Getting a cleaner

My sister-in-law had a cleaning business and preferred to take her own cleaning cloths and products. You could leave tea, coffee and sugar by the kettle but when we had our new kitchen installed and also some recent plumbing work done all the tradesmen brought their own.

My cleaner came for the first time last week - wonderful! We have agreed on which areas will be done every visit ( fortnightly) and which rooms only need doing on a rota system. I’ve increased her time to 21/2 hours, initially she suggested 2 hours but it was obvious that was not long enough for a thorough job. It will be a few visits before each room is up to standard as I have let things slip so windows and woodwork etc need a good clean!

She does not take a break and I’ll be giving her a key as I don’t intend to be in every time she works but she said if I’m out, just write her a note with any specific jobs ie if I’m expecting overnight visitors, she will clean a spare bedroom or I might want her to do the windows during the extra time.

I’ll be paying the £30 ( £12 an hour) by bank transfer after each visit and she brings all her own equipment and cleaning materials. I was very pleased after her first visit, in two hours she managed to fit in two bedrooms, hall, bathroom ( including a rather grubby shower tray with some stubborn stains) kitchen, lounge and dining room. Next visit, with the extra half hour, she wont do the second bedroom but will give my craft room a good clean - I’m ashamed to admit it’s not been deep cleaned for ten years so is going to take her a while!

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There are things that you can do to make the cleaning time more effective. I used to own a cleaning business and would tell clients that although my staff would be happy to clear up breakfast dishes before starting on cleaning the kitchen, it was a lot of money to pay someone just to stick a few mugs and bowls in the dishwasher. Likewise, a bedroom cannot be cleaned properly without making the bed, and picking up clothes off the floor. I am not suggesting that your house is like this of course, but giving the cleaner a good straight run without having to clear things away gives you better value for your money. You must also explain what you mean by, for example 'clean the sitting room'. Does this mean insides of windows/ornaments/picture frames?

I have two cleaners for one and a half hours a week. They use my stuff and I pay them £12.50 an hour. That works out at £37.50.

I always had a cleaner when I worked, which was a nightmare.
First, finding someone suitable and then sometimes coming home to find she hadn’t turned up.

I decided to stop when I retired as I thought the activity would be good for me.
If I live long enough I will almost certainly have a cleaner once again.
Mum found hers through age concern, and they were always excellent.

My cleaner comes for two hours once a week.
She is very thorough and for the first few times did a big job and then did floors ,carpets to finish her time.
Now that most jobs are done she does what she can in two hours , it can’t be everything and what she didn’t do she starts of with the next time.
You must be realistic in your expectations.
I pay £15 an hour and she provides everything but bleach which she doesn’t like to carry.

Maybe you should do the work you want her to do and time yourself, to have more of an idea. Although you could be less active than she is, your house could be one on the list for the day therefore she might be a bit tired. Don’t forget the time to open the door and take off your coat. Forget the break, mine would last at least 30 mins and don’t chat if you are in when she is.

Thanks for lots of info.
Cleaner has been and looked, it’s only a small cottage, only me and I’m tidy. I was a bit surprised at how little she thought she could do in an hour and accept I may have to pay more for the once monthly jobs as well.

I would just stick around for the first couple of times just to make sure she is doing her job properly. Leave her a tray to help herself although she may not want any refreshments if she is only going to be there an hour. I had a cleaning lady once who came for 2 hours and took a 20 minute break and never finished her duties because of this!

Is an hour long enough? I would have thought two hours would be needed although I fully admit I have not seen your home.

I have worked as a cleaner for the last 12 years or so (gave up a more stressful job!) originally starting with one lady and then going on to do others she knew were looking for help. I ended up with four different houses. These are now down to just the one as people have moved or sadly passed away. But as I'm approaching retirement I am not taking on any more.
An hour is not a long time, I can easily spend that doing the kitchen at my remaining house, she is a mucky cook sometimes! I wouldn't expect coffee if I was only doing an hours work, when I did two hours I would have a cuppa at the end of my time, usually with the ladies I helped out.
Where I go now I work about an hour and a half, coffee and sit down for about 15 mins and then finish up my three hours. We have catch up chats as I go along (been going to her for 8 years so we know each other quite well) but start off the morning with what needs doing more than other things, and then I get done what I can.
They all supplied the cleaner products, in a cupboard and I just help myself to what I want to use.

Spoiled in my younger days by having a daily cleaner (yes, really!) I would do without almost anything rather than clean. Our wonderful cleaner has been with us for 25 years and is treasured accordingly. She does four hours plus a week at £15 an hour and is worth every penny. There are still jobs for me to do to remind me of my place - anything needing polishing, mirrors etc - but we have reasonable standards without a lot of effort on my part. Enjoy not having to do everything yourself!

We have had a series of cleaners over the years, some better than others. Do take up references, we shared one with my father who started iff stealing small things, then took my father's pension money which he had just withdrawn. We later found that she had also taken thousands of pounds worth of my late mother's jewellery!

Make a detailed list of what you would like her to do and ask her if it is possible in the hour. Discuss how you will pay her, and if she will bring her own products and cleaning equipment. We pay ours £12 an hour, but we supply everything.

Good luck, it is a huge relief to have the cleaning lifted off our shoulders.

I had one that was a law unto herself!
I would ask her not to clean a room and then find her cleaning it, when I politely told her I didn’t want it doing she said she felt it needed it and continued!
She even had the temerity to once signal to me to be quiet because she was on the phone.
She has gone......phew.

I’ve just arranged for a cleaner to start this Tuesday, I’m so excited! I’m going to have her for 2 hours at a time, alternate weeks. She will bring all her own equipment and I’m paying £13 an hour by bank transfer. She is coming a bit earlier this week to have a look at my house and see if extra time is needed initially to do a deep clean.

I’ve asked her to do my bedroom, ( I live alone), hall, bathroom, kitchen and lounge each visit then clean less used rooms such as dining room, spare bedrooms, stairs ( a dormer bungalow with my bedroom downstairs) and craft room on a rota every few weeks. She thinks she will have plenty of time to do a regular clean with occasional deep cleans.

I just decided during this lockdown that I hate housework, I leave it until I’m forced to do it and don’t do it very well! I do have mobility issues so it can take me an hour to do a room which I used to do in ten minutes! So, I can afford it and it’s my treat to myself!

I might be in when she comes or I might be out depending on my social life so she will have a key. I’m really looking forward to it, I’ve had cleaners before when I was working full time with three children so I know what is reasonable to expect. I used a local online group to get recommendations so fingers crossed!

I would write down the things you want her to do, an hour isnt very long, I wouldn’t leave coffee & biscuits out though, not for that short time, I would discuss with her what jobs she can do in that time, yes I’d leave her money on the table,

One thing I would say when hiring a cleaner, is, be specific.
I.e. clean the lounge. That could be a Hoover and a dust: or, it could mean hoover, dust, polish pictures glass, mirrors, skirting boards etc.
Same with kitchen and bathroom. Say exacly what you want done so as to not muddy the waters

An hour a week isn’t very long, especially if as you say there are things you can’t manage now. She may want to do a thorough clean to get things stable, IYSWIM.
Do manage your own expectations. If you’re going to be happy that things are reasonably clean, one hour may be enough.
But if you’re going to go round the house after she’s gone, looking for bits she’s missed, and finding fault, you’re going to be disappointed and she’s going to feel undervalued.
Ask her what she can realistically do in an hour and don’t expect to get owt for nowt!

If you are only having her for 1 hour she will probably want to crack on with whatever cleaning you agree on and not bother with coffee. I personally would not suggest that as an option anyway - you do not want coffee breaks in a single hour's paid work.

We have our two cleaners for an hour once every 2 weeks i.e. 2 hours paid work and they don't stop and work hard but obviously are limited in what they can do in that time frame. It is not a lot of time to clean the whole house and we do the bathroom and downstairs loo ourselves so that is not included. They use my equipment and cleaning materials.

My DD has the same two cleaners (sisters) but every week for 1.5 hours i.e. 3 hours work, but she has a bigger 4-bed house and works full time.

You should probably make a list of what you would like her to do in an hour and see if she thinks she can do that. I would also decide what hourly rate you are going to pay her. We pay £15 per hour by Bank transfer and that is the going rate round here. It may be different for your area.

We don't go out when they come but move from one room to the first one they have cleaned and stay there till they leave.

Good luck - hope you find a "treasure". Our two are lovely girls and we are both fond of them!

You need to talk to her and find out how she works. She may supply her own cleaning products or may need to use yours. I go out when my cleaner comes in. My coffee etc are out if she needs them but she tends to want to crack on and go. You need to come to agreements that work for you both with regard to payment, although the most recent firms I have used all do bank transfers.

Good luck with finding one, in our area, they’re like gold dust.