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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Didn't clean up the poo. WIU?

115 replies

YouLookNiceJackie · 22/10/2020 19:59

I'm a cleaner and one of my jobs is at a large charity shop. I go in just before they shut and clean the staff only areas and then once the shop shuts I clean the shop floors. Tonight, there was a really bad smell as soon as you walked up the stairs. It smelt like someone had bad wind. I couldnt do anything about it as the shop was still open and I didn't want to offend/embarrass anyone by squirting airfreshener in case the culprit was still there! I cleaned the rest of the shop (3 floors) and the went back to that part to hoover, and the smell was even stronger. I sprayed around with airfreshener and went to get the hoover and found the biggest pile of diarrhoea hidden behind a suitcase and tshirt in a bit of an alcove on the shop floor. It was down the wall, all over the carpet, up the door frame and all over the skirting board. The smell was horrendous and made me feel ill. I tried to ring the manager but she is on leave and didn't answer. IMO it needs professional cleaners with protective gear on. This person was clearly quite unwell and I didn't want to risk contamination and then go and get in my car/go home to my children. The only thing available that I could have used to clean it up was paper towels. I covered it up and blocked off that area. After I got home the manager rang me and she did not sound happy that I had left it. She kept saying well someone needs to clean it up. I suggested a professional company and she said she "would consider this if one of the ladies at the shop who has her head on her shoulders and would probably just do it herself, thinks it's too big of an issue to deal with. If someone had made a mess in the toilet I would have dealt with it but this was another level! I am also concerned that this person could have covid or a stomach bug. I said I don't think this person should clean it up plus she'd be then handling things for sale and serving customers without going home to shower. Again the manager just said well someone needs to! Sorry for the long post, I'm just a worrier and work really hard so I'd be mortified if they all just think I just left it for someone at the shop to deal with. I also explained that I had to leave to pick my child up and I'd stayed a little bit over. Should I email headoffice tomorrow and explain?

OP posts:
shrill · 22/10/2020 21:55

Yanbu and if it has been cleaned but not as well as a professional company would have done, the area could still be contaminated. And if it is due to something that can spread that could result in others being contaminated which worst case scenario in this day could be really really bad. You wouldn't want to be over thinking that if you had done your best to clean it but it had not been done in the correct way. They would definitely blame you then.
Yes email head office.

Original poster
YouLookNiceJackie · 22/10/2020 21:58

I did confuse the aibu somewhat 🤦‍♀️🤣.
I've messaged the manager and said I'm sorry I had to contact her but I didn't want someone else to go in and find it in the morning or the shop to open up and a customer find it 😳.
I'll ring head office in the morning and ask them to update the protocol incase this happens again and ask if it can be cleaned properly. I said to my dp I also want to just cover my back and he helpfully suggested I rephrase that given the circumstances 😆

OP posts:
Original poster
YouLookNiceJackie · 22/10/2020 22:08

randomer I am very much employed by the charity shop and for their smaller sister shop in another town! The shop I've cleaned tonight takes 16k+ a month in sales so can afford £80pm on a cleaner, plus the average age of the volunteers is around 75 so I don't think they would be happy lugging a Henry about over 3 floors!

OP posts:
Strawberryplum · 22/10/2020 22:15

That’s horrible and disgusting, what sort of person does this? I dread to think of the mess of their house. I would have been sick. I can’t deal with smells. You did the right thing. The manager should get in to clean it herself if she dosent want to get professional cleaners in.

Original poster
YouLookNiceJackie · 22/10/2020 22:18

@stretchedmarks I have cleaned some pretty horrid stuff up and know it can be part of the job but diarrhoea is a sign of illness, unlike sick in a nightclub. I am being extra cautious given the fact we are in a pandemic and my town is not far from being moved to a higher tier. I had to leave not long after I found it to pick my dc up so I would not have had time to do a full clean of it and make sure I was fully protected, which probably isn't possible with the ppe that was available.

OP posts:
RonaCor · 22/10/2020 22:18

I used to work in a club and cleaning up vomit, shit, piss, other bodily fluids etc was the norm. Multiple times every single night. in a pandemic, when one of the symptoms is diaorhea? Hmm

Serin · 22/10/2020 22:20

Surely it is very difficult to identify which animal the diarrhoea came from, unless you have DNA testing or something.
I have known some people to smear shit but they were very poorly at the time in a secure mental hospital.
My guess is a cat, they do cover their excrement.

eaglejulesk · 22/10/2020 22:21

You just didn't want to clean up shit. Which is fair enough, but maybe don't be a cleaner if you don't want to clean?

I very much doubt cleaning up a mess like this in a SHOP is part of the OP's duties. A club is a completely different thing. Grow up!

remaininshroud · 22/10/2020 22:25

That is absolutely disgusting. Whoever did that must have been desperate (and ill) but still... so nasty! Of course you shouldn't clean it up - needs professionals in hazmat suits!

Strawberryplum · 22/10/2020 22:26

You just didn't want to clean up shit. Which is fair enough, but maybe don't be a cleaner if you don't want to clean?

What a load of shit! Get a grip

BetsyBigNose · 22/10/2020 22:32

@Serin

Surely it is very difficult to identify which animal the diarrhoea came from, unless you have DNA testing or something. I have known some people to smear shit but they were very poorly at the time in a secure mental hospital. My guess is a cat, they do cover their excrement.
My guess is a cat, they do cover their excrement.

With a suitcase...? Grin Wink

Nannewnannew · 22/10/2020 22:35

@Serin

Surely it is very difficult to identify which animal the diarrhoea came from, unless you have DNA testing or something. I have known some people to smear shit but they were very poorly at the time in a secure mental hospital. My guess is a cat, they do cover their excrement.
For goodness sake, the way the OP describes the extent of the mess it seems most unlikely to be a cat! I’m sure she’s seen enough excrement to know the difference! OP, you definitely did the right thing, and good on you for standing up for yourself.
TinyTornado · 22/10/2020 22:35

At our work someone threw up during a meeting. The room was cleared of people and a professional company brought in. It was not left for the regular cleaners.
There are laws about where human/hazardous/clinical waste can be disposed of, and if you don’t have the correct training or PPE you did exactly the right thing. Anything else you would have been in breach of the health and safety at work act, as would your employer.
Perhaps just have a quick google of this, as it says you are responsible for your own safety as well as your employer.

ToastyCrumpet · 22/10/2020 22:37

Having volunteered in a charity shop, nothing surprises me about what people will do. I suspect the manager knew perfectly well it was there, OP, and was hoping you would clean it up. No , I don’t think you should have. You’re not a hospital orderly wearing PPE.

TinyTornado · 22/10/2020 22:39

a link to what the HSE have to say about cleaning of clinical waste.
www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/guidance/oce23.pdf

Original poster
YouLookNiceJackie · 22/10/2020 22:42

I'm not sure how a cat would have got through the closed door, passed the staff counting people in and out, up 2 lots of stairs, past a manned till, through 2 rooms and then into an alcove conveniently not covered by cctv and then moved a large suitcase to hide it and drape a tshirt over the top but I guess we are living in strange times 😆.
It wasn't smeared it was like someone had squatted and got it down the wall and on door frame etc as I should imagine aiming isn't easy!

OP posts:
Whatamesssss · 22/10/2020 22:44

@Serin

Surely it is very difficult to identify which animal the diarrhoea came from, unless you have DNA testing or something. I have known some people to smear shit but they were very poorly at the time in a secure mental hospital. My guess is a cat, they do cover their excrement.
It must be The Beast of Bodmin to use a suitcase. Grin
category12 · 22/10/2020 22:44

Crikey, some people seem very sheltered.

People can be very gross and disgusting. Sometimes accidentally and they're too embarrassed to confess - and sometimes they're mentally ill - or have a grievance. Some burglars shit in houses they steal from. Anything you can imagine, people will do.

Original poster
YouLookNiceJackie · 22/10/2020 22:47

Thank you for the link and the health and safety at work act points 😊.

OP posts:
randomer · 22/10/2020 22:49

I have volunteered in 4 charity shops, ranging form massive organisations to local affairs, takings about £150 a day on a good day. i don't know of any place that employed more than the absolute bare minimum and regarding the " deposit" remove with paper towel.

Piwlyfbicsly · 22/10/2020 22:56

You are not being unreasonable. I am so sorry about you being in this situation.
It doesn't matter if a person who did that was sick. THEY had to try and to fix it/clean it up or ask for help. Yes, you a re a cleaner, but you didn't sign up to clean up diarrhoea explosions of unknown origins.

MrsToothyBitch · 22/10/2020 23:02

YANBU. The only time I ever let someone use our staff loo was for a poor lady who turned green with what I'm pretty sure was the start of the "active" stage of food poisoning mid transaction. I refused to let her humiliate herself and I didn't want the clean up nightmare on my floor that it would've involved! It was much easier and safer to just clean the loo afterwards.

You need to arrange a proper clean from industrial type cleaners for that sort of thing, although a colleague once sorted out fitting room shit herself. I have cleared up dog shit and toddler pee and helped get rid of a used needle and a used tampon in my time though. People are grim.

KarmaStar · 22/10/2020 23:03

Yanbu,please don't worry!.I might have taken photos to send to head office as it sounds like to manager will argue it's only a small amount of something.not that the size matters.
You did the right thing,send the email then out it out of your mind as best you can.

DeliciouslyFemale · 22/10/2020 23:04

@Aquamarine1029

Cleaning up human excrement is a biohazard level situation that needs proper ppe and cleaning equipment. No way is that part of your job description, and I wouldn't have touched it with a barge pole either. How disgusting. Email the office and don't be afraid to stand up for yourself. It would be completely unreasonable for anyone to expect you to clean that up.
This. Cleaners in hospitals don’t clean up shit, why the hell would you? It’s actually considered a biohazard.
Original poster
YouLookNiceJackie · 22/10/2020 23:08

@randomer why would I make it up that I clean for a charity shop?! They also employ a delivery driver!
If you had seen the amount and how far it had sprayed you would not be suggesting it was cleaned with paper towels! The smell was far worse than normal poo, probably some kind of infection so I didn't want to risk it especially only with thin gloves and a bottle of koh!
Thank you to everyone else for being kind and not thinking I'm being precious!

OP posts:
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