Would anyone care to share the list of what their cleaner does for them as I really need to get mine to toe the line

[MrsFogi]

Today my cleaner has only done the jobs she likes (ie made the beds, done a bit of ironing and rearranged things that didn't need rearranging) but failed to clean the loos or wash the floors so I am going to make a list which I'll go through with her so she knows what's expected and see if things improve (if they don't then I'll have a wonderful list ready for a new cleaner!).

at cleaner not cleaning the loo

i think you need a new cleaner

(i thought you were going to say she didn't dust the skirting boads or some such)

blimey

that is crap!

I would give her a list as follows (no idea how long/often she comes for)

IN ORDER PLS DO THIS

Clean bathrooms incl loos
Clean kitchen
Dust as appropriate
Hoover
Wash all hard floors

Then any odds and sods you need too

dust
vacuum
wash wooden/ tile floors
clean bathrooms
clean kitchen incl sink and cooker top

(snicker cd at "dust as appropriate")

Washes floors
Vacuums
Does dishes
Puts away dishes
Makes beds
Changes bedclothes (if I leave out a new set)
Cleans worksurfaces
Cleans loos
Empties bins
Dusts things
Folds laundry (that's been hung up to air dry)

Gooness - itemize for each room with a list. Talk her through this - have a must be cleaned everytime list so these jobs always get done.

well you don't want her dusting when there is not dust!

Okay i am highjacking here, but those of you with cleaners a) how much do they cost you and b) is your house immaculate - I mean was it one of those expensive tidy houses before you got a cleaner? Maybe that isn't explaining very well.
I live in a victorian terrace which is in more or less constant process of being done up, we have alot of stuff and its certianly not a 'show house'. MIL offerred to pay for a cleaner for Xmas to help with PND etc etc, i just can't imagine having someone come and tidy in this house!

I created a tasklist divided by each room of the house. I simply print off a copy and tick what needs to be done that week. Works very well

I use a firm which sends a team. I have tried writing out what I want them to do but I know when I'm not there they don't do it.

For example - they think that they can clean worktops by spraying a bit of dettox on top of whatever dust etc. is there, then wiping.

I've tried telling them they need to use hot water - hot enough to need gloves - and detergent or e-cloth but they don't get it.

They don't do skirting boards, cobwebs, or fingermarks on doors and banisters.

I was spoiled for many years by an ace cleaner who liked cleaning, got to to know how I liked things done, and took pride in my flat. She would bring her son to take down the kitchen light so she could get the flies out of it. She charged an arm and a leg but she was worth it and we both cried when she took early retirement to go and live in the Canaries on the proceeds of her hard work.

Sorry, that's no help at all is it?

A checklist is a good idea - also good to let her know what she should miss out if she's short of time - for example I'd rather have the bathroom spotless even if they miss out the sitting room altogether

My cleaner does all the jobs that I hate

Clean the loos
Wash floors
Cleans cupboards
Hoovers
Tidies (I know I ought to leave it tidy for her but she does a much better job than me)
Changes the beds
Puts a wash on when she arrives then hangs it out or pops it in the dryer before she leaves. And pops another load in
cleans the bathroom
cleans all the rooms
cleans under the cushions on the couch and chairs
cleans tops of cupboards
cleans windows
washes any dishes that I've forgotten to load into the dishwasher before she arrives
ironing when she has time

I think that's it. All I know is that I would do anything to keep her. She's a bloody marvel.

riab i only pay £7 an hour so don't expect miracles

as long as she gets things clean that's fine

used to pay £12.60 though an agency and then wanted everythign to be perfect

Message withdrawn

I pay for a whole house clean, not by the hour. Two of them come and are here for at least 3 hours. Basically they clean everything, bathrooms/kitchen/all wooden floors/ make beds if I leave stuff out - but I don't always.
One thing I know they don't do very often is dust on top of pictures - but they always do shelves etc.

And I really know they are working bloody hard for the money

know what you mean mrsfogi, I used to have a lovely cleaner who wanted to set up her own cake making business and used to bring us samples of cakes etc, but never actually cleaned the effing house! she would sometimes iron, then hang DH's shirts all bunched up so he had to redo them, nice cakes tho!

Thanks for the answers so far, I am not relishing cleaning the floors and loo tonight! She keeps claiming she knows best about how to keep a house clean and that it shouldn't be too clean as babies need exposure to germs!

Mrs Fogi,
Sounds like she has an attitude problem ! It's YOUR house; definitely I'd expect bathrooms done and a clean floor, plus dusting, clean the kitchen, putting a wash on, putting rubbish out, some ironing etc. OK not everything gets done every time, but I'd want mine to concentarate on basics first, like loos etc.

Riab, My house is an old house which is a bit of a building site most of the time so it is anything but immaculate. i was a bit embarassed about the state of the house at first, but soon got over it.

It never really looks perfect, but the cleaner means we keep on top of the jobs that would otherwise not get done. I would definitely go for it especially if someone is offering to pay for it. It definitely cheers me up coming home to the house looking slightly less like a bombsite and not feel that I should be doing cleaning.

We pay our cleaner £6.50 an hour and she does the following:

Cleans bathrooms
washes floors
cleans kitchen incl cooker
hoovers everywhere
and any other little bits I ask for.

thanks all,
i might go for it the lists of what to do are really helpful as well. My list for twice a week would be:

Wash up and put away dishes
Clean Kitchen worktops
Clean kitchen floor
Do a load of washing/drying/fold clothes
Empty all bins and reline
Hoover living room
Sweep stairs and Hall
Clean bath/Loo/Shower/Sink

And then one of the following jobs (ie less frequently)
Dust
Clean Skirting boards
Mop Hall and stairs
Clean pan cupboard
Clean Oven
Clean Fridge
Mop utility Room floor
Tidy utility room
Hoover Study

is this reasonable on two hours twice a week?

Mine cleans anything I ask her to do, but always does the bathrooms/loos - she starts on those. she's fobbing you off on babies need germs imo.
L always asks what i want doing - she tends to do the bedrooms by rotation, and only cleans oven/fridges every so often, but always does bathrooms/kitchen(inc microwave)/sitting room/dh's study/stairs/hall/empties bins.
If i'm out she would always hang washing on line for me, but generally i do washing. she averages 4 h/week.

Mine is £20 for two hours and does :

cleans both bathrooms
Cleans kitchen sink and worktops, hob etc
dusts every room in house
Hoovers or washes every floor
tidies where necessary (I usually do most of this)

Plus one of the following
washes fridges
cleans oven (yipee)
washes microwave

Question on a tangent - do cleaners generally do ironing too? Don't have alot of ironing here, but that is one job I'd love to offload....

My cleaner has just let it be known that she no longer does loos
In my ordinary life I would tell her where to get off, but I've had her for years and oh dear I can't face it
She has never bothered much with skirtings
Will clean sink, but replaces the single unwashed cup in it when she has finished

If I asked her to clean oven she would faint