Help- cleaner drank my gin!

[kayde12]

Hi all,
I’m new to mumsnet, but would really love some advice!

I’ve just signed up to a cleaning company and had my first clean, which I was thrilled about.
Then I noticed that half of my bottle of pink drink has gone!
I only got the bottle given to me as a gift last week from my sister in law.
My Dh doesn’t drink and I have my two ds in the house.
It was the cleaner definitely!
The company have been awful at getting back to me and sent me a poor email saying she said she didn’t drink it and was too early in the morning.

I feel really gutted and not sure how to move forward or get some sort of justice!!

I think the OP is onto Scotland Yard at the moment....I'm sure she'll update up when the mystery is solved.

I too dislike the taste of alcohol and the way I feel drinking.

So still mystery afoot....🧐...!
If I could get anyone to come round and tackle my bathrooms and blinds once a week I'd quite happily tip(ple) them with gin.. I'd even mark the bottle 'just for them' and throw in a slice of lemon..

Have you or dp had visitors ...offered them a drink ?
If wasnt your son ,has he had friends round who could of taken it ?
Even if ds did take it ,may not of drank it could of stolen for a friend or sold it

Ds could've even been 'having a sniff', spilt it and not wanted to fess up, so could the cleaner, or anyone !? Ds friends been round? Did they know this was a special gift from your sister? Feeling guilty maybe??
I'd be asking questions, but 'demanding justice!' ? Over gin??

Some lovely comments on here! Wow

omfg same

A half bottle of pink gin will set you back about £7.50. I'd have thought that was within the average adult's budget (and yes, I've worked as a cleaner!).

Now, if I was cleaning and I fancied half a bottle of someone's gin, I a) wouldn't open a bottle that was sealed (dead give away). I'd pick something already open b) would top up any stolen alcohol with water or c) I'd pretend I'd knocked over the bottle and broken it, was terribly sorry etc etc and I'd replace it (only I'd 'forget').

Not that I would have dreamed of doing any of this, of course, because my job and reputation were important to me.

Might not be your DS, OP, but do him and his friends have access to your house when you aren't about? Boys of that age are VERY prone to 'dares' from their peers. He might not even have drunk it himself.

@Taddda slice of lemon

@C8H10N4O2 Nope, it's legal, you don't have to inform them. Just Google it for heaven's sake, if you're not sure!

@Zaphodsotherhead

I’m not with ds all the time and many of his friends live on the other side of town, plus he does lots of sports activities after school and is then picked up.

So it’s quite unlikely it’s him and his friends

@Peopleannoyme

No we haven’t had any visitors

Yeperdeedoodah

My DS at age 14 drank most of my bottle of rhubarb gin. It's so sweet and syrupy so he just chugged it looks on evenings we were out. I went to have one once and there was a dribble left...

So we've had a few posters saying they don't mind if their cleaners drink their alcohol because they're good cleaners (I have vacancies
others who think that us cleaner are so lowly and underpaid we have no option but to steal.
Another poster appears to hate every cleaner who walks this earth.

Where the hell are you all finding these drinking, stealing underdog cleaners?

I've been a self employed cleaner for 10 years. I do it because it suits me and I like the freedom to have holidays when I want, I'm self employed so noone telling me what to do, no stress, I go on at least two foreign holidays a year, I have savings. I would never steal off anyone and I'm good at cleaning.

OP I hate Gin. PM me. I'll clean for you if you're nearby

Quite obviously, none of us have any idea who took, drank, siphoned or spilt the gin. What's apparent is that we are all drawing on our own experiences to try to offer an explanation. At 13, I wouldn't have dreamt of taking alcohol, definitely not drinking it. However I know hundreds of alcoholics who wouldn't think twice about it - and no, I'm not accusing the cleaner or the OP's husband - it's just a fact. As a PP said, alcoholics during relapse don't consider in the moment about what they stand to lose. Alcohol shifts the normal balance of priorities, as we hear on all the threads about "how could he/she risk his/her job, partner, children, reputation?" It's a compulsion, a horrible one that overrides everything else.

I hope in many ways it was the 13 year old, for a dare. And that the cleaner is puzzled, annoyed but carries on efficiently regardless.

OP don't hire @Loobyloo! If she doesn't like gin she must be after your brandy!

I’m not with ds all the time and many of his friends live on the other side of town, plus he does lots of sports activities after school and is then picked up.

So it’s quite unlikely it’s him and his friends

Oh you sweet summer child.

I grew up out in the sticks. My mum was an at home mum. I went to school on a school bus and any time I went out I was taken by a parent. I was hardly ever at home in my own.
I still managed to steal their alcohol and have sex with my boyfriend in the house!

if you're spying or monitoring employees you have to tell them otherwise it's covert monitoring and usually illegal or dodgy

First of all, the cleaner isn’t the OP’s employee. She works for the cleaning company.

Secondly, from the ICO website

Data protection laws don’t apply if the cameras cover only the user’s own private property, including their garden. Therefore, visitors caught on these cameras don’t have specific data protection rights in relation to the images captured on those cameras

So how can it be “illegal” if the laws don’t apply?

Thank you @Looobyloo and @Lobsterquadrille2

I’ve managed to get another lady in now.

@FlamingoAndJohn

I get that and believe me I know! But in terms of likelihood or probability it’s least likely, though nothing is impossible. Yes I get that.

You've got a 'Lady ' cleaning for you!
Make sure you don't steal her tiara now!!

13 & you didn't look to your DS first.

You are incredibly naive & you now have a teen on your hands, so you need to wise up pdq

I like that when you phoned the cleaning company they answered 'it couldn't have been her, it was too early'...I'd have loved that to be followed by 'Janice doesn't generally start smashing it til at least midday'....