Key Takeaways
- Most “bad job” complaints have 1 of 3 causes: not enough time for the flat, an unclear brief, or the cleaner’s effort and technique. Only the third is really the cleaner’s fault.
- Give 1 round of specific, same-day feedback before deciding anything. “Water marks on the shower screen” gets fixed. “The bathroom isn’t clean” doesn’t.
- Allow 2 visits after feedback. If the same problems come back, escalate or switch.
- Who you complain to depends on how you hired. A company or platform has support to contact. A neighbour’s helper working part-time is an offence under MOM rules.
- Recurring home cleaning in Singapore costs from S$57 for a 3-hour session with the same cleaner each time, and you can cancel anytime before the next service.
It’s Saturday afternoon in a 5-room flat in Punggol, and your part-time cleaner has just left after her third visit. The floors look fine, but the TV console is dusty again and the shower screen still has the same water marks. Do you say something, or quietly start looking for someone else?
Is Your Cleaner Actually Doing a Bad Job?
Sometimes, but just as often the cleaner is short of time or doesn’t know what you want. Work out which before you raise it, because each has a different fix.
| What you see | Likely cause | What fixes it |
|---|---|---|
| Main rooms done, the last room rushed or skipped | Session too short for the flat | A longer session, or a ranked list so the important rooms come first |
| Clean, but not where you care most | No priority list | A written top 3, left out before each visit |
| Same spots missed every visit (tops of frames, under beds) | Never shown, or not checking | Point them out once, in person |
| Grout, glass and taps never look truly clean | Built-up grime a routine clean can’t shift | A one-off deep clean, then routine visits |
| Rooms skipped, leaving early, phone out for long stretches | Effort | Direct feedback, then escalate |
| Same cloth used on the toilet and then the basin | Technique and hygiene | Raise it immediately, it isn’t optional |
Top 4 rows: a better brief usually fixes it. Bottom 2: it’s the cleaner.
How Do You Tell a Cleaner They’re Not Doing a Good Job?
Be specific, do it the same day, and show rather than describe. Vague or late feedback can’t be acted on.
- Start with what’s working. “The kitchen has been great.”
- Name the exact problem and place. “The shower screen was missed again.”
- Show them. Walk them to it, or send a photo if you weren’t home.
- Agree the order for next time. “Please do the bathrooms first, then the bedrooms.”
If you never did a proper walkthrough at the start, do it now — the same ground as how to prepare for cleaners coming: priorities, no-go zones and surfaces that need care.
What Does a Good Clean Actually Look Like?
A good clean works top to bottom and clean to dirty, and doesn’t skip the places nobody sees. That’s a standard you can check, not a feeling.
For bathrooms, NEA’s residential guidance says to clean from high to low (e.g. wall to floor), and from clean to dirty areas (e.g. shower to toilet bowl). If your cleaner mops first and then dusts the shelves above, or wipes the toilet before the basin with the same cloth, that is a technique problem worth raising, whoever you hired.
Right after a session, check the places a rushed clean skips: under beds, tops of door frames, the shower screen, behind the toilet bowl, the hob and the floor trap.
When Is It Time to Change Cleaners?
When the same problems come back after 2 visits of clear feedback. The first visit after you raise something shows whether they listened. The second shows whether the change lasts.
Switch straight away for:
- Leaving early or cutting the paid hours short
- Repeatedly skipping a room you asked for
- Poor hygiene, like 1 cloth for the toilet and the kitchen
- Anything that makes you uneasy about having them in your home
Otherwise, think before you switch. A cleaner who already knows your flat, your priorities and which cupboard sticks is worth a lot; a new one means starting from zero. A fixable problem is usually less work to fix than to replace.
Who Do You Complain To?
Whoever you hired the cleaner through, and that depends on how you booked.
- A company or platform: contact their support with photos and specifics. Urban Company handles this through in-app chat and WhatsApp support. Every professional is background-verified and rated, and you can see their profile before they arrive.
- A freelancer: a direct conversation, with usually no one above them to escalate to. Here’s how a cleaning agency compares with a freelance cleaner in Singapore.
- A neighbour’s helper: you have no recourse at all. MOM states that it is an offence for a foreign domestic worker to engage in part-time employment, with or without her employer’s consent.
If a company won’t resolve a genuine problem, the Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act protects consumers against unfair practices, and the Small Claims Tribunals hear disputes involving goods and services. Both are a last resort.
What Isn’t the Cleaner’s Fault?
Built-up grime, a session too short for the flat, and jobs that need a different professional. Knowing this saves you switching cleaners for the same result.
Dark grout or limescale-clouded glass won’t come back with a weekly wipe. You can tackle grout yourself with this guide to cleaning bathroom tiles and grout without damage, or reset the whole flat once. Here’s when you need a deep clean rather than a regular clean.
Aircon, leaking pipes and anything electrical aren’t cleaning jobs either.
How Do You Avoid This Next Time?
Keep the same cleaner, give a ranked list, and check after each of the first 3 visits, while habits are still forming.
With Urban Company’s recurring plan, the same trusted cleaner comes each time, so feedback you give once carries forward. If it isn’t working, the plan can be cancelled anytime before the next service, and cancelling is free. When you’re ready, see the plans and book a recurring home cleaning plan in Singapore.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I do if my cleaner is not doing a good job?
Work out the cause before you complain. Check whether the session is long enough for your flat, whether the cleaner has a ranked priority list, and whether they were ever shown how you like things done. Then give 1 round of specific, same-day feedback. If the same problems come back after that, it’s time to escalate or switch.
How do I give feedback to my cleaner without being rude?
Be specific, be prompt and lead with what is going well. Name the exact problem and the place, such as the water marks on the shower screen, rather than saying the bathroom isn’t clean. Show them if you can. Then agree what comes first next time. Most cleaners welcome clear instructions more than vague disappointment.
How many chances should I give a cleaner?
Usually 2 visits after clear feedback. The first visit after you raise a problem shows whether they listened. The second shows whether the change lasts. If the same rooms are skipped or the same corners are missed after that, the problem is no longer instructions. Escalate to the company or find someone else.
Is it the cleaner’s fault if the flat still looks dirty?
Not always. A session that is too short for the flat, a list of 12 equal jobs, or built-up grime that needs a deep clean will all leave a flat looking unfinished, even with a good cleaner. Skipped rooms, shortened hours and poor hygiene, such as 1 cloth for toilet and basin, are the cleaner’s responsibility.
Who do I complain to about a part-time cleaner?
Whoever you hired them through. With a company or platform, contact their support with photos and specifics. With a freelancer, it’s a direct conversation. If a company won’t resolve a genuine service problem, Singapore’s consumer protection law covers unfair practices, and the Small Claims Tribunals hear disputes over services.
How do I check whether my cleaner did a good job?
Check the places a rushed clean skips: under beds and sofas, the tops of door frames, the shower screen, behind the toilet bowl, the kitchen hob and the floor trap. Run a finger along a shelf. Do this right after the session, while details are fresh, and photograph anything you want to raise.
Leave a Reply