Kerri W
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,772 
Location: Kentucky
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Post by Kerri W on Feb 22, 2016 13:05:46 GMT
Thank you for the responses. I do tend to be very neat and orderly...that's just the way I am. When they started I explained that I didn't need them to organize my pantry, I needed them to do the weekly cleaning of dusting, sweeping, mopping, etc. As for the entertainment center, there are glass doors and it's dark wood. I don't expect them to tear it apart every week if it doesn't need it but when I walked by I literally thought "why is there white paper on top of the DVR?" Um, no that would be dust that had obviously been there quite a while so I'm not going over what they do with a fine tooth comb.
My point to my DH is that we have them come help out because I don't have time to do it which means I also don't have time to go behind them and make sure everything is done each time they come. I will definitely say something to them before they come again but I'm honestly not sure I want to put the effort into six months of coaching them "great job mopping the whole kitchen this week! Now next time do you think you could also vacuum the upstairs and not just the downstairs?" It seems pointless to me. And I realize I have a bad attitude about it. I'll reign that in prior to talking to them.
They are not the first cleaners I've had and I've never had to point this type of stuff out before. I would occasionally mention an area that we would notice because we use the house differently than the cleaner might notice but I'm positive they were also cleaning things I have absolutely no idea about because I just didn't see it. My last lady left due to health concerns...I SO wish I could have her back!
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eleezybeth
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,784
Jun 28, 2014 20:42:01 GMT
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Post by eleezybeth on Feb 22, 2016 13:06:39 GMT
Let them know specifically what you consider clean. If they don't adjust find someone else. I've had to be direct on more than one occasion. I had one lady who didn't like to mop because it hurt her wrists. I have compassion for pain, but the reason I hired you is because my back can't handle mopping my floor.
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Post by mommythree on Feb 22, 2016 15:25:23 GMT
I own a professional cleaning/home management company. This sounds interesting. If I'm not being too nosy, can you explain what home management entails? Sure....about 60% of my customer base are seasonal residents (snow-birds), they are only here for 4-6 months of the year. Their homes are very large, 6000-10,000 sq ft. We visit them on a weekly or bi-weekly basis, look for problems, ie: water leaks, pest infestation, mold, and if we find problems, we hire the companies to do the repair work, the homeowner will be notified of cost, and gives the ok or not. we have set limits for most of them, so we aren't pestering them with smaller things, mostly over $2500.00. We also keep maintenance schedules for them, pool cleaning, power washing, window cleaning, landscaping work, patio furniture cleaning, floor waxing, grout/tile cleaning..etc.. and order the work done as needed. We will grocery shop for them and make sure the things they like are in their refrigerator and pantry when they are scheduled to visit. Most, of them are very wealthy and honestly just don't want to be bothered with it, they want to fly in and out as they please, and don't want to deal with any of it. |
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Post by hollymolly on Feb 22, 2016 15:47:24 GMT
I think Volt said it best. I think it is time to find someone else, because they are not a good fit for you.
My niece cleans my house every other week (she's coming today, in fact) and I do it as much to give her extra income as anything else. I do love having a clean and neat house when I have other things I need to be spending my time on, and it cuts down on my frustration with DS, because I don't feel like I'm always cleaning up after him. He's more likely to pick up his stuff before she comes. I'm a little more particular about cleaning when I do it, but then I get obsessive and spend all day on one small task. She's better about getting the whole house presentable. If I want detail, I do that myself when I have the time.
This all reminds me of a friend who is a neat freak. She had to find someone to clean her house when she was pregnant and on bedrest. She would pay for one cleaning as a "trial run" to see if they were going to work out or not, and she would hide pennies in certain places to see if they found them all. One girl didn't even stay. She told my friend that if she thought her house was dirty, then she couldn't work for her because they obviously had different ideas about what constituted a clean house.
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Country Ham
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,313
Jun 25, 2014 19:32:08 GMT
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Post by Country Ham on Feb 22, 2016 17:50:57 GMT
If they are professionals like you said report them to whatever organization they are under.
If they are simply a man and a wife team who clean houses (which is not the same as a professional cleaning service) I would just tell them what you expect.
If they are cleaners they are probably not trained, do not have standards to meet etc
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Post by papersilly on Feb 22, 2016 18:15:24 GMT
I would let them go. I have a cleaning lady and I wouldn't begin to tell her how to do her job. she just knows and she does it well. I am super picky about the way things should be cleaned (thanks mom) and she does it as I would want it done without ever being told.
I think there is a difference between reminding them to mop the 8" strip and actually showing them how to clean. I can't imagine they would be thrilled to be "taught" how to do their job. if it's their livelihood, it is their responsibility to be good enough to satisfy their customers. if they are not, how can they be expected to keep their job?
I have a neighbor who leaves a super detailed to-do list for his cleaning people. he's super particular and I don't know how his cleaning people feel about it.
we had a cleaning lady here at the office who I absolutely loved because she was friendly and nice. but she was not the best cleaner. she just did very superficial cleaning and the office never felt "clean clean" after she left. it wasn't my job to tell her how to clean or show her how so we gently used her less and less until no more. |
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Post by AN on Feb 22, 2016 19:51:25 GMT
I would let them go. I've worked with my (awesome) house cleaner on a couple areas I'm particularly particular about and that might be easy to overlook. For example, the inside bottom of the shower door is hard to see the water buildup when it is open, very easy to see when closed - but they of course clean it open. I just asked once and pointed it out, and she was all over it.
For that many, and that basic, of things - nope, not the right service.
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Post by pierkiss on Feb 22, 2016 20:28:06 GMT
I would find someone else.
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Post by littlemama on Feb 22, 2016 20:58:28 GMT
I would find someone else. If someone is going to be in the business of cleaning, they should already know how to clean.
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Post by alexa11 on Feb 22, 2016 21:14:08 GMT
I would find someone else and then provide them with a detailed list before hiring them. Let them know what you expect and then they can decide if they can handle it. I don't think you'll ever be happy with these two.
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Post by sparkyduchess on Feb 22, 2016 21:15:57 GMT
I'd find someone else- I have a team of cleaners each week and occasionally I have to point out something that's been missed or that I'd like done differently, but it's small stuff.
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Post by AN on Feb 22, 2016 21:29:48 GMT
DH wants me to make a detailed, room by room list. I feel like they're professionals (in that cleaning houses is how they make a living) and I can't teach them to do a better job. Oh, BY THE WAY... can we discuss this? Not your DH in particular, but this issue? Last fall, we started hiring the cleaning service and a lawn service. Almost every time, DH would have some complaint about how they did things... they moved some papers on his desk, took his keyboard from his couch and put it on his desk, the lawn guy didn't put the downspouts back down, whatever. And he would tell me like it was my job to get that info back to the service provider and correct them. Finally I told him, hopefully more nicely than this, "Listen dude. I work full time, just as many or more hours than you, and I'm already responsible for a ton around the house. I will be happy to give you their numbers and you can text or call them, or you could leave a note for them about what you do/don't want done, but you have to stop complaining to me about things they do or don't do." It really made me crazy... we outsourced this stuff to take some of the burden off of me, and then it just felt like I had a new burden to be correcting and managing the service providers on things that I was just fine with how they were doing it. OP, I know that's not your circumstance, you're unhappy with how they're doing it too. But it made me think of this. Does anyone else deal with it? (In DH's defense, he did stop complaining and start leaving notes on things he didn't want moved  ) |
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Post by berty on Feb 22, 2016 21:43:09 GMT
This sounds interesting. If I'm not being too nosy, can you explain what home management entails? Sure....about 60% of my customer base are seasonal residents (snow-birds), they are only here for 4-6 months of the year. Their homes are very large, 6000-10,000 sq ft. We visit them on a weekly or bi-weekly basis, look for problems, ie: water leaks, pest infestation, mold, and if we find problems, we hire the companies to do the repair work, the homeowner will be notified of cost, and gives the ok or not. we have set limits for most of them, so we aren't pestering them with smaller things, mostly over $2500.00. We also keep maintenance schedules for them, pool cleaning, power washing, window cleaning, landscaping work, patio furniture cleaning, floor waxing, grout/tile cleaning..etc.. and order the work done as needed. We will grocery shop for them and make sure the things they like are in their refrigerator and pantry when they are scheduled to visit. Most, of them are very wealthy and honestly just don't want to be bothered with it, they want to fly in and out as they please, and don't want to deal with any of it.Wow. My attention to detail side of my personality is intrigued, but my easily frustrated side would have trouble dealing with all the contractors.  Thanks for the info. It does sound interesting. |
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Thanks for the info. It does sound interesting.