Do you have a cleaner?

Fleurpepper

For those who employ cleaners directly, how do you ensure this is done by the book, and not 'on the black' - so that they are covered for insurance, pension, etc.

I could never have a gardener (well, not as long as I am fit enough)- unless it was a real professional who knew about plants, pruning, etc. Most jobbing gardeners have NOT got a clue, and it would drive me mad.

What does it matter as long as they do a good job,clean as you want and your house is as you want it. If you go through an agency, you check they are covered by their insurance.
Do you ask the window cleaner if he is insured? Or realise that if the postman/deliveryman or anyone else slips on your drive you are liable.

Larsonsmum

Have never had a cleaner - even when we lived overseas in the 70s and 80s and everyone had House Boys and Amahs. We entertained a lot then too. We are all different, but can’t imagine waiting 1 or 2 weeks to have a toilet cleaned!! This year I have had a Total Hip Replacement and Cataract surgery, but still did everything myself - keeps me moving!

That’s the part I don’t understand. So someone comes in and very efficiently cleans your bathroom - floor, shower, bath, loo, etc. And doesn’t come back for 2 weeks? So obviously you clean in the interim. I think I’d need a cleaner every other day! My DH is like a teenage boy - toothpaste blobs, wet towels left scrunched up, mirror never wiped, etc etc. But I like him

Musicgirl

Oh, and of course toilets etc are not left uncleaned between her visits.

Neither were my toilets or wash basins or sinks they were done by me most days just like now. I also did my own washing and ironing, at least 7 white/blue shirts and 10 white school blouses plus my own it was a night gone in itself.
I would never begrudge anyone for having a cleaner or condemn them or think they don't do anything between the cleaner's visits.
In fact, we always tied up the night before and put clean bedding on the day she was coming.

No cleaner here ,I like to do my own...always have .5 bedrooms 3 bathrooms, utility room ,33 foot kitchen /diner and a large living room . I'm a bit OCD so if anyone did things differently it would really bother me . I've been known to remake beds to suit me when we have guests I do the garden now too ,I'm a new gardener ,my OH always did it but he's run off his feet with other things and I'm enjoying planting and planing for next year.

Oh, and of course toilets etc are not left uncleaned between her visits.

I have had the same lady for years. She really is a treasure. She comes for four hours a week and makes my life manageable. I work as a private music teacher and it means I can devote my time to this rather than cleaning. She gives the house a general clean, which means l only need to do bits and pieces to keep on top of it. I do change beds and do washing and ironing, though.

I have always had a cleaner. My reasoning was that I never learned how to do it properly. My mum only cleaned the house when her mum was coming to visit and then she would start after everyone else was in bed, and stay up til the wee hours to complete it. Then when I started my nursing career, I excused myself from cleaning because of the fact that I spent all day cleaning other peoples bodily fluids and making countless hospital beds. After working in Children's Hospice for 5 years, I stayed home and did childminding to look after healthy children and used an agency weekly to maintain the hygiene standard that I felt was necessary. Don't know why I felt the need to 'justify' using a cleaner for so long, but now I just accept that it is part of my life and now my mobility is such that I really am not able to do very many things well.

Have never had a cleaner - even when we lived overseas in the 70s and 80s and everyone had House Boys and Amahs. We entertained a lot then too. We are all different, but can’t imagine waiting 1 or 2 weeks to have a toilet cleaned!! This year I have had a Total Hip Replacement and Cataract surgery, but still did everything myself - keeps me moving!

For all of my working life I never had a cleaner and managed by myself but over the years has become more of a problem as my husband's disabled. Since retiring , I realised I needed help. I contacted our local Age UK and now have a wonderful cleaner who comes fortnightly. While it's more expensive because Age UK have to take their cut, their cleaners are vetted and reliable.

If you need a cleaner then employ one. It's not demeaning to them it's probably a job they want to do.
I had one all my working life she was part of the family and even looked after the DDs on odd days when they were ill. We were sorry when someone told the authorities she was working and her husband an invalid was claiming benefits.
Since retirement, we sort of share jobs but if the day comes when we can't or don't want to do it I will be employing one again. A lot of us have window cleaners so why not a house cleaner?
I think it's best through an agency to discuss with them what exactly you also want you can ring around and find out the going rate.

I did have. a cleaner for a short time while living abroad and really couldn't get used to it. Didn't want to go out while she was there but didn't know what to do with myself while she was busy working. She did a good job but in the end we spent a lot of time chatting. I never felt able to be firm with her when needed or treat her like an employee when she was actually in my home. Never had one since. Resigned to the fact that I'll be doing it myself for as long as I'm able.

For those who employ cleaners directly, how do you ensure this is done by the book, and not 'on the black' - so that they are covered for insurance, pension, etc.

I could never have a gardener (well, not as long as I am fit enough)- unless it was a real professional who knew about plants, pruning, etc. Most jobbing gardeners have NOT got a clue, and it would drive me mad.

Yes. Had a cleaner when I started working full time when the children were born many many years ago. They have all left home and I’m semi retired.
2hrs weekly is the arrangement. I used to arranged 3 hrs but after 2 hrs tiredness takes over so I now arrange 2 hrs and increased the pay.
She’s not brilliant but good enough. The going rate in my area is £12 pounds and I always give more to ensure I don’t loose her.
It’s important to remember if I loose her the house would be untidy and dirty.
I don’t like 2 cleaners at the same time and definitely no agencies.

I have had a young and glamorous Brazilian cleaner for a couple of years and she is fabulous, she is very thorough and reliable and I trust her totally. Her English is very limited and we communicate mostly be text. I pay her £15 an hour by bank transfer. I did text her today with commiseration on the death of Pele as I know she likes football.

Its a problem isn't it? Do you or don't you? Give up your privacy or not? What to say if work not to standard expected? Don't criticise in case they don't come back? Worried about affordability? Let down when they just don't turn up?
I hate getting old and not being mobile enough to do a bit of cleaning so I'm just stuck with doing what I can when I can!

I could do with a gardener. No sooner do I get the weeds out than it rains and up they pop again. Weed killers just don’t work and I don’t like using them anyway. The worst thing we get is oxalis and dandelions. I should make wine with the dandelions, I’d make a fortune.

That is a small fortune. 🤭

Yes. She is Ukrainian and does three to three and a half hours a week, including ironing.

Good cleaners are very hard to find. I have two Polish cleaners who come together once a week. I pay them £35. I’ve never seen cleaning like it. They are amazing. They do things that I hadn’t even noticed needed doing. They are supposed to do an hour but it’s often 45 mins. I don’t mind at all because they leave the house sparkling. They are also relentlessly cheerful and good to have around. My late MI L used to say that no one ever lay on their deathbed and said I wish I’d done more housework!

When I worked full time we used to have a cleaner who came in twice a week for 2 hours each day. She cleaned and ironed. It was wonderful on a Friday to come home to a tidy, clean house. A colleague thought I was being "posh" for employing a cleaner but as I explained to her, I didn't spend a lot of money on myself, didn't drink, eat out or have carry outs very often. Time for myself and family was worth a lot to me, especially at the weekends. Now that we are both retired we don't need a cleaner and we both share the housework. If we become unfit and infirm we will employ someone again.

We have a cleaner (3hours) and a gardener (3 hours) they don’t do everything but it’s a big help that allows us to do the ‘jobs’ around house/garden that we don’t mind doing.

I don’t have a cleaner, did many many years ago when the children were at home and I was working full time. Now I just live how I want, Mr B and I do what we we want in the house when we feel like it. As long as the bathroom and kitchen are clean, we’ll the rest can wait. Life is far to short.

‘Good cleaners are worth hanging on to’. Yes, they are. My daughter has her own little cleaning business, just her and a couple of part timers. Very punctual, conscientious and does a good job. The number of people cancelling an hour or so before a clean-even regulars-so it’s usually too late to fit anyone else in and either paying her short by £10 or so with no explanation or making her wait a couple of weeks to settle up is very disheartening. She’s thinking seriously as to whether it’s worth carrying on and may well go back to employed work again-she gave up a good job to start this up. One woman recently queried the fact she’d done the required hours-she had!- luckily the automated doorbell camera had recorded her arriving and departing. She still paid her short though. She has no real redress when this happens,which is frequently but those lost £5 and £10 make a difference when you are trying to make a living. If she has used a part timer she has to make it up out of her own pocket as she won’t see them underpaid. Some of her clients are obviously wealthy people and I think it is disgusting they are so mean spirited. Are they like this with others they employ or buy from, I wonder? At this rate we will have very few small businesses left and agencies will overcharge but still get paid no doubt as they have more legal clout. Then of course everyone will moan that ‘nobody wants to work anymore’!

I find changing the bed is a real piece of work and if I ever get a cleaner again it will be on the list.
I used to have a cleaner when I was working full time, but not since I retired. It helps me to keep physically active. Washing the kitchen floor on my hands and knees really stretches the back - not so kind to the knees though.
Our house is small but hard to clean as there is so much stuff! DH’s collectibles are everywhere, making dusting into a nightmare, so I rarely do it. I used to think the house needed to be kept so I would not be ashamed if anyone called, but only my daughter calls, so I don't worry any more. I do ensure it is hygienic though.
I used an agency when I had cleaners. If one left, I got a new one straight away with no effort on my part. Some were excellent, others less so.
When I cannot manage any more, I will happily get one again.

I don’t see the need for rude comments on this thread.

MawtheMerrier

When a person is named in a post it is generally because that post is aimed at them - and more than one person certainly read your unkind post that way Fleurpepper
So if you are prepared to apologise, why haven't you done so? (Instead of trying to make excuses , blame anybody else or suggest reading the whole thread)
Kittylester did not deserve that.

She certainly did not. And I did not- as explained. I know you will not accept this, but I certainly hope Kitty will, and accept my apology for not making it as clear as I thought it was.

My surprise was about being baffled by the reaction. And the rest was general. No need to 'apologise' for having a cleaner- but, as said in that post...