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?

She probably doesn’t want to clean and empty your bathroom bin because she doesn’t want to empty out your used menstrual pads and other such unhygienic items. I don’t think cleaners should have to dispose of sanitary waste. Do it yourself.

How rude! I don’t have periods but thanks for your kind words.

You could be describing my cleaners. The way I try to see it is: could I do all they do in 3 hours? The answer is probably no. I just accept I'll have to deep clean every few weeks/months. You could ask them to do a deeper clean: one week bathrooms, one week bedrooms etc and do maintenance wiping up of the other rooms yourself. I've been considering this.

Regarding bins, just ask if there's a specific job you want doing.

Give credit to the cleaner…if she has alot of cleaning jobs its bloody exhausting, its the work i did when daughter was a baby and i had no babysitters and was desp for money, its bloody hard work constantly then you go home and do your own…give her a break..l

Pampered princesses

I don't think three hours pw is enough for a deep clean of the space you describe. I don't expect my cleaner to move heavy furniture.

In four hours she cleans the bathrooms to within an inch of their life. Vacuums the hard floors and steam cleans them and vacuums the carpets. She polishes the mirrors and does a bit of dusting. 3500 sq ft. She cleans the kitchen sink and worktops although they are always immaculate.

I would never expect her to tidy.

About once a month I spend a cpuple of hours throughly cleaning a room (lightfitting, light vaccing lampshades, sofas, paintwork, etc).

She also does 2hpw ironing for me. She is absolutely brilliant.

I guess you disapprove of cleaners? It's good honest work which is easy to fit round childcare. Buying in help in the form of a cleaner is no different to paying a window cleaner, plumber, decorator or any other job in the house.
40 years ago when I first had a cleaner it cost the same as a takeaway. Takeaways were more expensive and cleaners were cheaper then but to me it was money well spent to come home from work to a clean house.

@popsickle555 I always make sure the house is ruthlessly tidied before she comes. I want her to clean not tidy.

I won't hire a cleaner who doesn't do bins. What's the point of not doing bins? Do they feel it's beneath them? As far as I'm concerned, if a room has a bin full of mucky stuff, is still a mess and the bed hasn't been made, then I'm not paying for the clean.

I don't think you're unreasonable in what you are expecting for 3 hours. I would request that she deep cleans 1 room each week: dust skirting, clean windows, clean behind bin, vac under sofa, clean tile grout and into the corners of the shower tray etc.

It's a marvellous life and I enjoy every minute of it.

I think she could do more in the time. My cleaners have done for sure.

No she only has me and one other client, she tells me how full of energy she is. I’m just going to de clutter more and also ask more specifically for things…will see how it goes.

Sounds a keeper!

You are expecting a lot of you want all the deep cleaning done , windows ect in 3 hours. I have a small cottage, 3 bed but only hubby and I live here so 2 beds hardly used . Windows are done every other week and shower deep cleaned on the alterative week.
Perhaps speak to her about what you would like done so she knows what to concentrate on. I have never done the loos that's what I pay a cleaner for

With my last one I would get her back in for ‘spring clean’ dates in addition to the 2 hours per week she did.

what she did in those 2 hours varied too.

Sometimes she had extra time to clean a wall or internal windows. Other times (esp if I wasn’t here) the basics would be done and she would be off in under 2 hours. She knew I had cameras but she was adamant as to what times she was here 🤦‍♀️

in the end, I finished her up. She hadn’t been for 3 weeks (one of those we were both ill) and I’ve replaced her with a good quality self emptying vacuum. I pick off a room to clean every couple of days and DH and I cleaned the exterior on the weekend. The vacuum goes around every couple of days and the house just seems to gather less dust.

In my experience, you get 2 out of 3: reliability; professionalism and high standards. Very rare to get all 3.

I always have a massive tidy before my cleaning person comes (I don't have a cleaner at the moment, but when I did), including clearing all dishes, clutter and emptying all bins. Nothing lying about, all bathroom and kitchen products out of the way, so they can just get on and use the allocated time to actually clean, as PP said - it makes it a more efficient cleaning environment.

So many family and friends have your experience - they often start off great, then cut corners. Maybe 3 hours is not sufficient, so cut it back to areas to clean and alternate them.

Hope this helps.

Cleaner here ..I think you are expecting too much but have you asked her to do the things you want and told her you will allow for/ pay for extra time it takes?
I will do mostly whatever my clients want within reason but every single one wants something different doing. Some I don't do the kitchen, some want beds making up, some want more deep cleaning. Things like skirting boards, windows, under beds ect would perhaps come under that. And the same for moving furniture.
3 hours isn't really a lot at all but every house differs in what can be done in that time.
I don't hoover underneath beds unless asked and it's been clear. I'll wipe windows and ledges when needed but frames often need scrubbing which takes longer.
I think you sound like you have a good cleaner but you are expecting too much for for her to know what you want.
Id suggest you kindly ask her to clean the bits you mentioned as they have acquired some build up and say if it takes longer you'll pay extra. Alternatively tell her for example..can you hoover under the bed but then you don't need to hoover the other room.
As a cleaner I hate clients asking me to do extra but still expecting me to fit that in without missing other things

And just to add..I wouldn't touch someones bathroom bins except in holiday let's when they forget ..they are meant to empty them! It's very unhygienic as you just don't know what's in there

And I don't tidy! It takes so long and I'm not a housemaid ..if you leave this lying around or messy I'm working around them.
The house should be tidy beforehand.
Hope this helps

I think it's the tidying. We do a massive tidy before our cleaner comes- everything is moved off surfaces as much as possible, everything put away. It takes us an hour to do it but it's worth it. I put everything in the spare room- the bathroom stuff I put in a big bowl in the bathroom.