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Original poster

Cleaners - is this a thing?

29 replies

squigglybook · 19/12/2019 20:17

My cleaner takes out things I’ve loaded in to the dishwasher, washes them by hand, dries them and puts them away. I have no idea why she would do this - it’s the whole point of a dishwasher. Is this a thing?

OP posts:
Thescrewinthetuna · 19/12/2019 20:18

Have you asked her why directly? Nobody here can answer

sunshinekids · 19/12/2019 20:19

Have you shown her how to start you dishwasher and told her how long the cycle takes?

Sjl479 · 19/12/2019 20:20

Just tell her she can leave things in the dishwasher, you’ll deal with them yourself?

JoJoSM2 · 19/12/2019 20:20

I’d ask her to stop doing that as it’s a complete waste of time. And yes, maybe show her how to put it on if you expect clean dishes put away.

Featherweight · 19/12/2019 20:22

Sounds like she doesn't understand what a dishwasher is for!

Is she of an older age? Or from another country?

Chamomileteaplease · 19/12/2019 20:30

What a complete waste of money. For you to be paying her to do that, I mean.

Original poster
squigglybook · 19/12/2019 20:30

She’s young, 20’s. Her English isn’t good enough for a conversation about this. I’ll speak to the agency about it....I just wondered if it was something other cleaners did.

OP posts:
Mlou32 · 19/12/2019 20:33

She maybe doesn't know how to work it? Perhaps switch it on before she comes, then she won't take them out and wash them by hand.

Original poster
squigglybook · 19/12/2019 20:50

But it only had 3 mugs and a plate in it, I didn’t want it on!

OP posts:
snailywhaley · 19/12/2019 21:20

Lol this is so weird!

My cleaner always hand washes mugs etc instead of loading them into the dishwasher. Not the same but I still can't understand why 🤷‍♀️

RuggyPeg · 19/12/2019 21:26

Use Google translate to tell her.

BenevolentEzza · 19/12/2019 21:32

Surely that's your answer? She looked in the dishwasher, saw you only had 3 mugs and a plate and decided to wash them by hand, rather than use the d/w unneccesarily.

I dunno though, I've never had a cleaner or a dishwasher 😂

Original poster
squigglybook · 20/12/2019 08:01

I’ve never asked her to turn it on though - surely it makes most sense to wait till it’s full then put it on!

OP posts:
Megan2018 · 20/12/2019 08:03

No, it’s not normal. My cleaner empties a clean dishwasher if she has time but doesn’t touch dirty

Keepmewarm · 20/12/2019 08:05

Bless her! I think she probably just doesn’t understand. She probably thinks you are slightly loopy for putting dirty dishes in a cupboard.

ShivD · 20/12/2019 08:07

My MIL does this when she picks up my DS and brings him back to ours, no idea why.

MustardScreams · 20/12/2019 08:07

@Keepmewarm how patronising! I’m sure she knows what a dishwasher is ffs.

Op she probably just wants to be thorough and washing 3 mugs and a plate takes seconds.

BarbaraofSeville · 20/12/2019 08:38

That's bizarre. But so are a lot of people's thoughts on dishwashers.

Can you use google translate to write a note in her language to leave on/near dishwasher, asking her to not touch it as you will run the dishwasher herself when it is full?

Wynston · 20/12/2019 08:46

Nope wouldn't even think to do that......would put more in if there was anything lying around but thats about it.

Delatron · 20/12/2019 09:19

Hmm I think some cleaners like to leave an empty dishwasher as part of the job? Mine does. So if it’s on she’ll empty when finished if not on fill as much as she can and turn on then empty. If she finds extra glasses she’ll hand wash them.

I quite like having the empty dishwasher!

MAFIL · 20/12/2019 21:09

Its weird, but not as weird as my MIL who washes things by hand before she puts them in the dishwasher at our house because she "doesn't trust that machine" Hmm. We have finally succeeded in stopping her by banning her from the kitchen.

Delatron · 21/12/2019 16:05

My mum does that too. Washes everything up then puts it in the dishwasher. I leaver her to it but it’s very strange!

MAFIL · 21/12/2019 16:16

My MIL lives in an old house with no water meter Delatron and seems to have no concept of the cost of water - either financial or environmental. Not only does she wash things before putting them in the machine, she does it under running water, and then sets the dishwasher going with half a dozen items in it. Confused We've explained very patiently, many times over that whilst we appreciate her trying to help we really only need the pots washing once, and the dishwasher should only be run when it is full, but she doesn't seem to get it at all!

Delatron · 21/12/2019 16:21

Yes MAFILmy mum does the same. Drives me mad, constantly setting a half full dishwasher off. Then I have to stack things by the side while it runs half empty, then unload it three times a day.

winterisstillcoming · 21/12/2019 16:26

I put the recycling caddy, dish drainer and the odd shelf from the fridge in our dishwasher and switch it on before the cleaner arrives. Might be worth doing that? Then she can put them make all clean and today and not have to shift them to clean??