To expect them to put the heating on for me?

[Loobyloo16]

I'm a self employed cleaner. Now its coming colder a few of my clients still don't put their heating on. One works from home but just sits in a room with the fire on, another says she doesn't feel the cold. I went to a client yesterday and it was freezing, my toes were going numb, I did tell her but she still didn't put it on.
Another has told me to put it on myself if I'm cold, which I do.

I know it's no big deal in the grand scheme of things but I hate been cold and it's miserable cleaning with numb toes. People always say 'i thought you'd get warm with cleaning" I do but not that warm!

It sounds as though your Raynauds may be the most significant issue here. Like MintTipls I also have it and find that a cold atmosphere can sometimes set it off even if the rest of my body is warm. Also, once it has started in my fingers or toes, no amount of warming, rubbing, etc. will make it go off, and, yes, it is very painful. So, with this, you probably shouldn't be working in a cold house.

Reading other's responses just emphasises, though, how individual heating and the feeling of heat/cold is. My family seem to like the house (to me) roasting hot, and expect to walk around in little T shirts, whereas I like a cooler house, to wear a fleece or similar indoors, and like my bedroom very cold or I cannot sleep.

Who on earth would not have the heating on at this time of year? Absolutely mad. Don’t know who could sit in a big, drafty house and not feel the cold without the heating on, fucking hell...

I'm a cleaner too and have the opposite problem, I'm always too hot, I wish I could ask some of my clients to turn the heating down!!

I guess your self employed? Have a chat with them.Tell them you are slower and cant fet us much done as its too cold

OP, I don't know if these might be of use to you, to rewarm your feet? (I get that you're not self-warming, even with thermal leggings/socks.)

I've bought some but not tried them yet.

www.amazon.co.uk/Hands-Hand-Warmer-Value-pairs/dp/B00N3X3JLI/ref=cts_sp_1_vtp?tag=mumsnetforum-21

I'd be boiling and sweating cleaning anywhere!

If they can afford a cleaber they can put the heating on for half an hour to an hoyr surely?!

All these people who don’t put the heating on during the day.Hard Frost outside and you can see your breath. The car needs defrosting in the morning. What is wrong with you!!!

angelfacecuti75 it's not half an hour though is it? For the house to be warm it takes at least 2 before she gets there to clean, if she's only there an hour then the rest of the heat is wasted on an empty house

the rest of the heat is wasted on an empty house

So the cleaner isn't worth it? Because at its simplest level if you expect someone you employ to work in cold and uncomfortable conditions you are saying very clearly "you are good enough to clean up after me but not worth making the effort to ensure you are comfortable whilst cleaning up my dirt"

So the cleaner isn't worth it? Because at its simplest level if you expect someone you employ to work in cold and uncomfortable conditions you are saying very clearly "you are good enough to clean up after me but not worth making the effort to ensure you are comfortable whilst cleaning up my dirt"

This.

It's a disgraceful attitude to have towards service providers, "I expect to be warm enough to do my work, but you are not worth as much as me so you can suffer"

Looby reynauds is horrible, I really feel for you with that and if you've asked to have the heating on then a client says no they are BVU.

You can get medication to help reynauds so you wouldn't be wasting time going to the Dr to ask.

I hope freezing house lady gives you a good Christmas tip!

C8H10N4O2 PyongyangKipperbang I work in a warehouse with no heating at all, it's legally warm enough at. 13 degrees C so as long as the houses she's working at are above that temperature I don't see an issue. The problem for the OP is her reynauds, that could flare up if the houses were 20 degrees so where do the homeowners stop? Do they just whack it on full for12 hours before she arrives?

Tessa - she doesn't work in a warehouse. The issue is that she is too cold, not sure how you can't see that.

Do most houses drop to below 16 degrees during the day though with the heating off? I don't think mine does.

I think this house was way below 13 degrees. I will take a thermometer next time.

Our house gets a lot warmer afternoon half hour of the heating being on. I don't expect them to leave it on permanently at 26 degrees just a quick blast. I even switched her tumble drier on and stood near it to warm up.

Don’t know if you’ve tried this but Ginkgo Biloba can help Raynauds just check it doesn’t interact with any other medication you’re on

I have a cleaner. I'm in Australia. No way would I expect her to come and work in 40 degree heat with no air conditioner. I'd feel the same if it was heating. I'd be embarrassed to expect her to work for me in those conditions, she's a person, she deserves comfortable working conditions.

My cleaner hates the heating on. She works up a sweat cleaning. If I happen to be home and the heating on, she will open the windows!

A self-employed cleaner gets to choose where she works. OP, maybe you need to have a discussion with the owners of the cold house as to whether they want to bear the extra heating cost or whether it’s just a bad fit.

It's true you can feel too cold to work but cracking on with the jobs can help. I wear a hat, fingerless mittens and a scarf in the house now it's cold. I've no CH and dodgy electrics (Victorian ruin of a house) and it was 4'C in the kitchen this morning. Star jumps help but a good go scrubbing the floor always warms me up.

Gwenhwyfar I can read quite well thank you. My point was legally, even if she was employed by the householder, which she isn't, the house only as to be 13 degrees which most houses will be

@toxic it's all carpeted. I guess no could run (literally) around with he vac but that'd be elf & safety issue I would have thought

"My point was legally, even if she was employed by the householder, which she isn't, the house only as to be 13 degrees which most houses will "

It's not a legal question, but a moral one.

"A self-employed cleaner gets to choose where she works."

She only gets to choose from among the options she has, just like an employee. Her clients should behave decently rather than tell her to go an work elsewhere.