Am I justified to ask my cleaner to do these things ?

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Cleaner has a long journey on public transport plus we are the last call of the day twice a week.
I have asked her to take shoes off in the house, please wash hands on arrival and to not hoover the doormat first as then she is hoovering round the rest of the house with the hoover head having been all over outside bacteria ? I’ve been rolling up the mat after she arrives as she kept doing it despite me asking !

I offered to provide some indoor shoes if she wanted but she declined. Am I being over the top?

of course working two days a week doesn’t mean that you NEED a cleaner! Surely you’re able to clean to your exacting standards on the five days you’re not working?

I think you’re being way over the top with all this, and your attitude with the hoover is just plain bonkers.

You are NOT over the top at all, first of all it is YOUR house, your rules. You need a new cleaner - a cleaner should know better than to come in with outside shoes and especially that you have a baby.
All the cleaners I had automatically removed their shoes upon arrival and washed their hands too - because they are actual cleaners who believe in clean! I do wonder how she/he has even cleaned your home so far if these basic fundamentals have not been in place (even after you specifically asked for it!!) 🤦‍♀️

change your cleaner asap OP, you are wasting your time.

i will never forget a cleaner who came for a trial and cleaned so fast, hoover, bathroom etc and was so proud of her swiftness in doing a job onky for me to see after she left that it was half arsed job done, mirror wasnt even wiped in the master bathroom, carpet was full of crumbs on the sides/skirting boards, etc.

I think your child will have no immune system later in life 😀

I think the hoover thing is a bit nuts but totally understandable given your baby was so poorly and it's your first winter season with your preemie, hopefully you will be a little more relaxed this time next year as your baby grows stronger and goes from strength to strength x
Taking your shoes off and washing hands is completely reasonable even without a preemie/baby/vulnerable person in the house and if they don't respect these very basic requests (and kindly humour you with the hoover) then I would be looking at getting a new cleaner. You are paying for a service yes but this service includes allowing a stranger into your home, your sanctuary, your safe space, and if you aren't comfortable with this person for whatever reason then it's not unreasonable to cancel the service.

I agree that she should let her go but I don’t think that someone who needs to be told to take their shoes off indoors, or to wash their hands when they come in the house would qualify as a “good cleaner”. Someone who demonstrates such a lack of basic hygiene is unlikely to do a good job of cleaning, in my opinion.

Plenty of cultures don’t wear outdoor shoes inside the house. That doesn’t mean they have to walk around barefoot and not all slippers have no grip.

The idea of anyone walking around the house touching anything before they’ve washed their hands is gross.

Shocked you haven’t asked her to shower and change clothes as of yet

Yuck and she touches the clean dishes with unwashed hands from touching the tube/bus whatever?
and she calls herself cleaner?

you are not being unreasonable- these posters here are just as filthy who are telling you that you are petty. ignore them.

get a new cleaner OP.

I think it’s understandable in the context of a premature baby which you should communicate clearly to the cleaner. Maybe pay her a little more or buy her a gift so that she feels compensated for the demands.

This is germophobic behaviour. It's quite common for new mothers to get anxious and for this to manifest as health anxiety and hygiene obsession, but it's not going to be good for your child. Firstly his immune system will be able to handle the perfectly normal situation of crawling on a carpet. Secondly, you may end up teaching him to be anxious. From one clinical psychologist: Is your anxiety hurting your child? :
^People with anxiety often do not see the forest for the trees. For example, they will prevent their child from climbing high on a playground, not recognizing that the odds of their child having a fatal fall are almost zero but the odds of them developing an anxiety disorder from hearing about the dangers of falling are very high. That is why I always say “It is easier to fix a broken bone than an anxiety disorder.”
In this day and age of COVID, anxious children are suffering greatly especially if their parents’ anxiety is sky-high. Kids perceive the world as even more dangerous, a view which is amplified beyond all reason by clinically anxious parents. Even when precautions are in place, some anxious kids of anxious parents refuse opportunities to socialize and grow more and more isolated and fearful.

Washing hands before unloading the dishwasher is different and I agree that's more reasonable, as that's part of food preparation. But this is the first time in my over 50 years of life, including working in health research, that I have even heard of anyone washing the vacuum cleaner head routinely in a domestic setting.

OP, you don’t really need our opinions. All you need to know is that your levels of cleanliness do not align with those of your cleaner so, for the avoidance of any further stress, you need to get rid of her. Having said that, as good cleaners are apparently hard to find, you may find that you end up having to do it yourself. From what you’ve said so far, doing it yourself may be the least stressful option for you anyway.

What about a small separate hand hoover for the mats only.
I think washing her hands when she comes into the house from public transport is really basic.
My children learnt that years ago.
Also, we take shoes off here too, not unreasonable.
I think an antibacterial wipe for the bottom of the hoover would do it for me.

You could always empty the dishwasher yourself?

sorry will have to to disagree with ya completely. she not going into do open heart surgery. you are not going to die.
if she wants no shoes on she provides proper shoes for her
cleaner all ready has a list full of clients she won't struggle to fill ops slot I am sure op might
my mother worked as a cleaner in a hospital for years her house is spotless but no way told to take off shoes nor wash hands when go in

Outside bacteria 🤣

I have cleaner come in if I’m particularly busy. She is fantastic and does everything you reasonably ask without having to be told. You have a preemie crawling around - of course you are concerned.

I don’t think you have thought this through, as you have said that your cleaner comes to you last. So she has been to other houses, taken off her shoes, picked up germs from round their toilets on her cheesy feet then walked on your floor where your baby crawls????

Empty your own dishwasher. Since when is that “cleaning”?

This is not normal IMO.

Unless your child is medically immuno-compromised then they need to be exposed to germs. Sooner rather than later. All of this bleaching and disinfecting will be doing more harm than good and they will end up with no defences to normal
germs. Plus I think there is evidence linking excessive use of cleaning products with asthma. And what are you going to do when they want to go to soft play, swimming, the park and then school?

I would suggest making an appointment with your GP who should be able to give some advice about what is appropriate for your son, and what is not.

I have had cleaners over my lifetime and every single one had indoor shoes/ slippers. That is absolutely normal and I don't know why anyone is disagreeing - I don't wear my shoes in my house!

Also - hoovering the doormat then the rugs - gross and really my clean standards are low!

Not unreasonable at all to wash hands and use indoor shoes.

I always wash my hands when arriving home after using public transport, going to the shops, driving or anywhere where I’ve encountered other people and their potential germs. In fact very few times when I come indoors without washing my hands, it’s just habit now and I rarely get colds or sick, is it coincidence or not, don’t know but works for me and is very easy and quick to do!

Did you read the thread? Be honest

Your house your rules, but unless your cleaner sees the point of them and remembers to do as you ask, the relationship won't be smooth. Most likely she will find alternative work more easily than you will find another cleaner, so bear that in mind.

It's a good idea, but not everyone agrees or is bothered.

You sound crazy!! The poor cleaner.😔

Fair enough to ask her to remove her shoes but washing hands, err no? Do you ask all the people who enter your home to wash their hands first?