domestic cleaning agencies - yay or nay?

[geekgrrl]

I really would love a cleaner (I'd even tidy up for her/him ) but have had so many bad experiences with people who don't turn up and/or do a crap job that I'm pretty much resigned to doing it myself forever more (as well as having three small children, a job, doing a p/t postgrad degree and a dh who works away a lot ).

I was wondering whether it might be worth considering an agency? My friends either don't have cleaners or have cleaners who can only work at weird, inconvenient hours (5-7pm) so I can't get any personal recommendations.

any experiences??

I use an agency - Poppies.

They are OK - reliable in that they turn up every week, expensive, and you don't know who you'll get each week. I have had 1 person for 4 hours, 2 people for 2 hours and 4 people for 1 hour ! Did have a noce lady through them for a few weeks - she started leavinbg me notes - but she got fired soon after.

It's expensive and anonymous - but they do clean well and the joy of it being an agency is that you can complain to the agency rather than to a person - and they deal with it !

They do the job for me !

Thumbs up for cleaning agencies -- mine are excellent, if a bit too rushed and expensive. 3 people for 2hrs & we're 4 messy people. cna only afford them twice a month. They're called Casalys.

thanks, that desn't sound too bad then. How much is it though?

'doesn't' even...

Mine costs a fortune - I think it's about £16 or £17 per hour !!! (Sorry could't be arsed to work it out - £286 per month - that's for 4 x 4 hours- so 286/16 = £17.87 per hour !)

Wow - expensive eh !

But they turn up every week !

we used one for a while

a swat team of cleaning ladies would arrive for a two hour whirlwind of professional cleaning, and house would be spotless. cost about £45 every two weeks.

would use again should my wonderful treasured cleaner ever retire, i prefer employing an individual with whom i can build up a relationship

About 350 Swiss francs per month. as opposed to our undeclared cleaner who used to come weekly for 4 hrs & we paid her 400Chf/month. She wasn't very good at cleaning and pants at ironing but a real sweetheart. I liked her so much. sorry can't be bothering with exchange rates but think it's around £175 per month.