[Nicole-Bris]

Sorry I'm sure this topic has been done a million times. I'm looking at getting a cleaner (which I've never had before) and just had a few questions for people who have/had cleaners.

How often do they come/for how long?

What do you ask them to do?

Are you home while they are cleaning and if so are you helping or what are you doing?

Thanks

[Juju38]

Mine comes for 2 hours once a fortnight when I am at work. When I was on mat leave, I timed it so we were out at playgroup. I think we would just be in the way if home. They charge $85 and do a great job. We have a standard 3 bedroom Sydney semi.

My partner thinks I am crazy because I run around tidying before they come but I like to have all the surfaces clear for them to properly clean.

They dust, do floors, kitchen, bathroom, vacuum etc. If there is something particular I want doing like the front of kitchen cupboards or skirting boards, window sills etc, I write it down that week.

They do a great job and I wouldn't be without them.

[SeaPrincess]

I don't have one at the moment, but where we are, it's generally a minimum of 3 hours, so when I did, it was fortnightly. I would also try to have things ready so she won't doing stuff that I normally do on a daily basis (breakfast dishes, etc). I prefer not to be home.
I would expect the following every time:
Kitchen surfaces cleaned, particularly the stove top, sink and splash backs
Bathroom/s cleaned and mopped, including mirrors and glass shower screens
Toilet/s cleaned and mopped
All other floors vacuumed/mopped as applicable
Flat surfaces dusted, including windowsills and skirting boards.
We had one cleaner who was happy to do laundry, but I only ever had her peg it out.

R

[TillyTake2]

I hired one from gumtree & she comes for 2-2.5hrs a fortnight & charges $15 an hour.

I supply all products & equipment & I have a list of things I ask her to do. Some things I cycle fortnightly (so one fortnight she does one thing & the next she does the other). It took us a couple of cleaners to find one that was suitable but we are very happy with the current lady. She's a student at a local college