AIBU to think washing up is not the job of a cleaner?

I was a cleaner many years ago. I always had a sink full of pots and pans to wash. Apart from the normal hoovering dusting making beds etc. I was expected to clean windows and wash down garage door. When she complained I hadn’t cleaned right into the corners of the window cills I felt a bit dis heartened. The final straw was when they got a puppy and I was expected to clean up dog poop. I wasn’t that desperate for the money!

No, it’s not the job of our cleaner. We have a contract with the cleaning company which stipulates what they will and will not do because so many people were taking liberties - and the contract says no washing dishes. They had to include things like cleaning out pet cages and picking up dog poo from the back garden because some people actually thought it was appropriate for the cleaner to do it!

I have a cleaner who comes for two hours a week and vacs and dusts, and washes floors.
If I asked her to wash up she wouldn't have time for other stuff.
She is lovely and I'm lucky to have her. She left another client because they expected her to wash up and make/change beds and tidy up.
I nurture her because good cleaners are like gold dust, and don't want her to think I'm taking her for granted. I also have a dishwasher!

Seems to me it's your husband that's the problem here bulldog.

If be interested to hear what (if anything) he actually does around the house??

As this was a one off because you were not well then I don't see a problem. The person you employ to clean is there to help you in whatever way is best at the time. Having said that it seems a bit unreasonable of your husband not to do the washing up.
Not worth making an issue of it especially as you don't feel well.

Agree with kitty. Question of respect re tidying up- it was always an argument with OH and daughters when teenagers - to tidy up the night before. As I explained to them a) impossible to clean if toys, socks, knickers, etc- on the floor and more importantly b) a question of respect. A cleaner is there to clean, not to pick up your stuff, especially 'dirty' underwear.

When I was a cleaner and when I've had a cleaner, washing up was done. However, I'm with you, bulldogPaige. I'd rather the cleaner did bigstuff. Not stuff I can knock out in 5 minutes myself.

I have a cleaner and I try to do the washing up the previous evening. I have a dishwasher which makes life easier but not everything is suitable for it. My cleaner will wash the odd mug lying around but there are more pressing jobs for her to do.

I do try to tidy up to make her life easier. I do agree with you bulldog.

It strikes me as a waste to ask the cleaner to wash up as, at least in my house, there are things that I dont want to do that our cleaners does. By the same token, I tidy up before she comes as well.

I try to have an empty sink when my cleaner comes. I ‘tidy’ so she can ‘clean’. But if there are dishes in the sink she will just do them and leave them draining (which I don’t mind). She does the dusting, cleans my bathroom and toilet and cleans all my floors.... and changes the bedding (bliss). All usually done every other Friday whilst I’m at work. It is a pure joy to come home to.

Depends on what your arrangements are as some are via an agency who have rules n regs.

I was a "please myself cleaner" Girl Friday, clean/dust/mop,straighten beds,bathroom/hoover, paint decorate,gardening,taking dog for walk,looking after cats, picking children up from nursery,amusing them till grandparents arrived, hosting tea/coffee when any funerals going on . List was never ending but was left to my own devices so long as main stuff was done first.

I don’t have a cleaner. I think it’s up to you what jobs you ask your cleaner to undertake. But if I did employ a cleaner, I too would think that there were more pressing jobs for her/him to do than washing up. I would hope they were tackling the jobs I didn’t want to do, and washing up is a simpler task in my eyes.

I wouldn't expect my cleaner(if I had one to wash up) unless of course she was happy to do it. When I used to clean I did do little bits of washing up if needed, odd plate/cup etc.

I think that as you are paying the cleaner you can decide what is in the job description, and she can decide whether she is happy with it.

TBH, I can't see what is wrong with asking a cleaner to wash up, but equally, if you wold prefer your husband to do it so that she is free to do something you don't want to do, then that's fine too.