Having a cleaner

We have a chat and I make her a drink. I tell her anything that I particularly need doing. She trots off and does upstairs while I get on with stuff, then I go in the living room while she does the kitchen, then vice versa.
Works fine. She comes 2 hours every 2 weeks. She has become a friend and is a big support. She is one jump ahead and predicts what I might need. Had to call ambulance for me on one occasion (I have a heart problem) and whilst the paramedics were doing their thing she was busy packing me a bag and knew exactly what I would need.

I'm upstairs while she's downstairs and then we swop!

Sometimes I tell my cleaner not to clean my bedroom and I do that whilst she cleans other parts of the house.

I often go and do a bit of shopping, while she cracks on with downstairs. So when I get back she's finnishing off the Kitchen or still upstairs.
She's not interested in having a drink or a snack, just gets on with it.

My lovely cleaner has been coming to me around 25 years and tbh she's part of the family now.

We have ours do upstairs one week and down the next. So we are in the opposite part of the house.

Thank you everyone. I will go and clean another part of the house while she is here.

We get on so well it's easy. She does the heavier stuff while I potter with the lighter stuff. I like her being around. At first I used to pop out sometimes, maybe I was embarrassed at not doing a lot when she was there?

See how it goes when you get a cleaner is my suggestion. See how you get on.

Make sure you lay down ground rules about what she is to do early on: at first I'd do a list, then we got into a routine. List would give the basics, then I'd give a brief "if there is anytime left".

She does one set of windows every time for example. She starts upstairs so I'd potter downstairs so's not to get in the way, then pop up for the kitchen floor and downstairs hoovering and tidy a bit upstairs.
Recalling former threads on cleaners: do be clear if you prefer less done but in depth: every corner, the grouting for example.

Leave tea and coffee out for her to help herself is my advice too.

(its a small house, so 2 hours gets the whole thing done at a reasonable level, but of recent she comes for one hour in between the 2 hours for stuff like heaving stuff into the attic or other 2 woman jobs and she is a super sorter outer.

PS, the other threads also talked about pay. Pay her a decent wage, a good cleaner is worth every penny well above minimum wage

Definitely buy her treats for Christmas and Easter etc

My mother-in-law's cleaner checked the shower drain was clear every week too.
This was a nearly impossible job for my mother-in-law.

Make her a cuppa, tell her to let you know if she needs anything g and either potter around or retreat to a different room?

If you find a good one, do everything you can to hang on to her. Good cleaners are like gold dust round here.

We are lucky ours is good, I stay in the kitchen whilst she is here.

I take the dogs out while the cleaners are here. Then I bring the dogs back, wet and muddy with the yellow lab shaking fur everywhere 🤣

Mine is gold dust. Yesterday she found the back of a drawer had fallen off. she found glue and sorted it out. She moves furniture. Also, I strip my bed and she makes it up. I established at the start she didn't want tea, coffee etc but she knows it is available.

If I am giving something to a charity, yesterday a coffee machine. I give her first refusal and she usually takes it.

We employ a team of two women for two hours, once a week. Typically I just walk the dog. Dog and I retreat to my husband's office and I do receipts.

Our cleaners are lovely young women, single mums. They started work after leaving school years ago, daughter 3&4 friends. I trust them completely and happily leave them to cleaning whatever needs.

I write a little note, mentioning, if any, special areas that need attention. I go out for a bit of lunch and shopping.

My cleaner has become a really good friend and someone who I know is 100% trustworthy. I usually retreat to my craft room whilst she cleans, she never wants tea or coffee, just drinks copious amounts of bottled water! We do chat a lot whilst she is here though, and I really look forward to her days! Priceless!

I have lots of hobbies and interests so usually just crack on with those. I do my piano practice or carry on with an essay or church admin. She is a lovely person and carries on around me. She knows not to disturb any piles of books around and on the sofa!
My friend talks to hers continuously, and I don't know how she gets on with the job!

We get a deep clean twice a year. We have a small 1 bed bungalow and while the 2 of them work their magic, we disappear out for the morning. Such a treat to have all the hard to reach places done; skirtings, under beds, under/behind furniture, lampshades, shower, mirrors and so on. They are a godsend. I feel it best to go out as we have a retriever who is over-friendly and a husband who is over-talkative and that combination would hold them up!

We go shopping and have coffee and read the papers in our favourite cafe. She locks up and puts the key through the door.

I usually go out with the dog and have brunch at a cafe near the woods.
Come back to a lovely clean house.
If I do happen to stay in, I don’t feel I have to be cleaning etc just because she is, so I read a newspaper or book, or chat to friends.
Same as others I stay downstairs as she always starts up and then swop.
She usually calls up when she’s finished.

I do whatever I would have done if she wasn't there. If I'm out I leave her cash where she can find it. We have a chat and she comes for 2 hours every 2 weeks. At the moment I'm usually sitting on the sofa watching tv when she comes as I broke my hip a few weeks ago and am still recovering.

Our cleaner of some years is a young Brazilian girl and she is fabulous. We don’t necessarily go out but keep out of her way. She is a treasure and a luxury which I often tell her. I just hope she never goes home!

I save up admin type jobs to do in my little office whilst she is here so I'm out of the way. I occasionally clean the office myself, it means I'm not embarassed by the mess!!

Hi
I have a Brazilian lady, she is wonderful she comes every two weeks’ (I’m on my own, so don’t need more often)
We chat (although her English is very poor£
I usually change rooms and watch tv on my iPad!
I can’t clean the kitchen & bathroom as I used to.
It is a necessary luxury