Are good cleaners really this hard to find? Or am I just unlucky?

[LolaYoung]

Hi all, I'm hoping for a bit of your collective wisdom.

I run a small local cleaning company, and frankly, I got into it because I was fed up with the same things you probably are: cleaners not showing up, agencies charging a fortune for a rushed job, and just a general lack of reliability.

Now that I'm on the other side, I'm trying to make sure we actually fix those problems. But I don't want to just assume I know what matters most.

So, for those of you who've used cleaners (or have been put off using one), could you tell me what really makes the difference?

• What was the thing that made you think "never again" about a company?
• What would make you recommend a cleaner to a friend?
• Is it them just being trustworthy with a key?
• Or noticing the little details without being asked?
• Or is it purely about the price being fair for the job done?

I'm not here to do a hard sell. I genuinely want my company to be the one that people are genuinely happy to have. So your horror stories and your golden nuggets of praise are both incredibly useful.

(And of course, if you're in inner or greater London and are currently looking for a reliable clean, even if its a one-off deep clean or a regular weekly help - please do message me. We're building our reputation on being the ones who actually turn up and do what we say we'll do.)

Thanks so much for your help.

Good for you starting this business up.

• Or noticing the little details without being asked?

No. Every house is different. You need to give clear instructions on what needs doing.

They're not psychic.

Makes for a harmonious partnership.

My previous cleaner was good, but she kept breaking things (kids character bowl that was part of a set £50, perfume bottle £100 etc) final straw was when she broken a £120 glass candle holder and didn’t offer to replace it. I never charged her for any of breakages, maybe I should have. I got so fed up.

my current cleaner is lovely, she’s 62 but her eyesight is pretty bad, she can’t see the dirt properly or hairs on the bathroom floor etc. I’m waiting for her to tell me she’s retiring - I don’t have the heart to fire her.

My priorities are:

1. reliability, turning up when they say they will, so many companies wouldn’t pin themselves to a time, not even a half day window!
2. if I’ve booked 2 cleaners, I want 2 cleaners, and expect to be told if only 1 can arrive that day as it impacts my day to have twice the length appointment.
3. please don’t rotate cleaners too much, I appreciate things happen, but I don’t like getting new cleaners each and every time.
4. price for sure, honestly I’d rather pay someone self employed, I hate that what I am paying doesn’t go all to the cleaner, but have found it difficult to find an independent cleaners in pairs.
5. and lastly I then consider quality of clean 😂

I just want someone who answers messages and turns up. I am tryIng to find a cleaner and they initially answer arrange a time to meet but don’t turn up

Oh god yes and taking care, my current ones bang around in a rush and have broken things. I’ve also found lots of chips in skirting boards from rushed hoovering. I’ve asked several times if the time slot is enough!

Yes we have a Henry with all the attachments and an upright Dyson with all the attachments both of which they have access to.

I hire cleaners to reduce my load, not add to it, I am
working in my office when they’re here so I don’t always have time to brief them and remind them the fundamentals of their job. 10+ years of using cleaners I have my list of priorities (stated above) so if they have arrived on time, in a pair that’s usually enough.

When we get around to repainting the hallway and doing the woodwork I will likely expend the energy to remind them!

I've had cleaners in the past and unfortunately never found a good one so don't bother now, easier to do ourselves and as kids have grown up they help.
One cleaner stole things, stupid things like tampax, loo roll etc. She wasn't hard up as she drove a nicer car than me. I didn't like the idea of having someone untrustworthy in the house.
Another cleaner broke something which also damaged my bath, she tried to cover it up. Also ruined my stainless steel fridge by cleaning it with a scourer. She also got her daughter to clean a couple of times instead without asking me and resulted in issues. These cleaners all came from agencies.
I think being trustworthy is key and feeling like you are getting value for money, which doesn't mean cheap, just getting a fair service for what you pay. Insurance as well, I know accidents happen but if something gets broken I believe the agency should have insurance to cover this or just pay it if small.

I know what you mean, it’s been so hard finding people though, as I say sadly having people turn up is the first victory.

Yes, I have designed my house to be clear surfaces as much as possible. I think the risk of things being damaged as they are worked around is much higher. If I have time I also put all the dining chairs and dog bed etc. outside so she can vaccuum and mop properly.
We have four hours at £20ph (she is self employed, we live in Warwickshire ). When I had young kids the lady who helped me in London would also make beds- I would strip them.
I wouldn’t ever expect to charge for damage but I have asked people not to come back when they were manifestly careless in my home (broken sink plugs, electric throws etc..). Anyone can have an accident but a consistent pattern implies lack of care.
Also agree with you on cordless vacuums disappointingly. On my third but end up using corded old Miele instead (super powerful).

We don't have a cleaner at the moment but have done in the past.

I would say the biggest bugbear was cleaners who would come in and spend most of the time mindlessly wiping surfaces which are already clean and leaving stuff which obviously (to me) needed doing like a sticky child's handprint on a coffee table. Would be a really quick job/quick win too.

Also leaving rooms half done. I would say over and over please do the bathrooms and kitchen first, then bedrooms and living room do what you can with the time left. But often they'd do the exact opposite and leave the bathroom and kitchen floors still needing to be mopped by me and it's my most hated job! Whereas flicking a duster around the living room while I'm watching Eastenders doesn't bother me at all.

Doing stuff I'd expressly asked them NOT to do. We had unsealed varnished wood floors in the hall and living room and wet mopping was not suitable. We had it cleaned with specialist stuff twice a year but other than that it was just meant to be swept and any obvious dirty marks wiped off with a damp cloth. Yet woukd cone home and the wood floors were wet and had evidently been mopped.

Also we left instructions to them not to empty the bins as (a) we'd pay our teen a couple of quid to do that the night before and (b) we wanted to maximise the time spent on actual cleaning. But almost every time they'd remove the liner from the almost empty bin, chuck it and not replace, and I'd only realise later once my kids had already been lobbing rubbish into the unlined bin which I had to manually scoop out.

To be fair it was an agency with a rapid turnover of staff, many of whom English was not their first language. But the cleaning manager would give us a tick list/instruction sheet to complete in advance, which we did and it was irritating that it was just ignored. One of the instructions was to take the seat cushions off sofa, sweep out any crumbs and plump up and replace cushions. They hardly ever did that, no idea why not, as seems like another quick win and something I'd notice and appreciate straight away.

We had a freestanding bath and I noticed the cleaners weren't bothering to sweep/mop underneath it. I drew this to the attention of the manager and she said it was tricky as you needed to bend right down to clean. I said yes I know, that's what I do so I expect a cleaner to as well.

Once left door unlocked.

Once broke a tap - these things happen- but then took the pieces away for their handyman to look at. When I asked for them back so I could get a plumber to fix they had lost them.

In summary I would say a dream cleaner would have been someone who opens their eyes and looks at what needed to be done and applies common sense. Rather than mindlessly wiping kitchen worktops which are already perfectly clean.

I don't have unrealistic expectations and was very clear that I don't expect them to tidy or move things, just clean around them. It did motivate me to declutter as the clearer the surfaces, the more they could clean.

My favourite cleaner always stuck to her allotted time, even if she finished her usual chores on time, she would just find something else. The chores were agreed on and the order they were done.

She did everything to a standard that was high. I have had a couple of cleaners on trial before and they just were not good enough. The best standard of cleaning I have ever seen is on a very big motor yacht. When I was at school I worked as a chambermaid as it was called back then as my family were very poor and I needed money for myself so I know how to clean well.

I have never used an agency as want the same person who gets to know the house and you get to trust them. My last one also ended up working for me as a pet sitter when I went on holiday as my cat knew her and liked her. I have directly employed three cleaners who all stayed long term with me, the longest was my last and it was close to a decade.

She retired and I didn't replace her, I really admired her work ethic and honesty. I have very occasionally bumped in to her in town and we have a chat about our children and she asks after the cat.

I've had cleaners (mostly v successfully) for 25 years and I would say

Ask clients how big their property is and set the cleaning time based on the number of rooms (it might be fine to do 2,hours a fortnight in a 3 bed house if you're just doing a couple of rooms), some rooms can be cleaned on rotation, some need to be done every time.

Have a guide for cleaners and clients of what a standard clean of each room involves. If they want extra stuff done, like oven cleans, bed changes, or a mad amount of ornament dusting, that takes extra time.

Tell them that surfaces need to be clear, bed linen and ironing (if you offer that) needs to be laid out etc - if the cleaner also needs to tidy that takes up time. If that's what they want, fine, but estimate the extra time then review with the cleaner.

Tell the client they need to have X products and tools. Cleaners to carry a small stash of emergency supplies so a clean doesn't have to be abandoned, but make sure the cleaner reports immediately when they need replacement products bought or the hoover isn't working.

Have a clear system so cleaners and clients can quickly report problems to you. (maybe there's a standard app you can buy into - this also helps deal with cryptic notes from clients and cleaners who may not have English as a first language.)

Ask clients if they need a specific window, or the cleaner can just pitch up any time in the morning or between 9 and 5 etc, then organise the cleaners day so they have some flex on times.

Use a clear security check on cleaners and tell the clients what it is. If the cleaners are holding keys, what is your system for that. Presumably an air BnB style lock box might be an alternative you can offer some clients.

You need to work out insurance for breakages and tell clients what the system is (to avoid the loony poster above who thinks her cleaner should replace a £100 candle)

Tell clients how much of what they pay goes to the cleaner, and relate that to london living wage and that what they pay also covers insurance. Everyone is always a bit surprised about how much cleaning costs, so this helps.

Have a welcome back with all of this info in it

If you want to offer printing, make sure the cleaner can iron. Come to that make sure they can clean.

I was in the US a long time and never heard of a cleaner not being willing to take knickknacks off a shelf. Obviously if you ate a knickknack queen and want them all dusted that's extra time.

Our cleaning woman is magnificent. She's thorough and fast.
The worst was one from an agency who was supposedly doing an end of tenancy deep clean alongside me.
She was far to fond of stopping for coffee and, i watched her texting while stood in the shower room scrubbing the glass screen with a brillow pad

Makes sense, I definitely agree that attention to detail is important !

Okay that’s awful the bar really is in hell

This was very interesting and one might think for this to be common sense !