Discussion
Serious question.
We (me and o/h) have been doing some research into getting a cleaner at home as recreation time is precious and we are fed up with spending a half day each weekend cleaning the house. Anyway, we have finally found a company who can clean on a Friday (our preferred day) with a local company who posted a leaflet through our door recently.
I have checked online and looked at the references posted on their own website, but there isn't a lot of info out there to check. As it's my first time with a cleaner, what checks do you do before handing the keys of your home to a random stranger? I have thoughts of returning home to an empty house
So, what checks do you do or is it simply a matter of taking your chances?
We (me and o/h) have been doing some research into getting a cleaner at home as recreation time is precious and we are fed up with spending a half day each weekend cleaning the house. Anyway, we have finally found a company who can clean on a Friday (our preferred day) with a local company who posted a leaflet through our door recently.
I have checked online and looked at the references posted on their own website, but there isn't a lot of info out there to check. As it's my first time with a cleaner, what checks do you do before handing the keys of your home to a random stranger? I have thoughts of returning home to an empty house
So, what checks do you do or is it simply a matter of taking your chances?
Have an interview with the person who will be doing the cleaning, ask for refs (3or4) and call them. Then for the 1st couple of times I would look to be in the house while they do the work, then after that have a random pop in to see if they are still working or drinking your coffee and eating your cookies.
All this will give you a better feel for who is in your house.
As a side note I tend to stay away from "companies" who employ others to do the cleaning, as you'll never be sure of who is going to turn up and look for the local one woman bands who do it, as then you will at least know who its going to be every week.
All this will give you a better feel for who is in your house.
As a side note I tend to stay away from "companies" who employ others to do the cleaning, as you'll never be sure of who is going to turn up and look for the local one woman bands who do it, as then you will at least know who its going to be every week.
we moved to a new area and went with a local firm, they came and did a "site assessment" and said we needed 3 hours, we subsequently upped this to 4 hours and added in some ironing..
1st woman, mid to late 40's, bit chippy but that didnt matter. Made sure the company had insurance and put away valuables every time she came. installed very obvious cctv camera outside (fake from maplin) and made sure she saw them and also had discreet hidden one.
She was ok, not great but ok. Wife lost is a bit over something she kept doing wrong and got rid of her, she didnt return our key. After some pushing the day later she said she had sent it, then a letter arrived with no key.
I lost it with cleaning company and insisted on changing locks, they begrudgingly paid for this (was only £70)
The next woman was useless, she did less in 4 hours than the previous one started out doing in 3, after coming 3 times (with us decreasing the workload each time), she said she didnt want to be a cleaner anymore (who does?)..
A month later a new girl started, she is average at best..
I spose the moral is, if they are half decent dont sack em (thanks wife!)
1st woman, mid to late 40's, bit chippy but that didnt matter. Made sure the company had insurance and put away valuables every time she came. installed very obvious cctv camera outside (fake from maplin) and made sure she saw them and also had discreet hidden one.
She was ok, not great but ok. Wife lost is a bit over something she kept doing wrong and got rid of her, she didnt return our key. After some pushing the day later she said she had sent it, then a letter arrived with no key.
I lost it with cleaning company and insisted on changing locks, they begrudgingly paid for this (was only £70)
The next woman was useless, she did less in 4 hours than the previous one started out doing in 3, after coming 3 times (with us decreasing the workload each time), she said she didnt want to be a cleaner anymore (who does?)..
A month later a new girl started, she is average at best..
I spose the moral is, if they are half decent dont sack em (thanks wife!)
Interview and as it is a company make sure it will be the same cleaner(s) each week, this was important to us and not easy to find. We pay £16 an hour but are happy with them. The price includes cleaning materials and they use their own hoover.
The interview question I asked was how they stored your keys at their house, you don't want them getting burgled by someone finding a cupboard full of keys labelled with the address of all their customers.....
Ben
The interview question I asked was how they stored your keys at their house, you don't want them getting burgled by someone finding a cupboard full of keys labelled with the address of all their customers.....
Ben
We have a cleaner through a small local company and she's excellent. The 3 bed house gets cleaned in 3 hours every fortnight and it costs £45.
With regard to security, we have 2 locks on the front door and we've only ever given her a key for one so if we ever had to ask for the keys back they wouldn't be able to get in anyway.
I had a couple of cleaners at my previous flat - the first one was useless and I sacked them after they broke the mirror on the bathroom cabinet and then refused to pay for it. The second one was brilliant.
With regard to security, we have 2 locks on the front door and we've only ever given her a key for one so if we ever had to ask for the keys back they wouldn't be able to get in anyway.
I had a couple of cleaners at my previous flat - the first one was useless and I sacked them after they broke the mirror on the bathroom cabinet and then refused to pay for it. The second one was brilliant.
Plotloss said:
What's the going rate for a 'woman who does' these days?
Tenner an hour?
Roughly...I do anything from 3 to 4 hours a week for my best mate, and get £40. But I tend to buy cloths, sponges, etc every now and then. Plus I do stuff many cleaners would not (spunky socks and half chewed mice for example)Tenner an hour?
Avoid using a cleaning company, you might as well put all your belonging on the pavement one evening and wait to see whats left the next morning !!!
Ask around your neighbours to find out who they use, chances are its a friend or someone who has been with them for years.
From experience if you find a good one keep hold of them and dont let on you have found a gem, finding a good trust worthy cleaner is like trying to buy rocking horse pooh.
good luck
Ask around your neighbours to find out who they use, chances are its a friend or someone who has been with them for years.
From experience if you find a good one keep hold of them and dont let on you have found a gem, finding a good trust worthy cleaner is like trying to buy rocking horse pooh.
good luck
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