AIBU to expect my cleaner to put stuff from the dishwasher in the correct place

[lurkerspeaks]

I'm going to get flamed as I'm daring to criticise the person that I pay, a not inconsiderable amount of money, to each week to make my life easier.

She just doesn't seem to be able to put stuff from the dishwasher away in the correct place.

Tonights frustration - all the bloody cutlery is mixed up again. I have "big" cutlery and "small" (desert/ salad) cutlery. It all has separate slots in the kitchen drawer but every bloody week she just shoves all the items into one slot (so all forks into the "big" slot regardless of size) despite the fact the small forks are sitting winking at her neatly arranged in the next slot along.

Or the fact that she actually moved all the bloody cereal bowls (12) to stack the serving bowl underneath them (which must have taken ages and probably endangered them in the process as she is pretty clumsy) when in fact in the next cupboard along the serving bowls buddy is sitting unencumbered on a shelf waiting to be reunited with his twin.

She has been cleaning for me for six months so it isn't like she is new here and apart from the cutlery the misplacements aren't consistent.

I do miss my old cleaner who shared my obsessional traits about cutlery organisation!

my obsessional traits

Says it all

Have you pointed it out?

If not YABU

Speak to her. Start by thanking her for putting away the things from the dishwasher. Ask her if she could please put away certain things in certain places. Also explain what to do when she isn´t sure where to put something - e.g. leave it out on a worktop, table, or in the dishwasher. Be polite and make it clear that you would really appreciate her following your wishes.

Just tell her how particular you are and tell her to make more time over it from now on.

Have you explained to your cleaner about how and where you want things to be put?

If not, she's probably guessing based on what looks okay to her.

YANBU if you have explained though.

What does she say when you ask her to do it differently??

I'd have word with her, if it doesn't improve then a fairly stiff word, then start looking for another cleaner if she can't sort it out.

It may seem to some like a minor problem to some people, and I am sure some jealous sod will be along shortly to tell you that you're a terrible person and don't you know there are starving kids in Africa or some other tripe totally unrelated to your problem but the fact is you are paying her your hard earned money to relieve yourself of the tedium of day to day drudgery such as emptying the dishwasher or hoovering. If you weren't doing a good enough job at work, your boss would haul you over the coals.

It would annoy the hell out of me too, being in a rush getting brekkie and not being able to lay my hands on what I needed , or having food waiting to come out of the oven and having to hunt for the serving dish while the food sits there burning.

Have to say I LOVE my cleaner - DW says I appreciate the cleaner more than her sometimes!!

I love MN sometimes. This has really brightened my day.

Ask her. If she can't/won't do it, then ask her to leave anything she is unsure of in a nominated place (on work surface?)

If it's important to you, and you would rather she spent time on that than on other things, then YANBU. Personally, since I figure I can put things away faster/more accurately than anyone else, I try (but don't always succeed) to leave the dishwasher empty so that the cleaners can load it with random cups / whatever that they find around the house. Which reminds me, I need to ask them about not putting DH's precious knives in there. Which they have done, because I forgot to tell them not to.

as a cleaner i used to tut inwardly at my clients who didnt separate their cutlery properly. All spoons in together, big and small? No no no!

You just need to tell her what you want her to do surely? It only becomes an issue if, once you've told her she continues to do it.

It all depends on whether you've told her or not.

This is definitely a first world problem.

Is she telepathic? If so than YANBU.

Are you me OP? My cleaner does exactly the same thing and it drives me nuts. The forks are clearly separated by size and don't stack properly if they're all mixed up. Instead of saying something like a grown up I've taken to running the dishwasher before she comes and emptying it myself.

I wonder if, in fact ,we have the same cleaner

I would want my (imaginary) cleaner to CLEAN rather than put things away, she could do a lot of cleaning in the time it takes to unload a dishwasher

I empty the dishwasher before the cleaner comes.

This is a nother clear example of me living on a completely different planet from some MNers

My DH says I shouldn't get a cleaner as all I'd do is moan she hadn't done the jobs right. Unfortunately he's right as I am a bit of a control freak . And the house is still a shit hole!

My DH does this. Should I sack him?

I wish I could afford a cleaner. Or maybe that I lived in a hotel. Or just had a caravan that didn't need much cleaning.

I hate cleaning. Fml.

Oh and Yanbu. Sack the bitch.