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AIBU?

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Original poster

To complain to the cleaner?

103 replies

PrincessWatermelon · 29/08/2017 18:22

I kind of think this needs addressing, but not sure of the best way or what to say.

We had a new cleaner come for the first time today - 4 hours for a deep clean. Not overly impressed with her work, but hey ho. However, she's obviously spilt something on the wooden floor. She's not left me a note (except her bank details to transfer her money, which I haven't yet done). There are 3 areas that clearly show it (see pics).

How would you deal with it?

To complain to the cleaner?
To complain to the cleaner?
To complain to the cleaner?
OP posts:
user1485639128 · 29/08/2017 19:59

Your not!

user1485639128 · 29/08/2017 20:00

Ask what her usual water is also

Honkyzeke · 29/08/2017 20:03

I'm not convinced, really doesn't look like steamer marks and it wouldn't smell if it was. Something has definitely been poured you can even see the splash marks, hope her insurance covers the damage.

Original poster
PrincessWatermelon · 29/08/2017 20:05

Her next message was asking if her husband could come and look. She said the only floor cleaner she has is the same one she uses for the kitchen (laminate) and bathroom (tiles).

So I explained that it is a solid wood floor and shouldn't be steam cleaned or have normal products on it. I also pointed out I didn't ask her to clean it. I suspect she assumed it was laminate.

Haven't responded about the husband. I don't want that involvement.

OP posts:
Original poster
PrincessWatermelon · 29/08/2017 20:06

Oh yes. I also pointed out the strong smell and splash mark suggested a neat cleaner was spilt.

OP posts:
user1485639128 · 29/08/2017 20:07

She should be coming herself. Sorry but very unprofessional of her.

Steam cleaners warp laminate flooring and dissolve the glue on Lino flooring also

donajimena · 29/08/2017 20:09

I'm a professional cleaner. You don't steam wood (or laminate) floors.

Ttbb · 29/08/2017 20:10

Oh that's terrible. Pay her and contact her/her agency about claiming on her insurance.

iamyourequal · 29/08/2017 20:11

I'm sorry about your floor OP. That would be really annoying. But She was a lovely girl with children the same age as mine. Ouch -''girl'' - that sounds pretty patronising!

Mayhemmumma · 29/08/2017 20:12

Gosh I was already to say you were being unreasonable. But oh my gosh you are not! That's terrible! I do t think I would pay, definitely complain.

buggerthebotox · 29/08/2017 20:13

Can you prove the marks weren't there before the clean? She may deny having created the marks during the clean...

Original poster
PrincessWatermelon · 29/08/2017 20:30

Tibb - she is the company.

Iamyourequal - I didn't mean to sound patronising. What I meant was she was seemed a nice person, although yes, she was clearly younger than me.

Buggerhebotox - sadly I don't think we have 'before' pics. And there'd be no way of proving we'd not done it anyway. Except that currently the smell is incredibly strong and I don't have that product smell in my house! In her message, she said "Oh my goodness! I didn't spill anything just steamed it with my usual water." Then offered to give her insurance details (which she hasn't yet done). So I'm kind of hoping that is almost admitting it? No, it's not really is it....

OP posts:
user1485639128 · 29/08/2017 20:32

If she hasn't sent them, she doesn't have public liability by the sounds of it.

As I said before, what's her usual water?

You said in a previous post you hadn't asked her to clean the floor.. was a job schedule put in place?

Did you or she ask about what cleaning products were to be used?

Totallyaddictedtoshoes · 29/08/2017 20:39

I had this with my last cleaner. Laminate floor not real wood, but exactly the same problem, a huge white mark.i asked her if she had spilt something on it and she vehemently denied it,saying she only uses the steam mop and no cleaning products. Having never used one myself I had no idea you shouldn't use it on laminate. Nor does she, apparently. I know she did it, it's blatantly obvious and was the first thing both my husband and I noticed (separately) upon coming home from work that day. There was nothing I could do to prove it was her as I haven't got any photos of the floor from before, but I told her I didn't want her to come again! I'm bloody peed off with it actually,the cheek of coming in to someone else's house, causing damage and then denying it... hope you manage to get somewhere with the insurance OP.

Honkyzeke · 29/08/2017 20:46

If the cleaner doesn't have insurance, will your own house/contents insurance cover it? I know carpets are often covered against accidental damage as standard not sure about hard flooring though?! Might be worth a look.

MusicToMyEars800 · 29/08/2017 20:50

I am a cleaner, and we never use steam cleaners on floor, we use a mop and the bucket is filled with lukewarm water and a professional floor cleaning gel is added to the water in the mop bucket.

She should not have been using anything on the wood floors other than a wood floor cleaner.

Did you do a cleaning rota or similar with her before she started?
I hope you manage to get it sorted OP.

Original poster
PrincessWatermelon · 29/08/2017 21:05

User - as far as I know, her usual water is the only floor cleaner she has - she said used on bathroom and kitchen. She hasn't given any more details.

There wasn't a job schedule. We walked around the house together and I said what needed doing. So sitting room and dining room I said something along the lines of 'fairly straight forward in here. Mainly dusting and a hoover'. In the kitchen I said the floor needed cleaning, esp under the table. In the downstairs loo I said the floor (and walls!) needed cleaning as well as the toilet and sink. In the bathroom I said the fixtures and the floor. So I specified when I wanted the floor cleaned. But didn't explicitly say I didn't want the wooden floor cleaned.

She came in with loads of bits and bobs - lots of bottles and products and cloths and brooms. She seemed so well set up, it never occurred to me to ask what products she was planning on using. The only thing I did say was no abrasive products in the bathroom and to use Limelight to get rid of the limescale.

I'm not sure what to do now. She's not replied to my last message. I think I'll ask her again for her details.

OP posts:
BackieJerkhart · 29/08/2017 21:07

It's definitely not water. Did you send her the photos? She is a fool if she thinks you believe those marks weren't caused by water in a steamer. They are very obviously spills!

user1485639128 · 29/08/2017 21:09

@PrincessWatermelon Ask for her details again and explain that you won't let it lie.

Contact your supplier for the flooring and ask them about the spillage. Any advice.

If she doesn't respond within a time frame set, you could always threaten small claims court.

Do not let her husband do anything with the floor!

This like this really annoy me!!

Hunkle · 29/08/2017 21:18

Oh god, it cpuld be Zoflora. It does smell strong & I reckon it would stain.

BackieJerkhart · 29/08/2017 21:27

Yes contact flooring manufacturer and also contact zoflora for advice too.

newusernameness · 29/08/2017 21:39

Involving her husband is off

He's intending to explain to you how you're mistaken I presume?

user1489434024 · 29/08/2017 21:40

Zoflora states clearly not to be used on polished wood...

Hunkle · 29/08/2017 21:43

I would wait for her to reply.

ZippyCameBack · 29/08/2017 21:48

Do people really send their husbands round to sort out disgruntled clients? If that doesn't work, will she tell her dad on you?
Unfortunately, I don't think she has insurance. I hope I'm wrong though.

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