Bugger, cleaner started today and we've just discovered she's broken something

[feelingratheroverwhelmed]

She did a huge clean to get us onto an even keele (I'm vvv pg and DH busy at work, that's our excuse anyway!). She seemed really conscientious, got me to check everything she'd done to make sure I was happy, which I was.

But, once she'd gone, I spotted a kind of plug on the bathroom shelf and at first I wasn't sure where it was from. I then had a shower and spotted that it was actually the plug for the overflow on the side of the bath. I assumed she'd just taken it off to clean around it and though nothing of it.

When DH was bathing the bub later he called me in to ask where it had gone, as DS (2) is of course very attracted to this new hole in the side of the bath and started shoving stuff in it with earnest. I showed him the plug, he tried to fit it back on, but he can't. The fixings have actually broken. Also, because of the design of the bath, it looks as though the overflow pipe has fallen down and it's going to be a complete mare to get to it as the bath panels are fixed with no obvious easy way of removing them to work out what to do next.

DH is obviously quite mad, but hasn't asked me to contact her yet. I'm not sure what to do next. Do I text her and tell her what's happened? Or ask her why she took it off? She might not be back now for a couple of weeks (we haven't yet decided how often she'll come).

So, WWYD?

[feelingratheroverwhelmed]

Bump (just because I need to go to bed!)

[ChippingIn]

I'm a bit confused as to how you would break that? Maybe it was just worn or something?

[feelingratheroverwhelmed]

It's been there for two years since the bath was installed, we've never tried to remove it. Thing is she took it off and either didn't try to put it back on, or did and realised she couldn't so just put it to one side. I'm sure it wasn't done on purpose, but whatever the reason it's still going to take us time and money to fix it (which we need to do esp with DS and his pokey fingers...)

[ChippingIn]

How could she 'take if off' so easily if it's not meant to come off?

errmmm how vigarously have you been scrubbing it recently - any chance it could have just been cleaned a little more energetically than you have been?

I am just struggling to see how she could break it or take it off so easily?

[feelingratheroverwhelmed]

No we definitely haven't scrubbed at it vigorously recently! I've tweeked at it before when cleaning but it hasn't budged so I've always cleaned around it. I cleaned the bath last monday and it was solid then.
I think it was removable by unscrewing it quite harshly, but wasn't meant to be removed, ifkwim?
It would have been taken off in good faith, just like you'd take out those pop-out sink plugs to clean the sink properly. But it's now buggered, basically.

[ChippingIn]

Grrrr - I see what you mean now. She was a bit daft to remove something that difficult to remove

With a bit of luck your local merchant can tell you how to fix it without it costing a fortune - they have all kinds of tricks up their sleeves! Maybe try a new thread with that as a Q?!

[Northernlurker]

I wouldn't do anything much tbh. She didn't mean to break it and lots of bathroom fittings do come off and go back on. It's not unreasonable that she thought that would be the case here. If you're going to have people in your home - well shit happens sometimes. If her work is good thank your lucky stars and ask her not to move anything that's fixed to anything!

[feelingratheroverwhelmed]

Northern I think we probably will do nothing. DH was mad but didn't ask me to contact her about it. The most annoying thing, as I know she wouldn't have known she couldn't get it back on, is that she didn't mention it to me.

Will have a word when she comes next time, just about not fiddling with stuff!

[DizzyKipper]

Accidents happen but you should always be honest about it, which she hasn't been. I guess maybe she was quite nervous about making a good impression - which her continually asking for you confirmation of her doing a good job would seem to indicate. So perhaps she felt too awful/embarrassed about messing up to let you know. I'd definitely approach her about it but in as understanding a manner as possible, I would say that I understood accidents happen but she always needed to let me know if and when they did, and of course that if something is hard to get off it is much better for her to ask me about it rather than continue anyway and end up damaging things.

[feelingratheroverwhelmed]

I had a bath today and ended up pretty much flooding the bathroom as the overflow pipe is no longer in place, not good! So yes will be saying something but in an understanding kind of way. She does need to know that she shouldn't fiddle with stuff without asking me first, and I'll probably be here most of the time as I'll hopefully have a new baby very very soon

[glasscompletelybroken]

Nothing like giving someone the benefit of the doubt!

How about this for an alternative scenario - cleaner cleans the bathroom thoroughly, including taking off this plug. When she's finished she realises she can't get it back on and leaves it on the bathroom shelf - intending to leave you a note/mention it to you.

She then cleans - thoroughly - several other rooms, and completely forgets the plug she left on the shelf in the bathroom.

If you feel you need to mention it at all I would just say something like "I found the plug on the shelf - guess you had trouble trying to get it back in too!"

She didn't exactly hide it did she - as if she was trying to cover up the problem.

[feelingratheroverwhelmed]

I'll be nice to her, don't worry. I'm not the kind of person who can go off on someone really. Plus, I know she did it in good faith.