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Housekeeping

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

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Original poster

If you havr a cleaner once a week....

30 replies

SE12mum · 07/01/2018 11:01

How much cleaning do you do in between visits?

I have a 3 bed average semi. Approx 1,100 sq ft. One bathroom and a separate loo.

Cleaner comes for 3 hrs per week. She does about half an hour of ironing in that time.

Am I being lazy in thinking that certain areas (eg the stair carpet) shouldn't need cleaning again between visits?

The kitchen is wiped over every evening/ during the day as needed. The living areas hoovered most days as I have small children.

I don't think I am particularly slovenly, maybe I am?

OP posts:

CluckCluck004 · 07/01/2018 12:07

I wouldn't say slovenly, but I think most arrears would need a going over at least halfway through the week between visits. Stair carpets etc I'd do 1-2 times between, particularly if you have young kids.
That said, my answer may be different if you were a single person/couple and spent little time in the house. I'd presume that wouldn't be the case if you have small kids.

Littlefish · 07/01/2018 13:20

I do almost nothing between cleaner visits.
I sweep the kitchen floor every day and slosh a bit of bleach down the loos, but that's it!
Obviously I wipe down all libido surfaces and hob etc each time they're used.

Original poster

SE12mum · 07/01/2018 13:24

Hmmm, maybe I am expecting too much.
We got a cleaner as I have increased my days at work and I didn't want to spend my weekends/ time with the kids cleaning.
Previously I would have done a bit a day but I seem to be spending half a day at the weekend cleaning. My DH pulls his weight too.

I don't really feel the benefit of having her atm - it's great to come home to a clean house the day she has come but I feel it is back to square one the next day

OP posts:

RNBrie · 07/01/2018 13:24

Same size house, small kids, cleaner does same hours as yours. I do pretty much the same as you.

If something (usually the toilet) looks dirty between cleaner visits, I'll clean it but if I don't spot it, it doesn't get cleaned.

CiderwithBuda · 07/01/2018 13:27

Little fish - I am pleased your u clean your libido surfaces. Very important!

I have a cleaner once a week. I vacuum downstairs most days as have hairy dogs. I do kitchen every day. Wipe around toilets. Tidy. My DS is older though so not much mess from him. I suspect different if you have young children.

Littlefish · 07/01/2018 13:38

Cider - doesn't everyone? 😉

Littlefish · 07/01/2018 13:38

No idea what I actually meant to type

beyondthesky · 07/01/2018 13:40

Once a week is more than often enough for the stairs. Presuming you don't let small children trail food through the house.

I keep kitchen clean and spot clean the loos as required but nothing else in between cleaner's visits.

TheVanguardSix · 07/01/2018 13:47

I gave up on cleaners last year. I had one who would never mop floors.
Another one seemed to think that never cleaning the bath is fine.
Hoovering the stairs became a rare treat.
I am too nice to cleaners and don't set boundaries and they take the piss... every time.
I do as much cleaning now as I did with a cleaner. Big waste of money.

I just have such bad luck with them. Where do you find a good cleaner?

isbaellap · 07/01/2018 14:32

Usually I spend half a day to clean too... and it's terrible to waste so much time each week, instead of resting or playing with the kids... So I have a [[http://www.cleancarpetsfulham.co.uk/
cleaner, comes once a week]], but I vacuum at least once between her visits, because I have a cat... and in the summer - at least twice... It's better to have some help if you can afford it, especially for a thorough spring cleaning and the worst - cleaning the windows... I really hate doing this

Shmithecat · 07/01/2018 14:35

My cleaner comes 3 times a week. I at least vacuum and dust on the days she's not there. But I have multiple cats and a toddler so needs must.

BishopBrennansArse · 07/01/2018 15:06

I'm disabled so very little gets done between visits.

MessySurfaces · 08/01/2018 11:47

Errr we probably clean less than your cleaner does, less than once a week, and things still seem ok? I don't think we ming!
Day to day hoovering messes and wiping the kitchen is plenty.
Change her day to Friday, then you will feel the benefit at the weekend.

ExConstance · 08/01/2018 11:56

DH and I are now empty nesters, we have a 4 bedroom house and have a cleaner for 3 hours a week, she cleans all the house except the bedrooms not in regular use, which I sort out myself when sons come home or we have visitors. In readiness for her visit I empty all bins, tidy up properly ( we are an untidy couple) and ensure all the surfaces are clear for her to clean. I do nothing at all between visits unless I have been very messy cooking and the hob is terrible. It defeats the object of having a cleaner if you still clean yourself. Ours comes on Thursday which means the house is lovely for the weekend, not so important to us that it is lovely Monday through Wednesday. Having a cleaner has totally changed our lives, we used to waste lots of weekend time cleaning, putting off cleaning and reading and watching telly pretending to clean.

gillybeanz · 08/01/2018 11:57

I am the cleaner, although dh more than pulls his weight when he's at home.
Between us we aim to do 2 hours per week on one day, usually monday then I'll do another hour or so each day.
We have a 4 bed, one bathroom, 2 toilets, kitchen/diner, 2 reception rooms and a conservatory.
Laundry is usually between 3/4 loads per week.
No small children.

MamaBearto2 · 08/01/2018 11:58

I run a cleaning business (not looking for busniess) I'm curious to know if you have a cleaning schedule with your cleaner or do you just say do what's needed?

K1092902 · 08/01/2018 12:06

I still Hoover communal areas daily and obviously clean up in the kitchen but other than that other than the odd spot clean nothing needs doing. Cleaner comes for 4 hours a week and irons DHs shirts for the week in that time too.

paxillin · 08/01/2018 12:11

We don't clean between visits, that was the whole point of having a cleaner for us.

K1092902 · 08/01/2018 12:13

MamaBerto- our cleaner does the same every week. When she first started I showed her what I wanted doing etc and she's done it ever since. Occasionally (if we have guests etc) I will leave her a note asking if she could make up the spare bed if she has time etc. If she finishes before her expected time (and she has done a few times in the past) then she will give me a call and ask if there's anything else she can do for me to make up her time other than that contact between us is limited- in fact, don't think I've spoken to her for about 3.5 months!

HeadDreamer · 08/01/2018 12:14

We only clean the toilets and sinks, and the kitchen work surfaces and floor in between. However we work full time and kids are in childcare. This will mean it’s cleaner than most houses with young children as no one is here to make a mess.

user187656748 · 08/01/2018 12:17

I have a cleaner for three hours on a Friday and three hours on a Monday. It was the only way to schedule it to ensure we didn't spend loads of time cleaning at the weekend.

We still do the kitchen everyday and the hardwood floors downstairs (particularly hallway and kitchen).

user187656748 · 08/01/2018 12:19

We previously had six hours on a friday but it wasn't nearly as useful (house is big - 4500 square feet)

ShotsFired · 08/01/2018 12:31

None. We do the laundry and daily dishes and OH does his ironing, but unless a spillage or actual thing happens, it all just gets done once weekly.

2 of us in a 2 bed house, cleaner 1 x week for an hour.

Why would I clean when I am paying someone else to do that?!

ShotsFired · 08/01/2018 12:33

(In her hour she cleans/mops all the hard floors, vacuums all the carpets and cleans the bathroom, downstairs loo and kitchen. She also dusts units and whatnot. What else is there?

I have been wfh when she's been there a few times. She moves like lightning!)

Original poster

SE12mum · 08/01/2018 14:28

Thanks all - I guess everyone is different!

The cleaner comes on a Thursday - I work 9-3 Tues - Friday. Before I went back to work I would spend about 30-45 mins a day cleaning (more at weekends) plus my husband would wipe over the kitchen each night. We are pretty tidy people (well, as much as you can be with a 1 and 3yr old!) and so spend a bit of time each night tidying/ ironing/ life admin. This hasn't really changed. I thought having a cleaner would give us our weekends back.

As Monday is my only full day with the children I hate doing housework then and so I spend Sunday mornings changing beds, cleaning the bathroom (it seems dusty again) and hoovering the stairs.
The hall is done every day as the buggy brings in dirt etc.

The cleaner came via an agency and so I gave them a list of weekly jobs to do and they passed it on to her. I don't think she does things as thoroughly as we do (she doesn't move the baby's cot to hoover - it is in casters so easy to wheel about - for example) but I don't want to be too picky.

OP posts:

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