How to hire a cleaner (from a cleaner)

I've never hired a cleaner. Growing up, my family never had a cleaner. If any of my friends have ever hired a cleaner, they've successfully kept it on the DL. So I can confidently say I don't know how to hire a cleaner, but I can come at this from the other side of the equation. How to hire a cleaner, from a cleaner's perspective:

Trust

First up, I'm a stranger in your house, but unlike a lot of trades that happen within the home, the job requires an odd kind of intimacy.

I know which of my clients are trying for a baby, who's going through health struggles, who's having their hours cut back at work. When you hire a cleaner, know that this person is going to be in your home multiple hours a week, every week, for years. Even if you never see them, you need to trust this person with this intimate role in your life.

Choosing your guy

How do you find someone you trust?

The easiest way is to go with an independent operator or sole trader. Agencies can be cheaper, but they often send whoever is on the books and available. The trade-off is that it's easier to cancel and reschedule bookings when you're sick or on holiday. If it's important to you to have an ongoing relationship with a regular worker who you trust: find a solo cleaner.

Now, if you've ever tried to find a great solo cleaner, you know this is easier said than done. You go to an agency - they send someone homophobic. You try social media - they don't answer your DMs. You pick a card up from the notice board at the supermarket - they don't have any availability.

I put up a singular Facebook post when I first moved to my new city, but besides from that, the last few years I haven't had to advertise at all.

All my new leads come from word of mouth. This is how you find a good cleaner.

On my end, I want to find clients by word of mouth, too. When I already have a good relationship with my client, it's easy for me to believe the person they're recommending is also going to be a decent employer. And I'm invested in working hard to make sure the new client is stoked with my work, because now my reputation with both customers is on the line.

If you're looking for a cleaner, ask around. It's like dating. Your best bet is finding a connection your friends, co-workers and community network.

Setting boundaries

So you've found your needle in a haystack:
1) a great cleaner,
2) recommended from a friend,
3) who has availability.

Jackpot!

Now's the time to start thinking about your boundaries: before the cleaner comes.

I'm hyper aware that it's a huge privilege to be in someone's private space. If you exist in a marginalised body, your home might be your only safe space in a hostile world. You deserve to feel safe and comfortable when there's someone else in your home.

You can't guarantee that the worker who turns up isn't going to be racist, homophobic, transphobic, ableist, classist, or just otherwise weird. Happily though, you're allowed to set boundaries to make you feel more at ease.

Here are some things to think about for any worker entering your home:

• Are there rooms or spaces you don't want them to access?
  Eg: your bedroom, your WFH office, your sewing desk. As a rule, I don't open any drawers or cupboards, but you might want to be explicit about this if it's something that bothers you.
• Do you prefer to have set start and finish times (hourly rate), or for them to stay until the work is done (flat rate)?
• Are you okay with them showing up sick? Talk to them in advance about this, see what their cancellation policy is, see how flexible they are with rescheduling.
• Do you want to be in the house when they're there? If not, you can give your cleaner a key, leave a key in a safe place, or just be at home to let them in then leave while they're working.
• Are you more comfortable with two workers, instead of being alone in the house with one person? Go with an agency, they usually send a pair of workers.
• Are you okay with workers moving your stuff? If you're a big routine-brain, or are ultra worried about things being broken, ask them not to.
• Do you want them to empty your bins, touch your clothes, or change your bedsheets? If you feel weird about people being all up in your more intimate spaces, you can just ask them not to go there.
• How are you going to respond when they do or say something that you don't like? Are you comfortable talking to this person about what's on your mind? Are you able to have clear lines of communication with them if something comes up? Problems will come up, and everyone will be happier if communication is comfortable and clear.

Here's those tips in a handy checklist!