To those who have a cleaner...

londonsurrey

It all depends on the cleaner. They're individuals, and as such, their expectations, flexibility and abilities will vary.

If you're not happy with them having a key, then don't give them one.
However, it will mean you being tied to the house for the time they are there.

If your DH and boys are there, then for the cleaner to be able to work efficiently, they should expect to be "herded" out of each room as and when the cleaner requires it, and not expect food and drinks for the time that the cleaner is working in the kitchen.

Also the hoover will be going for quite a bit of the time, so they should expect this, and not moan about not being able to hear the telly.

Some cleaners don't like doing various things, just make a list of what you want them to do, and when interviewing, also ask if there is anything they don't want to do.

Smamfer

I run a small business and cleaning is something we offer, I do this personally as at the moment the amount of customers i clean for is something i can handle, of course hopefully this will change.

Re key holding, i hold keys for 4 of my ladies houses, i come and go as i please but they always have a good idea of my regular times for them unless appointments get in the way. Usually though they have been there on the first few visits so if i have any questions or they have we can answer them.

I have one lady who is ex military which means house is spotless not a speck of dust, i do 2 hours a week its a detached 3 bedroom house, 1 en suite 1 main bathroom 1 downstairs loo, 3 bedrooms living/kitchen.dining utility, Ceilings get swepts/hoovered, doors wiped down all housework done too floors washed etc.

One of my richest customers is the most dirtiest and i cringe everytime i go there not through their cleanliess just their laziness. Its as if they get in the bath, and when washed themselves just throw the shower gel on the floor, along with toothpaste, towels kids toys etc, Nothing gets tidied away so i spend 30 mins just finding the floor before i can start cleaning. i do 4 hours every week but this only touches the surface and its a basic housework nothing too intense as i just dont have the time, its a 5 bedroom place with snooker room, play room etc etc. I also do their ironing and have done all this for about 7 months, @ xmas i did not even get a card and yet sometimes i have walked their dogs, signed for parcels and gone above and beyond my normal duties because im a soft touch who cant say no! This yr will be different lol

I enjoy being able to leave a house in a nicer way, i dont care if a house is messy or tidy i go in do my duties and come out and hope they happy when they return. I charge between £8 and £10 an hour dependant on jobs needing doing, area travelling time etc

MrsDrink

Are we allowed to recommend cleaners in here? I am seriously tempted to get one. I have just taken on a new job which is going to eat away at the hours I can spend at home therefore I'd rather not waste those precious moments cleaning (I don't mind tidying). Ideally I'd like someone for 1-2 hrs a week just to clean the bathrooms; throw the hoover round; clean the kitchen. But I have no idea where to start to look for one. Noone I know in my area has a cleaner so I can't go off word of mouth. I'd also prefer (I think) to go through an agency so both parties are more protected (? am I right?).

BlondeHeadOn

MrsDrink wrote: »

Are we allowed to recommend cleaners in here? I am seriously tempted to get one. I have just taken on a new job which is going to eat away at the hours I can spend at home therefore I'd rather not waste those precious moments cleaning (I don't mind tidying). Ideally I'd like someone for 1-2 hrs a week just to clean the bathrooms; throw the hoover round; clean the kitchen. But I have no idea where to start to look for one. Noone I know in my area has a cleaner so I can't go off word of mouth. I'd also prefer (I think) to go through an agency so both parties are more protected (? am I right?).

Whereabouts are you geographically? I know a good agency near me, but it would be irrelevant if you live miles away!

Valli

daisiegg wrote: »

Yes, I know this is MSE but I know I'm not the only one here who has a cleaner!

Just wondering, what do you do to prepare for the cleaner coming? I tidy up every room, empty all the bins, and clean the toilets. My OH thinks I'm mental ("isn't that what we pay her for?!") but I can't bear the thought of her having to clean our toilets. I know she still cleans them...but it feels much better to know they're perfectly clean from me cleaning them 1 hour before she gets near them!

What do you think? Am I crazy? My mum is exactly the same (she always feels stressed the night before the cleaner is coming because she feels she has to tidy up for her!) and my dad thinks she is mental...

If you cannot bear the thought of her cleaning the toilets then you cleaning them and then the cleaner cleaning them the same day is a waste of her time and effort and your money - you're paying for her time so why not tell her NOT to clean the toilets and to use that time cleaning something, or somewhere you haven't cleaned.
Maybe she could use the loo cleaning time to do the jobs that don't need doing every week - windows, dusting light fittings etc;)

MrsDrink

BlondeHeadOn wrote: »

Whereabouts are you geographically? I know a good agency near me, but it would be irrelevant if you live miles away!

Lincolnshire - about 30 miles North East of Lincoln.
Thanks

Errata

Isn't toilet cleaning something everyone does as a matter of course every day or more frequently when needed? If it's clean then the cleaner can just give it an extra shine and polish, and what's the problem with that?

Ladyhawk

faerie~spangles wrote: »

Or gay roommate. My next door neighbour is unbelievably houseproud and he complains to me that his new boyfriend is up first thing Sat/Sun morning, cleaning windows, mopping floors or hoovering!
.

Dont be too sure!! My gay ex-housemate (and one of my best friends) is the most slovently man ever!! I lived with him for 3 years... and he cleaned about 4 times in that entire time!!

I used to have a cleaner (who turned out to be rather psycho.. but thats another story) and paid her £12 per hour if I remember correctly. I used to tidy up before she came every fortnight but thats all. I would leave her a list of things that I would like to be done. I didn't expect her to do all of it as there was no way she would have the time... rather it was things that I wanted her to prioritise and to do as much as possible of.

I would love to have a cleaner again but as the last one was so loopy I am very reticent about employing another one.

themull1

I don't use a company. I have an individual lady, and I found her through word of mouth. I pay her £10 an hour but I provide all the cleaning materials. She hoovers, dusts, polishes, cleans the bathrooms, the inside of windows, mirrors, kitchen. Sometimes she'll do the inside of the fridge if she fancies it but not the oven. She has a bit of a general neaten up as well, like plumping the cushions and arranging them like they're in a magazine and she sometimes takes it upon herself to rearrange the odd thing (I have a big windowsil in the kitchen and I have some cutesy things like an antique milk jug, etc....she seems to like to rearrange them and put them at funny angles that she must think looks nice!) She is also meant to do some ironing but she doesn't always get time.

So you're paying someone to plump your cushions and arrange your nick knacks, and then no time to do the ironing? hahaha. Get her told.!

Mrs-hoppy_2

I have cleaners and love them! We pay £20 a week for an hour for two of them so £10 per hour.

I just Googled around to find someone. They came and they are such lovely ladies they have become good friends.

Me and hubby both run work from home businesses and since I had my first daughter we have had them - started off as temporary! I have a one year old and I'm pregnant and still running the businesses but I foresee having them for good now as hubby and I think it is easily worth the money as we have to do very little around the house now.

They clean 2 bathrooms, downstairs loo, hoover and polish everywhere etc. Some days they'll pull off all sofa cushions and hoover that and bits like that.

We are always in with working from home, but my mum has them too now and they have a key to hers so most are happy either way. I'd have them a few times while you're in first until you trust them I think. We just stay out of their way and swap to a different floor when they need downstairs we go up.

I tidy for them so they can just clean without seeing to clutter. I think this is the single best thing about having them - without fail every week I make sure the house is decluttered and tidy. Without them I don't have the motivation!