Coffee and Chat -- Wednesday 28th January 2026

@FearofUnknown I think cleaners can be variable - really depends on the individual/company.

My cleaner works for herself casually, so I provide the cleaning tools & chemicals. She is flexible to do what I need/want done - we negotiate. And it can change week to week if I need, I just ask or say what I do or don't need. Or if I am in a meeting/busy I can write it down for her 😊. My cleaner's "basics" for me is sweep & vacuum floors, clean bathroom & toilet, clean kitchen benches, unpack/pack dishwasher if needed and do hand-washing if needed (although sometimes she forgets this?) If I leave clean sheets out on my bed she will change the bed linen for me. If I ask, she can also do dusting, window-sills, vacuum couches (since they have blankets on them for dog fur they don't usually get vacuumed). I can also ask for things like oven-cleaning if I buy the right cleaning thing for it.

Because I know the cleaner well, I don't feel I need to supervise her. I do like to be home when she is cleaning, but if I need to leave early to go to an appointment I feel OK to let her finish up by herself (because we have a door that will automatically lock behind her). She has been my cleaner for a number of years now. But if I was with an agency and did not know the cleaner, i would want to keep a little bit of an eye on them and be home - i would want to make sure that if i am pay per hour that they are not taking long breaks as paid time.

My cleaner is not through NDIS, as I do not have NDIS. But if I do apply and be approved this year, then I would put it under NDIS - assuming I can do self-managed, because if they made it agency-managed only then they have to be an approved NDIS provider I hear, which they are not. They used to do cleaning fulltime until retirement, but they can no longer so they do it only via word of mouth referral.

I have heard many stories of both great cleaners and not so great cleaners. Great cleaners are so well loved and valued by me and others I know 😍.

@Appleblossom "My cleaner is also a support worker and we talk for an hour or 2, or, clean for an hour or 2, depending on what has been happening and what I actually need, as part of a 3 hour shift."

This sounds SO GOOD! 😍

My cleaner is also very friendly (and I know her through the community) so we also often chat at the start and end too, which can be nice also. I know she enjoys the social contact also.

@FearofUnknown for my one, the cleaners come with their own equipment, I think all of them do though.

so for me, they start off by asking me what things/where I would like for them to clean on, so I tell them basically that and they do that

you don't need to be at home whilst they're cleaning at your house. I left home a bit after they came since I needed to go to my parents house for a bit to pick up my mum's cooked food from there

ooooh good luck! I hope you can get the interview for that job! I think you'd be a great fit, even though I haven't met you yet and don't know much about you hehe! but I'm sure you'll be a great fit for the role! 😄

@Chasingsunsets ooooh I LOVE rainy days hehehe! I know they're dark and can give off depressing vibes, but I actually like rainy days and when the skies are gloomy 😄 but I also like bright and sunny days too!!

Hello @Blackcloud , @Appleblossom , @FearofUnknown , @Chasingsunsets , @Jynx , @tyme , @Tolly 😊

Me too @Blackcloud !! Love a good storm and listening to the rain ☔️ as long as I’m not caught in it 😂

Have you been watching the tennis @Shaz51 😊

Sending you some 💜 and some hugs @Shaz51! (づ ᴗ _ᴗ)づ♡

@Appleblossom What a brilliant idea to do some cleaning for yourself too, whilst the cleaner is working! It would make the job be done twice as fast plus it could be fun to clean alongside one another!

@AlwaysMyself What is the difference between an NDIS Cleaner and a self-managed Cleaner besides one needing approval and one does not? Do you get to choose your own Cleaner if you are on a NDIS plan/use funding?

@Blackcloud Thank you! I have been told that the Employer is very keen to hire me! I really would like to start work immediately! I can't wait to meet my Clients!

Also, honestly speaking - does doing the dishes, laundry and changing bed linen count as cleaning tasks?

@FearofUnknown I think that’s more of what housekeepers do rather than a cleaner I’m pretty sure 🤔 I’ll leave for the other users here to answer that for you as well. I did look up the differences between what a cleaner and a housekeeper does and it sounds like from the looks of it, a cleaner mainly focuses on cleaning/wiping down surfaces type things including vacuuming carpets, whereas a housekeeper does very much a variety of the home duties (including washing dishes, doing laundry too would assume? & definitely changing bed linen). I used to work as a housekeeper and I remember we definitely had to change the bed linen in every clients rooms & wash the dishes at some point too.

@FearofUnknown @Blackcloud I've never thought about the distinction between a "cleaner" and "housekeeper". But what you say makes sense. I never had either growing up, but when I lived in Asia I became familiar with "maids" who did both at friends' houses. I guess my cleaner is flexible to do whatever we agree on because she is happy to be paid per hour, and I am not under NDIS so there is no need to be strict about what is classified as what.

My understanding is that the NDIS clients do get to choose which cleaner/company they hire, but depending on who manages your plan funds depends on whether you can choose from any service provider or only NDIS-registered providers. But I have also heard there may be changes to the self-managed funding rules upcoming? I don't know. I don't have NDIS, so I haven't looked into the finer details; I only know from what friends of mine have said.