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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To expect them to put the heating on for me?

275 replies

Loobyloo16 · 13/12/2018 08:04

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!

OP posts:

Tessabelle1 · 16/12/2018 22:47

Gwenhwyfar no it isn't! If you were visiting my house as a guest and it was a bit nippy, would you ask me to put the heating on? I doubt it, therefore if you're being PAID to be in my house it's rude to ask too.

pepperjack · 16/12/2018 23:01

My last cleaner cleaned in T-shirt and leggings, no matter the weather. I had to switch the heating off for her.
My new cleaners race around sweating, so no they don't need the heating on.
If I'm cleaning I'm shedding layers not putting them on.

Also I just noticed my builders have switched off the radiator in the room they are working in and they have the windows open too.
If you're doing a physical job like this surely it doesn't take long to warm up?

He11y · 17/12/2018 04:46

I’m a cleaner and I wish everyone would turn off their heating when I’m there! I turn up in a t-shirt no matter what the weather and some customers ask me how I’m not freezing but I know I’d be discarding any extra layers within minutes so I don’t bother wearing them in the first place! I have no idea how anyone can feel cold when cleaning.

A new colleague said to me in summer that she couldn’t wait for winter as we wouldn’t get so hot - I told her winter is worse because everyone puts their heating on! She came back to me a few weeks ago and said she thought I was bonkers when I said that but I was right and it’s definitely hotter work in winter!

Even the officers I clean have heating on after the staff have left - my colleagues and I would rather it went off earlier as we bake while cleaning it!

MerryBear · 17/12/2018 05:30

Get new clients before next winter.

Gwenhwyfar · 17/12/2018 09:02

" If you were visiting my house as a guest and it was a bit nippy, would you ask me to put the heating on? "

Yes, I would. If you refused, I wouldn't visit again. Very mean of you.

If I was working for you, that would be EVEN MORE reason to expect to be treated decently. With a visit, I can at least cut it short.

Tessabelle1 · 17/12/2018 10:19

Gwenhwyfar I suspect if I said it was daytime you'd say it was night just to be contrary. I dont believe many people would ask someone to put the heating on unless they were close family maybe, so I'll just agree to disagree with you

Livedandlearned2 · 20/12/2018 19:19

It is hot in newer, well insulated houses yes. And colder in detached homes, some that haven't got such good insulation. It's not difficult to understand that everybody is not the same, especially in different places.

Aridane · 20/12/2018 20:30

I get warm gardening outside in cold weather - but maybe it’s more strenuous than indoor cleaning?

MovingNextYearHopefully · 20/12/2018 20:37

How can you get cold if you're using energy cleaning? I used to clean for a living & I was always warm enough because i was using elbow grease doing my job!

Gwenhwyfar · 20/12/2018 21:44

"I suspect if I said it was daytime you'd say it was night just to be contrary. I dont believe many people would ask someone to put the heating on unless they were close family maybe, so I'll just agree to disagree with you"

Yes, that's right, just disagree and you don't have to face up to being a horrible person.

RockingMyFiftiesNot · 20/12/2018 21:58

If you work in an office, there are guidelines about the temperature. Appreciate that cleaning makes you warmer than if you're sat at a desk, but if OP is still cold, why shouldn't she be entitled to work in a comfortable environment?

Teateaandmoretea · 21/12/2018 08:09

When I asked my cleaner in really cold weather once if she wanted the heating on she laughed at me. Have you asked them to put it on? I would assume that for manual work you'd be fine but if you feel the cold then I'd be happy to make sure you were comfortable.

Satsumaeater · 21/12/2018 08:12

I work from home as much as I can get away with and I don't have the heating on. I've had a radiant heater out once so far this winter when I couldn't get warm. But I am sitting still. Surely if you are moving around cleaning you are warm?

However, if you asked me if you could put the heating on I'd agree, though you'd need to remind me an hour before you arrived because the house will take that long to warm up.

Satsumaeater · 21/12/2018 08:13

If you were visiting my house as a guest and it was a bit nippy, would you ask me to put the heating on

My mum would! She tells friends she won't visit if she's going to be cold. So they either meet at her house, put their heating on, or go to a cafe somewhere.

Miffymeow · 21/12/2018 09:46

I would never have someone in to clean my house and not put the heating on for them, I don't even leave my dog without a bit of heating during the day! I would be embarassed to have even left it to the cleaner to have to ask me. But... there is nothing you can do if they refuse after you have asked really, other than say you cannot come clean in these conditions.

Some people aren't so accomodating unfortunately :(
If you can't pick and choose clients based on working conditions then marks and spencer do some really good thermal layers, super comfy. Or like another person said, take a small fan heater with you if they are ok with you plugging it in.

toldmywrath · 22/12/2018 11:43

Well as this is still rumbling on, I'll chip in with my two pennorth worth.

I'm a cleaner and in the winter I start with a tee shirt and vest underneath. T-shirt comes off within minutes, as I'm working up a sweat.
But, on one occasion my householders were away for a few days and the heating wasn't on. I could not get warm at all, I even put the heating on when I turned up. It was because the house had chilled right through.
I empathise with you OP. It's almost painful working in those conditions.

Livedandlearned2 · 23/12/2018 22:26

toldmywrath has got it spot on.

FuckingYuleLog · 23/12/2018 22:33

Op yanbu at all. I imagine a lot of people who employ cleaners have big old houses that get absolutely freezing in the winter. The though of a wealthy person sat in a room with the fire on allowing you to work in another room freezing at Christmas reminds me of Ebeneezer Scrooge not allowing Bob Cratchitt to put coal on the fire. Although at least Scrooge wasn’t warming himself!
I doubt speaking up would make any difference to people so miserly though so I guess you’ll have to invest in thermals as January and February aren’t likely to be any warmer.

m0therofdragons · 24/12/2018 00:23

My last cleaner always insisted she didn't need the heating on so when we got a new cleaner it didn't occur to me. This thread made me check and she laughed at me and said no she gets very warm cleaning and heating is too much. I've told her to pop it on if she ever does need to.

toldmywrath · 24/12/2018 11:24

Thanks Livedandlearned2 it's nice to be right sometimes.

Original poster

Loobyloo16 · 24/12/2018 18:45

@toldmywrath spot on! As I did say in a previous post, this house hasn't been heated for days maybe even weeks.
I go in empty dish washer, wash all kitchen units, vacum flours etc hardly hugely strenuous.

Happy Christmas all!

OP posts:

FestiveNut · 24/12/2018 18:51

How cold was it outside? Where we are has been 7 degrees outside recently - I've been wandering around outside in a jumper without a coat. It's been quite a mild winter so far I think.

WanderingTrolley1 · 24/12/2018 18:55

Yabu.

rinabean · 24/12/2018 19:36

Gwenhwyfar - I don't know how you've come to the conclusions you came to. Not only did I consider elderly and/or disabled people who often need a cleaner whether or not they can properly afford it, it's the image that came into my head when thinking about an unheated house with a person at home during the day sitting in front of a fire. Not one part of that scenario makes me think of a wealthy person looking down on their cleaner.

Many people on here have bad attitudes towards cleaners, but that doesn't excuse yours towards the disabled.

OP if you have Raynauds you need to work around it. Can you get gloves big enough to wear fingerless gloves or even full gloves under and still have enough movement? I sometimes do that. It sounds like you need to rethink your sock situation too. If you are in pain in a house and active are you even able to go outside in winter without an attack? There are things you can do. Look for gloves and socks with silver in, it seems to help. Do go to your GP if you can't find anything that helps.

itsbetterthanabox · 24/12/2018 21:27

Of course yanbu.
People saying it shouldn't be on 'unnecessarily' when they aren't in themselves are saying that cleaners are not humans. Not worthy of the basic things everyone else has...
Disgusting attitude.
If you can afford a cleaner you can definitely afford not to keep your house freezing cold.

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