Another Cleaner thread - indulge me - I'm excited!

[bobbybob]

I work from home and had promised myself that once I got a certain number of hours I would be able to justify a cleaner, also because people come into my house I will need one!

She is coming tomorrow and comes highly recommended from a committee I am on. This is what I think I need - have I missed anything out?

Vacuum all carpets
Mop everything else (including front step)
Kitchen benchtops, unit fronts, oven and microwave doors, hob, stainless kettle and toaster, sink.
Damp dust every visible surface except my piano
Laundry benchtop and sink
Bathrooms and toilet
Change bed linen on the 2 beds we use (3 when my parents are here)
Clean the little glass panels in my internal doors
Wash down the front door if it's looking grubby.
Vacuum the sofa in my music room (16 bottoms a week!)
Plump feather cushions on other sofa.

sounds reasonable. how many hours is she coming for? how about emptying bins? and maybe wash the windows occasionally. we have a wonderful cleaner. the only problem is she doesn't speak english so it's very hard to ask her to do things....

is this just one days work or over a couple?

Will add bins. How many hours do you think this would take? The area that needs mopping is fairly enormous, a kitchen, dining room, half a lounge, a double width hallway, a laundry, bathroom and toilet. That takes me an hour (hence why I never do it!) so I was thinking 3 hours once a week.

we have ours for 4 hours a week. she mops kitchen, living room, 2 bathrooms & hall floor. hoovers everywhere else (3 bedrooms, sitting room, stairs & landings). cleans kitchen & bathrooms & leather sofas. changes the sheets on 2 or 3 beds. generally tidies. dusts (though not entirely thoroughly). takes the bins out. our house is on 3 floors if that makes a difference.

oh, so to answer your question, i think 3 hours will be ok, maybe 4.

I used to clean and now I have a cleaner and after what I had to see i will NEVER ask anyone to change my sheets but myself!!!! Sorry girls but would you want to take off a sheet thats been slept in amonst the other bed time activities???

Magnolia 1 I couldn't agree more.

I always strip the bed and leave the fresh bed linen out for my cleaner.

I am cleaner and i would say 4 hours.

I will strip our bed and leave out clean sheets. Think I will leave ds's bed for her to do though.

There's no tidying and we are all on one floor, so I will see if she says 3 or 4 hours.

Wahey, she's been. She doesn't do a set number of hours, you tell her exactly what you want and she does it for a set price. Which suits me. She reckoned about 3 hours, but wait for it $25 (which is under 10 pounds).

Apparently she is excellent and very thorough.