How do I get rid of my cleaner?

[4littleones]

We have a cleaner who is lovely and hard working. but the reality is, she is crap at cleaning!

After weeks of debating we have decided that she has to go. But I can't bring myself to do it! she clearly needs the money and wants the work. But we aren't made of money either and are spending £30 per week on a service that we are always disappointed with.

she has a key so can't just not see her again. I hate this sort of thing and just feel awful

What sort of contract do you have with her?

If it's word of mouth I'd just tell her you can't afford it anymore and give her a weeks notice.

Even if she hadn't got the key,would you just not see her again? I hope not.

I think you either need to woman up and tell her, or decide to help her get it right for what it is that you want.

How many hours does she do for £30,and what do you ask?

I have also found this really hard in the past! If you feel that she's not got the capacity to improve, you've told her clearly what you expect and she still hasn't been able to do it, then I would tell her that you've decided to do the cleaning yourself so you don't need her anymore, giving her 1 or 2 wks notice (assuming no contract).
Then do it yourself for a bit before you get someone new so it's not actually a lie...

If she's a lovely person, it would be nice to let her know that she's not really cut out for the job, and suggest she tries a different one. However, the easiest option is to tell her that you can't afford a cleaner at all.

How likely is it that she will find out and be upset when you take on a new cleaner, and how much will that matter to you?

She does 3.5 hours and the house never looks much different to when she started.

I personally don't think telling her she is no good at her job is the "nice" thing to do. although I know I'm being a wimp.

She has damaged several things by lack of cleaning knowledge and obviously by the time she has realised or I have realised, it's too late to ask her not to do that as the damage is done. I would prefer it if she asked how to do something (or just Google it?!) if she doesn't know.

We probably won't get another cleaner. If we do it will be from a company this time rather than this lady was through her advertising locally. and we would probably just get them to come and do a good clean once a month rather than have a weekly cleaner.

There is no contract which she also uses to her advantage. at least 75% of the time she messes us around with when she is (or isnt) coming. I don't mind that sometimes as I'm flexible but it's nearly every week and always last minute.

she cancelled again today with 5 min notice. starting to make me feel a bit less guilty.

If she's damaging stuff and messing you about, I think perhaps you need to bite the bullet and tell her that you are unable to keep her on , but thank you very much.
If she is lacking even basic cleaning knowledge its not just a case of her not doing it your way, or you expecting too much in the time allowed -and its not up to you to train her from scratch.

I would make a lovely hard working brain surgeon, but without the brain surgery skills, I'm not sure my personality and willingness would be quite enough...

its really not just a case of not doing it my way. she has a list to work through but doesnt have to complete it all at all. ive told her I would rather she did less stuff but does a good job with them. but seems she does less stuff and not a very good job.

You haven't got my old cleaner have you?!! She was very similar, she used to turn up late, swap and change days with very little notice and sometimes just not turn up. It drove me mad!

She wasn't a bad cleaner, but she was very much of the chuck a load of bleach around and it will be clean school of cleaning, and what the hell she did with kitchen roll I'll never know - she used to go through rolls and rolls of the stuff!

In the end I got fed up with her being unreliable and told her I couldn't afford a cleaner any more (which was a lie, but she was a sweet lady just a bit rubbish at turning up). The one I have now is an absolute gem.

aberchips - she always texts to say she isnt coming. but with very short notice and rubbish excuses. and doesn't clean properly which is the main issue. she scratched my window as she cleaned it with a scourer

i had a cleaner once use a scourer to get rid of the label saying "don't use scoureres" on my plastic beakers.

your kitchen towel comment did ring a bell though. I started hiding the disposable cleaning wipes. I dont mind her using a few for stuff like toilet etc but not a pack or 2 a day!

What did you do about her in the end? My sympathy for her is waning with every new post of yours I read...

Just tell her you are going to do it yourself.

And only use a recommended cleaner. I had the same problem as you, eventually got rid, only to employ an agency who made the house smell nice, folded the loo roll into little points and put a 'sanitised' seal on the still dirty loo. Beware the smoke and mirror cleaners.

Nothing yet. as she hasnt been available anyway definitely going to get rid though and do it myself.

As she had cancelled use this as an excuse to sack her and say that you dont feel satisfied with her service.