What Can a Cleaner Do in 2 Hours?

If you’re looking into hiring a cleaner to do two hours of work for you, you might be wondering what exactly they’ll be able to clean during that time.

After all, two hours isn’t a huge amount of time, but if that time is spent wisely, it can be transformative. 

So, what can you expect a cleaner to do in two hours?

In two hours, a cleaner should have enough time to:

• Mop your kitchen floor quickly
• Wipe your kitchen counters down
• Clean a small number of dishes in the sink
• Hoover the main floors in a house – this does not mean moving furniture around
• Clean a toilet
• Wipe the sinks/taps around your home down

However, there are factors that may contribute to how many of these tasks are actually completed during a two-hour period. For example:

• How dirty your home is to begin with – The more dirt there is to contend with the slower the cleaning process will be. This may result in the cleaner not getting as much cleaning done in the two hours as originally expected.
• How experienced the cleaner is – Are they focused and ready for work? Do they have plans and structures to follow? Experienced cleaners, who genuinely love what they do, can clean with ease. But this isn’t the case with every cleaner. Some cleaners are only cleaning until they find a different job. It’s worth choosing a reputable cleaner who has good reviews!
• Are there any obstacles in the way? – Will the cleaner have to clean around items/move things to complete specific tasks? This takes extra time.
• Does the cleaner understand the tasks they’ve been given? – Do they have free reign or have you told them exactly what you expect of them? Instructions are paramount and can help to maintain order when cleaning for a set period of time.
• Has the cleaner been given specific cleaning tasks? – Folding laundry and putting it away is not cleaning. It’s important to give out actual cleaning tasks.
• The size of your home and its rooms – Bigger homes take longer to clean, whereas smaller houses can be cleaned quicker because there’s less space to cover.

It’s difficult to estimate exactly what a cleaner can do in two hours because of the above factors. Generally, they should be able to do some basic hoovering, cleaning down worktops and cleaning a toilet in a two hour period, at a minimum.  

The important point to remember is that you should always try and make the most out of a two-hour-long cleaning session. And you can do that by taking note of, and following the tips below!

 

How to Make the Most Out of a 2-Hour Cleaning Session

A cleaner is not a magician and there’s only so much that they can do. So, why not try to help them out before they start their work? Take note of the tips below.

1. Communication is key

Have a little chat with the cleaner before they start work, so you can outline their tasks for the two-hour session. Clear and precise communication also gives rise to a good working relationship, and it’s a place where trust can be built.

 

2. A cleaner is not a declutterer or organiser (unless they say so)

So, don’t expect them to declutter your home in a two-hour period. If you want someone to remove clutter from your house you need to contact a professional service that specialises in that field. 

 

3. Time tasks yourself beforehand, so you know roughly how long each task should take

This way you’ll know what tasks to allocate during the cleaning session, and what tasks should be left out for another time.

For example, time how long it takes you to hoover your home (don’t move the furniture around). Note down that this takes you 30 minutes to complete.

Repeat this process for other tasks like washing up (10 minutes), cleaning the kitchen floor (30 minutes), cleaning the kitchen worktops (20 minutes), and cleaning the toilet (30 minutes).

When you’re done you can add the times up, so that they’ll slot into a two-hour session.

Like this:

Hoovering (30 minutes) + Washing up (10 minutes) + Wash kitchen floor (30 minutes) + Kitchen worktops (20 minutes) + toilet (30 minutes) = 2 hours.

As you can see, your cleaner would know exactly what they needed to do for the two hours. And because you know how long everything is supposed to take, you know that the tasks are manageable and achievable during the cleaning session. So, you can avoid disappointment.

 

4. Learn to prioritise rooms and tasks

A cleaner cannot clean every single room in a two-hour session, so you must tell them exactly what you want them to do and where. This way they won’t waste precious time cleaning areas that you don’t need to be cleaned.

For example, you deem your kitchen as a top priority for the cleaner, but bedroom number three is not important.

 

5. Prepare your house before the cleaner arrives

Move hazards out of the way so your cleaner is working within health and safety measures. Plus, not having obstacles in the way will speed up the cleaning process, this includes popping clean clothes away in the wardrobe, for example.

 

6. Make a checklist for the cleaner to follow

You can keep control over what is being cleaned this way, and if things aren’t cleaned you can find out why. You can then amend the process based on the feedback you get from the cleaner.

 

7. Give your cleaner feedback

 

Getting feedback means that they can maintain/improve how they work based on what you say. That way you both get the most out of your paid two-hour cleaning session.

 

8. Treat your cleaner with respect

You should be kind and professional to your cleaner. And if they do something wrong, you should try and remain as calm as possible and explain to them what it is you don’t like.

Also, remember that it may take time for a cleaner to learn how you like things done, so don’t be too hard on them if they don’t get the cleaning quite right immediately.

In short, be nice to your cleaner because you won’t get much out of any cleaning session if you’re rude to them.

 

9. Do a deep clean once a month

A thorough clean of your home on a monthly basis will help to keep your house in a relatively clean state.

Which means that when your cleaner comes in for their two-hour session they don’t have mammoth tasks to work through.

Instead, they can work on specific tasks during the two-hour period that are aimed at keeping your house looking clean and tidy until the next deep cleaning session!

 

10. Prepare the tools

Cleaners usually come with equipment, but if you would like them to use a different product, you should prepare the item(s) they need to use before they arrive. This means that they can walk in and start working immediately.

For example, if you want your kitchen worktops cleaned with a specific product, leave it out in a visible place so the cleaner can get to work right away. They shouldn’t have to go rooting around looking for cleaning items.

Get rid of distractions

Your cleaner is there to complete a certain number of tasks during a two-hour-long period. So, make sure that there are no distractions around them to take them away from their duties.

For example, don’t stand there and talk to them when they’re working. Or, don’t allow kids to run around a room when the cleaner is cleaning, this is needless interference that can be avoided.