precious

CrankyTwanky · 04/06/2010 23:39

I used to be a cleaner,(not agency) and would always do the bins (all of them) it's kind of fundamental.

I would always always arrange cushions, rugs etc because it makes a huge visual difference. It makes things look ordered, and I want my employer to enjoy coming back to a clean home.

I'd be mortified if I thought my employer was this dissatisfied.
He/she will get quicker though as they get used to your gaff.

StarOfValkyrie · 04/06/2010 23:47

I had a cleaner. She was very good. The house was sparkling when she left, but........she went awol

I suspect she was feeling very ripped off. Our house gets very grubby indeed, and although I don't have very high expectations, she probably didn't like it that I hadn't put out any new sheets for the beds, again, in fact not for a good couple of months.

I liked her though and actually didn't blame her. It probably took her 3 hours just to clean our microwave and toilet.

StarOfValkyrie · 04/06/2010 23:49

'I could quite honestly have murdered the agency clener I had every time she had been and all my handsoaps/shampoos etc ere facing the wrong way... what kind of sick minded individual would put them ALL the wrong way round?'

pmsl

really?

no really?

hatesponge · 05/06/2010 00:15

This is what puts me off getting a cleaner Much as I would love someone to make my house sparkling clean (I think it was once for about 5 mins circa 2002) I couldnt be doing with the disappointment of them not doing a half decent job. I spend most of my time at work managing and assessing people's performance - or lack therefore - I couldnt bear having to do it for the cleaner as well!

Re the cushions issue - my 9 year old DS has little knowledge of housework, but if I ask him to clean up the lounge, the one thing he always does is neatly arrange the sofa cushions! And I agree, it does make the room look 'nice'

StealthPolarBear · 05/06/2010 12:05

lol at

there was just no resemblance between the sales spiel of 'we start at the top, and as we meet things on the way down we clean them' and the reality of 'we spray some polish around, then fuck off'.

The cushions thing was about attention to tiny details which makes the house seem much tidier - quick wins - same as if you clean a mirror, makes a huge difference for very little effort. All the cleaners on this thread seem to get it!

I wanna cleaner was briefly taken over by a cleaning alien earlier this week, was nice while it lasted

StealthPolarBear · 05/06/2010 12:06

Mum used MollyMaids once, they cleaned the toilet then used the same cloth to clean the sink...bleurgh

bluecardi · 05/06/2010 23:28

I could have written your post geordiemix. We have an agency cleaner who just doesn't understand how to clean. The other week I went into the bathroom & she was standing on the wall mounted sink unit to clean dust off the bathroom cupboard top. I was surprised the unit was still attached. I've never asked her to clean the top of the cupboards.

blueshoes · 05/06/2010 23:39

Geordie, agree with other posters to keep changing cleaners until you are happy.

I avoid agency cleaners. Prefer to go by personal recommendation and then, spend the first session specifying what you expect, inspecting after you come home and giving feedback at the next session.

Original poster
geordieminx · 05/06/2010 23:44

emailed agency last night with some pics as I felt she thought i was making it up. Also gave a list of things that had been missed.

Got chapter and verse back this morning, detailing why every bit wasnt done, the best of which included..

She didnt do the porch as she didnt realise we had one as she came in back door- to get to which she had to walk past porch. What did she think the box on the front of the house was?

Also it took her a long time to hoover as our appliance is very poor. Its less than a year old £200 job.

She didnt have time to do any dusting nor the cooker top, and as the cooker top had food spills on she thought it would take a while to do a proper job, so thought it best not to start it. For ref it took me 4 mins this morning. Bizarrly she cleaned microwave which was minging

Also apparently kitten was in her way

Saw neighbour this morning who mentioned that she didnt think she was here 2 hours, never mind 3.

Cow

OP posts:
notcitrus · 05/06/2010 23:50

What blueshoes said. Alternatively ask agency for cleaner for a one-off, then if the cleaner is any good, ask for their phone number (they've always offered it themselves).

We get a clean once a fortnight, 3-4 hours which gets bathroom and kitchen looking beautiful, the house hoovered, bed changed and a couple extra requests done. More when we've tidied up first...

ruckyrunt · 05/06/2010 23:55

sprry but agency are rubbsih basicly - they should have a standard sheet for every house they send someone too and then you tick off what you want doing when you have the chat with the person from the agency or the person that is going to clean

i would sned an emal back to the agencey and let them know you are dissapointed with all the excuses but will have to take it on the chin as a lesson learnt and be fining someone who does know how to clean a house and communicte with you.

rewardgirl · 06/06/2010 00:03

I think you've got my old agency. We had a cleaner through an agency in our old house, who always did a mediocre job. We asked her to do a check-out clean for us when we were moving (rented place). She left after her allotted time (4 hrs for a v small and empty 2 bed place with wooden floors!) and didn't even bother to tell us that she hadn't had time to finish everything! Cost us £100 in extra cleaning fees with the estate agency, which we could've avoided if she'd just bothered to tell us that she'd run out of time! The cleaning agency said that it was OUR RESPONSIBILITY to go back and check that the job was done to the AGREED standard, not the agency or the cleaner.
Needless to say, we didn't use that agency again. Have a wonderful local lady now.
And I would definitely expect my cushions to be arranged neatly! Easy win.

rookiemater · 06/06/2010 10:23

Change agency.
That is a ridiculous response.

It is difficult for the agency to vet the quality of the cleaners, but once they have been advised that you are unhappy with the level of service their job is to sort the problem out, not make excuses.

foureleven · 06/06/2010 11:15

When I wanted to change agency after my shit cleaner they tried to tell me I had to give a months notice (which WAS in the contract but I argues that it was also in the contract that they would CLEAN MY HOUSE so it pretty much voided itself)

She said 'we have never had a complaint before' so I said you can take me to courrt for it and she said 'ok, but every other time we've taken someone to court under this circumstance, we've won!'

Hmm... yet no one had complained before

StarOfValkyrie seriously! If none of the stuff in the bathroom was facing any particular way then fine but if you enter a bathroom where it all is... surely its a bit weird to leave everything facing the wrong way? .. It must actually be HARDER to leave everything the wrong way... surely probability would mean that at least some things would end up right?

eurggghhh shivers at thought of untidiness...

hairytriangle · 06/06/2010 11:16

Sack her and get a cleaner that actually cleans!

porcamiseria · 06/06/2010 11:35

sack her

PansAndNoodles · 06/06/2010 11:39

Geordie this is totally unacceptable. You are right to be furious. I wouldn't give them another chance.

I used to have two cleaners (not agency but they worked together as a duo). We started off fine, but gradually over time they did less and less and started to take big shortcuts which I assume they thought I didn't notice.

In the end I had to stop having them. I felt awkward about complaining tbh. It's difficult to complain when you are trusting relative strangers in your home.

I'm not sure what the answer is, but I think in my case I should have said something the minute I noticed they were slipping. They just took the whatsit in the end I also made the mistake of being too friendly/appearing grateful which was not the way to go at all in retrospect.

Ginnielynnie · 06/06/2010 11:52

PansandNoodles is totally right, you need to treat this like a business transaction and not leave anything to chance.

Agree on a list of rooms to be done and what needs done within those rooms, time consuming and a bit anal I know, but you'll be thankful in the end, lets everyone know where they stand.

Also I find that through experience agencies are very much hit or miss, word of mouth is always better.

MumNWLondon · 06/06/2010 15:42

YABU.

2-3 hours a week isn't much. Do you think she was watching TV - how on earth is she supposed to know which things to prioritise, she's not a mindreader.

Also it takes time to get a cleaner settled in - I think you need to be with her the first time and explain what things ALWAYS need to be done (eg hob, bins etc), what needs to be done once a month etc.

You need to lower expectations I think.