Cleaning

Luckygirl Not parquet floors, floor boards! Use a Vileda spray mop thingy where you put the cleaning liquid in the handle then squirt and mop!

My cleaner is not one to mince words..if she wanted a rise she would ask! It suits her as I am very flexible and when she is zipping off to Majorca (again!) I never mind and she swaps days with me when other clients need her for special cleans or are away etc! She cleans for my DD too.

My cleaning lady is me - and I'm not that good at it. I'm going to have to fire me.

Lucky girl. I was earning £10an hour over 10 years ago. Maybe a bit more eh? Especially as she uses her own cleaning materials.

I think you need to make it clear to her that she is paid for X amount of hours, and you expect certain things done. When at work we all have to conform and she is no different. I think she has become comfortable and complacent ( mostly, I would imagine, because you haven't said anything when little things have got left). If she doesn't take notice get a new cleaner. Recommends are always a good idea.

I have had a cleaner £10 per hour for several years now. Absolutely no problems. Yes she sometimes arrives late/ leaves early but sometimes does extra other times. She has regular things to do but fits in anything she thinks needs doing and it all works out well over the month. No instructions necessary.

I would sit down with her and ask her if she has any problems that are worrying her and mention the leaving early and the drop in her standard of work. It might well be just a short term thing but I do think you need to have that chat.

I've employed a cleaner and now I'm on the other side of the fence and housekeep for someone two days a week. It's hard to find a good trustworthy cleaner. I get on really well with the lady I work for and if I'm not doing something I expect her to tell me - I might not like it but if someone is paying you you should expect to work to the expected standard and hours and also to be told when something is not right. Stand firm and speak to her - if she values her job she should be willing to listen to any criticism and pull her socks up if needed x

In my experience cleaners start off good then “go off the boil”. I found it easier to go through a cleaning company where it’s less embarassing to ask them to send someone else if you aren’t happy!

I had a lovely cleaner for five years and she became a good friend and companion but her mother died and she had to care full time for her father. I advertised through Next Door Neighbour. Had several replies and chose woman from the next street. She is not great at cleaning but has made up for that by taking me to hospital appointments. Five days a week for five weeks having to leave 6.30 am thirty mile drive whilst I was having radiotheraphy. Sat up all night whilst I was waiting for seven hours for ambulance to take me to hospital. She also has an on line craft business and often has to look after her grandchildren. So I have learned not to worry about a bit of dust!

When I was working full time and had a cleaner I often thought "it will do but only just" I always thought when I retired it would all look lovely because I'd be doing it.
Dream On - I don't have time!

*My friend is in her late eighties.
Still alive!
I've just phrased her as "my late eighty years old friend".

Nanann2
Please be careful. Age UK sent a cleaner to my late eighty years old friend. Age UK do the background checks.

They became very close and she was a wonderful helpful girl. I spoke with her on the phone over numerous little problems my friend was having. She kept an eye out.

Not much useful cleaning got done but she did shopping and little odd jobs.

I'm 6hrs drive away and friend is housebound.
I'm sure many of you can guess the ending to this.
She was stealing large amounts of cash from my friend.
Also others clients.
She had a sob story about missing her late Mother.

Lots of tears from my friend, she will never trust anyone again.

I've never fancied the idea of a cleaner, and as I always find myself redoing things if someone else does it I think it would be a waste of money. I manage even if I do sit down to hoover. Cleaning takes me a while but tbh it also keeps me as active as I can be and I like a clean home.

He who pays the Piper calls the tune! You're paying for a service which she has agreed to deliver. If she fails, you are perfectly entitled to change to someone who will!

Cleaning lady lucky you. Did cleaning fir a teacher when I had two young babies. But she kept leaving more and more to do. Only did two hours a week. Gave it up in the end.

She is asking £10 an hour and she brings hr own cleaning materials - I feel I ought to pay her a bit more really.

PECS - mopping wooden floors? - ours are parquet and I have yet to find a good way to clean them- any hint of wet on them leaves water marks.

It is a bit of coincidence that today I have employed a cleaner! I used to have one years ago when the children were small and I was at work, but find it hard to justify when I am retired. But then I thought to hell with it - I can use some of the attendance allowance.

So new lady today who lives just down the road and has children at the school down the road. She has done her first two hours today - we have a large living/dining room and she has "bottomed it out" - the big sofas have been moved for the first time in (blushes with shame) years and she has scrubbed the inside of the big windows and cleaned all the surrounds and ledges - it looks just great! I hope very much that it continues to be so!

Msoz.
I'm glad you got it all sorted out , you'll be feeling a bit happier now . Happy DIY ing !

No 1 is she trust worthy more important than anything else but if u can't stand the way she does things not much you can do to change her ways without wearing yourself out in which case look around for replacement.

I think you ought to have a chat with her. l used to clean for several people but we always discussed what was required and what was priority. I was friends with all my clients but work was work and that came first.

PECS. Your cleaner sounds such fun and a hard worker so pay her more !!

Thank you, much appreciate everyone’s comments, I did talk to her today, she didn’t really have a reason for leaving early than everything was done, so I gently explained that there were some bits that hadn’t been done, she then asked for a pay rise ! She’s doing 4 hours today. Then we are going to part ways. Ref agencies. I had used them in the past, but discovered that the staff were often being paid little more than the minimum wage, but I wanna paying double that. So I’m off to DIY, and a couple of jobs a day in rotation should keep it under control. Thanks again my first ever forum post and I found the response really helpful.

I have a very funny cleaner! She lurches from one crisis to another in her life or else is whizzing off on holiday. I pay the same as when she first started with me £9:00 ph.
She is swoops round cleans 2 x bathrooms, the kitchen/ diner & cloakroom. She vacuums and dusts 2 living rooms / 4 bedrooms & finally mops the wooden floors all in 3 hours. She is not perfect but who cares..I am not doing it..& I am certainly not perfect!