What would you all do if the weekly cleaning lady cut her hours during your sit? The house is pretty clean and we’re two instead of the usual family of four but there are definitely things she could cover instead. Last week by an hour, this week by 1.5 hours. (Should be a 3 hour visit) and we have 3 more weeks here. Do we tell them when they come back (it’s not significant enough to mention whilst they’re away), or only if they ask? Am going to caveat all of this with, its beyond boiling temps here & she’s a nice person who probably earns very little in the country we’re in. #thoughtsplease
I’d tell the HO’s when they return, you are staying there on their behalf.
She may be used to doing bedrooms that aren’t being used right now, and you are just naturally tidier, because it isn’t your home, so not the usual clutter and mess of family life.
I used to own a cleaning company once upon a time, for all you know the cleaner and the HO’s may have had a convo about it already, and then you’d the one to look bad.
Or perhaps she did extra hours before you arrived getting the house ready for you, in the expectation of doing less while they’re away. You just don’t know.
It may not be part of her job role to do over-and-above things like wiping kitchen cupboard doors and light switches etc. So I’d mention it to the owners, but in a nice way whereby they know it was still clean to certain standard.
Hi @Cuttlefish
We’d probably just mention it to the homeowners when they return, unless it’s creating extra work for you or the house isn’t being maintained to the expected standard. If everything is staying clean and it’s not affecting the sit, there’s no need to interrupt their holiday.
That said, if they’re paying for a 3-hour clean and the visits are consistently much shorter, it’s fair for them to know. We’d simply stick to the facts and avoid making assumptions about why the cleaner left early. Then they can decide if they want to follow it up.
Yes, all great advice thanks @HappyDeb - between asking on here and sending a pic to the hosts they asked me just now if she came today and I replied yes she did. Nothing more. They may have said do what you need and it’s all good while we’re away if it’s a bit less. Thank you as ever positive lady! #goodvibes
Thanks guys! Yes house is totally fine and comfy and clean and no impact on us at all. #greatadvice
The employee/employer relationship of your host and their cleaner/landscaper/pool service is their business to mind. It’s up to the host to monitor whether or not the results of a service are satisfactory and make changes as indicated. After 3 weeks, insufficient cleaning should be obvious to the hosts. Otherwise, no harm, no foul. Leave it alone unless you have to say something in your own defense come review time. It could be helpful then if you need to respond to a mistaken review with specifics on actual cleaning times on specific dates.
Yes, all true and it will be 5 weeks of cleans in total so they’ll know what’s what. #appreciated
I have mentioned this issue to a host on their arrival home @Cuttlefish and they were grateful as they had had suspicions too as not always home when the cleaner was there.
Have also had cleaners work so slowly. Loved the one who took 20 mins to clean one door handle 
We have one repeat sit where the cleaner comes for 10 hours!! Plus their home is immaculate and it’s only 2 adults. I’ve never seen anyone clean so thoroughly (& seemingly fast 
) but take sooooo long. #baffling
10 hours 
. What are they doing in all that time?? How often do they come??
I was considering all the situations that @HappyDeb mentioned so my post will be shorter. The only difference is that those possible scenarios lead me to adifferent conclusion: I would not say anything unless specifically asked. Not now and not when they return.
I would not want to interfere with something that’s not strictly my business, especially the person
and when their relationship with the hosts is likely to be much longer than yours.
The closest I have been to your situation was last year when I was at a sit where a weekly walker took the dogs for longer walks and to socialize with other dogs. Every week the dogs were picked up a bit later and brought back a bit earlier. It was in the UK in a wealthy area, I assumed the job was well paid and also the dogs were offered something different from what the owners or myself offered, the demand wasn’t different, like with cleaners.
I still consider that my relationship with the host was incidental and that when they returned the walks would go back to normal. In the end I decided to give them an indirect hint in case they wanted further information. I timed my daily update so that it would be sent when the dogs were supposed to be on their weekly outing. I sent pictures of them relaxing and wrote a caption, as I usually do “ dogs relaxing after their weekly adventure”
I might include a factual sentence in my usual update ….cleaner was here today 10-11:30 ….and then continue with the usual update .
we’ve been asked a few times to “check on” the cleaning lady on the HO’s behalf and it never sat right with us in the past. In your case, I wouldn’t say anything for the same reasons, except if asked specifically when she arrived and when she left (they might have had an issue in the past), but I would maybe cross my fingers that she sticks around a little longer for the last clean 
I think it would be nice to let them know.
But just like with may contractors or self employed people, they will usually charge out a specific set of hours before hand and if they finish early they still get paid for the amount they charged themselves out at.
That’s at least what I think. Could be a different contract here between the house owners and the cleaner, you can’t really ever know unless you ask.
Can I have their number?
We were doing a 3 week sit and the cleaner didnt turn up week one or week 2, I didn’t want to bother them after week 1 but I mentioned in week 2. The poor cleaner had actually died.
Every week all of Saturday! Door tops, full fridge empty, under sink cleaning cupboards sorted, outside furniture and balconies. It’s epic. I also love that she brings one can of beer and a few ciggies for her breaks. #classact
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That was very clever of you!