Getting a Cleaner so that I CAN be 'Oldstyle'

Merlot

I love cleaning....(I need to get out a bit more), I found I was far better organised when I worked though as I keep puttings things off until tomorrow, which never comes. My OH said "if you didn't sit and read MSE quite so often, maybe you wouldn't be rushing about at 8pm in the evening shouting "I've not had the time to....I need to get it done, DD needs it for tomorrow"

I don't do ironing though...my OH does that, I would rather clean the public loos than iron! When I worked, I paid someone to do the ironing, but as I'm a SAHM, we have had to tighten our belts a wee bit, so he does it now.

Penny-Pincher!!

tazz233 wrote: »

Sorry to dig up this old thread, but I am seriously struggling with the house cleaning at the moment and I think paying for a one-off cleaner is definately worth it.

My question is where do I find a decent cleaner? I live in the Brighton area, so I imagine the rates are high being the South east, £10 an hour? I don't know anyone who has a cleaner and a quick google brought up loads of agencies

I could also do with gardener, but imagine that will be a lot more expensive :eek:

I put an ad on Gumtree and stated what I required. I now have a lovely young lady who comes for about 2 hrs a week and does all my ironing for me.

PP
xx

Biggles

We've decided we need to employ a cleaner.

Thing is, I'm used to interviewing and employing staff from when I was working, but what do you ask a cleaner?

Is it normal to ask for references? Is someone who is coming to work in your home required to declare any criminal convictions etc?

I get the impression from this thread that contracts of employment, holiday and sick pay etc are not par for the course. Anything else we should check for/ask?

Mojisola

debbycatz wrote: »

Another problem I have is that my son has just started a night shift and is all over the place with his sleeping habits

If you have a son old enough to work, I hope that he is also doing his share of the housework!

If a regular cleaner doesn't suit you, some firms will do a one-off clean. You might find having them in occasionally to do a serious, deep clean will help.

jennieshrew

I have a new cleaner starting next week - (I am paying her with vouchers I got free so very MSE). What can I expect them to do in 4-5 hours? I have a 3 bed house with 2 bathrooms and a downstairs loo. She wants a list of what I want done in the time/priorities. She is coming to do one long thorough clean to start with so will be working for a longer time than normal.

Hoover carpets,
Mop floors
Clean bath/sinks/toilets/shower screen
Clean kitchen surfaces

Help i'm stuck now.

Should I split it room by room?

poppett

I used to clean for a lovely lady who is now a very good friend. In the 4 hours each week I was at her's I would start downstairs, hoover and mop the dining room/kitchen/lounge. Clean the downstairs toilet/shower room. Polish everywhere, clean kitchen sides etc. Vac hallway work way upstairs, hoover and vac 3 bedrooms and clean bathroom. If I had time I would clean windows or maybe clean out fridge/cooker etc. And still have time to do some ironing sometimes. Once you're in a routine it's suprising how much you can get done in 4 hours.

flea72

jennieshrew wrote: »

I have a new cleaner starting next week - (I am paying her with vouchers I got free so very MSE). What can I expect them to do in 4-5 hours? I have a 3 bed house with 2 bathrooms and a downstairs loo. She wants a list of what I want done in the time/priorities. She is coming to do one long thorough clean to start with so will be working for a longer time than normal.

Hoover carpets,
Mop floors
Clean bath/sinks/toilets/shower screen
Clean kitchen surfaces

Help i'm stuck now.

Should I split it room by room?

it would all depend on how clean the house is, on what they can get done in the timescale

ie, if you generally keep the house tidy yourself beween visits, then i would expect a cleaner to be able to dust and hoover all rooms, and give both bathrooms a good going over, in 4hrs, with windows being done less regularly, at the expense of other tasks

however, if they have to pick stuff up off the floor and clear worksurfaces, before they can start to do the basic cleaning, then i doubt they would be able to fit all that you want, into 4hrs

also, your decor will have an affect on cleaning time. minimalist decor is great for cleaners, but if you are a trinket and ornament person, then it would take much longer to clean surfaces

tbh, most cleaners would view a house first, and discuss what needs to be done, and then you would both come to some agreement as to what they can realistically get done in the time, for a price you are happy to pay

F

cookie54

i do cleaning in the community and we have to change the beds and put washing on and if time change and wash the towels ie tea towel hand towel bath towell etc and then some give us a rota 4 weekly jobs
ie
hoover under the sofa
wash lounge window
etc

Penny-Pincher!!

All horizontals (ledges and floors)
Kitchen inc fronts, utilities, tiles, sink, taps etc
Bedrooms (bedding changed?)
Cobwebs and skirting/door frames etc
Mirrors/glass
Inside windows?

Its best to go into each room and work top to bottom.

In 4 hours your house should have easily had a thorough clean as its not massive. I have a 2 bed, 2 bathroom house and it takes 2.5hrs thorough clean from top to bottom.

Remember to keep it tidy as cleaners clean and not tidy.

PP
xx

zzzLazyDaisy

My cleaner comes for two hours. She spends the first hour whizzing round the house doing standard stuff like hoovering, mopping floors, and giving the bathroom a wipe through. She also changes my bedding.

The second hour I usually ask her to do one room really well - polishing, windows, skirting boards, that sort of thing. Sometimes I'll just sit with her while she declutters a cupboard for me, she has even been known to wrap my christmas presents for me!

In between times I have a carer who keeps the kitchen surfaces clean and tidy, and picks up for me in the lounge, so the house is usually generally tidy when my cleaner comes, which does help a lot.