Cleaning Lady ??

[phathui5]

I'm having a minor cleaning lady issue. The past couple of weeks, I've felt like our cleaning lady isn't as thorough as I would like. I've tried dropping hints ("My meticulous houseguest friend is here, please dust everywhere upstairs.") and things are still being missed. Stuff like under the beds having dust bunnies and visible dirt and windowsils not being dusted.

 

A minute ago, I was cleaning the inside of the microwave going, "Why am I paying someone to clean and cleaning this myself?"

 

I don't want to be rude, but I want the whole place scrubbed if I'm paying someone to clean. What should I say? Should I try out someone else?

Edited July 5, 2010 by phathui5

[cat in black]

I would take her room by room and point out things she has been missing. Then, if it doesn't improve, try somebody else.

[SonshineLearner]

Does she have enough time to do that? Maybe ask her about time issues.... "Are you having enough time to clean the house as you think it should be cleaned?" Perhaps she's prioritized...

[phathui5]

She's paid for two hours, but she tends to be "done" before the actual two hours is up.

[Laurie4b]

Sounds like you might need to be more specific. You might type up a checklist, etc. Don't expect her to automatically know what you have in mind, even if it seems obvious to you.

 

I worked cleaning during my college years. One client had been irritated with me being sloppy making the beds (never telling me) until she hired a classmate of mine who made them the same way as I did. We both used "hospital corners" to make beds. She thought that because they weren't tucked in all the way around that I was being lazy. When the classmate started to work for her, she realized there must be different ways to make a bed! My classmate and I both laughed about it because for us, to sleep in a bed tucked in all the way around would have been a claustophobic experience! I realize this is not exactly the same as what you're talking about, but I think it does point out that when the homeowner says x, the housekeeper may have a different interpretation of x. If you had been my employer in college and told me to dust, for instance, I might not have included the windowsills, because I might have just thought of furniture as needing dusting, windowsills get washed when you ask me to wash the windows. Make sense?

[Laurie4b]

She's paid for two hours, but she tends to be "done" before the actual two hours is up.

 

If you are paying her by the hour, she isn't "done" till the time is up. You could check in rooms that she's done and if she has extra time, ask her to do the stuff that is still needed in the time she has left.

[Gooblink]

I agree, let her know your expectations and give her the opportunity to fix it. It sounds like she used to do a great job and is no longer? If so, you might try to frame it in a way that extends some grace in case she's distracted by personal issues.

 

If she can't or won't strive to meet your expectations then find somebody else.

[tex-mex]

Does she have enough time to do that? Maybe ask her about time issues.... "Are you having enough time to clean the house as you think it should be cleaned?" Perhaps she's prioritized...

:iagree: Maybe she tackles areas she deems more important like bathrooms or floors. I know when we had a cleaning lady, we'd have to pay extra for dusting in areas like that. One cleaning lady we had spoiled us rotten with wiping dust off lamp bulbs and baseboards without being asked... but we'd also give her a tip and a Christmas $$ bonus for when she did this.

[tex-mex]

She's paid for two hours, but she tends to be "done" before the actual two hours is up.

Our cleaning lady would do a minimum of 3.5 hours -- and often stay for 4 hours to do the small tasks like dusting the baseboards. 2 hours is not enough time, IMO, to do the job? Maybe you need to sit down with her and make a list of priorities?

[Gooblink]

I just saw the 2 hour thing...

 

I'm not sure how big your place is, but our 1600 Sq ft home took 1 person 4 hours and our 4000 sq ft home took 2 people 4 hours to get everything done. When we lived in the small house, she did laundry, too.

 

We no longer live in either of those houses and I'm now the cleaning lady. I miss having that luxury! :)

[tex-mex]

I just saw the 2 hour thing...

 

I'm not sure how big your place is, but our 1600 Sq ft home took 1 person 4 hours and our 4000 sq ft home took 2 people 4 hours to get everything done. When we lived in the small house, she did laundry, too.

 

We no longer live in either of those houses and I'm now the cleaning lady. I miss having that luxury! :)

:iagree:Our older home (when we had the gem of a cleaning lady) was 1800 sq. ft and she'd stay for 4 hours once a week. Years later, we had a 3800 sq. ft home and had to hire 2 ladies to clean it for a minimum of 3 hours. They still never had the time to dust the stairwell ironwork, for example. It was a big job.

[phathui5]

I don't know the size of our house. (It's a rental) I'm going to guess 1500 sq ft. It's her and her son who come and I pay them for two hours.

[phathui5]

Any suggestions on how to ask for more to be done? I don't want to make it sound like I'm telling her how to do her job, even though that is what I want to do.

[Gooblink]

Just be up front with her. Especially since she's finishing early and leaving things undone, you shouldn't have qualms about simply telling her what you want. Be friendly and matter of fact. Are you home when they get there to do the cleaning? If so, tell her before she starts specifically what you'd like her to focus on that day. If they let themselves in, just leave a note with specific instructions.

 

Best wishes! Worse case, she decides you're too demanding and quits. :) That's OK, right? You're considering replacing her, anyway.

[momuv4girls]

sounds like you have gotten some good advice. Give her another chance after explaining what you want. Let us know what happens.

I have always wanted a cleaning lady but I would be appalled to have someone come in my house... it is so messy! :001_huh:

[KidsHappen]

I had a maid and fired her for exactly the same reasons. It was driving me bonkers. They were only dusting the tops of furniture that they could reach so for instance the would run a rag around the top perimeter of the bookshelves and call it done. They didn't do ceiling fans at all and I have some colomns that never got done either. I put a ladder up and showed the the top surfaces and explained that I want it all done. I might as well have been talking to a donkey.

 

The would vacuum but not do the corners at all and the work they did on the stairs was simply attrocious. The did not vacuum upholstry, blinds, or lamp shades. They never cleaned the window sealings, doorjams, or the areas around the knobs. Glass and windows were always left smeared.

 

The bathrooms are the only rooms that came out half way descent. We have hard water and they never worked on that. To tell you the truth, I not exactly sure what is is that they did do. I camplain to the supervisor a few times but never got and response.

 

Finally, I got tired of the pre-maid cleaning and then the post maid cleaning and said the heck with it. Money is tight tight now but when and if I can ever afford it again I am going to go with a personal maid not someone from one of those franchaises.

Edited July 9, 2010 by KidsHappen

[iammommy]

I think she might need more time. How about making a list of each room and what you would like done? Then she can check things off as she goes. We have a typical 4 br ,2.5 bath home, (maybe 2200 sq. ft.) and it takes 3-4 girls (The Maids, franchise) about an hour and a half to clean it pretty thoroughly.

 

HTH!

 

Nan

[duckens]

You are paying to have a service done. If it is not being done, then you need to discuss it with her.

 

***I think that a specific checklist of what you want done in each room, EVERY week, would make things clear to everyone involved. ***

 

If she needs more time/$$$ for a specific checklist, then that needs to be addressed, too. If you can only afford/budget for 2 hours of care, and the checklist is still not done, you may either need to pay her for more time, or give her less to do. She is a professional and needs to be upfront with you about her expectations for pay and time. And you are paying for a service, so you need to be upfront and SPECIFIC about your expectations.

 

I know that you would expect the same from your kids. Either they completed the full sheet of math problems and corrected the wrong ones....or they didn't. Either they wrote a paragraph with full sentences, proper capitalization, and a topic sentence....or they didn't. You sure wouldn't give your child vague expectations for a job (schoolwork) you assigned to them, and you sure wouldn't give them the reward (good grades for kids, $$$ for housekeeper) if the individual did not complete the assignment fully. And if your kids slack off from time to time, I'm sure that you revisit with them what your expectations are.

[Sun]

I had the exact same problem - paid cleaning ladies for a set amount of time; they always left early; and things weren't clean. I went round and round about it, asking them nicely to please pay extra attention to this or that, and while the specific things I mentioned would usually get done reasonably well, everything I did not explicitly ask about wouldn't be very clean. I finally had to fire them. It just wasn't worth the aggravation. Also, having a cleaning lady was supposed to reduce my stress, not increase it! It wasn't having that effect any longer, so out they went.

 

Now it's been about a year since I fired them, and I've been thinking about looking for someone new.

[Pink Fairy]

When we used a housekeeper, I always noticed that as time went on the housekeeper would do less and less for the same amount of money. It used to annoy the heck out of me, and like a PP any suggestions from me lead to those areas being attended to, but then others would be neglected. So on average every 6 months I would fire the old ones and hire new ones.

[StephanieZ]

This is why I like to employ household helpers (and nearly all staff) by the hour. . . It is so much simpler to ask for certain things to be done a certain way, as I am paying for being picky. . . It is so much simpler by the hour!

 

I hated having by-the-house cleaning help b/c of those kinds of issues. . . I felt guilty if I left a bunch of dishes to be done b/c that wasn't "their job" and I felt resentful if they missed the inside of the microwave b/c is *was*. . . Paying by the hour eliminates those concerns and simplifies it so much.

 

Employing people requires the willingness to supervise unless you getincredibly lucky or you have very low standards. . . Nearly all employees will slack off and do as little as they have to do if not supervised and coached. This is universally true IME. Ask me how I know, lol.

 

So, you have to put on your "boss skirt" and politely, firmly, tell your employee what you want done and what was in error. This is very uncomfortable at first.I hate it, but there is no way around it. It does get easier with practice.

 

I.e., upon her arrival next time, you say, with a smile and a firm, polite voice (NOT apologetic!!!):

 

"Susie, I noticed that after you were here last Wednesday, most of the house looked awesome, but there were still dustbunnies under the beds and the microwave interior was dirty. I need you to be sure to get to those things every week. If something comes up and you aren't able to get to everything on your list, please let me know what you've missed when you are leaving. Thanks so much!"

 

Rehearse that as much as you need to until you can be confident and polite.

 

Repeat, repeat, repeat -- correct errors as soon as you find them. Make the correction short, polite, and very clear and absolutely unapologetic.

 

(Exception to unapologetic. . . in the case of a housekeeper, you can sometimes get away with blaming the dh -- and sort of apologizing for HIM b/c he is so silly, but that gets risky b/c if you instill fear/dislike of dh, the housekeeper may well quit. I know mine has quit several other homes where she felt uncomfortable around the dh. If you want to try it, you have to be careful . . . Perhaps a "You know, John is a fruitcake about dustbunnies! I think his allergies are just driving him up a wall and he's on me about the bunnies under the beds. Can you be sure to get under there really well from now on? Thanks so much!!!!!!!" I have used this approach on certain topics that were true. . . as in "dh is so crazy about laundry detergent! His eyes popped out of his head when I put it on the list again already! He seems to think I can do 80 loads of laundry with this little box! I found this measuring scoop that is just the right size for one load. . . Can you use it please? Thanks so much! Sorry to be so silly! I swear, we should make dh do the wash for a week and see how much detergent he'd use! Geesh!"

 

[Note that the box of detergent is labeled for 80 loads and my dear housekeeper would use it in 20 loads if I didn't steal the scoop that comes with the box as soon as I open the box and replace it with my carefully selected plastic scoop that holds just the right amount when filled to overflowing. . . I *agree* with dh that dear housekeeper uses an inordinate amount of detergent. . . I just DO NOT CARE b/c the cost of the wasted detergent isn't releveant to me in comparison to not rocking the boat with dear housekeeper who is sensitive to criticism!]

 

[You can likewise blame to kids sometimes. . . as in, "Wow, I'm sorry the kids are such slobs and keep exploding spaghetti sauce inside the microwave! Yuck! Can you be sure to get in there really well every week so I don't get queasy when I go to make my tea? THANKS!" -- Note, you are not apologizing for telling her what you need done. . . you are just apologizing for silly other people!]

 

If the "job description" is unclear, you might need to walk the house together and write up a list of tasks to be done. When I used a by-the-house service, they had a detailed room-by-room list of what was to be done, so that was done for me. If this is a more casual arrangement, and you don't have a written list, maybe you need one.

 

My rules for happy relations with staff:

 

1) Supervise (see above).

 

2) Be sure to find opportunities to thank and compliment. I tell my housekeeper ALL THE TIME how "awesome" "amazing" "fantastic" she is and how I love how beautiful she makes my house. . . how peaceful I feel after she leaves me with a totally tidy home, etc, etc. These things are all true and heart felt.

 

3) I also take time (say 10 min most days) to chat with her about her life and mine, no matter how busy I am. I am sincerely interested and sincerely like my staff. . . But, it is easy to be so busy you ignore/forget to connect. It makes a world of difference to take this time (nearly) every day.

 

So, if you follow rules 2 & 3, then the infrequent corrections given via 1 will not sting so much. A reasonable person will respond and will comply with your guidance. If they are impossible to train, then you will have to get rid of them and try someone else. With the new person, be sure to follow rules 1, 2 & 3 fanatically the first 2 months so as to set good habits.

 

HTH

[Colleen]

I'm having a minor cleaning lady issue. The past couple of weeks, I've felt like our cleaning lady isn't as thorough as I would like. I've tried dropping hints ("My meticulous houseguest friend is here, please dust everywhere upstairs.") and things are still being missed. Stuff like under the beds having dust bunnies and visible dirt and windowsils not being dusted.

 

A minute ago, I was cleaning the inside of the microwave going, "Why am I paying someone to clean and cleaning this myself?"

 

I don't want to be rude, but I want the whole place scrubbed if I'm paying someone to clean. What should I say? Should I try out someone else?

I wouldnt expect "the whole place scrubbed" in two hours. I don't hire cleaning help, but I've had friends who clean houses help me here when I'm in the midst of a difficult pregnancy and post-partum. The thought would never occur to me that they should be cleaning the inside of the microwave. That's such a minor detail, imo, and something I can easily do myself in a matter of seconds. I'd rather have hired help focus on the down-n-dirty work, and with a mere two hours available, cleaning the microwave certainly doesn't qualify. Having said that, if there are specific areas you want her to focus on, just explain that ~ but be realistic.

[Chris in VA]

Well, it's actually 4 hours, if both parties are working together, and in 4 hours, I'd expect a lot done.

ITA you should have a list for them to complete. I would stay and watch, honestly, and see that they are truly working. No way they should leave early.

[Colleen]

 

Well, it's actually 4 hours, if both parties are working together, and in 4 hours, I'd expect a lot done.

Ah, I missed that there are two people working two hours each. Still, I have to say in all honesty that I would never think to clean someone's microwave. I never even need to clean my own microwave, so the thought would never enter my head ~ and I'm pretty detailed when it comes to cleaning.

 

[LadyR]

My sis and I together clean houses for extra income and we take about 2 to 2.5 hours. We do not charge by the hour but a set fee for each house. The home owners know exactly what to expect each week for the money they pay us. Sometimes we do more than what was originally asked, but we get paid the same amount. For example, we did not initially agree to change bed sheets for one of the homeowners. But now the homeowner asks that we change the sheets each week. It adds a bit of time but we did not ask for more money. Sometimes they ask us to do a couple small extra tasks and we do them without expecting to be paid more. It's no trouble when the tasks are small, but it can be frustrating when we are consistently expected to do more than originally agreed upon and we are not paid for it.

 

We have certain tasks that get done every visit, but other tasks get done occasionally (with the homeowners full knowledge). For example, if we thoroughly clean an unused spare bedroom one week, we will let it go the next week and do another task instead like sweep and wash the basement floor. Or if one week we dust every picture frame on the walls then the following week we might let it go.

 

One homeowner got upset with us because "we did not vacuum the couch and there was cat hair all over the couch" when she got home. We had to tell her that yes we did vacuum the couch completely but some time between when we finished the house and when she got home (about 5 hours later) her three cats must have gotten back up on the couch. LOL! The next week my sister left a note that said: "We vacuumed the couch and there are no cat hairs on it, but as I write this note your three cats are now on the couch so I can't guarantee that you won't find any cat hairs on the couch when you get home." haha She never spoke about it again. Actually we have great relationships with the homeowners.

[phathui5]

I wouldnt expect "the whole place scrubbed" in two hours.

 

I would gladly pay her for more time if she asked. The two hours isn't my thing, it's her's. She told me that she needs two hours.

[Mom-ninja.]

Sounds like you might need to be more specific. You might type up a checklist, etc. Don't expect her to automatically know what you have in mind, even if it seems obvious to you.

 

 

 

:iagree: Things may not obvious to her as they are to you. When I cleaned houses I always appreciated it if the person told me exactly what they wanted me to do and how. One woman pointed out to me that she wanted the fallen leaves from her flower pots swept off her top floor balcony. Well, I never would have thought of that. In my mind the leaves from her plants would just blow away in the wind. I didn't think I needed to sweep them off. Once she told me she wanted me to, I did. I was not offended at all.

 

 

Any suggestions on how to ask for more to be done? I don't want to make it sound like I'm telling her how to do her job, even though that is what I want to do.

 

Well, you're paying her so yes, you should tell her how to do her job.

[Leola]

Any suggestions on how to ask for more to be done? I don't want to make it sound like I'm telling her how to do her job, even though that is what I want to do.

 

When I cleaned houses in college, this is exactly what we expected - to be told exactly what they wanted done. Everyone has a different view of what is clean and everyone values different things.

 

I see nothing wrong with giving her a list.

[Desert Rat]

Chiming in here. I clean houses for a living. I don't regularly dust ceiling fans or clean the inside of microwaves unless that is specifically asked for. I also can't clean an entire house, paying attention to those details, in just 2 hours. I don't dust hard to reach areas every visit.

I think you should have a discussion with your cleaning lady and explain your expectations. I clean 5 different houses and each one has different expectations of the jobs they want done. For example, one lady will leave notes asking me to reorganize the linen cabinet (I do organizing on the side). Another, doesn't want me touching the upstairs so I concentrate downstairs. Some want me to use different products and some want me to only do floors Cinderella style. I don't have any problem accomodating these requests as long as we have an agreement on money and time.

Now, if you've made those specifications clear and you're still not seeing the results you want, then it's time to move on.

The way I work, I do the routine cleaning. I don't dust my ceiling fans or tippy tops of armoires or bookshelves every cleaning in my own home. I would expect to be hired separately for a deep cleaning or spring cleaning.

Just thought you might want a cleaner's perspective.