If one of your friends is willing to travel to Melbourne I'm happy to hire them! We used to have one so answers below:

How often does your cleaner come? Weekly
How long do they work? 2 hours
What do you get them to do? Floors, wiping surfaces, dusting, bathrooms. Then it's one of empty dishwasher, hang out clothes, change sheets, wipe out fridge or pantry. Just depends on what needs doing, but she usually had time for one extra a week. I'd just leave a note.

Having a cleaner was the best thing we ever did. It meant so much more quality family time and I could get through my days without stressing that the place was grotty. I can live with untidy, but not dirty.