Is this rude?

[BoronationStreet]

I have a lovely cleaner that always does a great job for us. I really like her as a person and I definitely do not want to upset her.

However, every week she will clean something random (like the blinds) and then not get around to cleaning one of the bathrooms or something else that I consider far more important than dusty blinds.

I want to ask her to prioritise certain areas and then move on to the "extra stuff" once the priorities are done. My DH said it is extremely rude to say anything to her and now I'm unsure of what to do.

Would it be offensive to ask her to certain things first? Or is my DH right and I need to keep my niggles to myself.

Not at all rude. Tell her how happy you are over all with her work, but stress the jobs you consider 'essentials' versus the ones that are not.

To be honest, I'm not even sure how to go about it. We normally text and everything I type sounds overbearing so I keep deleting it.

I really don't want to upset her but equally dislike paying someone to waste time making the beds (when I've asked her not to repeatedly) instead of mopping my kitchen etc.

I feel like a bitch even typing any of this out.

Give her a call? Just tell her how pleased you are with her work and these are the things you would like her to focus on. You. Could compile a list of more random things that you would like her to do if she finshes everything else and has time. Surely everyone, whatever their job, gets asked to prioritise certain tasks over others? I don't see the problem and don't think that she will either.

If you speak you can make it a two way conversation- maybe there is something which would make things easier for her too (eg different products, letting you know that x actually takes ages...). You'd have to set up the time, you could text her something like "I'm really happy with your work, and I'd love to have a quick check in now you've been coming for x time, when would be a good time to call?"

Well I asked her to focus on certain rooms first then do the other stuff if she had time and I still came home to an unmopped kitchen and dining room and all the beds neatly made and my bannisters polished.

Give her a list.

Priority -

If you have time, after the above -

Tell her what has to be done as a minimum every single visit and if she can’t keep to your list and does random stuff instead then get another cleaner.
You are paying her to do a service. If she isn’t doing the service the way you need it done then you don’t have to keep her out of politeness.

Could you leave her a job list every week, so wrote what you want doing and leave the list of jobs for her on the hall table/kitchen counter?

I would say you were best off just saying it like you've said here in some ways. Tell her you aren't criticizing, she obviously does a good job but you've noticed she's done the blinds but not the bathroom (or whatever) and just say you'd prefer it if she could do the bathroom first and then if there are further jobs do them second. You could even say to her if there are further jobs if she highlights them then you could perhaps agree an extra clean or additional time the following week for her to do those jobs too.

It’s not rude at all. Not sure why your dh thinks so.
I would send her a list every week with the extras to be done at the end when she has finished the list

You're paying her to clean what you need cleaned. Not what she decides should be cleaned. Absolutely fine to give her a list in order of priority.