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AIBU?

Aibu to send cleaning lady an angry email?

49 replies

irp1978 · 26/09/2017 09:40

Had a new cleaner come over yesterday for 2 hours (apparently). I went out when she arrived with my 2 small children, one of which likes to throw tantrum every now and again. I was really looking forward to coming home to a nice clean house, i had visions of opening the front door to wafts of polish, bleach and zoflora! But the reality was i opened the door to....nothing. Nothing had really changed. The floor hadn't been mopped, the bathroom looked pretty much the same, i could feel crumbs underfoot etc, etc..

So obviously i won't be using her again. But the problem i have is i feel robbed. I left money out for 2 hours work, she may have done 40 mins max. She abused my trust and good nature. Normally i would just leave it, but i feel pretty upset that someone came into my home who i trusted to do a job for me and paid well just f*ed off as soon as i left! When i first met her i said i was finding things hard with 2 small children and needed help!

So I'm now debating wether to send her an angry email and basically tell her she's committed theft! I'm not a confrontational person so am finding this a bit hard..😬

OP posts:
Smartiepants87 · 26/09/2017 09:43

Did you list your expections prior to her coming to your house? I would definitely contact her and tell her, her services are no long required.

RunningOutOfCharge · 26/09/2017 09:45

Email and ask her to list what she did?

She won’t reply tho

existentialmoment · 26/09/2017 09:45

Don't send an angry email, send a proper one, telling her you'd like her to come back and finish what she was paid to do though.

Are you mad though, going out and leaving a complete stranger in your house with money left out for them?

MotherofSausage · 26/09/2017 09:46

This reply has been withdrawn

Message from MNHQ: This post has been withdrawn

sparechange · 26/09/2017 09:46

Did you give her a list of what you wanted done?
Did you take some time to walk her around the house pointing out what needed doing and where you keep your various cleaning things?
Did you tidy everything away before she arrived so she could crack straight on with the cleaning?

I think you are staggeringly unrealistic to think your house will be transformed in 2 hours though.
That’s not very much time for a small flat lived in by a single person, let alone a family house.

Winteriscomingneedmorewood · 26/09/2017 09:47

Text her and ask when she is coming back to do the rest of her shift!!

Wheresmytaco · 26/09/2017 09:47

If this is your first time having a cleaner it's possible she did do work but it was fussy stuff that a person with two small kids doesn't notice or have time to care about. I'd call her and ask what she did. If it's legit be more specific next time

SparklyMagpie · 26/09/2017 09:47

Assuming you left a list? I wouldn't have left her in my house especially the first day

Ameliablue · 26/09/2017 09:48

Don't send an angry email but do send an email stating that you are not happy with the work that was carried out and ask for an explanation.

scrabbler3 · 26/09/2017 09:51

Assuming your house is small and tidy and you left instructions, email her. Not angrily though. Keep it businesslike.

Be very certain that your expectations were realistic. 2h is not long, especially if the place is cluttered.

Pengggwn · 26/09/2017 09:56

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MrsOverTheRoad · 26/09/2017 09:58

She hasn't committed theft!

She's done a bad job. It happens.

Just send a cold email telling her why you don't want her any more.

CoraPirbright · 26/09/2017 09:58

What was actually achieved? Do you think you may have been optimistic in what she would be able to do in the time allotted? Did you get her through an agency? Perhaps contact them.....

Herschellmum · 26/09/2017 10:00

I think it depends on what was agreed. 2 hours isn't long really, especially first time in someone's home. Especially if she needed to find things like the vacuum or cleaning products.

I find emailing her and asking what she did today would be a good idea.

However, I do think you have too high expectations of you expecting any house to be perfect, and smelling wonderful in just 2 hours.

ZaphodBeeblerox · 26/09/2017 10:04

Did you get her through an agency? Or is she just a one man show?

TBH it seems unbelievable to leave a complete stranger in your home and not check on her. But if agency obviously call them and complain.

That said we have a fairly tiny 2 bed 2 bath all on one floor, flat and even with 3 hours our cleaner just manages to clean it. New person takes 4 hours.

Had you tidied before she came? Otherwise will take them forever to even just dust.

I'd second Pp's suggestions of a list. And tidy before cleaner comes, load dishwasher, run laundry, strip beds. Esp if it's only a 2 hour slot these will help her get job done and get you more value for money. I get cleaner to do more of the heavy stuff that I can't do while pregnant and actually do the dusting myself since it's easy.

guilty100 · 26/09/2017 10:05

It's totally impossible to adjudicate this one on the internet, because we don't know you, your house, or your general level of tidiness.

To give you a counter example: my friend and her bloke live in a house that is seriously untidy. It has 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms over 4 floors. Their kitchen is always full of dirty crockery. My friend is always moaning about their poor cleaner because the house isn't cleaned from top to bottom in 2 hours (the cleaner actually regularly works 3, for the pay of 2). I honestly couldn't clean their kitchen to an adequate standard for a weekly clean in 2 hours. It would take me most of a day to do it. My friend complains bitterly against this woman, but really the problem is that she's just not paying for a sufficient number of hours to get the work done. She would need a day a week for months to get the house into a reasonable shape to keep it ticking over, and even then she would need to pay for 4-5 hours a week, not 2.

If you have a 1 bed flat, maybe cleaning it in 2 hours is possible. But a house - someone would have to be flying to get around that adequately in the time.

AhNowTed · 26/09/2017 10:06

Sorry but you're being very unrealistic to think your house would be transformed after 2 hours. I'd barely get the kitchen done in that time.

Our cleaner spends 5-6 hours every 2 weeks.

LucieLucie · 26/09/2017 10:07

I had a similar experience with cleaners, I’d never employ any more unless I have indoor cams to monitor in/out times and activities done.

Just email calmly asking if she can clarify the jobs she carried out while at yours.

If she doesn’t reply or tells a pack of lies you’ll know she’s dishonest. Plenty of people ask for recommendations for cleaners on fb etc so you can make sure you give an accurate avoidance recommendation.

Finding a good hard working honest cleaner must be as rare as hens teeth.

PolkadottyRose · 26/09/2017 10:08

I'm a cleaner. 2 hours is not a long time, especially for a first session where she is establishing a routine. You do need to provide her with a list of what you want done, and you do need to be realistic, or employ her for more hours as realistically she will not be able to fulfil all your wildest dreams in that timeframe. I clean a 3 bedroomed house with a conservatory. I am allocated 3 hours (their choice) to do so. It's already a clean and tidy house. In that time I (as specifically requested by employer): Hoover and dust living room. Dust kitchen. Dust, hoover and mop conservatory. Hoover and mop utility room. Clean downstairs toilet and sink, mop floor. Hoover stairs. Dust and hoover 3 bedrooms, hoover upstairs landing. Clean upstairs bathroom, mop floor. The house doesn't look much different by the time I am finished, but cleaning products can be detected in the air!.

AudacityJones · 26/09/2017 10:13

2 hours seems a v short amount of time except for a 1 bed flat. Sounds more like your expectations were a bit unrealistic? I know it's disappointing.

I'd either get a cleaner for 4 hours every fortnight; or give her a rotating list of tasks for every week (downstairs loo this week / upstairs next week etc).. if the budget only allows for 2 hours. You want her to do a detailed thorough job of a small area rather than always doing a rushed light job because then house will never feel fully clean.

irp1978 · 26/09/2017 10:13

I met her a week before, and went over evrrything. It was to just hoover and mop downstairs and clean bathroom. So she knew what needed doing. So basically 2 rooms in the house. It's more than enough time as i do it myself!

I do feel bad now though that i trusted her with no recommendations. I had an agency last year and they were awful.

OP posts:
amaliaa · 26/09/2017 10:18

I understand why you are angry, she did not do what you asked her to do, but sending an email won't help. You were not wrong to trust her, but she is not a trustworthy person. Treat it as a lesson learned.

Just email and say that you were not happy with the standard of the work and will not be using her again.

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irp1978 · 26/09/2017 10:19

I was hoping that she could just take the edge off not do the whole house! I explained I'd be doing upstairs and for her to clean floors and bathroom downstairs. Oh well, back to me doing it all...

OP posts:
Alexkate2468 · 26/09/2017 10:24

I would email her and ask her about what she did. I don't think an angry tone is going to be of much use here...it's not going to add anything to the outcome. In my experience a calm and professional tone with an openness to hear her side will get a better result.

Hekabe · 26/09/2017 10:26

irp - I feel your pain. I think I have unrealistic expectations sometimes,a and felt thoroughly peed off if the job isn't better than what I could have done.

I'm not a good cleaner, and pre baby I could afford to have someone do it. The first lady was amazing through - she blasted through the place and made it look like a show home. No one has come close to her!

I did take exception with one girl when there was still dog hair everywhere under the table and chairs. Clumps of it. The main job was to hoover and mop. She was with an 'agency' of sorts so I said I wasn't happy. They came and inspected and were embarrassed at the state she'd left it in - they owners of the agency spent four hours cleaning the house for us by way of an apology. We didn't use her again.

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