Does anyone stay in when their cleaner comes?

[Tory79]

Or does everyone make an effort to be out?

Just wondered really, my mil recommended a cleaner to me but apparently she won't give you a definite time slot and just says eg she'll clean your house on Friday.... I have a toddler and a 3 month old so thinking we'd be better off out of the way anyway, but it would be hard to manage that if I don't know when she's coming.

Or does anyone stay in and find its fine?

I used to when we had a cleaner. But, I'd stay in the office and not really see them so it was as if I wasn't there.

If I wasn't working, I'd just go to another room. They didn't seem to mind.

Maybe when you see her and explain you have two tiny children and it would be easier for her to clean an empty house she might be able to be more specific. Think I'd be inclined to look elsewhere if she can't.

I'm usually in. I keep the DC in a different room than she's in, and move around as she goes. I don't think she minds.

I often do. She's paid to help me, so I figure if I don't want to go out I don't have to

I stay in. But we have a separate room for toys she doesn't clean, so DD2 and I am in there the whole time. I don't see the point of being out unnecessarily, and wouldn't have thought a cleaner wouldn't mind (I could be wrong though!).

Quite often I do. We have a right good natter I quite like the company.

Well I'm at work but when I was on maternity leave I'd try my best to be out as I felt awkward and my ds had a Hoover phobia....

Also Hoover-phobic here (DCs not me) so I have asked for a more specific indication of when she will arrive (a time window) and I have built it into our routine, so that we are out.

We do, stick downstairs while she does upstairs and swap.

I've not really had one much before and people didn't growing up so I have no idea what the "done thing" is.

I would love to have a cleaner come while I'm at work rather than in the evenings when I want to relax but then you have to give them keys and how does that even work, the agency we use was cagey about that.

I pretty much always go out, I find it's less faff, but then for the longest time she'd do all the cleaning in an hour as she came with a partner. Now back to close to 2 hours and she's doing it on her own again.

However - she really should be able to give you a more specific slot! Otherwise it means you are stuck waiting for her and can't do other things. Mine always comes on the same day and time, with odd, pre-arranged exceptions.

If your area has any kind of internet forum, ask on there if they have someone they can recommend.

We've never had a cleaner until now and didn't grow up in the kind of background where people could afford cleaners... So I'm interested to hear more about the proper protocol/etiquette/whatever! Anyway, we've had agency cleaners for a couple of months now and as I'm on maternity leave I'm at home the whole time, preoccupied with baby though mostly. I try and stay out of their way, they usually send two cleaners for one hour rather than one cleaner for two hours.

DH doesn't want them to have keys and he doesn't want them coming when we're out, which is a pain really. It's a trust thing I guess. I know how he feels but personally I'd be happy to make the leap and hand over some keys...

I clean with my cleaner, we usually tackle each room together.
If I'm working that day she comes with her key.

Yes, the boss of the cleaning agency we use said Friday is their busiest day as everyone wants a clean house on a Friday. So we have a Tuesday clean. Sadly it doesn't stay clean for more than a couple of days, well, it stays clean but not tidy :-(

Cleaners don't get to choose whether you are in the house or not. But if they come in pairs then they work swiftly & need people out of their way to achieve timescales (else you will get less cleaning done & they will just say they couldn't keep up the pace with people being in the house). So be home, ask them to do one specific room first - and then you stay put in that room with the DCs. No need to give keys (I have had a cleaner for 6 years now & only left keys at the neighbours for odd occasions, but never made a set for her). As far as protocol goes - let them clean as they like but if something is not to your liking you need to politely speak up otherwise its hard to expect it to change. Use the first & second sessions to get everything done exactly how you want it so that after that you can put up your feet & leave it to them!

Mine comes on Fridays - the house is nice for the weekend when the guests come

I make sure I'm out. Have been on maternity leave and just used those few hours to do something else. Back at work now so easier. We leave the keys with ours. It is a bit of a leap of faith.

I actually sat up in bed once while mine hoovered the bedroom
I was recovering from the flu, and she is a friend but still so so wrong.

Generally I'd say its easier to clean when people are out. I find I get more done, I don't have to think about where people are, am I disturbing them, where do I need to avoid etc.

I understand people being cautious about handing their house keys over but I guess that's done at a point when both parties feel the trust is there.

I do. My tip is get cleaner to completely clean your front room first. Always. Then you have that room to go to when she is doing the rest of your house. If your in and roughly know when your 3 month old will nap, tell her when to do the nursery, eg do it straight away cause little one is going go to nap soon, or leave it till last. You'll soon get used to each other

The only person I know who used to go out when cleaner was due lived next door, and really hated to chat, even changing work hours to avoid hours of listening!

Mine are more "helpers", due to infirmities etc. and I think they're used to working round me as I'm usually at home (and it never occurred to me to be absent).

I have a cleaner but am from a background where having a cleaner is unthinkable. I am mortified by the whole thing and either make sure I am out, or text to say I am in the attic working, have lots of work calls and cannot be disturbed! I hate nearly everything about having a cleaner other than having a lovely clean house! ;-)

Hi we own a cleaning company, we have around 60 clients now and the vast majority of clients are out when the cleaners go in, it does enable us to provide a more detailed service and we don't clean rooms that are being used during service which is obvious but also stated at the point of sale!

However we have key holding insurance as well as the general public liability and employee insurance therefore we are fully covered if there should ever be a consequence of our key holding. I think any cleaning service you hire should be covered for all liability including key holding to be safe.

It's difficult to give a time for cleaning due to the many variables involved ie traffic from home to home and sometimes a previous client may cancel meaning earlier arrival time for the next client, sometimes a home may be in a bad state and take longer too these things make working to appointment impossible however that is stated when we sell service therefore if someone needs a set time, we are not the cleaning company for them and they are not the clients for us, just not a match, however there are some services who can work to time as they have a different business structure to ours, there are different benefits to different business models you just need to find the best match for yourself.

Having said that we do give an expected arrival time 'window' upon request as long as it is understood that this can be variable and is given as a kindness not an obligation.

Don't suppose you're in the Midlands at all?!

So sorry Tory we are not near there!

I'm not sure I'm allowed to say where we are trading in case it breaks MN rules but we're not in the Midlands anyway!