How do I tell my cleaner she's doing a rubbish job?

My daughter has a cleaner and she finds that leaving a note of what needs doing is the best way. She's about 80% happy with her!

I was out today when my cleaner came. There were two rinsed mugs in the kitchen sink. So she did not clean the sink :-/ Am going to have to say it is OK to move stuff!

I've never done residential cleaning but I've done lots of commercial, and it's a hard job - very hard. The main problems were having too much to cover in too little time, or clients adding extra jobs that were not on the original quote and, again, could not be pulled into the allotted time.

I'm not saying all cleaners are good - I've known some skivers in my time - but there are some bad employers too. Particularly those who think they have got a slave, not an employee, just because they are paying minimum wages for someone to do a job that society often considers demeaning (but can't do without.). Some employers are fine, some are unreasonable - I particularly disliked those who spoke to me as if I was simple-minded....

I have a friend who does house cleaning and she seems to experience similar sorts of problems, i.e. being expected to cover too many areas in too little time. She's also had problems that don't arise if you're a commercial cleaner, thank God - such as the client who wanted her to deal with their nasty dog, the one who wanted her to take their children to school or the one who wanted her to give their granny a bath!

Basically, if a cleaner's not doing what you want, see if you're asking her to do more than can be done in the time. If you're not, then maybe it's just a failure to communicate....maybe your definition of priority tasks isn't the same as hers, and you need to sit down and talk about it.

You are right Bluecat communication is everything! I first had a cleaner, who was really my childcare provider..a lady who came to my house so when my pre-teen /teen DDs came home from school someone was there. When they were younger she would play games with them but as they got older she asked if she could do a bit of ironing etc. It grew from there. Since then I have had two different cleaners and now the lady I currently have. The other two were 'instinctive' and I guess did what they would do at home cleaned well and made rooms look tidy too! As that was my experience when we moved house I did not think to detail everything. When I met my current cleaner we talked generally, she told me how long it would take and her rates and I said OK! She is very nice but I have probably let things go too far to change it. I could do all my own cleaning... it is laziness on my part and total dislike

When I got my first promotion job, as a mum with young children and a big old house- my first prority was to get a cleaner who came for 3 hrs on the Friday.

Soon learnt that if you have a cleaner, you have to be a bit philosophical and accept they won't do things the was you do them, and may have slightly different priorities and see different things as important- or the tension will build. Much better to ask them to have a cup of coffee with you (in paid time) and say how wonderful their help if and how grateful you are- but a few things are 'grating' and you feel its best to talk about it rather than let it fester.

No had cleaning help for a very long time- but my neighbour has started to clean for me due to my knee op- and she does it all much much better than me, and is much faster. Only employ her for 2 hrs a week, but she is happy for me to call her for more as and when is required. She is very thorough bordering on the finnickity- but that's ok. My last cleaner in the UK happened to be French, and became one of my very best friends- and still is. She was a bit too fast, and did break a few things but hey ho, it was a small price to pay for her great help. She looked after our pets when we went away too- priceless.

I used to get fed up with my cleaners when I was working full time and vowed that when I retired the house would look nice...dream on!

Tell her that you were with a group of women, and the conversation was about cleaning, and that you thought their ideas about getting a system going ie as in getting some things done one week and then others the next, was very sensible. Then suggest that the two of you sit down to organise it.

Many of you are saying you don't know how to cope with this situation and it is embarrassing. As Synonymous says this is a contract between you and her to clean your house and it looks as if you are going to have to tell her what you expect from her and what you need her to do. If you don't say anything then as far as she is concerned you are happy with her work.

You need to tell her in a polite and clear manner and point out where you are disappointed in her work. To do this you will need to at home for some of the time to point out areas where she hasn't met your standard. If her work continues to be of a poor standard then you must look for another cleaner. Next time make it clear what you want before they start.

If you took a dress to the cleaners and it came back will dirty marks, I am sure you would take it back and point this out to them.

One thing, if you don't tidy up before the cleaner comes, it will take her a lot longer to do the cleaning.

I've heard a few nightmare stories about cleaners and also from cleaners about the homeowner. From cleaners that try on designer clothes ( have heard one once took a dress over a weekend as they were going to a swanky do ) to a householder that liked a grass stripe look from her lounge carpet and you had to do it in a way that finished at the door and not 're enter the room again.

Just wanted to add that our cleaners came from the one agency. Someone from the agency came to visit to discuss what I wanted and how long it would take. We agreed 2 hours was enough to do what I wanted done every time, with time left over to do other things from a list I would leave. The cleaner would decide what she had time left to do and it worked well because TBH, I was happy enough just getting the regular stuff done, so anything else was a bonus. I know couldn't do as good a job in the same time.

I'm not sure I would be comfortable employing a cleaner myself for all the reasons given on this thread. An agency keeps it on a professional level - in theory any way.

'She's been' - crikey

Kate, married to Gary, is not the brightest, but she's kind, helpful, and mainly honest. ( she will not admit to breaking things ) fortunately this is very rare and all valuables are not accessible

My cleaner has been brilliant this week. It's like organised chaos, more so than usual with my dad dying so photos everywhere etc. I just said for her to leave alone the table and windowsill and to concentrate on doing bins and hoovering and chatting to me and making me feel better, which she is especially good at. She has become a good friend.

She does make me laugh with the doormat, she puts it the wrong way round so that you get a "Welcome" when you leave!

I have a friend who is a cleaner..she is great for gossip! She used to clean Ringo Stars's house when he lived locally.

My cleaner is Polish, most who put fliers through the door around my neck of the woods are. She is the only cleaner I have ever had so I don't have anyone else to compare her with, except my mum's cleaner who she had towards the end of her life when she suffered from osteoporosis. She is wonderful, she only speaks broken English, but I think she really likes us a lot, my husband always gives her a big tip at Christmas and she makes us lovely Polish cakes in return

Bluecat well said. My friend cleans a holiday apartments and welcomes the guests. Her employer treats her very unfairly which is incredible as she really manages the apartments apart from the bookings and has wonderful comments on Trip Adviser. I persuaded her to have a talk with her employer which she did after a long time and things have improved.

Communication helps. Also remembering many working people would have a very poor quality of life without their cleaner.

Like TerriBull I have a cleaner once a week and we do everything we can to help her and her family and she in return is very loyal, caring and does an excellent job. And she is a much better cleaner than me.

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I have tried cleaners over the years but found they were not instinctive in that they would wash the kitchen floor (always missed the corners!) whether it needed washing or not - but not see the obvious that needed cleaning - like hoovering the stairs. Perhaps they should have had a list of things to cover each time but I simply was so rushed with work I didn’t have a moment before the cleaner came - and of course what needed doing varied depending on what my family had been doing. I do it myself now and am dreading the day when I can’t manage it and have to get cleaners in again. I found them just so frustrating even if they were lovely people.

It seems from your post that you are not there when she's cleaning.
So maybe you don't know her very well and she doesn't feel loyal to you and skips things she may do if you were present. Just a guess.

It might be a good idea to arrange to be home at least once, then make a nice morning tea for you both and say, 'I think I'm going to do a list, it'll make it easier for us both that way because there are one or two things I'd like you to tackle.'

Then you'll both be on a firm footing, both know what's required and she'll feel you've treated her with respect.

That last is quite rare, something I learned as a cleaner of many years.
I was generally regarded as beneath my employers who would often ask me to do things way out of my job description.

I once worked for a truly horrible woman in Hatfield.
On my first day she asked me to put the laundry into the machine and start it.

I had no idea that the pipes at the back had to be unwound and attached to outlets, so when the machine spun, soapy water cascaded all over the floor.

The only thing I could do was grab some handy old newspapers (no idea where she kept towels) to soak up what was rapidly covering the sitting room floor's pristine white carpet.

I lay the papers down, pressing them in and praying that by some miracle I would be translated up to a higher realm and out of the nightmare.

By the time She Who Pays the Wages came home, her shag pile was well imprinted with The Times Literary Supplement and it cost me a lot of money to have that professionally cleaned.

I have been a cleaner in between jobs and it’s very difficult to mind read I had one lady who wanted everything moving and a man who wanted nothing moving
For it to be successful you need to be very clear what you expect and I would have much preferred a list or at least a talk to tell me what wanted doing I usually had two hours some wanted the whole house doing some said don’t do bedrooms kitchen etc etc you need to be very clear which rooms and which jobs you want completing

I cannot imagine anyone leaving a bedside table to be thick with dust let alone a home being so dusty that it settles noticeably.
Every 3rd day, when I Hoover my bedroom, I also use the soft furnishings tool on the cotton lampshades on bedside tables, wipe bulbs with dry cloth then pull out plastic under bed storage boxes and wipe with a damp j-cloth before vacuuming under bed, the carpet and rugs, cleaning mirrors x 2 (one full length) with glass cleaner on cloth and wiping down tallboy and chest of drawers as I move towards door.
Inside windows get done once a week at same time.

All rooms are cleaned in the same manner working back from windows furthest away from door and everything I use is in a small basket and cloths pre-sprayed with glass cleaner. Vac is cordless so not heavy.
It takes maybe 10 minutes per room because I don't let it accumulate.

I’m the same with windows GabriellaG54 - if you do them once a week, it’s a wipe but once a month or more, it’s a scrub and a chore.