To the OP: maybe you should give her more time to "get to know" your apartment. I remember being a cleaner my self, back in those days when I was a student - it took me 2-3 times to get to know in which parts of the apartment I should give more attention, and where I can be more "loose".
The question is if she is diligent worker or looks like a lazy one.
1. If someone's working for much less than an agency professional, it may be because their standards and ability are below that which an agency would require.
2. If you have specific expectations, it's up to you to make them clear. Some years ago we had a cleaning lady (who was a friend of a friend and very much in need) who really didn't understand what cleaning was all about. So we wrote a checklist, with specific instructions for some items, like how to mop the floors. Much improvement ensued.
3. Make sure that she feels able to tell you if there's not enough time to do the job properly. By itemising the tasks and ensuring that each is done to the level required you may be able to identify particular problem areas, and/or things which are taking much longer than expected.
4. It sounds like she quoted for fewer hours than you expected - this would be an immediate sign that her level of detail may bot be what you might have expected.
Remember, although you're getting someone else to do the actual cleaning, it's still your own responsibility to set realistic targets and expectations. Maybe you should invest a couple of (paid) hours in training by doing the whole place together so she understands your needs.
Edit: FWIW we have a non-agency (and hence not insured, paid hols or sickness) cleaning lady in France who, by and large, keeps the place reasonably clean. It's not to the standards I would do myself, but then I wouldn't do it every week, but regular, medium-deep cleaning, with periodic attacks (like: please give the upstairs bedrooms a really thorough clean as we're expecting guests, of course it'll take longer, so come back to finish it on Thursday if you need to) ensures that it never really gets dirty, and the odd little quirks, like not being able to work out which knives go into which slots in the knife rack, or having to make sure that wooden-handled knives are not left dirty, as she will always put them in the dishwasher despite being told many times, are not that many or difficult to deal with. She's been doing for us for ten years now and we're not looking for a replacement.
I will explain it once more: I mentioned Polish girl simply because she is from my country. I thought it would be nicer to meet/give some work to someone from my country. Why not? She was also recommended by a friend of mine so I would have met her regardless her/my nationality.
And yes, I used to believe that people from Eastern Europe usually (not always of course!) would do this type of work better and I somehow still believe it. Very stereotypical I know but it does not hurt anyone. I also don't see it as modern slavery at all. I know this is low skills trade and not everyone would be happy about doing it but we all have a choice right? Some people made a conscious choice to provide these services and this is the job they get payed for so I expect they will put some effort to provide good value for the money?
She is very nice. I don't think she has ANY problems of this type. Maybe you do
She also has another job and she was looking for extra hours.
If I cleaned your house and you did all that for me including a tip, I would assume I had done a good job. I would be shocked if you fired me afterwards. If the work was so terrible, just wondering why did you tip her?
It is a cooperation and now you seem frustrated and unsatisfied, yet you do not feel comfortable facing her with it. I am sure your cleaning assistant would much prefer you went through with her excactly what you prefer having done and what matters specific to you.
Cleaning is a sensitive and personal area, it is done in your home and we all have different standards and priorities. Your cleaning assistant is trying to make a living out of this, she has her own dignity too and when being paid and treated fair (this including knowing excactly what is expected of you), cleaning is as decent a job as many others.
To me it sounds like you need to be very honest towards yourself and then to her. If say dust is something that really bothers you, then make it a priority. If ironing shirts is not important, tell her so. Give her a fair chance to do her job not only good in general, but good in the way you appreciate it done in your home. Good luck to both of you getting a better understanding of the task
(hope my English made sense...)
Bloody nice people
As I said she was very nice and I enjoyed her a lot. The tip was because of that and because she made an effort to come to my place and work for a few hours, she was also looking for my flat for 30 minutes while it was raining heavily yesterday. I wouldn't let the dog out in that weather. She also did the work I often do not feel like doing.
I didn't check the flat when she was there as she had to run to another place which I understand but I checked it later and here it was, dust in every corner and the access to these parts of the floor was easy . I don't expect her to work like a robot. She was very nice and full of energy. I would not "fire" her as she is lovely and she just didn't know how to do it well or didn't have enough time. I just think of the best way to talk to her without making her feel bad or hurting her feelings.
I worked in the creche back in Poland. Family business with strange rules, low salary and lots of physical work like preparing all Montessori materials myself because these from shops were too expensive to buy, cleaning included. I was criticized non stop and asked if the sink, toilet can be done better and that was after many hours spent with toddlers. The sink was covered with oil paint after painting 26 square pieces for montessori alphabet myself and inhaling the solvents (chemicals, small room, tiny window with no air circulation really) so it was a bit much for a young girl who loved children. Few times I was also accused of not being relaxed and "cool" enough while with children. It is impossible to be cool, relaxed and creative when someone uses you for lots of physical work that can damage your health and organizes EVERY minute of your time. I really felt like a slave and I quit after a month so if someone thinks I have unrealistic expectations or I don't care about her feeling then... the post is here because I do, maybe even too much.
Next time I will simply show her how to do it and I will also mention something about dusting. That should help.
Someone said she might need more time to get used to the flat. I think this is the case also.
I have never hired a cleaning lady as I didn't have to...for so many reasons.
I had jobs where I had to clean (I worked mostly with small children so everything had to be VERY clean!) and I honestly say that a housekeeper doesn't need a list to leave the house very clean. An experienced, serious housekeeper will do her job at high standars without you making a list. You would need to make a list for things that she usually wouldn't clean, for example- your tool box that is hidden somewhere in your basement, or cleaning your basement or arranging and disinfecting your cables drawer or washing ALL your pots, spoons and glasses with Javel...by hand (yeah I do this also sometimes).
I am a bit OCD about the cleaning so I disinfect the pens, the CD's, the door knobs , the remote control, my phones, the switches...and the list goes on so I really think that before you hire a housekeeper for good you should test her of course: you could have her cleaning your apartment once and check in the most hidden corners to see if she cleaned (the window knobs, behind the paintings, behind the beds, the fan or the lights, the shoes place, the coats.... and other places you know it is hard to reach and you have dust). If she did, then she is a keeper, if she didn't, then you have to let her go.
Good luck!
There seems to be a group of cleaners who specialize in repetitive, superficial cleaning; sometimes leaving things worse than it was prior to their "cleaning". In Belgium we had some lovely cleaners, but I had to clean before and after they did their thang.
Reasonably happy with the young lady I have, but I always get her started on something new every time she comes (e.g. Strip and assemble the oven, pull heaters of the wall etc). She has the idea now....
understand what it is exactly one needs their help for.
Is it that I have no time for normal household cleaning myself or do I need extra help for the difficult stuff? Is it I expect detail cleaning or for special occasions e.g. guests coming to my house for a party?
I don't agree on that individual hygienic thing "everybody has a different standard", it's it purpose and know-how that counts,
and you better - as professional as you might be - not touching my paintings on the wall nor clean my cd/dvd stuff, unless you really understand what a Renoir is, don't matter how much you like the frame.
Claening pots and pans with eau de javel is unhealthy and insane (maybe even illegal, but I digress),
so is cleaning carpets and parquets in the "eastern European way" throwing water and chemical stuff everywhere.
If I want my place to be cleansed on a daily/weekly basis in every single detail (however, repeating myself, a professional cleaning agency does not know how to repair an airconditioner, so I don't expect that nor do I require a cleaning of that stuff), I better make sure to pay a 100% housekeeper (unless I live in a tiny little hole somewhere in ZH or BS) as myself who I do know where the difficult parts are in my house need days for it, so I cannot expect a person who does not know my home very well to do it better and faster than myself.
Easy.
They are very effective.
Anyway, checklist checklist checklist. Keeping in mind that it seems much harder to find a good cleaning lady in Zug than Zurich for some reason (I've got one that I'm satisfied, but not ecstatic, with), making that checklist puts the burden on you rather than on her. It's the same managing staff anywhere - you need to give clearly defined goals, not nebulous definitions of "clean", so that they know what's expected. If she's thinking you are going to always jump her case for something new, then she'll be demotivated and aggressive in discussions with you - and that might be the kind of employer relationship she's had in the past, coloring her view. When you present the checklist to her, do it from a "I had a thought and realized that I hadn't clearly defined what I'm looking for even in my own mind, so I wrote down my desires; what do you think about the time requirements for all this?" point of view.
Of course, with some employees that isn't necessary - some are just hard workers and smart people whose standards happen to line up to your own. But most will be either not as smart as you like, not as hard working, or just have different expectations than you do from a "clean" apartment - very few will be the Mary Poppins of cleaning. I've had one like that in Switzerland, and if I hadn't moved Cantons, I'd have paid anything to keep her.
(I do this as a pass-time to keep busy - yes - I am crazy )
Some folk prefer to have their place just look clean and tidy.
Some prefer the intensive room by room "spring" clean.
Some want only one room done intensively, and the rest just tidied, dusted, wiped.
Some like a sparkling bathroom and kitchen, never mind the rest.
Some enjoy the entire place re-organised and their stuff sorted for them.
So, everyone is so different, and if you don`t talk about your preferences, there will be no communication.
everybody does not have a different standard of cleanliness?
Ask yourself why some are Cleaning pots and pans with eau de javel ...?
Is that for fun? of because it they don't do that they consider the things "unclean", not sufficiently clean?
We have tried many, even via the agencies and honestly, the work they do was very average.
With the agency we even had various issues such as stuff being broken, stolen, etc etc
We are by no means picky (so much that when the cleaning lady is on hols no one cleans and we all get by) we have a dog, 2 kids etc so no high standards here.
But we are talking things like NEVER hoovering under unique carpet in kids bedroom, taking 1.5 hrs to iron 5 shirts, leaving chairs outside of table, avoiding cleaning if something was lying around etc.
I honestly thought this was the norm until MAGIC... we got a replacement cleaning lady via a friend who is my saviour and whom I respect dearly. She LOVES what she does, you feel energy coming out of her, she marches around the flat and is obviously really motivated to doa good job. She moves furniture, she looks around and THINKS what is needed. She even started reorganizing our drawers etc. She has initiative.
She is really of a different level.
We pay her more that others, but honestly that is not the issue. I could have raised the wages of the others, could have agreed to more cleanign time, but the self motivation and willingness to do a good job simply was not there. They were lazy and happy about it. I tried to motivate them, I tried to leave notes about what to do etc (I work in HR so I know how to deal with performance issues ) but I saw from the first time the new one came that there is simply a different level to it.
Issue is, I do not know how to find these great ones, we were lucky as they are normally overbooked and rightly so
To the OP: do try but I would say if after 4 times you see no imrpovement or you still come home angry at the way things are you need to change.
Ciao
K
-Issues so far have been:
- they turn up when they want (not the agreed time)
- Left basics like a full bin and cobwebs
- Not collected the key when planned
- Billed an extortionate amount above what agreed when we decide to not take services
- Moved everything - moved toiletries, ornaments etc to random places in the house and dont put them back where they were originally
- Call but don't call back or just turn up when not confirmed
If you find one please let me know... we are desperate for a good recommendation )
You "work in HR so you know how to deal with performance issues"???
How do you do that, do you also "leave notes" to communicate* with the other employees?
*if you call that a communication....
Ho! and thanks for that wonderful advice "do try but I would say if after 4 times you see no improvement or you still come home angry at the way things are you need to change. because the person will magically understand what the OP needs are, and will change after the 4th session... .
PS: If you would be talented, you would certainly consider other people skills and experiences, and you would have noticed that "we" have already identified and clarified that there's some difference in "standards" and that the OP needs to simply communicate her expectations to the cleaning lady.