To ask when do you think your cleaner will back in your home?

[tootsey]

I know lots on here have said they will have their cleaner return, but as a cleaner myself and self employed, realistically when can you envisage they will return? I am trying to work out how this would work if social distancing has to remain in place, especially with elderly clients. Then those who are still wfh. I suppose they could remain in one room, but speaking to a few of mine, they don't want to do that.

So AIBU to ask such a question at this time, as none of us really know what the future holds.

Not for a while. Whilst I’m not commuting, I like cleaning myself and actually she’s pretty slap dash, so I’m doing a more thorough job at cleaning than she did.

I usually spend £84 a week getting my cleaning and ironing done, so it’s actually a massive saving (I did pay her for not coming at the start of lockdown, but she didn’t say thank you once or even ask after DH when he was very poorly, so we’ll be parting ways).

Mine delivered some Essential Shopping to me this morning, so I've got a wine box of white to be going on with
I'll be asking her to come and do a clean for me next week, I think. She's lovely.

poster drcb83 Tue 28-Apr-20 12:32:44
My cleaner is back, I leave the house when she is in. I (everyone at work has) also have weekly COVID testing and tell her Result so she can make her judgement as to whether she comes in.

^^
So you are only worried about her catching it from you? What about you catc hing it from her?

@fascinated Good point! We have discussed entry and exit techniques and her walking out backwards cleaning touchpoints as she leaves. She uses at our request BS EN 1276 cleaners for this - though she cannot on the whole house as it would ruin the floors. But yes, there is still a minuscule risk.

We paid ours through April so hope to have her back for May. I feel for her though. I hope she is managing financially. I spoke to her last week just to check in.

Mine will come back as soon as nurseries are opened I expect as currently she has the children with her and cannot come. When she comes I'll either stay in the office if I'm wfh or otherwise I'll be out. I'm glad to see some people have continued with their cleaners throughout this really - social distancing can be done safely.

I'm working from home (and will likely continue indefinitely). DH is working from home and I'm hoping will be able to continue to do so long term. We also have a 16 month old at home. Whilst she's off nursery any attempt at social distancing or keeping her out of our cleaners way would be difficult. Not impossible but certainly not easy and if I'm honest I'd have her back tomorrow if it was possible!

Realistically I think once nurseries go back I'd think it's reasonable to ask her to come back. DH and I can keep out of her way and just go work in another room for a bit when she wants to clean the ones we're working in. Of course that assumes she's happy to do that (I think she has teenagers so don't think childcare specifically is an issue for her).

@Hoggleludo a pp explained it perfectly

Hoggleludo, they are going to work. Every time you go into a shop you are mixing households. Every time people go to work (not everyone can work from home) they are mixing households. Cleaning is actually something that can be done while maintaining a good degree of social distancing - unlike, for example, people working in shops - which is allowed.

You sound like you are living on another planet if you haven't realised that many people are still working. They're working in art galleries even though they are closed, they're working as taxi drivers, they're working in warehouses packing deliveries of white wine, ice cube trays, and 40 denier tights. They're working in manufacturing non-essential stuff like consumer electronics. They're working at Lazy Spa distributors for sure!

But no, the cleaner who is self-employed and entitled to fuck all help, who has 3 children and is a single mother must be denied the right to earn a living because it's a luxury

And your hysterical language isn't doing you any favours. You should seek help for your anxiety ♟

You’re bonkers. End of.

I’ve paid mine In full. The whole time she’s been off

£350 a month. Regardless of if she comes in

She’s a single mother. If she got unwell and died. She’d die without seeing her child. As our hospital doesn’t allow children even at end of life care. She’d die on her own.

So yes. I don’t really give a shit what the law says. She’s my best friend and I’d do anything to kee her safe.

Maybe that sounds like anxiety to you. But it sounds like love and protection for me her and her child.

My cousin died of covid. It’s not a nice death. I’ve seen it first hand. That rasping breath. That horrific struggle to even breathe once. The tubes which were meant to help. But it was too late.

Again this might sound like anxiety to you. But It’s come from a good place. My heart. My love. My care. My family.

And to the op above. We don’t go shopping. We don’t go to work. We’re not buying art. Or tights. We’re not taking taxis. Or buying white wine. Or ice trays. We’re not buying anything other than food. Which is delivered to me by a neighbour. Who leaves it on my door step. With no contact.

Regardless of what others are doing. I do what I do because of the reasons above.

Because I’ve seen it first hand. I’ve seen someone die. I’ve known not to be able to attend 2 funerals now. One who died because of covid and one who died before covid. Yet still only 5 people were allowed at both.

Regardless of what the law says. The law doesn’t tell you all those things. What it’s like. What happens. What’s happens after.

I’ll try and keep you all safe by staying in.

I’m out of this thread. So tagging me won’t help

Stay safe all

We are paying ours and miss her as I had major surgery just before lockdown. DH has underlying health problems so we are shielding except for one dog walk a day.

We will have the cleaner back as soon as it is safe and legal to do so.

I must live in a parallel universe as everyone I know is abiding by the rules and I'm shocked that some people are still having cleaners in. Isn't that illegal?

**For those that are still having their cleaners clean their house...isn’t this against lockdown rules of not having anyone from outside in your home? You’re not even supposed to have any family members visit. So are people just ignoring the lockdown rules that don’t suit them?

Exactly this - I’m astounded by this whole thread. A few weeks ago everyone was up in arms about people flouting the guidelines in various ways. It feels like many people (not just in this discussion) are becoming de-sensitised to the daily figures released of people testing positive and/or losing their lives and in turn becoming less inclined to follow what we have been asked to do in order to shut this illness down. I know there’s a mindset around that, and how it’s probably a coping mechanism and a natural progression, but the turnaround is really worrying.

Of course there will be a second wave, with the way people seem to be relaxing and flouting the rules they don’t want to follow. Having someone from outside your home, come into your home, whether you ‘socially distance’ or not is a risk, both to your own family and to the cleaner who may well feel under pressure to return. I’m turn, this spreads the infection to others. It’s very simple.

I sincerely hope/assume that those who are thinking this is OK do not have loved ones working in essential services (and by that I don’t mean anyone who has decided to be a key worker, as it seems to be that everyone has given themselves that label). I mean those of us out there protecting the vulnerable and those in health or care settings, and I hope they are also not out there praising them and shouting about what a great job they are doing as there’s no sincerity behind it. I also truly hope nobody is affected by this, regardless of whether they choose to just ‘push the boundaries’ a little.

Sorry @tootsey I also meant to say that I am so sorry that you are being so affected by this. It’s not Ok that you are not receiving any payment, but please do apply for the govt scheme for the self employed, as you will receive this help. I know it’s not immediate, but please do take advantage of it as you are entitled.

Of course people can go to work still but I don't think going to work is really designed for people working in private homes at the moment. It's another grey area in the guidelines. I've interpreted it as if it's essential, as have many others. We're not having landscaping work done at the moment but our neighbours insisted on finishing their building work and there is no way those workmen were socially distanced from each other.

I'm glad that everyone thinks they're covid free, but you're risking the health of the people working in your house! You don't know that you've not picked up this highly infectious disease from anywhere and are expecting someone to come into your home and touch everything. There is also the extra risk to your cleaner from travelling and buying supplies.

I also kind of find it weird that you would sit outside or go for a walk when your cleaner is here. But I clean my own house so I suppose I wouldn't get that anyway.

I’ve got a casual arrangement with my cleaner and have her come round every two weeks. I’ve paid her in full for the last three times she was due (and asked her to stay at home) as I don’t think she’s getting any support from the government. I’m
Hoping she can return before June.

It's another grey area in the guidelines.

It's not a grey area at all. People are allowed to go to work. My cleaner being here is not 'mixing of households'. She lets herself in. She wears gloves and a mask. She is never in the same room as anyone in my household. I'm not offering her cups of tea or chatting to her - she is working in another room.

I understand the fear and the need to be extremely careful for those who are shielding or have a member of their household who is, but the rest of us are allowed to go shopping, to the pharmacy, the bank or the doctor. For everyone who is not leaving their home they are relying on the rest of us to continue as normally as we can - to work, to physically go to the shops in order to leave slots available for them to use, so I don't really appreciate the hysteria around cleaners. I'm closer to people in the post office than I am to my cleaner.

Some of us haven't been in a post office either, it's not hysteria, just not essential.

I had to post a parcel and used the royal mail online service.

Do what you want but if your cleaner gets sick I wonder how you'd feel because she's not home because you're asking her to come in. Most employers are going to every length to keep workers at home where they're safe. If you're not then that's your decision, many people are paying their cleaners and hoovering up themselves.

@wellthismakesnosense

I totally agree with you and @Hoggleludo made some powerful points although she has now left the thread.

All the people that are trying to justify having someone from outside their household in their home (e.g. cleaner) are just interpreting the lockdown to suit themselves. They are choosing to ignore the unnecessary risk they are taking both to their family but also to the cleaner and their family. I cannot believe the amount of people that are choosing to ignore/ misinterpret the lockdown rules despite the horrific number of deaths in this country now.

@boylovesmeerkats I gave her the choice - I said I'd pay her if she didn't want to come, but if she was okay with coming then I'd be happy for her to continue. It was her choice, but thanks for the sanctimonious lecture anyway.

After BoJo officially locked down the country, I had one client who asked me to continue on cleaning anyway. She is a doctor in a hospital. She was told that there would be no cleaning done for the foreseeable. My opinion of her diminished after that.

From this
:

“ if you are not a critical worker, you may still travel to work provided you cannot work from home.”

Confirming that non-critical workers are still allowed to go to work if they can’t work from home.

“

Work carried out in people’s homes, for example by tradespeople carrying out repairs and maintenance, can continue, provided that the tradesperson is well and has no symptoms. Again, it will be important to ensure that Public Health England guidelines, including maintaining a 2 metre distance from any household occupants, are followed to ensure everyone’s safety.“

It says ‘work carried out in people’s homes’ and gives tradespeople as an example - so not just tradespeople.

My cleaner jumped ship because of Coronavirus anxiety just before lockdown. Totally her privilege and choice. However she was absolutely rubbish but I couldn’t bear the confrontation of sacking her.

It’s an ill wind.

Why is this still a debate? Cleaners are allowed to work. It's their choice if they do or not and ours whether we ask them to still enter our homes.