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Original poster

DISGUSTINGLY FILTHY NURSERY...what do I do? (long story, sorry)

41 replies

eachpeachnallyplum · 06/05/2007 23:32

I started a cleaning job this morning, at a nursery and out of school club. I had been to visit it previously and at a quick glance it looked ok. It's a big place, but thought I would give it a go as its good money.The staff are very friendly and when I turned up this morning, I was given my own set of keys and security details. One of the women showed me the cleaning cupboard and made me a cuppa then left me to it. I soon discovered the horrors that lay within. There was a strong smell of urine in the building. There were no rubber gloves, only one duster and no cleaning cloths. The bleach, antibacterial spray and grease remover containers in the cupboard were empty. The mops and buckets were filthy with brown salty sludge. I had to clean them before I could even use them. There were 3 vacuum cleaners. One didn't work, one didn't have attachments, one had attachments but seemed to be spitting out dust all over the place. I soon figured out that the last one was clogged and unclogged it. After a while it started spitting dust out again.

My first job was in the baby room, where I had to pick ground in biscuit and sick out of the carpet, then vacuum it. By the time I had done that I had lost a lot of skin off of my knuckles and had bruises on my fingers. As I was pulling things away from the walls I found the skirting boards were covered in thick dust, so I cleaned them. Cushions and toys had stains and crusty stuff on them. The shelves were very dusty, the Bumbos and swing chair had food and dirt all over them. The window ledges were dirty, bin tops hadn't been wiped, a big brown greasy mess on one of the counter tops had been covered up by a tupperware container and some paperwork. Bits of rubbish had been left in corners and on shelves (wrappers, tissues, etc). There was a bag of compost in the sleeping room that had spilled onto the floor. It took me 2.5 hours to get the baby room to what I would consider to be clean enough for any of my children, or my mindees.

EVERYTHING FELT STICKY
I went into the next room and found a potty on top of a counter, which had obviously been emptied but not cleaned, as it had a salty residue and smelt strongly of urine (my eyes were watering); a nappy wrapper, complete with nappies and streaks of brown on the outside of it, also smelling strongly.The wooden bead toys were sticky and the beads were black with grime. More dirty window ledges, walls, some food behind a cupboard on the floor..

As I moved down the corridor the toys on each side were dirty. Little People toys with black sticky stuff on them look awful...and most of the other toys too.

The kitchens weren't too bad, although the lack of cleaning supplies was pissing me off a lot, as I had spent lots of time figuring out what I could use instead. Found industrial size kitchen cleaner bottle with pump (not with all of the cleaning stuff) and used that for pretty much everything.The children's toilets were gross. Someone had obviously put something in them to clean the bowls, but underneath and round the back were disgusting, there were dirty used toilet brushes on the floor next to them, the training seats and steps had sludge on them, another dirty potty was on the floor...

At this point, after being there just over 5.5 hours, I decided to call it a day, left a message telling them how much I had done and why I hadn't done more and went home. It was supposed to be a 5 hours job. I had not cleaned 2 main rooms at all, or the staff toilet. I had only vacuumed and mopped one other room. I had managed the office, foyer, baby room, kitchens, hallways, toddler room and kids toilets and that was it.

I would not send a child of mine there. I would not send a dog there (not that I have a dog). I was appalled by the level of dirt, and shocked that they would ask someone to do the job without providing the proper cleaning products and surprised that they would want anyone to see how bad it was.

So, my questions are: a) do I go back there next weekend? b) do i report them?
I almost feel like I should go back because I want the place to be clean. DH says that is not my responsibility and that I should tell them that I am not coming back. But the woman who showed me around and trusted me with keys was friendly to me and obviously knows that it needs sorting out..she mentioned about what if Ofsted were to turn up..

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LoveMyGirls · 12/05/2007 10:02

Someone must be keeping an eye on things during the day? Where are the managers? Where are the qualified staff? Can you speak to any of these?

I would report them, if the boss can't be arsed to sort her business out she doesnt deserve to keep it. Those children deserve better.

bewilderbeast · 10/05/2007 23:21

oh god if they have several nurseries report them you might be able to get one clean but you can't fix them all and if one is that bad they will all be that bad. And I think waht you've done so far has been fab.

Original poster
eachpeachnallyplum · 10/05/2007 23:06

i am handing the keys back tomorrow. the woman said she would call me in 2 weeks to see if i am interested in going back. i was wondering if i should wait, go back and see if they have cleaned it all up before deciding to report them.

apparently the baby room staff all said how wonderful and clean it was when they went in after the weekend. i am glad that i spent all of that time in there. i just couldn't leave it, knowing how little ones put everything in their mouths.

i would speak to the boss but she is in rome, which is why her parents have been left in charge. however, they live in hampshire and we are in essex, so i am not sure how they are keeping an eye on things i am not sure how often the boss actually visits the place either, as they have two more nurseries in this area of essex. i haven't been to them, so i have no idea what they are like.

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lulumama · 09/05/2007 09:30

speak to the boss directly

5.5 hours goes nowhere if a place is absolutely stinking

and why cancel the weekday cleaner?? sounds like they don;t have the money to spend or are penny pinching

potties being left dirty and sick left on the carpet is just unacceptable , and they should not need OFSTED to tell them that....

speak to the boss, and if she is of the same opinion as her mother, then report them

amidaiwish · 09/05/2007 09:25

i'm not disagreeing!

scatterbrain · 09/05/2007 09:13

Thing is - if they were genuinely worried about it the managers would have got down on their knees and given it a thorough clean themselves ! My friend owns a nursery and regularly spends most of her weekend cleaning it as it just doesn't get clean enough with the evening cleaner she employs.

If you run a nursery it's your resposnibility.

Please report them now !

amidaiwish · 09/05/2007 09:03

the boss's mother probably is clueless and nothing to do with the nursery / old biddy.

you need to talk to the boss directly

don't the parents notice how filthy/stinky it is? odd imo.

Taylormama · 09/05/2007 09:00

you have GOT to report them! This is utterly unacceptable - the nursery has got to be cleaned every day ... OFSTED should be alerted. It doesn't sound like they are worried about being found out if they have got rid of the weekday cleaner - it sounds like penny pinching at the expense of the childrens' health ...

KaySamuels · 09/05/2007 08:43

Oh my god that's terrible! was hoping to check this thread and see that they had been ashamed and horrified and got themselves sorted! Can't believed they had cancelled the week day cleaner!
Please please report them! It will give them a kick up the bum. What if yur baby was going there? When I read your op it made me feel ill. There will be babies crawling on that carpet, sucking these toys etc, it is hideous!

Original poster
eachpeachnallyplum · 08/05/2007 23:46

OK, this is the sitch. I called the nursery today and asked to speak to the woman that showed me around and gave me the keys. she wasn't there, so i spoke to the boss's mother. I asked if they had seen my note detailing my reasons for not cleaning the entire place in 5 hours. she said yes and she had told people off about the state of things.

i told her i was shocked by how bad it was and that i had not expected that. i said that i thought they needed to get a company to come in and do the first clean then i would be happy to come back and maintain it at the weekends. she said that they had had cleaning companies in before and in the 2 hours given to them they hadn't done a good enough job.. (why does she think ONE person can deep clean an entire place in 5 hours, if a team of them could not do it in 2 hours?)
i told her that i thought 5 hours was not enough. she said to me "i hope you aren't saying it's dirty, because it isn't and 5 hours is plenty of time to clean the whole place". i felt like saying "well, YOU try it then!" but i said "in that case, I will be giving the keys back and you should get someone else in". she told me i had let her down badly because she had cancelled (yes, really) the weekday cleaner now that she had a weekend cleaner in place! yes, they weren't going to have a cleaner during the week anymore..... er, hello?
so, i arranged to hand the keys back.

lo and behold, less than an hour later i had a begging phone call asking me to reconsider. i told them that i had bruised and cut my knuckles because of there being no gloves, that the toys were filthy, that it made my skin crawl, that it stank of urine and that i wouldn't let my children anywhere near a place like that. i said i would be giving the keys back and if they get the place cleaned up properly and provide the correct cleaning equipment and products they should call me and then i will think about it.

i am hoping this will be the kick up the arse they need. i think they are genuinely worried about someone finding them in such a mess and want to sort it out. i just don't know how it got this bad.

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Taylormama · 07/05/2007 16:41

a nursery that dirty could be a health hazard so you must report it. My DS goes to a nursery and it is spotless - sometimes messy but NEVER dirty. They have checklist for sterilising beakers etc which are clearly displayed for all the parents to see. I think you know what to do ...

Earlybird · 07/05/2007 16:29

One option would be to say that you need to charge more for extra time/effort required for the initial 'deep clean' needed given the filthy state of the nursery. Once it's done, you could revert to the terms of your original agreement?.

nannynick · 07/05/2007 16:26

I would not bother reporting to the regulator, as what would they do? They would ask the nursery to clean up - which is what they have you doing. The nursery manager seems to me to be aware that the cleaning has become a problem and is taking steps (by having you come in to help with cleaning) to rectify that situation.

Therefore, concentrate on getting the manager to obtain more cleaning supplies/equipment, being realistic on how long it will take, getting the staff to be more tidy and to take pride of their working environment.

If things do not improve over say the next month, then consider steps to report your concerns to a higher authority, but for now discuss with the manager to try to resolve the situation in-house.

Original poster
eachpeachnallyplum · 07/05/2007 16:08

I think I will call tomorrow and ask to speak to the woman who showed me around and gave me the keys. I will tell her that if they get someone in to do the initial clean I will be happy to come in at weekends and keep it up to scratch. I feel like I should report them, but like some of you have said maybe I should give them a chance first.

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SofiaAmes · 07/05/2007 06:16

I think that the right thing to do would be to speak to the manager and tell him/her what you have found regarding cleanliness, suggest the industrial cleaners and give him/her a list of what you would need in the way of cleaning materials to clean the place and then if she/he does not heed your advice report them. If the manager does heed your advice and go ahead with the necessary cleaning requests, then why would you report them? There really are people on this earth who don't notice dirt. When I was deciding on nurseries for my ds, I went to visit one that had been highly recommended by a friend. It was absolutely filthy and for that reason alone I would never have considered sending my ds there. But my friend had had her dd there for years and couldn't say enough nice things about the place and the staff. I just couldn't get past the clean factor to even consider the other aspects. I had the same issue when I got here to the usa and was looking for a nursery for my dd. I went to one local one that had been highly recommended by several people. It was just so dirty that I couldn't even begin to consider the other aspects.

NurseyJo · 07/05/2007 02:44

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Skribble · 07/05/2007 01:07

Agree report them what ever cleaning arangements they have are not working.

Where I have worked before cleaning was done by both child care staff and cleaners. Things like high chairs, tables, potties etc should be cleaned as they are used and never left dirty. Toys are cleaned on a rota normaly at the end of the day when some staff looking after the children still to be collected and some giving specific toys, table legs, chairs etc a good clean. Cleaners in after hours to hoover, dust, wipe skirting, clean and mop loos and deep clean carpets on a rotation. Even items like soft play blocks would be wiped over with disinfectant.

Seperate cloths and mops for toys and play mats etc. Plenty of gloves for nappy changing or dirty clean ups like sick.

pizzatopping · 07/05/2007 00:31

Sadly, the nursery I used to work at was just like this. And we didn't have cleaners - the nursery staff were expected to clean everything in the last hour of the day, whilst the children were still there and whilst we were extremely short-staffed.

There were little or no cleaning products/equipment and what we did have was broken, dusting never got done as things like hoovering and wiping surfaces were all we had time for, if the toilets got into a state in the morning they would have to wait until the evening, bodily fluids were only cleaned up with hot water etc etc.

You see, the really basic stuff was done most days so that it looked tidy for the parents but things like sterilising toys and scrubbing the windowsills etc were only done when we knew Ofsted were coming. You couldn't sit on the carpet on a normal day, for example, because the smell of urine would make you feel really sick...

We (the nursery staff, not the manager) always did as much as we could - we'd often stay behind, unpaid - but it was such a big job that we could never get it really clean.

However, there is absolutely no excuse for any child care setting to be in this state.
We begged our employer to get a proper cleaner in but she was an extreme penny-pincher and refused. I agree that you should ask the owner if they could get someone in to give it a really thorough clean before you report them. It may just be that they haven't realised it was quite so awful, being in it all the time...
The manager just might say "Gosh, I didn't realise it was that bad! Thank you for pointing it out"

maximummummy · 07/05/2007 00:23

i'd inform ofsted of your concerns
also arrange a meeting with whoever hired you and hi light your concerns
why are the nursery staff not cleaning up as they go i can't believe they are not doing such basic stuff as cleaning out potties

DISGUSTING

Original poster
eachpeachnallyplum · 07/05/2007 00:20

night night x

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Original poster
eachpeachnallyplum · 07/05/2007 00:19

it's so confusing. thanks for all of the advice. i haven't actually met the manager because i work all week and they aren't there at the weekends. i will decide what to do tomorrow.

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Chandra · 07/05/2007 00:13

I think I would report them. When I first read your post I thought that there may be the case that the night cleaner was not doing the work properly but at the end of the day, the staff from the nursery should have realised about it, maybe that's the main reason to hire you but perhaps they should have taken more drastic measures like hiring a professional service to do a "spring cleaning" before handing the place to you.

FWIW I reported the cleaners at my work, because I noticed (and had enough evidence) they didn't vacuum clean for over 3 months and... because they were stealing from the office. One of them is gone, some things are being taken more seriously (I believe so because they now ask for gloves while before we never heard of them), but in general the place is still as dirty as it was before. Though, it's not a nursery nor the dirtyness comes from body fluids. So totally unaceptable and talking to the head about your concerns may be far from enough to kick them into action.

mamazon · 07/05/2007 00:06

you should ask for a meeting with the manager and explain that you are deeply concerned about the state of cleanliness. you understand that this is proabbly why they felt it necessary to hire you but that the hours you have been allocated simply wont allow you to clean such filth properly and that it requires a severe blitz clean before youw ould be able to clean on a regular basis.

they can then either call in a team of cleaners or pay you the extra needed to cover teh hours it will take you to clean it thoroughly.

you could then work with the manager to set up a cleaning routine for the staff to follow on a daily basis so that it will not get into such a filthy state again.

Londonmamma · 07/05/2007 00:00

Do report them - you owe it to the children and parents who are unaware of how filthy the place is.

Original poster
eachpeachnallyplum · 06/05/2007 23:58

yeah i think i should probably report them too it's a shame.

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