What jobs should I prioritise for a cleaner?

[RatherBeCrazy]

I'm considering getting a cleaner for the first time, and will probably only be able to afford two hours/fortnight. Which jobs should I prioritise? What can I even ask them to do? We have two cats and a toddler if that helps!

What jobs do you hate the most?

Well I hate the jobs that take ages and don't show a lot, but really need doing, like cleaning cupboards and skirting boards... would they do that? That would take a few visits. And dusting. But I hardly ever do it, so it wouldn't be reducing my workload as such but the house would be nicer!

Apologies for such a boring thread!

Mine would be the bathrooms/toilet and kitchen.

How big's your house? Could you afford to treat yourself to an initial 4 hour clean and then go to two hour cleans to keep on top of everything?

Scooby I like that idea!

sleep yes bathrooms is a definite!

How big is your house? I clean for a friend two hours a week and I manage to do vacuuming, full kitchen clean, mop hard floors, mirrors, full bathroom clean and one extra job each time i.e. Skirtings or windows or wash out bins.
So over two months everything is done.

Priorities for me are (1) stuff I should do regularly but am rubbish at (hard floors) and (2) stuff I already do every week (bathroom, kitchen, dust & vacuum main living areas)

(1) improves the house, and (2) frees up my time so in theory I can use it for the more occasional stuff like skirtings and cupboards.

For me it's bathrooms and floors. If they are done everything else looks ok. I always ask my cleaner to take the few seconds it takes to wipe off anything the sees as she moves around the house (on door frames or radiators etc) as we become blind to things and with 3 preschoolers a hand splodge can stay where it is for weeks without us noticing. It's those little things that make a house ok or a bit yuck.

Yes, bathrooms and floors for me too. Mopping the kitchen and the bathrooms is something I really hate, but my cleaner does it brilliantly. Even if the rest is not quite perfect when the carpets are hoovered and the hard floors clean, it looks much better.

When mine started I just did a prioritised list and asked her to get as far down it as she can. We've tweaked it as we've gone along and sometimes she gets more or less done but it works well.

I have a wonderful weekly cleaner. She irons when she comes too. Once every couple of months though, I don't leave any ironing and ask her to spend the time she would spend ironing dusting behind radiators, washing down woodwork in doors and cleaning handles, skirting boards etc. As I know I wouldn't get round to it, and there isn't time for this every week.

Cleaning inside the fridge? Changing beds (grappling with duvet covers)? Oven? (If the cleaner is willing to)

I'm hoping to have one too, in January. I will want her/him to clean the insides of the windows, because I am rubbish at it.