Cleaner - am I expecting too much?

[popsickle555]

Current cleaner does 3 hours a week for us. We live in a large ish semi detached. She does the following weekly:

kitchen / diner
lounge
hallway
Main bathroom
en suite bathroom

Then she alternates bi weekly between:

bedrooms x 3 (one is tiny)
and
downstairs playroom/sort of random room and bathroom (quite a big space)

the main issue is I feel she surface cleans well but lots of areas are dirty under the surface. For example the shower is not deep cleaned ever, under my dressing table sort of area the floor - I’ve just cleaned (wooden floor) it’s covered in dust and dirt, under our bed very dusty. Never cleans windows and around the back of the toilet etc. I know she mops our room but assume doesn’t ’pick anything up’ to clean under? Eg the bin or washing basket. There’s not loads of clutter or anything, just usual furniture.

she’s attentive and nice but am I expecting too much here? Previous cleaner was 30 years old and managed all of this although also admittedly ‘missed occasional things’ which is expect and was extremely grateful for what she managed. Our current cleaner ‘just cleans’ she doesn’t tidy (other than cushions on sofa), doesn’t do bins or beds etc. I’m fine with that but feel it’s not actually that clean. But maybe I’m expecting too much from the allocated time?

That is the standard my DH cleans to - I'm not paying him so I don't complain, I just do those bits myself! I would certainly not pay someone to do that bad a job.

For something like a shower deep clean, I would probably particularly request that every other time (or whatever is appropriate). But pushing a hoover/mop or whatever under a bed, and lifting a washing basket, is not deep cleaning and should be done every time.

Try talking to her and see if she doesn't think she has enough time, although really she should have told you that herself, rather than do a sloppy job.

I've had a few cleaners in the past, most were great. One wasn't and I had to go round doing all the bits she avoided. I let her go.

My cleaner takes 5 hours for all that you mentioned including the bedrooms and does to a good standard so to achieve the kitchen, bathrooms, hallway and rotate the additional rooms might be a bit much for 3 hours.

How long does it take for you to clean the the standard you are looking for?

I use a small agency and the difference in the cleaning varies so much. One woman literally only does things at arm height and hoovers. Furniture is only done on the top, so the legs of my dressing table, base of chest of drawers are thick with dust. She never cleans the bottom of the toilet. Another does everything meticulously but it takes her an hour longer ( which I'm fine with paying for)

it drives me mad but as I know to my cost any 'feedback' results in them saying they won't come anymore.

Do you think it’s still worth it? Asking as I’ve had this issue with so many cleaners I’ve just given up!

I've had a lot of cleaners and they all have good and bad points.
I think 3 hours for a 3 bed house with one living room is ample. I mean I wouldn't expect a deep clean /tops of cupboards every week but what you describe is sloppy.

My cleaner comes for 4 hours. It's a big house and she doesn't do all the bedrooms every time but the rooms she does are spotless, bathrooms squeaky clean, floors all mopped and windows. I don't ask her to do windows but she likes to and doesn't like leaving them.

It’s really difficult to get a good domestic cleaner at the moment. I have a cleaning business (comercial) I would suggest that you leave it clear of clutter to minimise frustration and make it more predictable. A clear space makes a thorough surface clean more practicable and efficient.

I see tidying as housekeeping and a real luxury (not just cleaning) and it slows down the flow of a clean. It’s not fair to start breaking down tasks and time taken.

It might bet better to privately advertise and hire. Or treat your cleaner well and generate some good will.

Thanks, this is private and I’d say I treat her well. It’s a good rate and I do get her a Christmas present and birthday present, I never cancel her coming etc unless we have a sick bug or something.

im going to try taking out any clutter next week and seeing it it helps. I’m happy to do that.

what about bins? Anyone expect that from a cleaner? I mean bathroom ones not kitchen. Ex cleaners have all done this for us…

Maybe do the cleaning yourself if the cleaning is not up to your standards?

Are you as moronic as you sound?

Yes, I am.

I would do it yourself to the standard you want and see how long it takes you. I think people hugely underestimate how long it takes to clean well. It also depends massively on how many ornaments/nick nacks/toys etc are in the way. If you have to pick up several items on a dressing table for instance (carefully so you don't break them), it really slows you down if you have to do this on every surface.

Yes, I do because at least the basics get done and then I just do the bits she didn't do! I guess I feel more motivated to do that than to do the whole thing from scratch!

What I don't understand is why they don't clean the base of the toilet for example? I know she does holiday cottages so who does she expect to do those tasks as she is the only cleaner?

I'd rather have her than no-one I suppose.

Maybe there’s poo or something on the base of the toilet from when you or DH last used it, and she doesn’t want to get her hands dirty. Just do it yourself.

I agree with this.
You do it to your standard and see how long it takes you to do. Then you’ll know whether you’re being unreasonable or not to expect more.

I am a cleaner and I would say that is more than enough time. I wouldn't move large furniture but I would clean all accessible areas.

Try doing it yourself in 3 hours. You'll realise it takes much longer to do a thorough clean. Our cleaner does 3 hours to do downstairs only (the kitchen diner, cloakroom/utility, hall, portch, stairs and lounge). Even then, skirting boards and window sills are often left. You need to aks for more hours or reduce the number of rooms you want her to do.

If you have a lot of products in your shower, I would just move them out and ask her to do a proper clean

We have four hours cleaning a week, five bed house. It's a team of four ppl though, so they can work in pairs to move furniture and change beds. Much more effective than paying one person for four solo hours.
Ours clean three bedrooms and all of downstairs, hall, stairs etc every week, main bathroom plus ensuite. About every other week they also do another bedroom and ensuite, plus do some of the beds.

We do have the house really tidy though, and clean the loos ourselves before they come.

Nah, my cleaner does more in 3 hours

Whole house- large semi d with 4 beds and 4 baths

She's fab and I couldn't do without her

Older lady, FWIW

I don't think thats long enough if you want deep cleaning done as well.

There's never poo on the base of the toilet, I mean the exterior where it sits on the floor. It gets dusty. I would never leave a dirty interior of the toilet. You seem to think I'm some kind of animal, do you think people leave poo for cleaners to clean up?

You seem to be very much against people having cleaners. That's fine if you don't want or need one but lots of people do. Would you rather the cleaners didn't earn any money? I'm a bit confused.

I’m wondering what the condition is like when she comes. Are you wiping out the sink and bath after each use and sanitising the toilet yourself every other day at least? Leaving her to do a more thorough clean ?

Toilets I would expect a operator to spray down and wash the entire surface but…if it’s only getting washed once a week you are approaching a deep clean type situation which requires lots of cloth changes or rinses. She might be finding it more time consuming than you think.

Toilet bowls can take a long time to clean if the frequency is insufficient. I’ve found on a once a week clean it slows us right down. Toilet bowls can need quite some scrubbing. Sometimes cistern blocks help here.

We clean some sites daily and some once a week and the time the WC takes is significantly longer not just double sometimes 3X as long. For example dried on waste needs elbow grease and you mention dust, you can be chasing it around when washing the toilet down.

Try to stay on top of the day to day, keep a large microfibre cloth on the sink. Use cistern blocs and spray down the toilet daily. Keep surfaces clear as possible. I’m being strict about this now. It’s not just hassle/hygeine and annoying it’s difficult to do a good job and slows us down.

Baths need a quick spray or squeegee and rinse immediately before debris dries on.

Are you providing materials, maybe get her to suggest what she likes to work with.

What is the wage? Can you employ direct?

Another suggestion is a robot vac. If you can afford a cleaner get one of these for daily vac. Floors need to be clear. Then ask for a thorough vac with your regular one.

lots of people struggling to find a cleaner. I’m constantly being asked but prefer empty clear spaces so we can crack on.

Thanks will do this this week although there are currently only 3 bottles so not really ‘a lot’.

Yes I always do the loos before she comes too. But I think I can leave less clutter so going to aim for that this week and see how much better it is.

agree 3 hours isn’t ’that long’ and I want to keep her so will make it easier for her without increasing hours. And also ask when I want something cleaned more thoroughly.

Just ask her to empty bins. Also deffo remove clutter to make it easier to clean. I used to do domestic cleaning the worst ones were the ones with teenagers the amount of stuff I had to remove to clean tops of dressing tables etc.