Cleaners that can cope with mess/dirt

[snowyowl70]

I need a cleaner as I am now working nearly full time . The house has got more neglected and cluttered since my hours have increased and with 3 kids and a dog I need someone who can really roll up their sleeves and help me regain control. How do I find them ? Has anyone used Molly Maid ? Don't want to advertise as I have a friend who cleans but who is a bit of a gossip and don't want her passing on just how bad my housekeeping has got !!

I wouldn't use MM as they are really expensive. I have a regular cleaner who we found through her card in our local Tescos ad bit, and she cleans for some people whose homes were really bad when she started (I only know as the one lady has dementia and so does my mum so we were talking about that) and gradually brought up to scratch.

Dad booked a one off mega clean when he realised the house had got totally grim which was £600 - but their very cluttered and incredibly dirty house was shining after that and they now have a regular few hours to keep it that way.

Well I wouldn't describe it as filthy just grubby round the edges at the moment !! I need some help soon though !!

In that case, I'd ask around for cleaner recommendations, and go with someone that you like.
I prefer someone self employed to an agency as if you always have the same person you can build up an understanding - even if its by post it note!

I would ask around first. I've just started having help with the cleaning again after a gap of a year and found my current cleaner this way (and so far she is fab - really rolls her sleeves up).
I got into the position of pretty much all the deep cleaning jobs needing doing - over the last few weeks since she has started I have been doing more cleaning as well (as I have more time at the moment) as we are just about on top of the deep cleaning jobs (I am shampooing the downstairs carpet today...).
She comes for 2 hrs twice a week and I've probably spent double that time too on focused cleaning. The kitchen alone took 6 hrs of her time plus quite a few of mine to get it sparkling. I know it sounds like the house was really disgusting but it really wasn't that bad...at a glance!
If you want it up to scratch quickly then it may be worth booking a full deep clean first with a cleaning company - maybe consider having the day off yourself to deal with the clutter whilst they clean.

If you need s deep clean, you will have we to pay extra for it.

I'd expect all cleaners to start by gradually getting things up to scratch. then it should get a bit easier.

MM were 4 times the price of the other quotes I got.
yes, it may well be worth paying for a "spring clean" to start with, but I can't beleive they clean 4 times better than my local cleaner (quoted same number of hours, excpet my cleaner will leave thigns undone, and leave shortly after the 2 hrs if the house is a bombshell, MM claimed they would stay til the house was clean).

I rang a 4 companies/individuals from yellow pahes, and the local paper. MM discarded through expense. On discarded because I just didn't like her, and then went with gut feal on the other 2. Very happy 15 months on.

Thanks for the tips - my usual source of finding something is via friends on Facebook but as I said in earlier post a friend cleans and I don't want her to volunteer as I don't trust her not to talk about what I have/haven't got or the state of the house !!