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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Feel a bit weird about what my cleaner did.

858 replies

DeadlyDead · 19/12/2025 17:29

My cleaner has been with me for a few years. She’s a very nice woman, but can be a bit sensitive (if I give any feedback/ask for her to change something she does etc. she doesn’t take it well). I trust her- she has her own set of keys for my house, knows the alarm code etc. Good relationship overall- if I’m home when she’s here I’ll make us both coffee and we’ll chat.

She came on Monday for her usual cleaning appointment. I put my Christmas decorations up last weekend and she was very complimentary of them, asking where I got various bits etc. To be fair, I do go a bit OTT and love Christmas and this year’s decorations turned out especially well- I make a lot of stuff myself, and also have been collecting bits for years. We had coffee and then I needed to go out so we said our goodbyes, and I left her to it.

She lives about eight miles away from me, but we’re in the same area.

Today, I went onto Facebook and a post from a local group I’m in came up. It was a photo of someone showing off their Christmas decorations- I had to do a double take because it was my house! Pictures of my living room, hallway, landing, and sitting room, all decked out for Christmas. They were posted by my cleaner (under her own name- we’re not FB friends but both members of this group). The caption is along the lines of “not bad for a tired mum of three” and there are a few thousand likes and a several hundred comments (it’s a very big group). Lots asking where she got various items from and she’s replying, based on her asking me the same thing on Monday! In one comment she didn’t know where something was from and replied “I’ve had that for years, it was originally my Nan’s” 😮 (about a candle holder I got in Next c. 2019!!)

When I first saw it, I was a bit perplexed but didn’t dwell. Now that it’s sunk in, I’m a bit pissed off. My home isn’t instantly recognisable to strangers based on those photos, it does feel like a breach of privacy.

As I said, she can be quite sensitive so even saying this to her gently will likely result in her getting upset, and likely not coming to clean for me again. I can get another cleaner, but I don’t really want things to end this way as I’ve been happy with her until now.

In my shoes, would you be annoyed?

AIBU to be annoyed?

OP posts:
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GreenFritillary · 24/02/2026 18:11

Surely it's a breach of something or other? I'd be looking into whether there are grounds for taking her to the small claims court and requiring her to remove it all. And compensating you for the invasion of privacy.

biscuitscake · 24/02/2026 15:09

Very weird! I'd keep pursuing that with the local page to get them taken down.

Blondeshavemorefun · 24/02/2026 14:38

Sounds like she has issues as can’t even admit the pics were your house

Laurmolonlabe · 24/02/2026 08:24

Just get a new cleaner, and never let her in your home again.

Drepopop · 23/02/2026 21:48

She sounds completely unhinged.

i suggest you change the locks and get the alarm number changed.

CrayonCritic5 · 23/02/2026 19:59

Oh gosh. That is very strange that the local admins allowed that. There are so many monetized accounts on Facebook stealing content and reposting it as their own on groups. This has a strange similarity taken too far. To do it to someone you actually know isn’t very clever 😆

DeadlyDead · 23/02/2026 19:52

CrayonCritic5 · 23/02/2026 16:47

What did she saaaay

She maintained that the photos were taken inside of her house. When I told her that was impossible, she insisted. She then sent me more photos of rooms in my house that had been modified by AI and told me that these were other areas of her house and we obviously have very similar taste.

She’s since been posting very actively on the same FB group sharing AI-ed photos her “her” house. I’ve reported them to the group admins and Facebook but nothing has happened. She did also start posting them on one of the really, really big FB honeymoon decor groups (it has something like 1.5m members) and the admins there blocked her based on my report but the admins in the local group refuse to.

OP posts:
Drepopop · 23/02/2026 16:51

I probably would raise it but I would get a new cleaner.

CrayonCritic5 · 23/02/2026 16:47

What did she saaaay

Bigcat25 · 23/02/2026 14:53

What a nut job. I don't understand how people can continue with an obvious lie.

DeadlyDead · 23/02/2026 14:49

Iwillcomeouttheotherend · 21/02/2026 12:32

Hi - how did it work out in the end?
Did you let her know you’d seen the FB post ?

We parted ways after I asked her about the pictures, and she doubled-down on her lies.

OP posts:
Iwillcomeouttheotherend · 21/02/2026 12:32

DeadlyDead · 20/12/2025 23:02

I’m a lot taller than her, but she’s much slimmer than me. Totally different body types.

Hi - how did it work out in the end?
Did you let her know you’d seen the FB post ?

AmarylIis · 26/12/2025 19:10

DeadlyDead · 19/12/2025 23:55

They’re the Oko baubles from Nkuku in the large size. I ordered straight from the Nkuku website.

They seem to have a few colours discounted currently.

https://www.nkuku.com/products/oko-giant-bauble-matt-bordeaux

Oh, last I checked they didn’t deliver outside of the UK - good to know!

YogaGrinch · 24/12/2025 19:30

Time for a new cleaner most definitely

HevenlyMeS · 24/12/2025 19:26

I'd love to know how to 🤔
I didn't realise that I wasn't until you pointed it out - Thank you, but I still don't yet know how to 🙏

DangerousAlchemy · 24/12/2025 06:57

MrsDoomesPattersen · 19/12/2025 17:34

Have you seen the film single
white female?

this was exactly my 1st thought!

MySilentLions · 24/12/2025 01:02

Strangequinoaconcoction · 19/12/2025 20:04

Fire a single mum at Christmas for taking photos of your interiors?

Yes. It’s a huge breach of trust. Her status as a single mum has nothing to do with this. She should be responsible and ethical, then She wouldn’t get fired!

Why are you so intent on defending her? Just playing Devils Advocate? Bored?

pineapplesundae · 23/12/2025 23:58

You should be worried that she will continue to post your home! You should ask her to delete the post and to never do anything like that again. If she quits, you’ll find another cleaner. Just remember to get your keys back and change your security codes.

TiredMummma · 23/12/2025 23:27

Someone stole my photo of an unusual Christmas tree decoration which has been in my family for years and reposted it as their own. I was very very upset

seafoamhair · 23/12/2025 22:57

HevenlyMeS · 23/12/2025 13:43

Immensely well commented Sincere Soul
💚

You really need to learn how to quote the poster you are responding to.

HevenlyMeS · 23/12/2025 13:43

Immensely well commented Sincere Soul
💚

CyanMember · 22/12/2025 23:17

A couple of years ago I joined a Facebook group for private cleaners. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the pictures cleaners were posting, some were clean, others not so, but some comments were horrendous. Pictures of bedrooms, adult and children. Seemed very little was private once the mobile phone made it too easy to snap away..

I only joined out of curiosity, having worked in people's home over 30 yrs, now retired. It hadn't occurred to me such groups existed.

truffleruffle · 22/12/2025 20:17

I would say friends pointed it out on facebook and ask her if she can explain. When she admits to it I would ask her if she would mind removing and not photographing your home. Hopefully that would be the end of it. Everyone deserves a second chance and she sounds like she was just envious of your lovely home.

CaptainMyCaptain · 22/12/2025 20:13

eqpi4t2hbsnktd · 22/12/2025 13:09

I feel a bit sad for her... maybe she lives in a shit house and can't afford lovely decorations.

You could say that about a burglar who helped themselves because they had a shit house. It doesn't make any difference

FirstdatesFred · 22/12/2025 20:06

This whole thing is literally unbelievable