Having a cleaner

I'm a cleaner and work for a well-known charity for the elderly. I really enjoy my job. I get on very well with my clients and have been with them for many years. they really enjoy seeing me and I enjoy seeing them. we usually start the day with a coffee and a brief chat for about 15 minutes and then my clients generally go out with their family or if they are able they go out shopping while I make the house sparkly for them. then I see them the following week. it works well for us and to be honest I am much more productive when I am left to get on with it!

Our cleaner comes for two hours once a week. She always starts upstairs - we are usually finishing our breakfast. When she does downstairs, I usually go shopping or visit friends. OH will watch the previous day’s Match of the Day and keep out of her way! She’s very good, although I do have to straighten all the pictures after she’s gone!

We go out when the cleaner comes. Best to keep out of her way. Nice to come home to a clean house!

My cleaner loves housework . I’m her last client of the day and I make her a cup of ground coffee which she appreciates. She starts in the bathroom and it sparkles and she always does the shower drain. Mainly she dusts and does the floors before attacking the kitchen it’s easy to work round her and I appreciate her help doing what I cannot do. Everything is left neat with th dirty cloths in the washing machine and any empty products are left visible for me to reorder..

I started to have a cleaner this year. I went with a care company as it was recommended by a friend who has someone help her shower. But they do everything.

Manger can to see me as assess what I needed and for how long. I went with a company because of my visible and invisible disabilities my life runs on planning and routine. And knew if my assigned cleaner was ill or on holiday a replacement would still come on the day I wanted and time . It's worked out brilliantly. My usual cleaner is on holiday but her replacement who came yesterday was just as lovely and did everything I asked of her. They use my equipment and cleaning products. Which is ideal for me . Well worth the £55 for 90 mins . In the summer when I wear my cotton shirts and linen trousers she was do my ironing . I have a table top ironing board as I can't handle my large one . But can't get all the creases pout if my shirts . So only wear them at home . Ironed properly will probably wear them out .

I agree, Whiff, worth every penny. The best, which you've got, are really carers, cleaners in disguise.

A general point - pluses and minus of using an agency...(not addressed to anyone specifically I hasten to add)

It is worth checking out how much they actually get per hour. We can't make all in the world OK, but I was shocked last year when I needed caring help via an agency and found they were paid minimum wage plus a bit more. They did get the minimum of workers rights, but very basic.

What I did, was anything I didn't need that was useful or clothes she liked or food "accidentally bought" came her way. If she chose to sell a clothes item on vinted, that wasn't my business!

I just do what I'd be doing if she weren't here. Usually I am upstairs on a Zoom call, as that is scheduled at the time she arrives, but if it's not on for some reason I just do what I fancy. That might be cleaning something else or watching a film. As I see it, it's my house and her workplace for the few hours she's here, so it's not awkward if I am doing nothing and she is working. She seems happy with that too.

When she arrives we have a quick chat about what needs doing, then she just gets on with it. If I have a coffee I make one for her, and she knows she's welcome to help herself if not, although she usually brings one of those Stanley cups with a cold drink in it. I've known her for years (her mum used to clean for me and she'd sometimes come along in school holidays when she was little), so we just work around one another.

I know she's not keen when clients want to chat all the time, as it stops her from getting on, and then they complain. She has a lot of older clients (as do most cleaners probably) and this can be a problem, apparently. She is very kind, and recognises that people can be lonely, but she often has another job straight after, so can't stay behind when her time is up, and she doesn't want to leave work undone and get complaints.

My cleaner comes every 2 weeks. I wattsap her with the list of things I would likeher todo. She changes our bottom sheet each time. When she arives I ask her tomake a drink and help herself to the biscuits I have put out. We agree the order of rooms etc. to be done and I work elsewhere. At christmas I ive her a small preent and a gift of extra money.

We have two amazing cleaners (one is 80!) who come every Monday. I volunteer on a Monday so rarely see them. I don’t leave them a note - just the money. They can help themselves to tea and coffee if they want it. They are so wonderful and I will be heartbroken when they finally decide to stop.
My husband is sometimes at home but just retreats to his office or takes the dog out.
I pay them well and at Christmas, we give them a cash gift, wine, chocolate and biscuits.

I thought I would update you on my previous post about getting a cleaner.
Well, she’s been three times now and is absolutely brilliant. She does all the jobs that I struggle with like washing floors and getting into corners. She even cleans the inside of windows. I can’t believe how much she gets done in an hour. I am so lucky to have found her. I will be giving her a big box of chocolates at Easter

🐣

That's great to hear, Sadgrandma. Enjoy being able to put your feet up without worrying about the state of the house. After all these years you've earned that luxury.

Thanks for the update sadgrandma, so pleased you’ve found someone that you’re pleased with. A good cleaner is to be cherished!

Not a cleaner, but I need help with my king size bed. I thought about possibily a teenager wanting to earn some cash (not sure how much) once a fortnight to change fitted sheet and quilt cover. Any thoughts please?

I pay mine £50 for 3 hours, and at Christmas I give her the same amount of money, which I think she appreciates, instead of chocolates. She gives me chocolates which I don't like!

Glad your Cleaner worked out for you. Mine has been with me 23 years and she's now part of the family. Worth her weight in Gold.

FindingNemo15

Not a cleaner, but I need help with my king size bed. I thought about possibily a teenager wanting to earn some cash (not sure how much) once a fortnight to change fitted sheet and quilt cover. Any thoughts please?

A radical solution! would you consider a single bed?

less laundering, easy to strip and change, cosy and warm

if not, consider a flat sheet between you and the duvet,
less to launder, less battling

has anyone noticed how pillowcases are nowhere near as
large as they used to be?

SORES. Some good ideas there. I hope to move next year so worth considering changing to a single bed when the time comes.

Yes I agree about the pillowcases.

Sadgrandma

I’m going to be having a cleaner for the first time as I’ve finally decided that I need a bit of help. I am wondering though what do you do while your cleaner is working as I think I might feel a bit awkward sitting around and watching her!

We have had dire cleaners, lazy, who want to stand and talk,
they are the ones who sigh a great deal,
best to let them get on with it but if there is anything specific
you need doing speak up or as my mum used to, write it down so you both know, like a contract.

My DD cleaner works for an agency so she is insured and DBS
checked and references : the agency creams off the top for sure.

You could ask your cleaner if she would prefer you being there or to go out and leave her to it?

Good luck, perhaps you could let us know what transpires?

O just seen your update!
See, you didn’t need us at all!

Just a word of caution regarding cleaners, some like to chat and have coffee first but that can take up to 15 mins of your hour or whatever time they have for cleaning.
Some, however lovely and friendly will steal items from your house.
I know this, not only from experience (Mum’s cleaners) but from cases you read about.
Leave out coffee tea and biscuits if they want it, but don’t keep them talking.Lock away cash, cheque books and bank cards and keep your handbag with you.Also lock away jewellery.
Check the house when they have finished work.
Most will be honest but you just don’t know.

I have had the same Russian/Portuguese young woman for 10 to 15 years now. She comes every two weeks and although I keep it basically clean and tidy, she does the increasingly more bits that I can’t reach. She’s actually here at the moment and at first I retreated to another room but she’s just been to tell me that the sitting room is useable and so I’m sitting comfortably on a carpeted island with still damp tiles all around me.
I commented on her very pretty but not usual eye make up. She started laughing and told me that when she went to Zumba this week somebody elbowed her in the eye and the make up is simply disguising it!
Oh to have the energy to go out to an exercise class after working all day.

My cleaners come fortnightly , two women for an hour. They walk in and start work. I usually take the dogs out and arrive home an hour later to floors mopped and hoovered, any extras like window cleaning all done. £30 and no coffee breaks

I just wanted to update you on my experience with my cleaner.
I think I really struck gold - she is wonderful. She comes for an hour on Monday mornings and she’s like a whirling dervish. She cleans all the floors and gets into corners that I can’t do and she cleans the bathroom and cloakroom, leaving everything sparkling ( much better than I’ve ever done). She’s happy to clean windows and has done all the kitchen ones and doors so far, including the double doors between the kitchen and dining room that has numerous small windows. I keep an eye on the time as I’m sure she’d carry on over her hour if I didn’t stop her. I bought her a box of chocolates for Easter as a thank you and she was so touched she cried and gave me and DH a hug. Surely she must be quite unusual.

She sounds lovely - congratulations on finding her 😀.

I think most of them will be - all but one of mine has been, and I think the one that wasn't had MH issues. As in any line of work there will be odd ones who are lazy and/or dishonest, but on the whole, I find people are as nice to you as you are to them. Also, if valuables go missing from houses, cleaners/carers/tradies will be the first suspects, so they are going to be scrupulous. Their reputation depends on it.

It's lovely having a clean house without having to wear yourself out, isn't it? I always ask mine to do things that involve reaching high or low (eg emptying the filter on the washing machine or dusting picture rails) as my knees make those things difficult and I tend to ignore them.