Just hired a cleaner

[MrsCK]

Never had one before and want to make sure I do everything properly. She's come around this evening and I've spoken through what I'd like her to do when she's here...how will I know that she's actually done it and not sitting reading a magazine for most of the 2 hours she's booked for?

Buy lots of disposable wipes cheap ones wil do. When you get home rub wipes over surfaces, behind doors along ledges and into corners. That way you can see what has been missed. Leave a precise list in a prominent place and ask her to check that she has done everything required before she leaves. If she misses stuff leave a polite note for the next week asking her to pay particular attention to those areas. Cleaners expect you to check up on them. Try to be tidy so that she can reach the areas that need cleaning. If a cleaner has to tidy as well as clean this will eat into her time. Very rare I think for a cleaner not to do the job well but sometimes it takes a couple of weeks for them to understand what is important to you.

Just add that if she turns out to be excellent treat her well. I pay holiday and sick pay as a good honest and reliable cleaner makes life so easy.

Ah fab tips there thank you. We originally found her through an agency so I know she'll be ok...should I get her a Christmas card would you think?

Can I be cheeky and ask how much you are paying. My first two cleaners I employed through advertising locally but my last two have come through an agency. My contract started three years ago at £10 per hour and they have never increased it. She does 3 hours a week which includes paintwork, windows and tiles. I have a small house just me and husband we are both retired. I am wondering if they will increase the rate next year. I give mine a card and money at Xmas.

We used to have an amazing cleaner when we were both working. She was fab! Sadly she moved, so then we used Molly Maid (franchise). Never would again, though am sure some of them are brilliant. The ones we had arrived (didn't know I was sat in back garden) spent just over 20 minutes cleaning 2 floors of house, then left. Cost me £45! Needless to say I cancelled the cheque they'd taken and complained and cancelled. Now I do my own! Would love to find a decent, honest, lovely cleaner. I am sure they do exist, somewhere...

The agency charged a £30 administration fee then £8 per hour but this would be for every time you booked....The cleaner we hired does it independently too at £10 per hour so have juat gone direct. at the moment we have booked her for two hours a fortnight but that might increase :)

I pay my cleaner £8 per hour. She does between 2.5 to 3 hours, depending how much I might have done during the week. We have a pretty decent size house (4 bathrooms) but she gets though it all as she cracks on. I rarely find anything she hasn't done.

Obviously, she doesn't have time to move furniture about and such, so every so often, I will do this myself. I very occasionally find something she has missed, but it's done the next week, so usually just an oversight.

I am pretty relaxed as she's good. I know her other clients are more specific, and leave a list and get her to clean out the fridge etc.

I found her by putting a message on Facebook, and getting recommendations on there. I remained in the house for the first week, but liked her immediately, so now she has a key and I leave her too it.

Thank you for those responses. Maybe they won't put up their prices.

Hi - just seen this I just wanted to say that if you cannot tell your cleaners have done the work GET NEW CLEANERS!

Seriously - the difference should be apparent, if they are not 'wowing' you, try a different service, or ask for a different cleaner to be sent to you as you cannot see the difference with that one (they should then give her further training!)

Any good cleaner or housekeeper will know how to leave a professional finish: shining metal, clean fresh smell, hoover lines, empty bins, everything tweaked and lined up just so. It's part of the job to perform domesticity and care.

When I worked as a housekeeper I always did the basic thorough clean and then in the last 20 minutes went through and did sightlines from the front door, so the client walked in and had the sensation of light, airy freshness of a well looked after home. In one house I used to put all the shoes in a neat row as they were the first thing you saw. In another I always made sure that the dining room table was clear and smelled good (they had this particular polish) because they both used to come home really late and collapse at the table to eat takeout and do yet more paperwork and having to clear that off was the very last thing they wanted.

The best cleaners and housekeepers will listen to what you particularly want - it's different for everyone - so make sure you articulate exactly what is important to you. I used to have a cleaner that would start in the sitting room and work her way up the house, so she didn't always clean the bathroom, which was the exact opposite of my priorities. That's no good! I used to work for a woman who honestly preferred to scrub her own toilets but absolutely loathed putting clean clothes away, so I did that for her while she communed with the bleach. That's exactly how it should be.

Wow I cannot get my head round cleaners not doing the bathroom, it doesn't matter where they start they should service all the rooms within the scope of the original agreement to high standard!!

We just picked up a client who was dissatisfied with their agency cleaner as she was not doing their bathroom, I thought I needed a hearing aid when i heard that!

I would RED FLAG any cleaning service who does not set out a service list with a price for their most basic clean (and everything that includes) plus how much they will charge for addition items! If it is not in black and white it seems they can take the p*.

Yeah I know. I fired her.