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.

I really wish my house were spotless. DH and I both work full time and it's a very big old farmhouse with 7 bedrooms and 5 bathrooms. We also have a very hairy dog. It just seems to need constant cleaning and gets genuinely dirty in between cleans which are on Mondays and Thursdays.
It doesn't help that my DC don't lift a finger! They are 8 and 11 so I think it's time they started tidying up and doing a bit of cleaning.

When you say your kids don’t lift a finger… you mean they never tidy their rooms? Don’t put their dishes in the dishwasher? Put dirty clothes in laundry? That level of not lifting a finger?

Yes that level unfortunately.

No you didn’t say “one” charged that much and had that rule

you said There are some newer on the scene cleaners who charge nearly 1.5x what I do and up to 2x as much. They make it clear they want the property to be free when they arrive to clean and they seem pretty busy

which gave the clear impression - multiple

Seriously? They don’t ever tidy their own bedrooms? What do they do with their dirty clothes?

They put their dirty clothes in the laundry basket in their bedrooms. They don’t do anything else.

So when they get toys out to play or craft… who tidies up after? They literally just get up and walk off?

The nanny puts it away, or I do, or the cleaner. I know this is bad!

But at school they will be putting it away

You are failing them I am afraid to say. They will make diabolical partners just for starters.

For your children’s sake, start encouraging they tidy up their toys and the very least

That's very kind of you. It's probably down to your excellent and very genuine interpersonal skills.

I'll bow out as I just can't compete.

Oh before I go though, I saw that you said that people paying more expect a much higher standard. That's not really true though. In my experience I've found that the really nice people want to pay their cleaner a good rate of pay, and are very appreciative.

Oh and another thing before I go, why are you boasting about being the world's best cleaner? I wish I could have your confidence but I feel really embarrassed about being a cleaner because I'm an educated person.

You should work on your self esteem. I'm proud that I have a job I enjoy, that works for my other priorities and adds to my family business.

Try and get a job that you aren't ashamed of. It will be better for your overall character.

Yes they are a duo.... they do each job together. That is why they are cleanerS

That's the case in many, many homes. Nearly all of the most affluent homes I go to. In fact the only parent I work for who is insistent on me not doing things their kids should do is a single working mum in social housing.

The kids stay in bed until the afternoons unless at school or uni or unless they have something social to do. They do no housework and not even their own laundry unless made to

Right… so turns out just ONE business makes this weird insistence of empty property on occasion

You spoke to the husband and he’s agreed to keep his wife out of your way or take her out… and his wife is completely unaware of this discussion?

Yes. I think some Americans do too, tbh. Carly I think is one (she's a pro cleaning influencer) and this other woman with a super annoying voice but good content. Theyre the only ones I have seen here be so upfront about it.

No idea. She's aware that I've had an issue before. It's between them two now. I've set my boundary.

Ok

I know exactly what you mean. I’m not a cleaner but I have my routine at home and if anyone comes home early or goes to work late it does my head in.

Because the OP tattles to MN whenever any poster refers to one of her many other threads

Well they only delete things they think need to be deleted, I've had some requests accepted and some turned down, which is fair enough.

And I suppose referring to other threads is against talk guidelines so yes- strictly speaking absolutely right to rattle

I'd love to know how to GET a decent cleaner. We've used multiple different ones via an app, different self employed/own business cleaners too, and all but one have stopped coming because they got a full time job.

I appreciate that some people do cleaning or similar to earn money whilst finding a 9-5 and that is all good, but-how do people who want an ongoing cleaner make sure that the one they employ isn't about to leave in 3 weeks?

I have fibromyalgia so cleaning is painful for me, hence the cleaner. I work from home. I use the bathroom 5 minutes before they arrive, ask them to clean upstairs first (making sure they are happy to!) and then go into my office out of the way. When they move downstairs, I know I can use the toilet if I need to.

We always point cleaners to the kettle and to cold drinks in the fridge and say help yourself, especially if it's hot but not just then. They mostly don't, but it's important to me that they COULD if they're thirsty.

Wish you were round my way, OP!!

Mine was referred by a neighbour. Maybe ask around if there's a street whatsapp or something like that. I wouldn't have gone with an agency, but a recommendation from someone I know to be a bit fussy 😂 worked for me.