How to Keep a Good Cleaner

[Lexibletheflexible]

Bit of a rant here,

And I'll preface this by saying that only women do this. Men keep out of the way or will go out to leave you space to clean. Maybe women feel some sense of embarrassment at needing a cleaner, I don't know.

Anyway...

When your cleaner is present and especially if the kitchen is something they clean on their visits, do not:

• Make hot drinks
• Put the dishwasher on
• Put laundry on
• Make a hot, cooked meal
• Try to "tidy up" or "clean off sides".
• Put clean crockery away
• Sort out old clothes
• Do any sorting of anything.

The reality is that many if not most people have a cleaner because they do not have the time or skill to clean properly. When you try to get ahead of me when I am there and you're not doing it properly, it wastes my time and your money when I have to wait, or do it properly after you. Anything you wanted to do should have been done before I got there. Anything left, I will sort. That is why you have a cleaner.

Please, keep out of the way in one room, or go right out of the house.

I'm about to tell someone that I won't be coming back as their wife won't stop doing this and she's now at home all the time.

Who said all other cleaners charge that? I said one business charges that much and have that rule. We will see if they are a business in decade like I was a decade ago.

If you're a very part time cleaner, then you might not understand how to get the most reliable, long term clients. Feel free to message me if you want tips.

So like the woman today who put the dishwasher on half-full despite the fact several rooms in her house still had dirty cups and plates, you have little purpose to your actions other than taking up air and pixels?

I said you can rarely exceed expectations. You know the thing you do where you misquote people? That's basically just you telling lies. I'll ask you again, what is your purpose here?

I (cleaner) am about this. Some households it’s a PITA when the family are buzzing round, and I fucking hate it when I’m literally STILL IN the room I’m cleaning and they come in and fuck it up…say make a sandwich a leave crumbs ALL OVER the surface I’ve just cleaned. I then have this dilemma of ffs I’ve already done that and have to clean up after them in order to leave the room clean when I’m done with it. Or I leave it crumby and think what’s the fucking point and have to live with the dissatisfaction of looking at a clean room with a worktop full of crumbs.

The being in the house thing does vary eith customers for me. I have a few that we do jobs together in the same room and chat. It’s almost like im employed for their own accountability. Or as therapy. But it’s mutually therapeutic. I really like it but it’s very specific on the who. You have to get on and it just somehow organically happens lol.

I just roll with customers. Some stick. Some I don’t go back to. I never go back to clean houses. It’s soul destroying cleaning clean. I love chaos. But as long as they understand that me dealing with the chaos takes time and effort. I have one customer whose house is just…I mean…it’s so beyond. But if I spend 4 hours and I only get around 4 surfaces she’s THRILLED. It’s the houses that leave al the fuckit dishes on the side piss me off. Means I have to either do the dishes (wasted time!) or leave them and work around but then I don’t feel like I’m doing a full job. I’m just choosy now. If it isn’t working after a few weeks I’ll move on.

Stuff that for a game of soldiers. It's my kitchen and if I want to be in it, I will.

My husband used to get out of the way and clean the cleaner's car. True.

It does seem like some women have some sort of fear of being replaced or something and want to prove they are the madam of the house

I dont.drive to jobs but I would for him!

Same. I never imagined being a cleaner and being able to have this much choice.

My cleaner is better than”good”

and she doesn’t get herself worked up by having me in the kitchen making myself (and offering her one) a hot drink whilst she’s cleaning the oven.

Ok.

Ours comes twice a week. I hate being in when she’s here. On a Friday, we go out for lunch. On a Monday, I go out and my husband stays in his office and she doesn't clean or vacuum in there that day.

So the hubby says that he will make sure he is in when I am.coming and will either supervise her or take her out. I will give a final chance.

Hi there @LapinR0se, hoping this doesn’t come across as rude but am curious about your 2x 6 hour cleans a week. Sounds amazing - your place must be spotless! But can I ask is this because you have high standards of cleanliness or create a lot of mess over the week!? No need to answer if you don’t want to, am just curious (also daydreaming about how nice it would be to have things at this level of clean and sorted!)

Probably because she is always in the way so can't get much done in a timely fashion

I get it must be frustrating to be tripping over people when you’re trying to work OP! Have you thought about about switching to commercial cleaning? More likely it would be vacant when you go to clean, just a thought really :)

There's a lot more red tape type stuff with commercial cleaning. I'll do a start or end of lease clean but not regularly. And not at 5am either.

Sounds fair. I hope he manages it.

I doubt he will remember to commit to it.

Ah yes, I understand what you mean that it would mean v early or late hours, and the red tape, fair enough!

I prefer to be out of the cleaners way so they can get on. There has been a couple of occasions where I’ve had to juggle my toddler and grab a few things but try and hustle us out of the door quickly but this can mean 10 mins of getting in the way a bit, but hopefully hasn’t been too much of a problem for an overall 3-4 hour clean. Sorry it’s caused you stress, is it worth trying to have a chat with the family in question, and let them know it’s making it hard to do your job for them?

Probably not, but then you can bin them in all good conscience as it's not working for you. And he had a chance....

Ive spoken about it before when she turned on a hob without telling me and I got burned. Oh and the dishwasher thing.