Talk to me about cleaners and etiquette

[LG93]

We're finally in a financial position to be able to afford to pay a cleaner once a week, but I'm worried about making faux Pas!

Can anyone give me and do's/don'ts, expectations, things I shouldn't ask them to do etc?!

Appreciate it's a first world problem but would hate to be treating someone unfairly. It's a small local company who hire a few individuals rather than a big national agency if that makes a difference

Cleaner comes in, don't get in their way, that's it.

They will tell you how long a room takes - believe them. If you specifically want something done e.g. filling the dishwasher, emptying the bin then say so. My elderly DM's cleaner chops her veg for her - OK, so she didn't ask on the first visit but if there is something you definitely want then say but don't go around saying everything should be cleaned your way. They will be trained a certain way to follow.

Don't turn into someone who cleans up for the cleaner!

Also give proper tip at Christmas.

On the don't clean up for the cleaner, assume I tidy up first so she can spend her time cleaning?

What constitutes a proper tip? I don't know what constitutes as fair!

Thanks for your help 😃

When the cleaner comes to do a quote have the house like you normally do. The way it will be when they come every week. Don’t clean it spotless so they get a shock the first time they come to clean.

I can’t tell you how many clients do this and then they get fed up cleaning before I come (naturally- they’ve hired me to clean- why do it themselves!) but they still expect the same end result in the same amount of time when it’s a tip to start as when it was spotless to start. It’s not fair on the cleaner and it sets yourself up with false expectations.

Be clear before the cleaner comes about what you want done every visit, what you want done less regularly (like cleaning out the fridge etc) etc.

Ask them if there is anything they don’t do. (I don’t do ovens)

Ask if there is anything they need you to leave out for them or do they bring everything themselves.

If there are any things in your house that don’t work properly or have a knack to using them, make sure and show the cleaner, or ask them not to use them. (I got trapped in a house once because the lock was dodgy and the owner hadn’t told me how to work it to avoid it jamming!)