OS Cleaner

flufff

My Nan used to clean before cleaner arrived.Cleaner just used to sit swigging cups of tea.

twink

i used to clean for a while, once with a himalayan mountain dog in the house, he was huge
i did ironing, windows etc and got a lovely letter when i left, think it depends on the hours you state and how much you want done in that time, the more time you have the more thorough you can be
i was often on my own in the house but never felt the urge to go snooping into anything, i agree word of mouth is good , that was how i got my second job

Nicki

I've had my cleaner for 9 years and she is a star! In answer to your questions:

1) Where do I get one? from a company or an ad in the post office?

I got mine from an agency, but have since recommended her to other families. I would go by word of mouth if you can and get references.

2) Do they clean whilst no one at home?

Up to you. I would prefer this as if you are at home you feel the need to join in which sort of defeats the purpose. If you're giving her a set of keys though ask her where she will keep them, make sure she does not put them on a keyring with your address on it, or store them with a piece of paper with your address, and check who else could get access to them.

2) Would they come in with 2 dogs at home?

You would have to negotiate this, but don't see why not. I have two young children who I am sure make more mess than your dogs and the cleaner doesn't seem to mind a bit! You will want to make sure the dogs get to know the cleaner quite well though before you let her in on her own in case they get a bit territorial and attack her for invading their space, or keep them tied up in garden when you are expecting her.

3) What do you let them clean? i.e do I keep the bedroom door closed and do this myself as personal paperwork in there?

Mine cleans everywhere, but I set priorites so that if she runs out of time she has done what I want. eg I always want her to have ironed at least 5 of my husband's work shirts as I hate this job, but if she ran out of time I would have no problem running the hoover round. Usually though my cleaner is able to do everything and the only thing she sometimes leaves is hanging out a bit of washing.

If you are worried about private papers why not invest in a small lockable box to keep them in and take the key with you when you go out. I'm sure I've seen this kind of thing in places like Smiths or Rymans.

4) how much do they/I charge?
I pay mine £35 for a morning's work, and am flexible about exactly how long she spends. Usually she's here for about 4 hours but if she's a bit under or over one week I don't change what I pay her, and it all evens itself out. The amount charged does vary from area to area though, There is a separate fairly recent thread on OS if you search, which gives the going rate from area to area.

Rachie_B

hi i do a bit of cleaning locally

i clean when they are at work mostly ,i have a key but have done when they are at home too
i get paid £5 - £6 per hour
i do a general clean , house is sooooooooo very tidy anyway so its really easy to do ,just polish ,hoover ,clean bathroom and kitchen and mop hard floors
some would maybe find it hard to clean with dogs
guess you need to find a dog loving cleaner lol i wouldnt have a problem with pets

Penny-Pincher!!

Hi Hun

(1)I would go by word of mouth. Agencies cost about another £3+ per hour
(2)If the dogs are friendly then I dont see a problem
(3)Yes they can work on a key job basis
(4)Cleaner does the whole house once a week
(5)I pay £7ph

The main thing I would suggest is make sure everywhere is clear as cleaners dont like tidying up...just cleaning IYSWIM. Obviously, the tidier the place the more cleaning they can do in the allocated time.

My cleaner does the whole house from top to bottom. I have laminated a list of jobs in room order and she does 4hrs each week-I am very fussy though and very particular..lol.

How big is the property? Will there be ironing required? Do you require weekly/fortnightly or monthly. How many people live in the property?

HTH

PP
xx

ageandjo

Hi
It's a one bed bungalow not huge and not tiny all lamiante flooring apart from bedroom, only the 2 of us here and 2 dogs. In general it's clean and tidy I just feel I am in need of an extra pair of hands as I seem to do so much by myself.
I would love my ironing done too, we seem to only wear something once then wash it so I have loads of ironing.
I would like someone weekly but wonder what day would be best??? Friday then it will be clean over the weekend or I have more time over the weekend to clean myself so perhaps middle of the week....?
The dogs should be ok as they can just be let outside whilst someone is there.
I work from home so I will be here sometimes.......

Nicki

Some days are like gold dust as far as cleaners are concerned. I would find the cleaner first then see which days she is free. I used to quite like it when mine came in on Monday, then the house was clean for the week. When she came on Friday, by the time the weekend was over it looked like she hadn't been for a month, and it was a long wait until Friday again. If there's only the two of you though and you are fairly tidy that shouldn't be a problem.

code-a-holic

I have just got of the phone with a cleaner i have had recomended to be. Been thinking about it for a while and thought it as a waste of money, but now i think the extra help is worth it!
I have a few questions some may be able to help me with
How much do cleaners tend to cost?
How long does your cleaner clean for. We have a small 3 bedroom bungalow.
Is ironing classed as cleaning?
Do cleaners tidy up as well as clean?

Im sure most of it is down to the cleaner and i will find out when she comes over on Friday - just want to get some idea of whats acceptable for her to do!

Rachie_B

i do some cleaning jobs so may be able to answer a few Qs for you

i charge £6 an hour ( though ive just taken on another cleaning job for £7.50 per hour)

bear in mind it will take less time / be easier for the cleaner if its clutter free ( ish !!) as its hard to clean an untidy house and very often you want things in the right place so IMO its better to tidy a bit so all the cleaner does is erm .......... clean lol

i can do a 3 bed ( tidy!) semi detached house in 2 hours ,thats cleaning and hoovering each room and washing hard floors

i dont do any ironing but would if asked

what part of lovely pembs are you in ?

code-a-holic

Thanks Rachie.

Im at the foot of the preseli mountains!

I spend most of my cleaning time tidying away toys and not much cleaning which is why i need the help. And soon i will be looking after 2 extra children to add to my 3 on a mon and tues. My spare time will be eaten in to a bit hence the need for some help.
Will think about the ironing bit - i only do hubbys work shirts so i could still do that bit myself!