Need a new cleaner / housekeeper - help!

[dopeyduck]

I recently posted about issues I was having with our current cleaning company. Despite my best efforts it hasn't been resolved, essentially, they just don't do a very good job at cleaning.

We will need to let them go but I'd like to get someone new on board. I've contacted a lot of companies but none have had great reviews to be honest and all are a franchise style set up.

All advice seems to be to get an individual cleaner / house keeper not a company. I'd love to do this but I can't find any!

So if you have this kind of set up, where did you find your cleaner, what set up do you have, and how much do you pay?

South east (not London) most companies seem to be charging between £13-14.95 per hour here.

We are in Nottinghamshire and my parents have a lady who comes every morning 9-1 to do getting up, caring, cooking, cleaning, washing ironing - meal prep for the evening.

She does Monday to Friday and we the family do evenings and weekends between us.

I advertised the job and interviewed people myself, then second interviews with my parents and I pay the lady £14 per hour she's amazing

(We claim higher rate attendance allowance and they top it up from their pensions)

I'd never use an agency - they charge a lot more for services and then pay the staff minimum wage hence maybe why people aren't getting the best experience whereas If you employ directly and pay them reasonably and select yourself in my experience this works better

I have a couple of friends who do the same aswell

Obviously this lady does more than just cleans but I think put an advert out yourself and interview

Have you asked friends, neighbours or colleagues for recommendations? I'm a cleaner and have always been recommended by someone

I have asked friends etc - had three recommendations and none have the availability to take us on at the moment.

Not sure where I would advertise if I did myself, where would you put the advert? I wouldn't want to just put it out on social media.

@dopeyduck
I put my advert in my local paper and so it went online and I set up an email address for people to send their CV's and covering letters
I also specified no agencies and stated applicants must be eligible to work in the uk
I had 70+ applications, interviewed 5 and did 2 second interviews

@omgthepain that sounds like quite a task. I’ll give it some thought, and it may be the only option but it seems quite a task. I think I’d struggle to actually co-ordinate it as I currently work full time shift work and have a 1 year old.
Does that make you an employer? I can’t employ someone without having to go through a process at work and it would be far too much hassle. I can pay for services but I can’t employ a person to work for me if that makes sense. (Well I could but it would take several months to be approved and not worth it for a few hours cleaning a week).

I’m a self employed cleaner. I recruit (when I have spaces or for one off cleans) through;

• Gumtree
• Facebook marketplace and;
• the Nextdoor app for local area

HTH

.. also I’m a member of 2 local area Facebook groups, where people ask for recommendations for cleaners so I sometimes get jobs through them.

@dopeyduck

Yes I employ this lady myself I'm the employer

It did take some sorting out but it was worth it

If it's difficult with your main job to employ other people it might be difficult like you say for a few hours can your partner employ this person or advertised for a self employed cleaner

Do a shout out on face book if your on it!

@omgthepain no unfortunately he is in the same job as me. I don’t think that could work for us really. It could be done as I know families who have a nanny or similar but obviously that’s a more full time thing so worth all the difficulty in getting it set up.

@ivegotthisyeah - I asked for recommendations on Facebook and I had 3 but none have availability right now, although that could always change and I’ve asked for them to keep me in mind if they have a slot become available. One added me to her waiting list (sigh!) she’s probably good!

Ideally I want someone who is self employed and I just pay for their time. I’m not dead set against an agency it just seems to be that the ones we’ve tried are not great and that does seem to be a theme.

@dopeyduck
If you have a little one at a nursery do you have a Mums wattsapp you could ask on or anything?

Have you looked at Care.com?

I used this a few years ago to find housekeeping/ cleaning/ elderly companion work. I didn't want to work through an agency so was self-employed ie. filed tax returns, fully insured etc.

I've been using an app called Helpling that connects you with a cleaner in you're area that's available when you want them. Worth checking out if they're active where you live. Most people using it are very good as you can read their reviews. Only had one lady who was a bit flaky but still cleaned well when she showed up.

DS is not at nursery unfortunately - my mum has him, as I work shifts a nursery isn't terribly helpful as I don't work 'office hours'.

I will check out the websites recommended.

We have now had to actually sack our current company after I paid extra for a deep clean and came home to find that they hadn't even moved doors to hoover behind them, they'd stained a carpet with bleach and not said anything, left footwear makes all over the floor. I couldn't really believe it when she said 'she didn't know what else she could do and she cleaned everything'.

I never realised it could be so difficult. I obviously struck gold previously with a great cleaner.

I've found word of mouth is the only reliable way, if you ask on FB you just get spammed by agencies.
Finding a good cleaner with a space is a lfe goal

@Babysharkdododont - yes you appear to be right. I've had zero luck! The hunt continues! Unfortunately the apps suggested arnt in my area yet.