Finding a home help

petra

Allira
You need me. Mr L jokes that he’s frightened to stand around too long incase he’s chucked out 😂
I’ve realised this is why I sort in a charity shop, I luuuv sorting stuff 😂

You must be my mother's child, perhaps we were accidentally swapped at birth!!

Allira
You need me. Mr L jokes that he’s frightened to stand around too long incase he’s chucked out 😂
I’ve realised this is why I sort in a charity shop, I luuuv sorting stuff 😂

gentleshores

Yes that is the problem - too much clutter here. I need someone to help me clear the clutter as well as clean the odd thing!

Fingers crossed for the other one on Monday. But that's two people in who have cleaned something so far and neither of them cleaned anything properly! And the last one stressed me out and was rude. And I'm paying for it!

My cleaner person does organising for me, too.
She will go through piles of paperwork, and sort them into some sort of order for me.

She's better at that than cleaning, actually.

You have to give the poor cleaner time. She's a person not some machine that does exactly what you want. You'll have to adjust your expectations or you'll never find what you're looking for.

Ziggy62

I think if you explain all of the above the right person will understand. I go to one lady where I only clean bathrooms and hoover/mop floors using dog friendly cleaner, she can manage dusting, making beds herself.
Another lady has a certain way she likes the bed making and we do it together then she leaves me to do rest of the cleaning.
I clean some very old houses and some new builds but always check with customers about which products to use before I begin.
Good luck with the lady you have coming, I'm sure if you explain all will be well 😀

Thank you! I did tell her all that - lots of chat by text first and then when she first arrived, over a cup of tea. She said she would do whatever I wanted and to suit my needs. And did the opposite.

Yes that is the problem - too much clutter here. I need someone to help me clear the clutter as well as clean the odd thing!

Fingers crossed for the other one on Monday. But that's two people in who have cleaned something so far and neither of them cleaned anything properly! And the last one stressed me out and was rude. And I'm paying for it!

gentleshores

Allira

It sounds like it might be me that's the problem then. I'm finding it hard having someone in the house doing things when I've always had my own way of doing things.

I know just how you feel.

Thank you

So far I've resisted but I think the answer for us is to get someone in to thoroughly clean the whole place every so often as and when rather than someone weekly.

First we need to declutter and get rid of stuff that is in piles ready to dispose of!

I always provide all cleaning materials.
Sounds like you might've overthinking the potential situation. Maybe it won't be exactly how you envisaged it but over time and as you build a relationship with thus person I'm sure all will be well.

I think if you explain all of the above the right person will understand. I go to one lady where I only clean bathrooms and hoover/mop floors using dog friendly cleaner, she can manage dusting, making beds herself.
Another lady has a certain way she likes the bed making and we do it together then she leaves me to do rest of the cleaning.
I clean some very old houses and some new builds but always check with customers about which products to use before I begin.
Good luck with the lady you have coming, I'm sure if you explain all will be well 😀

Allira

^It sounds like it might be me that's the problem then. I'm finding it hard having someone in the house doing things when I've always had my own way of doing things.^

I know just how you feel.

Thank you

And yes I did think to ask for references . It's nerve wracking having a stranger in the house and I think you both need to be prepared to get to know each other a bit. To me the person you're paying needs to be prepared to do what you ask and not be a know it all. I'm polite, I'm not patronising, but I do need to explain which bits are sensitive areas and someone respect me and the house. My Mother had a wonderful lady after a succession of ones she couldn't cope with. And they got a routine. Eg change the beds, put the bedlinen in the washing machine and drier and just do one bit that needed doing that week.

I think cleaners have expectations as well when you say "bathroom". Our bathroom isn't tiled - it's a pig to clean! So I'd rather they just do the sanitary ware and leave the rest for OH to sort out under my instruction!

Thank you all. And it's interesting hearing it from both sides. I think I was quite clear up front that I wanted general help "at a relaxed pace". I couldn't cope with just letting someone start on doing a whole room. Because the other thing is, I'm trying to keep a bit of independence and do the odd little bit myself, that I can do - eg dust the photo frames. So yes it's finding the right person who understands it's to help me, as well as the odd bit of cleaning. I do understand they like to be left alone to get on with it, but before that can happen, there needs to be a conversation/explanation about various aspects of the house - it's old and has grungy bits and I don't want people using chemical cleaners on very old wood!

I've had one bad experience and one let down so far. So it needs to be someone who understands what I'm asking for. I did ask for "help in the home" rather than a cleaner. It's important I provide the cleaning materials as I'm very sensitive to a lot of chemicals. But I can see some cleaners might feel that makes the job harder. Although I've said I wasn't expecting perfection.

What got stressful was someone being bossy and insisting using their own cleaning products. And I didn't want the confrontation.

OH tends to do the hoovering - he's just not good at seeing dirt!

Anyway there is a lady coming next week, who I've already met. She hasn't been a cleaner before but just a home help - so she might be better. But she's a bit expensive. I don't mind paying a bit more if it's the right person.

I do cleaning part time. I advertise on Facebook where most local solo cleaners advertise, so might be worth looking there.
I always pop round for a chat to discuss exactly what customer wants doing, how many hours, which days, cost etc

I provide my own products including hoover, mop etc but will happily use customers if they prefer.
I'm police checked and fully insured, maybe something you could ask about to give you peace of mind.

Maybe write a list of exactly what you want doing, while being realistic about what can be done in time your paying for.
Personally I don't mind customers being in the house while I'm cleaning but I do like to be left alone to get on.

I had one lady who sat in the doorway of each room I cleaned in her wheelchair, then checked how often I changed water in mop bucket.
Unfortunately I didn't return

As mentioned lots of people are looking for cleaners.
You can ask for references and as I say write down exactly what you want doing.

Hope you find someone.

You have to adjust your expectations. Cleaners are people too and may resent being told what to do and how to do it. Why not just make sure the basics are covered and let them get on with it? Clean kitchen, bathrooms, dust and hoover the rest. Special jobs can be requested as and when required. I've had some terrific cleaners over many years. Some have had idiosyncrasies or favourite tasks but all have been to my benefit. I stay in the flat while they are in so am in reach if they need to ask anything.

Would have loved to help but far unfortunately.. Take your time and I believe a suitable person will Coe your way soon

No, the bad experience with my mum's purse being stolen was when the only people who had been in were social service approved carers.

Has anyone had a bad experience with a cleaner? I would feel rather concerned about leaving valuable jewellery in a drawer in the bedroom.
What do others do about this?

Have you tried your drs. surgery for some kind of outreach help. If you and your oh can’t manage, this may become a social problem that they help sort out with you.

I think cleaners can chose who they work for these days as there is such a demand for them.

My daughter's friend runs a cleaning company and she has to turn people down sometimes.

No idea where accused came from...

Does your pet sitter know anyone, by chance?
Or might they even be interested themselves?

If you have the NextDoor app, that always seems to be a mine of information for this kind of thing, including people saying "don't bother with this person accused they don't turn up!"

One cleaner came to see us for a chat but I felt that she was interviewing us rather than the other way round.
She was quite intimidating.

It sounds like it might be me that's the problem then. I'm finding it hard having someone in the house doing things when I've always had my own way of doing things.

I know just how you feel.

I have every sympathy for you .
I tried and tried to find a cleaner for my father without success and the house is near bus routes .
In the end , I did everything myself and he complained a great deal .
If you live a distance away from public transport and find a treasure - could you employ them for one day a week and get them to blitz the house having lunch midday and pay for a taxi ?
Or would it be an enormous expense ?

I find that people ,who provide cleaning services really pick and choose their employment these days .
Having written that I recall the succession of cleaners , that he had 30 plus years ago !

Thank you. Tried most of that! I spent over a year asking for recommendations and getting nowhere, apart from a recommendation for a small cleaning company but they were very black and white - two people to come in and clean everything or nothing. So I muddled on for a while. Then put an ad locally. But yes it's hard finding the right person. My Mother would have been the perfect person :-)