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Housekeeping

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

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Original poster

Am I expecting too much from cleaner!?

47 replies

Cornishqween · 21/04/2021 13:35

We have a large house, have hired a cleaner to help with kitchen, family room, hallway, downstairs loo and small sitting room.

She's on her 4th clean with us so far and I've had some issues that I'm not sure we can work through.

Firstly she is supposed to do two hours, but the time she spends her has gotten less and less. The second clean was 15 mins less and this week she left half an hour early. I'm still being charged for two hours work.
This causes problems because there are things she doesn't do that we specifically requested her to do. She doesn't wipe the dining table over and leaves it covered in crumbs etc. When she wipes sides down in the kitchen they are covered in smears so look dirtier than when she starts. She mops but then walks all over the wet floors which then looks terrible when it's dry.

She also leaves stuff here every single week. Two weeks in a row she left her cleaning products here, and this week it's a baseball cap. The toilet is never properly cleaned (I.e with bleach down it using a scrubber) she just wipes the actual top of the lid.

I have cameras and took a look to see what she's been getting up to and I watched her clean the table - she barely showed it the cloth before walking off.

I came home today to find the front room had attempted to be hoovered but with fluff and things still all over the floor. At this point we feel like she's taking advantage. That's when she does turn up, so far she's missed a clean and we had to re arrange two other appointments because she'd made plans with her child to take her on a day out and the other one she couldn't get childcare for.

This isn't normal is it?

OP posts:

mathanxiety · 21/04/2021 14:39

Forget that - she's taking the piss.

Put her stuff outside, text her she can pick it up by X date or you will bin it.

ILikeMango · 21/04/2021 14:56

@mathanxiety

You can't record her. Take down your camera or turn it off.

Give her a list of what you expect done instead of the two hour arrangement. Price each item so that you end up paying her the same as you would for 'two hours' if she gets it all done.

Or just find someone else who knows how and what to clean.

You could probably wipe the crumbs off your table yourself - why not do this? How long do crumbs sit there?

Presumably the crumbs are from that day’s breakfast but what does it matter? OP could probably clean the whole house herself but she has hired a cleaner to do it for her. I could mow my grass myself, make my own coffee, cook dinner every single night, maybe even go on YouTube and learn to do plumbing repairs. But I pay a gardener, stop at the coffee shop or get takeaway sometimes, and employ a plumber when my toilet breaks. I pau for these services so why would I also do them myself?

MrsMiddleMother · 21/04/2021 15:32

Do not pay her extra, and tell her it is not working and she will not be back. What an absolute CF

Original poster

Cornishqween · 21/04/2021 16:29

Hadn't even thought she might have cottoned on that we were thinking about letting her go. Could well be that.

As someone else said, if I was happy with the work I'd probably be ok with her leaving early, but she's going early and when I get home I have to wipe over stuff she's wiped because everything is smeared.

I don't expect to hire a cleaner and then have to clean my dining table that same day because she decided not to do it...especially when it was made very clear at the beginning that we wanted it wiped over. This is a task that might take 2 minutes max? Most people wipe the tops before they do the floor surely?

I am waiting for dh to get home before I text because I want to be 100% sure I'm correct, but definitely will be asking her not to bother from next week

OP posts:

LaceyBetty · 21/04/2021 16:36

I think you are really overthinking this. She's not doing a good job and that the end of it. Nothing to stress over like this.

CombatBarbie · 21/04/2021 17:00

Def let her go and don't even think about paying her the additional 2.5hrs she said she did!!! Don't be a bigger mug than you already are.

EarringsandLipstick · 21/04/2021 17:03

Obviously she's not a good cleaner

Even with the explanation about the camera, that just sounds very odd. Really odd. How does it help your SEN child to have cameras so you can 'know what mood he is in?'

I think using the cameras like this is completely out of order (regarding the cleaner). You weren't happy with her work. You say so. Then you can ask her to leave or to improve. No need for cameras.

icelollycraving · 21/04/2021 17:10

I’d text saying you aren’t prepared to pay the extra time, as the cameras which you’d discussed, don’t show her doing extra time but the reverse. Thanks for the last few weeks but it isn’t working out and you won’t be offering further work.

mathanxiety · 21/04/2021 17:12

I pau for these services so why would I also do them myself?

Yes, for gardening, for nice coffee, for the luxury of not cooking every night - it's great to pay for all of that. Certainly for necessary occasional repairs, attempting them yourself would be daft.

Wrt the crumbs on the table, I asked how long they would be left there. Having seen several 'cleaner' threads, I would not necessarily assume they were from one meal.

I'm not saying the cleaner should have ignored that task if there were crumbs there and that was what she was specifically asked to do (and yes, she should have wiped them off first and then hoovered).

2bazookas · 21/04/2021 17:29

She's got no intention of working so just tell her she's no longer required. I would not give notice; you've alresdy paid her for hours she didn't work. Make sure you get your keys back.

If she's from an agency tell them.

JeanClaudeVanDammit · 21/04/2021 17:30

Get someone different. And make sure they’re made aware of the cameras before they take the job.

Original poster

Cornishqween · 21/04/2021 17:55

@icelollycraving

I think this is what I'll do - polite and to the point.

Again re the cameras, she was made aware when we first met her and I told her why I have them. My sons behaviour can change rapidly so I use this as a tool to monitor things when I can't be with the children. We have had incidents where my eldest has strangled his sister and it's terrifying. It might not suit everyone, but I feel I'm keeping my family more safe. Also it helps to be able to look back and see what has triggered the change in behaviour. I'm not sat glued to a screen monitoring him constantly - I just check in every so often.

OP posts:

icelollycraving · 21/04/2021 18:25

It’s your home, you explained you gave cameras. Some will not work somewhere with them. Some it won’t bother them. I guess if someone is used to working somewhere with cctv, it won’t really bother them.
I know some find it off, I don’t particularly but I have them outside of my property. If she had wanted to keep the job, she’d not have taken the piss. She chose her standard of work, you choose what level is acceptable.

icelollycraving · 21/04/2021 18:26

You explained why you had cameras *

UCOinanOCG · 21/04/2021 18:33

If she knows you have camera she can hardly complain that you saw how long she worked.

LaceyBetty · 21/04/2021 18:43

Amazed there is even a slight debate about the cleaner cleaning up the crumbs. What is the purpose of a cleaner if not to clean?!

OhSayWhat · 21/04/2021 18:58

Don’t give it another second of your time. Just reply and say the cameras showed she worked less time today and also you won’t be requiring her services any more and all the best. Done. Move on.

Original poster

Cornishqween · 21/04/2021 21:28

Well I've text and said that I'm not happy to pay the extra as she didn't do those hours....

Apparently the clock on her car was broken and she's been manic so she got the time wrong
She also says she understands my decision, but she keep me texting to check I've paid her.

I'm relieved anyway...thanks for the advice..I felt like I might have been expecting too much

OP posts:

icelollycraving · 22/04/2021 03:38

Pay her, confirm, block if she continues texting.

avamiah · 22/04/2021 03:45

icelollycraving,
Totally agree .
Just pay her and move on.

GlamGiraffe · 22/04/2021 04:42

I too have a large house and a cleaner. Depending on the level of cleaning you want done and the amount of stuff around its possibly not enough time so maybe the cleaner thinks youre being unreasonable. I know it takes longer than 2 hours to do the similar downstairs rooms in my house and they would be a mess if someone didnt have enough time.
I agree with PPs you need to set specific requirements. Clean worktops with x and buff, cupboards with y. always clean loo with bleach etc. You will be better providing your own chosen products rather than have someone bring their own in future which dont suit.
This cleaner probably isnt working, get another and give clear instructions. See how it goes timewise. It can take several tries to find a decent cleaner IME.

Menschenskind · 22/04/2021 18:02

Since she's not doing the hours she was hired for and expected to be paid for she could hardly claim it's too much to do in the time.

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