The Cleaning Ladies vs you: Who is The Better Cleaner?

Imagine being able to make your house sparkle, fizz and pop in just two hours! I guess you’re wondering what the secret is to keep your house clean, and how most cleaning ladies can clean your house a lot quicker than you can. 

What are the magical secrets that these cleaners hold? How do these cleaning ladies do it? How can they whizz around your house in two hours and get everything thoroughly clean? 

What exactly is this magical fairy dust that they sprinkle? 

 Wouldn’t you like to know! 

After thirteen years of professional house cleaning, I have all the juicy secrets that professional cleaning companies use, to get around your home quickly and get the job done super efficiently. 

 In this post, I’ll be giving you the age-old, tried and tested secrets the house cleaning companies don’t want you to know! 

 Don’t beat yourself up that these house cleaning professionals have some magical powers that you don’t, this is their job and that’s what they’re paid to do!

Just like a gardener or a decorator, you wouldn’t ever compare yourself to them, so don’t get guilt-tripped into thinking you should be able to do a better job than your cleaner can! 

So, what can we learn from these professional cleaning people?  Are there any tips we can pick up? 

Yes, of course, there are! 

Are these superhuman cleaning ladies cutting corners to get the job done quickly?

No, they are not! 

So, How Do Cleaning Ladies Clean?

  1. Your cleaner focuses on one job at a time, in one room at a time. 

    Cleaning ladies arrive at your house with a methodical plan, they don’t have tons of other jobs to focus on. They arrive, and work in a logical fashion, cleaning one thing at a time working from top to bottom, and they don’t stop until the job gets done. 

  2. They don’t procrastinate. 

    Cleaners don’t have time to procrastinate, check emails, pick up the phone, participate in pet care, or help a child with homework, they just get on with the job, and that is why you pay them! 

    Check out this amazing free cleaning schedule I created to help you instantly improve your home!

  3. They don’t get side-tracked.  

    Cleaning ladies never get side-tracked by other jobs that may need doing.  
    Often when I’m in the middle of cleaning, I’ll realise that I may have started several jobs at once and didn’t finish any of them. 
    I may have gone to empty the flowers and noticed that the bin needed emptying and got sidetracked along the way. Before I knew it, I had started loads of jobs, they were all unfinished and the house was in turmoil! 
    Your cleaner focuses on one job at a time and doesn’t stop until it’s complete! 
    If you’re in a cleaning slump and need a sprinkle of magic to get you motivated again read this post! 

  4. A cleaner won’t look at their phone until they have finished work. 

    Avoid distractions by leaving your phone in a drawer. You’ll be less inclined to check social media, text messages or emails, which can quickly lead to procrastination! 
    Put your phone away and don’t get it out until you’ve finished! 
    To read some super savvy tips about living without screen time, read this quick post. 

  5. Cleaners don’t use the television for company! 

    Don’t have the TV on in the background whilst you clean, it will only distract you and slow you down. Even if you think you will not be distracted you most definitely will be! 
    The television is not your friend, it’s a needy time drain on your resources! 

  6. Your cleaner wears headphones.

    You’ll probably find your cleaner gets motivated by listening to audiobooks, podcasts or music while she works. So, get your headphones on and blast those favourite tunes! 

  7. She probably wears an apron 

    Get into the habit of wearing a speed cleaning apron and carry all your tools with you. Your cleaning lady has all her equipment with her and doesn’t waste time backtracking for her stuff. This will save you from repeatedly running back and forth to collect all your cleaning supplies. 
    For more information on how to supercharge your cleaning time by wearing a speed cleaning apron read this post! 

  8. Your cleaner sticks to the same few, simple cleaning products.

    It’s all the rage these days to have a cupboard bursting to the seams with as many cleaning products as possible, when really a few simple products can garner the best results. 
    A cleaning lady doesn’t have the space to carry lots of different products around with her, so, she needs to have a few excellent products that can tackle all the tough jobs. 
    Using the correct cleaning supplies will most definitely up your cleaning game! 
     Find out more about the top 10 superheroes of cleaning products that I would never be without at home or work in this post! 

  9. Your cleaner rotates the deep cleaning.

    Instead of trying to deep clean every room each week, cleaning ladies will rotate the big jobs. So, choose one room to deep clean each week and this will save you having to spring clean twice a year. Next week choose another room to deep clean during your cleaning schedule. 
    Read about all the 22 homemaking skills you definitely need to know in this post. 
    If you work full-time and have to fit housework in between everything else, deep cleaning doesn’t even get a look in, rotating rooms is the best way to keep on top of the tough jobs.

  10. Your cleaner doesn’t bring her kids to work. 

    Kids can be demanding most of the time, try to clean when your kids are either out of the house or in bed, I can guarantee that this will speed up your cleaning time in half! 
    If you have zero time for housework check out this helpful post!

  11. Your cleaning lady stops for lunch. 

    Don’t be tempted to stop for a brew every few minutes, schedule a time for a lunch break and stick to it, this will allow you to concentrate fully on getting through your housework in the quickest time possible. 

  12. Cleaning ladies stick to a strict time schedule.  

    Grab your timer and time yourself for a solid 2-hour cleaning session, don’t stop until your timer goes off. You’ll be amazed at how much you manage to get done, especially if you follow all the tips above. Work in a methodical manner, from the top of the house to the bottom. 
    Make sure you carry a bin bag with you so you can get rid of any rubbish you collect on the way around without having to take several trips to the bin. 

  13. You cleaner comes to work even when she doesn’t feel like it! 

    She doesn’t want to let you down so she comes even when she feels like having a duvet day! 
    Have the same work ethic and look at housework as a job, get the task done, then you can sit down and relax knowing it’s all sparkly clean! 

Don’t beat yourself up!

When you’re paying for cleaning services you are also paying for undivided attention, so don’t beat yourself up if you realise that you can’t give your house complete care without your kids running around or somebody ringing you.  Just do what you can with the time that you have, using the tips outlined above and you’ll soon have your house breathtakingly beautiful in no time! 

lady cleaning and getting frustrated

Frequently asked Q&A 

When Should I tip the cleaning lady?

Knowing when to tip cleaning ladies can be quite tricky if you have never hired a cleaning company before.
I live in the UK and we generally do not tip cleaning ladies over here. However, my clients would buy small gifts at Christmas for me and my children which was incredibly thoughtful and much appreciated. 

Are cleaning ladies worth It? 

It depends on your situation and also on the house cleaning services you’ve employed. 
If you’re struggling to keep on top of your housework due to other commitments then you’re damn right it’s worth it, but only if you get the right cleaning company for your home and family.

For an amazing fail-safe guide to hiring a cleaning lady you can trust, read this very useful post.

What should cleaning ladies do? 

Remember a house cleaner is not the same thing as a housekeeper or maid! If you’re in any doubt about the services you need, read this post to find out what to expect from your home cleaning service, it’s packed full of tips and also includes a shiny new checklist, to help you discuss with your cleaning ladies how to make your home sparkle fizz and pop! 

How much do cleaning ladies charge? 

Cleaning lady rates depend entirely on where you live. I know that cleaning ladies in the US charge vastly more than we charge here in the UK. I also know that different states in the US differ enormously too. The best way to find out how much other house cleaners in your area charge is to do some research, check out the competition and see what their business can offer you. 

Why do cleaning ladies steal from me?

Your cleaning ladies should most definitely not be stealing from you, make sure all the people you let into your home have proof of insurance and a CRB background check.
Cleaning ladies will be working around your most treasured possessions so, it is very important to make sure that you see all the relevant paperwork and read business reviews before you hire any home cleaning services.
Try to use a cleaning company who send the same person to your home each week rather than one who subcontracts the work to strangers. One of the advantages of using a solo cleaner means that you are guaranteed to have the same cleaning lady each visit and you can establish whether or not she is trustworthy before you leave her in your house alone. 

How long do cleaning ladies take to clean your house? 

You can choose to have a cleaning lady in your home for as many hours as you’d like. 
2hour time slots once a week are quite popular, however, it will depend entirely on both the size of your home and the amount of work you require each week. 
 If you decide to have your cleaner once a week, you will require fewer hours than if they are scheduled for once a fortnight.  
If your house is particularly cluttered or dirty, if you have lots of animal hair or kid’s messes to clean then it will take longer for your cleaner to get around your home. 

What do cleaning ladies wear? 

It is entirely up to your house cleaner as to what she wears whilst in your home.  You will find that most professional house cleaners are smartly dressed and wear appropriate clothing. Some may have a uniform. The main focus will be comfort and safety. Most cleaning ladies will wear safety shoes and gloves around your home. 

How do I find cleaning ladies near me? 

Word of mouth is always a good place to start, chat to friends and ask them if they can recommend anyone.  Also, a local Facebook page can be a great way to get recommendations. 

See what’s next!

Join hundreds of others and get instant access to our irresistible library of completely free, top-secret, homemaking and parenting checklists! All designed to help you get a clean house which sparkles and shines! 

Why not subscribe to our updates for exclusive access to our magical library full of not-to-be-missed FREE checklists! 

Pin it for later! 

cleaning ladies pinnable image

2 thoughts on “The Cleaning Ladies vs you: Who is The Better Cleaner?

  1. Linda says:

    A real coincidence! Today I went and cleaned my mother in laws bungalow as she has had a fall and is unable to do it at the moment. I whizzed round it in about two hours and that included cleaning things that had an inch of dust on it. She asked me how I did it so quick? I replied that when I cleaned caravans at a holiday park I only had an hour to do each one, and that included changing all the beds. I just learnt to do it quickly and efficiently. The strange thing is I cleaned her house better than I clean my own!

    • Clare Davison says:

      Aww what a lovely thing to do, I bet she was thrilled! It’s definitely quicker to do someone else’s house without the distractions!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.