[MagicPatch]

Hi, I did a job the other day and thought it would take me about 2 hours, but it took me 3. The woman in the house said that her previous cleaner used to do it in 1.5 hours.

Just started a new contract today with another company and it took me 3 hours to get all the offices and toilets etc done. The woman said her last cleaner did it in 2 so is only paying me for 2 hours a day.

Now I know I am fairly new at this, but can honestly say I couldn't physically work any faster, the sweat was pouring off. what I did notice though was that the previous cleaners on both occasions had made a lot of short cuts. i.e. not cleaned behind the toilet or when mopping, I notice bits of debris flicking out from under things where they have mopped around them and not up to the edge.

Am I being to fussy about my work, or am I just too slow because I don't know all the short cuts yet?

My question is... does anyone have any advice they can give me to cut my work time down. Are there any time saving tips out there that you guys do, that might help me.

Thanks.

Brian.

[cleanandneat]

Hello Brian,

Don't cut your hours short as your work will NOT be done properly.
I have been in your shoes and I believe most of us have !
However try to agree to a 'deep clean' before you start on a new regular job,whether it is domestic or commercial. You don't need to charge a fortune for it as it might put the customer off, but you can explain that you can only do a regular job within the set up hours and charges if it is up to your standard. I always do that and it works as I have never ever came across a new contract where  things had been left spotless by the previous cleaners! There is always a reason why a new cleaner is asked for a job...   

Regards,
Clean and Neat Service

[MagicPatch]

Thanks Clean and Neat, The previous cleaner was an old lady and I just can't see how she did it in two hours. There are 9 rooms, 4 toilets, a kitchen and an office. I was running around like a blue ***** fly. W hatever way I look at it, she DID do it in two hours and the owners were happy with her work.

I just can't help but think I'm missing something here.  There must be some magic trick of the trade that no ones telling me about or maybe I'm just being too detailed. Even when I had finished I wasn't happy with it, but I was knackered. I'll ask them tomorrow if they were happy with the clean. It will be interesting to get their feedback.

Brian.

[wilclean]

Hi Brian

            Me and my wife always do a deep clean on the first day of a contract and normal charge £50 extra - since then all's we do now is hoover once every other day beside the other normal duties every day. We also do a half dust one day and a full dust the other day which the firm that I've got the contract with are happy with and it means that your stanards have not been lowered.

                                              hope this helps
                                                    kind regards Paul

[Fox]

This is the same on all new cleans.  There are several reasons for things taking time in the beginning, you need to find plug sockets, you have to get used to the building where bins are, you are out to impress so you will carry out a full deep clean etc.

Don't worry a 3hr job to start will easily turn into 2 when you get into routine for example, on every visit you won't be cleaning behind the toilet, you won't do a full wash down of the tiles, you won't need to clean all of the kitchen cupboards etc etc, these are 'periodic' jobs, you will only do one of this kind of job once per week which will cut time.  You will be surprised how much time you will save just getting used to the building and getting into a routine, I always tell my cleaners it takes about two weeks to get used to a site.  As you get more experienced you will take on 'visual' cleaning where by you will spend your precious cleaning time cleaning the areas that are in need of cleaning and not vacuuming clean carpet or polishing dust free desks.

Good luck
Fox

[The Great One]

Hi

Fox is spot on.

I do a few office cleans and in the beginning it was taking about an 1.40 mins to do one of them but as I have gotten used to it it now takes about 50 mins on average. You get into a routine and then you can move.

Also this is another reason to charge per visit not per hour. It is the same for common ways (communals) in the beginning one actually took me 2 hours (it was minging) now the deep clean is done I am in & out in 30 mins max.

The lady won't obviously pay you as you took longer but now you will work faster you will make that loss back plus some over the coming weeks & into the future.

I priced a common ways for an office last week and priced it at double what the other company was doing it for, but they weren't doing anything, hence it was cheap, not heard back yet though?

Regards

Martin 

[MagicPatch]

Do you know what. I love this forum and am so glad I found it. You know you're not on your own.

Fox, you're absolutely right, I spent over 10 minutes looking for a light switch last night and still couldn't find it (apparantly it's behind a cupboard) so had to mop one room almost in the dark using light , then I couldn't find where they kept the bin liners etc. I suppose all those minutes add up.

Keep those tips coming, I'll try some of them tonight.

Brian.

[bob1]

Hi Brian, you poor thing, I really feel for you. Just know what your experiencing is normal. You obviously want to do a good job, which will give you a good reputation. Obviously as was said the last cleaner left for a reason, maybe it was because she cut corners. You may have to approach the contract handler and explain things from your proffessional point of view. In the end you may loose the contract if you cant make enough money on it but loose it because you are too good for them, not because you are not good enough! I would suggest you find someone else to do the job with you if you are sweating that much and be happy with half the money in half the time. You have to weigh up all the options.

[Alan Rowley]

Brian,

Myself and my partner Tracey are also new to this cleaning lark. We are facing exactly the same problems and we're beginning to think we are over-fussy.

We have come to the conclusion that it is much better to be that way than to cut corners. If you cut corners, you will only lose customers, but if you do a good job every time, you will keep the customer, the money will roll in and you will get quicker in time.

Good luck mate, you're not alone.

[MagicPatch]

Thanks Alan,

Well today was 2.5 hours, so it was a bit better, but I'm still feeling like I'm dropping my standards a bit to fit it all in, so I'll have to watch that I don't let that happen.

Only got one complaint. You'll like this. They have a cook who cooks for the kids, then clears up the kitchen and sweeps the floor. My job in the evening is to mop the floor in the kitchen. The cook complained that when she came in she found a fish finger on the floor in the corner (I must have missed it). The owner said the cook has complained that she found a fish finger on the floor, to which I replied, well she should have swept it properly then. How we laughed. I did it jokingly so they saw the funny side. Now that's how you pass the blame.

Cheers guys.

Brian.

[cleanandneat]

Like the fishy bit...
Well done Brian!


Regards,
Ildiko

[Kevin White]

They employ a cook and a cleaner and then fob the kids off with fish fingers for tea. Hope it was a birds eye and not the cheap ones.

[cleanimperial]

Hi Brian

I no exactly how you feel we have started jobs before and you think how are we ever going to do this in the time and you feel like giving up but like the other guys have said you will get in to a routine and you will wonder what you where worried about.

Fred

[MagicPatch]

Yeah, you're right. It's about 2hrs 20mins now flat out, which is much better than the 3 hours and it's onlt the 3rd time I've done it.

Keep those tips coming in?

As a matter of interest, do you dust, vacumm etc all in one room then move over to the next room or as you've got the hoover or duster in your hand do you dust throughout, then go back and vacuum throughout. which do you find quicker. All in one go, or one room at a time?

Brian.

[Fox]

Make sure you dust and bin before vaccing otherwise you will be dusting onto your clean floor!

[MagicPatch]

Someone once said you should vavuum first because when you vacuum, you are throwing dust into the air. Has anyone else heard that?

Brian.

[mxg]

Just because somebody says something, doesn't make it true

2+2=5. Ok ?

I would also vac last.

Mick

[The Great One]

Hi

I wash up 1st, then wipe down the toilets, bin all the rubbish and put it out, then clean all surfaces, desks, ledges, phones, monitors etc.

Sweep kitchen floor and mop with boiling water (from kettle already put on)

Then vac throughout.

Now I am in routine it has dropped from 1hr 40 to about 50 mins at most, sometimes less.

Regards

Martin

[MagicPatch]

I'm doing similar except rubbish last in case I find any rubbish while cleaning. I've also got into this habit of vacuuming the kitchen floor while I've got the vac in hand, it somehow seems quicker than sweeping and gets all the bits up for when you mop.

Brian.