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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To set some traps for the cleaner?

204 replies

Dothetwist · 05/11/2015 21:20

Not thinking the wire abd bucket kind...

I have never had an experience with a cleaner before, she starts tomorrow morning

I was wondering how people manage to gain trust in someone coming in to their house, I've given her a key and asked it to be posted back through each time..

Wibu to set some little traps? Like a dirt patch somewhere i would expect to be cleaned or a £10er somewhere?

OP posts:
Stillunexpected · 05/11/2015 22:24

I think you don't know what you want.

if i didn't trust her i would not be letting her into my house based on instincts. However, how do i know i can trust her without seeing if she does things thoroughly and not just on the surface. In the space of two sentences, you have contradicted yourself! I also don't see how leaving piles of crumbs around is going to help you gauge whether someone is trustworthy or not?

Amazemedontbeacunt · 05/11/2015 22:24

She'll have your key for 24 hours, long enough to make loads of copies and sell them to all the local burglars Confused

Original poster
Dothetwist · 05/11/2015 22:29

A risk i will have to take amaze.

OP posts:
StealthPolarBear · 05/11/2015 22:33

Our cleaner starts on Thursday and I'm watching with interest. Can some of the cleaners on this thread tell me the do s and don't s ?

upaladderagain · 05/11/2015 22:33

Brother just had cleaner who nicked jewellery. Police not interested, as no evidence. Insurance doesn't cover cos he (the cleaner) had a key and was invited into the house.
Simple test. Leave 10p on the floor. An honest cleaner will leave it where you can find it.

It's not nice to be suspicious, but if you can't go off personal recommendation it pays to be careful.

Bettercallsaul1 · 05/11/2015 22:34

There is a horribly Victorian tone about this whole idea - catching dishonest servants who are no better than they should be. Being able to pay for household help does not confer moral superiority.

DanglyEarrings · 05/11/2015 22:35

I'm a bit shocked that a couple of other cleaning people on this thread have actually experienced these 'traps', good grief it's so disrespectful!

There are so many more people needing cleaners than there are cleaner/services out there to provide them, we just cannot meet the demand and I speak for all of the cleaning business owners I am in contact with all across the UK in one of my roles within a domestic cleaning trade association, none of whom can meet the demand they find themselves in.

With this in mind I would say if (big IF) you are sure your client is 'testing' you by playing these games and you are sure, I would suggest taking your service elsewhere and let her play tricks on someone else. I'm finding the thought of this appalling tbh.

StealthPolarBear · 05/11/2015 22:36

Up a ladder do you really think even a thief would be that bothered by 10p

TooOldForGlitter · 05/11/2015 22:36

None of you have "employed" a cleaner anymore than you have "employed" the hairdresser. Really irritates me when people do this. You're buying a service not hiring staff.

Stillunexpected · 05/11/2015 22:37

Leave 10p on the floor. An honest cleaner will leave it where you can find it.* Are you kidding?! Ten pence? Maybe they will hoover it up instead by mistake! Ot it gets kicked under the closest armchair. Better be prepared to search through the fluff in the hoover bag before deciding that the cleaner has stolen it!

brokenhearted55a · 05/11/2015 22:38

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

bettyberry · 05/11/2015 22:40

Having had someone do this to me in the form of leaving £300ish in various notes and cash around their house to 'test' me when I was a cleaner . I'd tell you to stuff your job.

Leave out a mug, some biscuits and a note.

Treat her with some respect. You wouldn't leave 'traps' out for the gas service chap, the carpet cleaners or any other person you'd invite into your home to work for you so why a cleaner?

TheChocolateDidIt · 05/11/2015 22:42

My grandmother worked as a cleaner in a bank. Every week, they left money (often big notes) here and there. She always carefully left it in a prominent position. she liked to say to the manager when she saw him that she'd seen the money and made sure it was put on his desk or some such just to shame him Grin

wigglesrock · 05/11/2015 22:43

Danglyearrings I moved out of private house cleaning as fast as I could and into commercial premises cleaning. No faffing about with tests, no hand wringing over holidays and the like. MN is a bit of an eye opener in general when it comes to threads about cleaners.

brokenhearted55a · 05/11/2015 22:44

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

DanglyEarrings · 05/11/2015 22:49

I know - as if anyone wants 10p that badly! Grin

You know guys, I'm the first to say the traps are unking and disrespectful but I'm not sure clients leaving cash about is a test, our family all dump cash down at home and don't think about it at all because it's our home and we trust everyone in it, if we had the cleaning guys come and do ours for a change I would still leave any cash around because I would know for sure our cleaners wouldn't touch it and also that being the case I would probably be so relaxed I'd forget it was out on the side. It is their home when alls said and done and I do believe leaving notes around means they DO trust you and can relax with you not that they don't.

After all they don't really want you to nick any substantial notes just to prove a point do they?

Am I being naive here??

DanglyEarrings · 05/11/2015 22:50
  • unkind
Pennybun4 · 05/11/2015 22:51

We have become friends with the lady who comes to us each week and would never consider testing her. She has enough to contend with as we are very untidy so we do our best to tidy up for her each week.

bedraggledmumoftwo · 05/11/2015 22:52

I don't understand how peoples houses are so clean that these "traps" are so obvious ( talking crumbs not cash). I must hoover our house five times a week and every time I am shocked at the mess they have made (the dcs) and how far it has spread. If I had a cleaner I wouldn't need to be setting artificial traps, I could just take note of the general carnage in place that day!

missing point of thread

asilverraindrop · 05/11/2015 22:57

My house is pretty untidy and dirty, and features various random deposits of cash, bits of jewellery in odd places, unexpected bits of dirt, etc. I have recently acquired a cleaner without really meaning to, because my mum has come to live with us and 'brought' her cleaner with her, who does Mum's room and does a bit for us with the rest of her time. I really hope she doesn't think my unorganised household is primed with traps rather than just generally careless, but how would I know? I wouldn't notice if she did nick the loose change, though I'm sure she doesn't, and I am grateful to find any of the house cleaned, not stressy about what she's done. I'm worrying now that she might think we were trying to test her. What do you think, cleaning people? Does a generally disorganised household make you less suspicious of traps? I hope so!

amarmai · 05/11/2015 23:00

profession?

TheHouseOnTheLane · 05/11/2015 23:00

Would you also do this to tradesmen? The Sky engineer?

I think you sound disgusting.

ThisOldFool · 05/11/2015 23:00

Dothetwist - you just have to trust people who come into your home. You check them out BEFOREHAND if you can but that is not always possible, so then you have to take a chance. But you write that you've checked her out, met her and that she's lovely, why not treat her as a close friend who's helping out. No tests, no traps, just relax and trust her to get on with it. If she misses something, let her know gently. Make sure you're paying a decent hourly rate and both of you will be happy with each other. Meanness begets meanness. It's at the root of most industrial unrest.

DanglyEarrings · 05/11/2015 23:02

wriggles I am glad you didn't put up with it, I can't get my head round people leaving 'traps' instead of just looking around and thinking 'wow, what hard work has gone into my cleaning'

Before MN I knew all about the cleaning world from the cleaning services' points of view but MN has opened my eyes to some strange perceptions from certain clients out there and I'm truly grateful for hearing of these because every time I do hear these stories I feel so grateful and privileged to have the clients we do to look after, and grateful not to have come across this sort of thing. It honestly makes me want to hug the clients we have just for having a normal business relationship with us.

It's not that every single potential client is a good fit for us as a service, occasionally they just want something different than what it is we offer and they need to find it elsewhere and that's not weird at all - but then this sort of stuff has me like Shock

SeasonalVag · 05/11/2015 23:06

This thread is shameful. You can always tell if a house has been cleaned properly which should be your only concern.... Most people are OK, honest, normal human beings....

How about being grateful and gracious and treating your cleaner with some respect? As pp said, cup of tea and some biscuits and maybe even friendly word or two??!

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