What do you expect from a cleaner?

Just to clarify for those who have commented on what my cleaner charges. I had never had a cleaner before so didn’t know what to expect. She visited the house, I asked her charge and she told me.
Its no ones business, but i give her a very decent Christmas bonus which over the year brings her well over the minimum or living wage.
She is much better off than me, if her car and frequent trips are anything to go by, so she doesn’t actually need to clean other peoples houses, but she is one of those ( rather strange) people who enjoy it.

I don’t think I have ever specifically cleaned the bathroom grout - off to check it now 🙂

What's a cleaner? Oh I think it's me, maybe I should start paying myself?

Make sure she does the things you want doing most.
My mother-in-law made lists of jobs for her amazing cleaner.
She wrote them down during the week and then went through them when the cleaner arrived.

In addition to the list she made a point of "rotating" the cleaning of inside windows - doing just a couple each week.

I do hope you sort it.
🤞

Thanks for all your thoughts. I did contact her to say I wasn't happy with the standard of cleaning on last visit, she was very apologetic so we will see next time. I will think about what I think needs to be done and tell her next visit.

I would want to pay self employed people more as they have other expenses - but really I think the thread is about leaving early.
I'd make a list each time and make sure the cleaner knows what is expected!

Good luck

Yes, IMO it is.

Whether minimum wage applies to self employed people or not by law, isn’t it just the decent thing to do, to pay it?

I don't think minimum wage applies to the self employed, so paying less isn't illegal. Also the cleaner doesn't seem to do much and may be quite happy being paid less for light work.
I think that depends on the type of self-employment. Someone who charges by the job (eg a decorator) may or may not earn the NMW when averaged out. The rules are that it is illegal for an employer to classify workers as self employed in order to avoid paying them fairly, though.

I think there are often issues with what employers expect to get done in an hour, though. Things like cleaning fridges take me ages, as my knees are sore, but the cleaner is young and can whip everything out, wipe the cavity, wash the shelves and throw out any lurking vegetables in no time. A deep bathroom clean, OTOH is a big job, specially if she is cleaning grout. It's unreasonable to expect that as well as, say, cleaning an oven or other time consuming tasks. The best way is to talk through how much can be done in the time, and what the expectations are. Some rooms (eg spare bedrooms) probably don't need cleaning very often, but high traffic areas will need to be done every time.

OP, why not have a review chat, where both of you can say what you are happy with and what you would like to change/clarify? I did that after a few months, when I knew I was happy with her and wanted her to stay. We discussed holiday pay etc and what we both wanted from the arrangement, eg what happens if she has to leave early or cancel. I am usually in when she arrives, and we have a quick chat before she starts, so if there is anything I want doing I tell her then, and she can say what (if anything) will have to be left till next time.

In answer to your question, yes, I think the shower grout should be done and the kitchen floor should be properly cleaned in 2 hours, unless you are also expecting her to clean the cooker, change the beds and walk the dog😂. I would expect that, and at least a reasonably thorough dust and vacuum/mop in 2 hours. I would be 100% indifferent to a pointy loo roll though😉

If you like her, and feel happy with her in your house, it's better to have open conversations than any resentment on either side.

Can you provide a steam cleaner for the floors? Our daughter has one and it really impressed me.

I wasn't criticising, ROMILO, quite the opposite, she's not doing a proper job, but do give her a list maybe that includes the deep cleaning like grouting when it's needed? I used to do a list every time, but she knows the house so well now I don't need to do a list. Like we have an agreement she's do the windows in turn over the weeks.

What I did used to do was add at the bottom " these if there is any time left" x and y. (No excuse to leave early especially at £20 an hour), that way she will do the full time I think.

I'm incredibly lucky, because she loves doing what she does. Yes really. her eyes gleamed one day when I said we are pulling out the stove as she could make it all spick and span. You can see the result!

She's actually got NVQ in caring, I only found out the other day, no wonder she's friendly and loves a natter about our families, I do light things alongside her. She shared she is a bit OCD and is sort of making the very best of her situation, she doesnt like to empty the kitchen bin so I quietly do it before she comes, but of course does all the heavy stuff.

I'm just so grateful. Last time there was spare time and we did a bit of light DiY.

I live on my own - £25 for 2 people (husband and rather frail wife) - they spend just 1 hour every fortnight. - they strip and change my bed -clean en-suite, do the kitchen, utility, living room, downstairs loo, stairs and landing. I hoover the other 3 bedrooms, when I remember

My cleaner does 3 hours weekly and is paid £20 per hour. She lives a three minute walk away so has no travelling time or expenses. She always cleans the kitchen, snug, back hall and downstairs cloakroom but we ask her to do different jobs around that according to what needs doing and if we have people staying. It works really well and she'll often say it's time to do this or that again. Today she did bookcases and cupboards gave one of the bathrooms a very thorough clean, another week she'll do some windows or clean bedrooms. OH and I are quite fit so we don't mind pitching in especially as many of the rooms are used fairly infrequently but still need to be kept clean. She always works for the three hours.

Last year I paid my cleaner £45 for 3 hours for a 3 bedroom modern house. This year I pay her £50. I supply everything.

She is excellent, even moves furniture frequently. She also descales my kettle and empties the toaster of crumbs. I have no carpets and floors aren't dripping wet. I know she is itching to get inside my wardrobes to sort them out. She folds clean clothes I have dumped on a spare bed. I strip my bed but she makes it up. I don't want to lose her as she is so good.

I don't have a cleaner - but have it in mind that I think the average is £15 per hour for one and certainly wouldnt pay less than either National Minimum Wage or the "Living Wage". Bear in mind that self-employed people have to cover their own holidays/sick leave/pension and so I'd be checking before I decided what was what. Would tend to think along lines of NMW plus a third (?) to cover those holidays/sick pay/pension.

But yep.....I would not accept some leaving early - when they'd only been due for 2 hours in the first place! I would expect the bathroom grouting to be done.

Doodledog

£11 an hour is an illegal rate. Minimum wage is £12.21 not including tax/NI.

I pay £20 and mine comes for 2 hours a week. I have arthritic knees, and she does the things I find difficult, which means the loos and bathroom every week (including washing the walls and cleaning the floors), the hall, stairs and landing floors, and dusting/vacuuming the reception rooms. Every now and then I ask her to do something specific, such as wash windows or clean the fridges, and she does the bedrooms (vacuum, dust and clean light fittings and windows) about once a month. Two bedrooms don't get used very often, and a third is used by me when my husband snores, so they don't need a weekly clean unless someone has stayed over, in which case she changes the beds.

When there are extra chores, she will just clean the loos and leave the deep cleaning of the rest of the bathroom to free up time. She's very flexible though - I've asked her to leave the cleaning and help me sort out cupboards and similar tasks before, and she's happy with that. She's been coming for years, and just does what is asked, really.

I don't think minimum wage applies to the self employed, so paying less isn't illegal. Also the cleaner doesn't seem to do much and may be quite happy being paid less for light work.

Willow3 See original post. I specified bathroom and floors as a priority then whatever else she had time for. I don't mind paying £20 an hour for a good job. I am 83 and not in good health so she knew it was the heavier cleaning first, we keep it ticking over between visits.

£11 an hour is an illegal rate. Minimum wage is £12.21 not including tax/NI.

I pay £20 and mine comes for 2 hours a week. I have arthritic knees, and she does the things I find difficult, which means the loos and bathroom every week (including washing the walls and cleaning the floors), the hall, stairs and landing floors, and dusting/vacuuming the reception rooms. Every now and then I ask her to do something specific, such as wash windows or clean the fridges, and she does the bedrooms (vacuum, dust and clean light fittings and windows) about once a month. Two bedrooms don't get used very often, and a third is used by me when my husband snores, so they don't need a weekly clean unless someone has stayed over, in which case she changes the beds.

When there are extra chores, she will just clean the loos and leave the deep cleaning of the rest of the bathroom to free up time. She's very flexible though - I've asked her to leave the cleaning and help me sort out cupboards and similar tasks before, and she's happy with that. She's been coming for years, and just does what is asked, really.

That’s why I give her a very handsome Christmas bonus

silverlining48

I have a cleaner for two hours every two weeks. She cleans bathroom and shower room, hoovers hall stairs and landing , and dusts three bedrooms and the lounge in that time. She doesn’t do woodwork, kitchen or dining room and finishes ontime every time. I pay a very reasonable £11 ph. She uses my equipment, and cleaning cloths and sprays.
I give her a good Christmas box which brings her rates up.
Havnt noticed a nice point on the loo roll though.

£11 an hour is 'very reasonable'? It's not even the National Living Wage!

ROMILO you need to be specific and ask for what you want and keep it realistic time wise. Who pays for the cleaning stuff? If she is, provide stage for grouting or other jobs you want done to your specs.

At £20 entirely reasonable.

She is there to clean what you want unless you are asking her to use dangerous materials etc.

I dont think £11 an hour is reasonable. It's under the national minimum wage for goodness sake
Unless you are paying her holiday wages/pension contribution?

I pay £17.50 an hour, she is worth every penny, she uses my stuff but likes to bring her own hoover, she has an annual raise.

If she’s only there 2 hours and she finishes early she is not doing a good enough job. We have 2 cleaners that work as a pair 5 hours a week . They completely clean kitchen/dining room, large living room including vacuuming sofas and armchairs and dining chairs , mop or vacuum all floors upstairs and downstairs, clean 3 bathrooms and put towels on to wash, and dust all rooms. They also clean 5 bedrooms and change the sheets on 5 beds. . The house is spotless when they’ve finished . What exactly does your cleaner do if she finishes in under 2 hours and costs you £40!

Why don’t you just tell her what you want doing? I do. She comes once a fortnight for two hours and mainly concentrates on the kitchen and bathroom. If I ask her to vacuum all the rooms and stairs she does the skirting boards as well but nothing else.

She did the grouting in the bathroom last week but did not do much in the kitchen because she ran out of time. Presumably you can manage a bit of dusting yourself you need her for the jobs you cannot do so just make that clear.

I haven’t had a cleaner for some time now, probably 4 years but when I did, I certainly got more done than both those without having to point things out.
For £20 an hour I would expect more .

I’d want the kitchen floor to have more than a swift mop over if it was only being done every fortnight ………I think she taking the proverbial OP