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Original poster

Help- cleaner drank my gin!

614 replies

kayde12 · 19/01/2020 10:48

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 Hmm and was too early in the morning.

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

OP posts:
Liriope · 19/01/2020 11:14

Do you have a Nest cam or other home cam? For possible future gun theft to bring to justiiiiice!!

Liriope · 19/01/2020 11:15

*gin

Original poster
kayde12 · 19/01/2020 11:15

I did speak to my son first, before thinking it was the cleaner.

As I said the bottle had been in my house for 6 days and would know and suspect if my child had been drinking spirits in the week day.

Of course anything is possible. It may be possible for a 13 year to drink half a bottle of gin in 1 Sunday night, plus 4 school week days.

However, it’s also possible for the cleaner to have taken it... ( not sure what that’s an impossible action)

OP posts:
ClappyFlappy · 19/01/2020 11:16

Why is everyone assuming it’s the kid? Not all teenagers drink.

I agree it’s probably the cleaner. She may not have drank it there and then but may have taken it with her. I’d just tell the cleaning company to send someone else next week.

Geometricprince · 19/01/2020 11:16

I don't think anyone is suggesting the 13 year old necked half a bottle of gin in one go. Most likely he decanted it and shared with his mates.

Surely that's a more likely explanation than a cleaner drinking it all to herself in a couple of hours and still managing to do a satisfactory job...

ineedto · 19/01/2020 11:18

Either could have decanted it. You don't know yet seem assured it's the cleaner.

mrsbyers · 19/01/2020 11:18

Decanted into a plastic bottle to be shared with mates in the park would be my guess

daisypond · 19/01/2020 11:18

I would suspect the teenager has decanted some. Not that he drank it there and then himself.

Redglitter · 19/01/2020 11:18

much more likely to be a pretty hardened alcoholic who would be able to function perfectly well on half a bottle of gin

God the poor cleaner. First shes accused of stealing now shes a high functioning alcoholic

EnidBlyton · 19/01/2020 11:18

or indeed the cleaner could have decanted for later.
or used it to clean Grin

puds11 · 19/01/2020 11:18

I really don’t see why a cleaner, first job in a new house, would risk her job for half a bottle of gin 🤷‍♀️

NiktheGreek · 19/01/2020 11:18

@Greysparkles me too, really pisses me off.

Original poster
kayde12 · 19/01/2020 11:19

I am definitely not the type of parent to swear that their child wouldn’t do certain things, but I am certain it wasn’t my 13 year old.

OP posts:
Ashtower · 19/01/2020 11:20

Surely it's more likely it was the 13 yo - why would the cleaner jeopardise her job?

Isadora2007 · 19/01/2020 11:21

Either way the trust in cleaners has gone so id just choose a new cleaning company and be done.

Muckycat · 19/01/2020 11:21

It's entirely your prerogative to change cleaning companies but you have no proof it was the cleaner and a 13 year old in the house so not much of a strong stance for pursuing 'justice'.

It's not impossible the cleaner either drank or took it but my money would be on the teenager decanting half a bottle to pass around his mates judging by my own teenage standards You might want to keep an eye on the spirits cupboard from now on!

See, a sweet fruity drink would be tempting to a young experimenter but I would expect an adult to go for something stronger and/ or less conspicuous if they were going to steal booze.

lazylinguist · 19/01/2020 11:21

I think the OP would notice if her 13 yo ds had drunk half a bottle of gin over a few days! I'm far from naïve about teenagers - I've taught them for 20 years and have one of my own, but I wouldn't assume it was your ds. You know your own child, OP.

Muckycat · 19/01/2020 11:23

You wouldn't know if he had shared it around and only had a few sips himself.

EnidBlyton · 19/01/2020 11:24

I was a bit older but not much when my friend nicked a variety of spirits from where she babysat and decanted them all in one bottle, Envy

Tartyflette · 19/01/2020 11:24

We were losing booze from the drinks cabinet at an alarming rate and I went ballistic at my teenage DS who had had friends round a few times.
He denied it vehemently - turns out it was the cleaner's DP who was nicking her key to our place and then stealing booze from us (as well as her other client next door but one.)
He was an alcoholic.
She was mortified, we had words with him and it stopped.
And I apologised profusely to my DS!

T0tallyFuckedUpFamily · 19/01/2020 11:24

Tell your son that the cleaner will be sacked and won’t be able to get another job, if suspected of being a thief. Unless he’s completely lacking in empathy, his micro reactions and mood afterwards should give you your answer. I would get a cheap ring camera, set it up and then you’ll discover if it was him. If it was him, then you need to contact the company and apologise, otherwise the cleaner will have this hanging over them for the rest of their employment.

Palavah · 19/01/2020 11:25

Why would anyone steal on their first day at a new job? Surely if you were a thief you'd suss the place a bit first and wait until everyone had got comfortable?

MyNewBearTotoro · 19/01/2020 11:27

If the whole bottle was missing I’d think maybe the cleaner could have taken it, but honestly it seems unlikely that a cleaner on shift would down 1/2 a bottle of gin on the job. That would leave her visibly drunk and unable to complete the job well; she would surely know if she got caught drunk or stealing she would lose her job so seems a strange thing to risk. I also feel like if she was an alcoholic who felt compelled to down the bottle she would at least have the sense to top it up with water or try and hide it.

The situation of the cleaner drinking it on the job just seems so unlikely - I’d think it was far more likely to be your DS or DH.

Bluntness100 · 19/01/2020 11:27

Thr thought that your cleaner downed half a bottle of gin early in the morning is a bit odd. She'd have been totally wankered, and clearly an alcoholic.

Someone's nicked your gin, I doubt it was the cleaner, for the simple reason it would cost her her job. Most are scrupulously honest.

Why doesn't your husband drink?

Lobsterquadrille2 · 19/01/2020 11:28

@Redglitter not casting aspersions and I didn't actually mention the cleaner, just that this behaviour is pretty common among alcoholics (and I say that after 12 years in AA). My own brother once realised that our father had been doing similar when babysitting for his children. It's not a case of risking a job or whatever else - it's a compulsion. I have every sympathy with any alcoholic.