To ask: if you are a cleaner, what are the things in the house that would make you judge someone?

Ah, I'd love to live in Brazil (if not for the spiders).

Haha I get that. However, I don't live in the UK,I'm in Brazil. It's kind of cultural, I guess, at least here in São Paulo. Cleaners are great, but they're kind if judgemental. Also, it's a choice. I don't like my house to look like I don't get my butt off the chair to do anything. Again, it's probably cultural. But I see your point, I guess it's way more stress-free to live that way. But still....😅

It's completely mad, though. You hire a cleaner because you can't, or don't want to, keep on top of cleaning your house, and then, after you've hired them, you clean before they arrive, despite the fact that you hired them in the first place because you couldn't or didn't want to clean? It's not 'only fair'. It makes zero sense.

I treat my cleaning lady the way I would want to be treated if I were a cleaning lady. Nobody should have to clean up someone else's bodily fluids, ever. Nobody should be picking your clothes and shit up off the floor. Nobody should be emptying your bathroom bin for you. I also don't want to pay my cleaning lady for things I can easily do myself (load the dishwasher, put newspapers in the recycling etc).

I was lucky I think. Rarely came across any of that. Never saw used sanitary products. I was was also one of a rare breed who didn't mind dealing with cat litter or the occasional pet 'accident'.

I agree and I said same on the first page. The only thing is, clients do need to realise that if they leave a mess, it takes time to clear that up before you start cleaning.
One of my favourite jobs was where i washed up and wiped sides down in the kitchen, emptied all bins, changed the bed and ran the hoover round. The first time I went it took me two hours just in the kitchen ( not sure they ever washed up or emptied the bin) but over time I was able to add little extra jobs, and eventually my twice weekly two hours made a real impact.
The client always said how much she looked forward to returning home from work on the days I went. It was really satisfying! Much better than the already spotless homes who's owners were really fussy.
Real appreciation made all the difference when I was doing the job ( and obviously good payers)

mess I’m fine with, these raise an eye brow… squashed insects that haven’t been cleaned off windows etc, cruddy pants on floor, really dirty toilets with crap on the seat and really old,
firmly stuck on in the toilet, pet vomit/hair balls, broken glass lazily tidied and we cut ourselves, remains of food left down a sink for 2 weeks so much so that it smells of vomit.

People who don’t bother picking up from the floor when they drop something or wiping up spillage. Leaving soiled period items around.
Baffled by people who don’t consider storage solutions for piles of ’memories’ everywhere.

This has got to be my favorite thread on MN so far! I totally pre-clean and tidy up before the cleaner myself.
I think it's only fair, and just like other people have said, I don't want to be judged. 😅

Yes I had one of these. She had previously come on a visit to see what needed doing. On first day in job I let her in on my way out only for a phone call 10 minutes later telling me there was no way she could be expected such filthy. Turns out DS had traipsed some mud in back door ( that I hadn't realised) and this was unacceptable to her

Strangely she was very popular on the local Facebook page with pictures of shining taps and wonderfully folded towels and toilet rolls but a bit of mud was too much

I used to be a cleaner and I agree with this. Getting scruffy houses clean and tidy was so satisfying and you could tell how much my clients appreciated it.

I ‘m a cleaner and I hate it when I arrive and there is no mess anywhere. I derive great satisfaction in ‘creating order out of chaos’ and seeing the ‘thanks’ on my client’s faces…

Interesting thread. Due to a combination of issues, my whole house needs a deep clean. I could do with someone who loves a challenge and won’t judge why I have let it get in a state. Having said that, my toilets are always clean.

I think the window cleaner analogy is wrong but what you're saying is similar to washing your hair before going to the hair dresser (or at least timing it so it's not a greasy mess) or even paying someone to clean the car but clearing all the rubbish out. I think most people do all these things as we don't want to come across as filthy animals. I don't have a cleaner but if I did, I reckon I would focus on tidying up and make sure there were no shit stains in the toilets and that would be it. Give yourself a break OP 🙏

I am a cleaner. I wouldn't judge you on anything!

Used condoms strewn about (IRL).

Dirty nappies (but only read about on MN) sanitary towels, pet faeces would be gross. Unflushed toilets perhaps…but weird to clean before the cleaner comes. Crap job cleaning toilets (pun intended) and surely one of the reasons to pay a cleaner?

Loom bands and Lego are very annoying as a Mum though.

My cleaner brings me immense joy.
I don’t think that she realises how grateful I am for the time and effort she puts into
maintaining my home

SPOT ON. Skid marks in toilets are the ultimate sign of disrespect and slobbiness

Domestic and business cleaner here.

we are there to do a job! Deep clean and make sure that your house is completely clean and tidy that is what we get paid to do, clean in places that you wouldn’t necessarily think of to clean. My only gripe but I don’t judge is poop marks in the toilet,
nothing makes me think you are disgusting 🤮 I have different clients and each household is completely different . I work round paperwork left on sides or anything that seems to have a place that shouldn’t be removed. I wash up, make beds if needed and place clothing on a bed neatly folded if left on the floor of kiddies rooms, some are tidyish others not so much but i am OCD so love cleaning and Lea leaving a house spotless and clean and smelling fresh for my clients.
Tbf my clients love it when I clean each week for them and 2 of them I have cleaned for almost 5years now

so don’t worry about tidying up beforehand or worrying that you are getting judged, if your cleaner is good at their job this is not an issue for them 😁

I think it entirely depends on the situation. Our housekeeper has 9 hours, so she has time to pick the scatter pillows off the floor, put any pens in pots etc.

She knows these are the priorities (toilets, sinks etc) but otherwise use your initiative so it looks and smells nice when I get back!

I think they are more bothered how you treat them (reasonable pay, reasonable amount of time to do it, polite, always paid on time) than weather you've tidied the lego 😉

I never cleaned before my cleaner came, but I did always have a good tidy. I employed her to clean, not put things away

Cleaner & housekeeper here. I love cleaning, tidying and transforming. Dirt is my bread & butter, and I know only too well how easily it builds up. But I do judge adults who:

> leave their dirty used underwear laying around on floors
> throw used sanitary pads and liners into the bin without wrapping them, so they stick to the inside of the bin meaning I can't just tip the bin out - I have to peel the pad off the side of the bin
> leave used dirty tissues on surfaces or floors
> leave toilets unflushed, so I'm greeted by a bowl piled high with human waste and foul toilet paper
> leaving shitty skid marks in the toilet
> leaving used positive covid tests around on surfaces (I have some clients who work in health care settings and are still required to test)
> leaving last night's used sex toys laying around on floors and bedside tables
> pissing around the toilet, instead of in it, and leaving it

Basically anything that I would consider disrespectful to leave for another person to clear up after me, regardless of their occupation.

Adults, no matter how wealthy they are that they can afford the luxury of a personal cleaner, should do those things for themselves. In comparison to all the other stuff I'm doing, the things I expect them to do for themselves are very very minor...
> Put your pants in the dirty laundry basket
> Throw your dirty tissues in the bin
> Wrap your sanitary pads
> Flush the toilet once you're finished
> Scrub your skids off the bowl
> Dispose of covid tests
> Put your sex toys away
> Wipe your own piss off the floor/outer sides of the loo if you miss

These small things that an average adult (disabilities excluded) can easily do for themselves greatly reduces the spread of infection and other contaminants. And it's just general basic respect and manners tbh.

My cleaner is happy to tidy. I pay her to save me 3 hours. I don't actually mind the cleaning, I'm not too posh to clean my home. What I'm short of is time, so i pay her to do 3 hours worth of housework in my home.

Works for everyone.

Cleaning and tidying are two different things if you hadn't done a little sorting then she wouldn't have time to clean

Stop doing this as it's a waste of your life as she is redoing it so it gets done twice when once will do xx