Cleaner dilemma - what would you do?

Stick with her: she sounds like a diamond. So what if the bed doesn’t get changed for four weeks. As you say, finding an alternative will not be easy.

Is she cancelling your neighbour too? If she's cancelling both of you, then she must be short of money. If she's still going to the neighbours, I would be unhappy. I agree that you are not getting the service you require but you like her and trust her. A big company may change who cleans your home without warning. I would stick with her for a while yet but keep an eye on how often she cancels

Yes I think she's cancelled all cleans - her message started "Good Morning everyone".

Why not speak to your neighbour and see if they are happy to stay with this nice, but unreliable, person? You could also keep an eye open for people advertising their services if you don’t want to use an agency. Personally, no matter how much I liked the person, in your situation I would be looking for a replacement.

Retain her services, definitely. I assume you pay her for hours actually worked?

Can you arrange with her to come to you as and when it is convenient for her, and at short notice? Raise her pay a little if you are worried she will defect to your neighbours.

Also ask around for a back-up cleaner who can come once or twice week .

I'm in the stick with her camp.
At least for a bit longer.

My cleaner happens to be here at the moment and I've got a streaming cold so cleaning was not on my agenda today! Your cleaner sounds like mine, a lovely person and nothing too much trouble. Most importantly I trust her too as you do. So, I'm thinking, give her time to get through whatever the problem is with her little boy. You know she isn't just leaving you. Such people are hard to find. I tried a company and I wasn't comfortable getting different people almost every time.

I would ask her to fit you in on another day if she needs to cancel any time.. she probably has a few extra slots.. as you say she has sometimes done a saturday..

You could ask if she has a friend who could cover for her.

I think you and your friend will have to look for someone else. I too couldn’t handle that situation, as much as I love children. Why don’t you put a little ‘Wanted’ notice in your local grocery stores ? Don’t go to agencies ..
I’ve had a ‘cleaning lady’ ever since I came here - and that’s nearly 45 years ago……my lovely Aunty J was with me for 25 years. She was widowed young and then she met a widower , got married and he looked after her like a princess….rightly deserved. I haven’t found anyone like her since. I now have a husband and wife team. She isn’t in the best of health. But worse still, yesterday I found that she had messed up my wi-fi connections and I spent an hour trying to sort that out .😫
Good luck in finding someone suitable

Could you suggest to her she bring her dog and child with her when she come to you. Maybe the dog and child would tolerate being shut in your spare bedroom for an hour while she works.

I imagine a nice scenario where she brings the dog and the child to you before settling them down, so you can get an idea if they are well enough behaved, and the dog and child get the idea you are to be treated with deference and respect.

She seems to be the sort of person who could live in , to care for some disabled person 24/7 in exchange for dog friendly and child friendly accommodation

Could you trial her bringing her child? One 6 year out for a couple of hours might be okay. I expect he has a tablet, it not stick on a film for him to watch.

I would keep her, don’t have her dog, but ask her if she would like to trial bringing her son with her.

Good trustworthy cleaners are like gold dust

I’d also wondered about the child accompanying your cleaner in holidays. Worth suggesting? She may not want to ask.

If you’re really worried about your bed is there a local agency that does one off appointments? There are several here. Probably expensive though.

Overall I think I’d stick with your cleaner and try to work around the school holidays by trialling a visit with her son. If it doesn’t work out you can re-think then.

Caleo

Could you suggest to her she bring her dog and child with her when she come to you. Maybe the dog and child would tolerate being shut in your spare bedroom for an hour while she works.

I imagine a nice scenario where she brings the dog and the child to you before settling them down, so you can get an idea if they are well enough behaved, and the dog and child get the idea you are to be treated with deference and respect.

She seems to be the sort of person who could live in , to care for some disabled person 24/7 in exchange for dog friendly and child friendly accommodation

The only issue with this is it wouldn’t only be an hour as she cleans for others too.

Personally I wouldn’t shut any 6 year in a room with a dog for even 5 minutes, both dogs and 6 year olds can be very unpredictable

I agree, shutting a child and a dog in a room together isn’t good - nor would I want to shut either of them in alone.

Cossy

Caleo

Could you suggest to her she bring her dog and child with her when she come to you. Maybe the dog and child would tolerate being shut in your spare bedroom for an hour while she works.

I imagine a nice scenario where she brings the dog and the child to you before settling them down, so you can get an idea if they are well enough behaved, and the dog and child get the idea you are to be treated with deference and respect.

She seems to be the sort of person who could live in , to care for some disabled person 24/7 in exchange for dog friendly and child friendly accommodation

The only issue with this is it wouldn’t only be an hour as she cleans for others too.

Personally I wouldn’t shut any 6 year in a room with a dog for even 5 minutes, both dogs and 6 year olds can be very unpredictable

I would not even consider telling her to bring the dog along - strange environment + owner being out of sight might result in damage/mess!

Have a chat to the neighbour and work something between you if you both want to keep her on - otherwise look elsewhere.

As someone suggested above I'd speak to your neighbour but either-way I'd see if she can "make up" the lost days in the same week in future.

If you explain to her (especially re the bed(!) I'm sure she would do her best.

I'd obviously not push it just now if her child is in hospital!

Sallyforth

You could ask if she has a friend who could cover for her.

Just remembered - this is what my mother-in-law's excellent cleaner did.
She sent a friend to cover for her (agreed by mother-in-law).

I admit I don't know how that worked regarding insurance. 🤔
Her regular cleaner has an insurance policy.

My daughter and her husband book via a local cleaning company. They come when the house is empty whilst they are at work. She pays on line too when booking slots. It’s very efficient. She never meets her cleaners and likes the fact that it’s purely a transactional service.

And that has the benefit of no cash payments which may not be declared.

My mother-in-law's cleaner is paid by bank transfer.
I'm sure not all cleaners are cash payments.

The only way to avoid the no shows is to use a company as there cannot be any cover when a self employed cleaner has time off.

Exactly Elowen. This is why it appeals to our daughter. She just loves coming home on a Friday teatime to a clean house! She’s not interested in knowing who does it. It’s a very efficient service and extremely reliable with no awkward conversations about expectations or personal difficulties.