Do you stay in with the cleaner while s/he cleans?

[parques]

Have a cleaner starting on Friday. Am I supposed to stay in the house with her for the 2 hours? Feel a bit weird thinking I'll be 'in the way'. What do other people do?

I stay the first couple of times. That way I can answer any questions and keep an eye how they do. Also makes me feel more secure. Once it becomes regular, though, I try to be out.

Josie314 - Do you stay in one room and hide?!!! I know I'll just feel really awkward!

If I'm in the house I tend to not go into the room my cleaner is in. To be honest I try and stay upstairs when she's downstairs and vice versa.

I always ensured I was out as I found it really awkward.

Was home the first few times, now I try to be out. If I'm home because one of the dc are ill, I'll wait downstairs until they've finished upstairs and then go and hide up there. With previous cleaners they've spent 1/3 of the time wanting to chat, thankfully my current cleaners are different and just get their heads down and get on with it. As a side note, make it easier for them to actually do the cleaning by clearing surfaces etc. (clutter everywhere say a major bug bear of mine when I did a stint as a cleaner)

When I've cleaned private houses its easier to get on if alone.
You don't feel you're intruding that way.

I always used to be at work. When a change of days meant I was working from home on my cleaner's day, I would decamp to the local coffee shop with my laptop.

If I am in we talk for ages and I feel I am holding her up and she rushes the clean.but days have switched again so I am usually out and tbh think we both prefer it this way.

I've had my cleaner for about 7 years and we worked our ground rules out very early on. She doesn't clean ovens and I won't ask her to clean the toilets. I'm a SAHM but with health problems so I see her as a help. We work together on the cleaning and get twice as much done.

She did tell me I'm the only client she has ever had that's wanted to clean with her. So I realise I'm odd in this respect. But if I didn't I'd feel even more useless. Yes we chat and I make us a cup of tea. It's what I want and it suits me.

fortified, I clean with my cleaner too. She's far more efficient than me but we get it done together.

Stay upstairs then change to downstairs. The first few times I go round with a white cloth to check she does everywhere. Anything missed I just ask her to make sure she does 'so and so'. Cleaners don't know instinctively what is really important to you. It is far better to tell the cleaner directly while she is there. Once you have a good system it is ok to go out.

I don't have a cleaner anymore but was always out. I agree with Josie though, it would have been a good idea to stay the first few times.

Fortified - not the only one my Gran used to do that. She was fit and only middle aged at the time, so she didn't "need" one but she referred to the cleaner as her home help and they'd have a cuppa for her first half hour while they decided who was doing what

Thanks everyone. Looks like I'll be upstairs/downstairs for the first few times and then I'll leave her to it. I'm not a big 'chatter', so would rather go out.