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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:
rashalert · 22/10/2020 23:27

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

StopCryingYourHeartOut · 22/10/2020 23:27

I saw a job advert very recently local to me advertising for a paid cleaner for a charity shop.
I was thinking about applying but didn't in the end.

Buttybach · 22/10/2020 23:28

You defo did the right thing. This needs professional cleaning.
I used to work in a large supermarket and we kept finding poos in changing rooms and behind rails of clothes. We watched the video footage and it was a really respectable looking lady in her 40s
we thin she must have had MH issues or it was some kind of kink!

shrill · 22/10/2020 23:30

QUESTION! Maybe you could add a p.s. That the staff in the shop , before you arrived, need to be tested due to their loss of smell - as they don't want to be positive and pass it on to the public!

DeliciouslyFemale · 22/10/2020 23:32

@shrill

QUESTION! Maybe you could add a p.s. That the staff in the shop , before you arrived, need to be tested due to their loss of smell - as they don't want to be positive and pass it on to the public!
Brilliant! 😁
dazzlinghaze · 22/10/2020 23:35

You definitely did the right thing. I'm a domestic in a hospital and I'm not allowed to clean up shit so as a cleaner in a shop you definitely shouldn't be doing it!

Buttybach · 22/10/2020 23:36

I agree you definitely were not equipped to deal with that level of mess..

I work with SEN children so dealing with poo and wee happens several times in a day. I end up with stomach bugs a lot despite washing hands lots. Hazard of the job!

Original poster
YouLookNiceJackie · 22/10/2020 23:49

@shrill that's a great point!! I did say to the manager I'm surprised no one smelt it and she got all defensive and said she's not been in all week. I was tempted to say *Enid on the tills was working closeby and 2 other women went upstairs to cash up!

When I first went up and had a mask on I was really paranoid that I had horrendous breath or something as it smelt so close! Moving the massive suitcase made it even worse!! They could have done it in the suitcase and then bought it and carried it out like nothing happened other than the smell 😆

OP posts:
StillMedusa · 22/10/2020 23:57

You did the correct thing!
I , like another poster, have to clear up poo and wee on a daily basis as I work in a special school, but (sadly) it IS part of my job and in theory we have the correct PPE (theory because when a child nappy dives and smears/eats it in a split second you some times have to deal before you can get the kit on!) I'm currently battling a skin infection that was caused by pooey hands scratching my face...

Gardenersworld · 22/10/2020 23:58

Ffs what planet is she on?

You're a cleaner, hoovering, dusting, wiping down sides, put a bit of bleach in the loo -yes!

Cleaning human shit off a wall and carpet! No! No! and another big No!

RonaCor · 23/10/2020 01:17

They could have done it in the suitcase and then bought it and carried it out like nothing happened other than the smell They may have put it on the counter and opened it up to check it though. Can you imagine?! Grin

Aquamarine1029 · 23/10/2020 01:30

You were definitely not being precious. Not even a little bit.

PrincessPain · 23/10/2020 03:29

Hmmm.
Its a hard one for me.
Do you have to clean staff toilets?
While it is absolutely disgusting (I have worked as a cleaner in tesco and my DH still does, and you definitely need a strong stomach and I couldn't hack it) if you had the right stuff to clean toilets and it is part of your job description, then its really just the same crap but a different location.
But if toilets aren't in your job description or you aren't provided with cleaning products to clean up such accidents, then that's different, I would clean again, but not toilets because I know I don't have the stomach for it.
If you had a mop I would have just mopped the wall and floor and threw everything away that was touching the poo.
Its hard to say, and I do feel sorry for you and the volunteer that cleaned it.
And my DH cleans shit and diarrhea off the floor, walls, out the sinks, off the shop floor, out the lift, etc 6 days a week and then comes home, gets changed, washes his hands and plays with our children. Unfortunately, people shit everywhere and someone else has to clean it up (and for minimum wage too 😫).

Cadent · 23/10/2020 09:07

It's terrible that the manager had a volunteer of around 75 years old do it when she's the one probably earning a decent salary.

Original poster
YouLookNiceJackie · 23/10/2020 12:16

@PrincessPain I do clean the toilets but there has never been mess like that in there plus toilet areas aren't carpeted. I didn't have any clinical waste bags either. Sorry your husband has to deal with that

OP posts:
fatherliamdeliverance · 23/10/2020 12:42

you did absolutely the right thing OP. Cleaning up human waste is a different risk level entirely from hoovering and polishing mirrors, it could carry all sorts of communicable diseases. You were not equipped. The manager should have organised a proper industrial cleaner without question.

BoulangerieBabs · 23/10/2020 13:00

@PrincessPain

Hmmm. Its a hard one for me. Do you have to clean staff toilets? While it is absolutely disgusting (I have worked as a cleaner in tesco and my DH still does, and you definitely need a strong stomach and I couldn't hack it) if you had the right stuff to clean toilets and it is part of your job description, then its really just the same crap but a different location. But if toilets aren't in your job description or you aren't provided with cleaning products to clean up such accidents, then that's different, I would clean again, but not toilets because I know I don't have the stomach for it. If you had a mop I would have just mopped the wall and floor and threw everything away that was touching the poo. Its hard to say, and I do feel sorry for you and the volunteer that cleaned it. And my DH cleans shit and diarrhea off the floor, walls, out the sinks, off the shop floor, out the lift, etc 6 days a week and then comes home, gets changed, washes his hands and plays with our children. Unfortunately, people shit everywhere and someone else has to clean it up (and for minimum wage too 😫).
Am I the only person wanting to know where the hell this poster works that cleans shit from everywhere 6 days a week? 🤮
GabsAlot · 23/10/2020 13:08

he shouldnt have to do that though not without proper ppe princess

Original poster
YouLookNiceJackie · 23/10/2020 14:50

The manager of the whole charity has just rang me and she was really shocked and concerned how it's been dealt with. She thanked me for letting her know and said that no one else has raised it with them. She is organising a professional company to go in and is also having that area re carpeted

OP posts:
JaggedRag · 23/10/2020 15:10

Both YABU and YANBU
YABU - you're a cleaner and it's your job. What do you mean "a professional cleaner should do it", you're a professional cleaner.
YANBU - as a professional cleaner, you should be trained and equipped to clean up bodily fluids. If you're employed then that's their responsibility to do.

Iminaglasscaseofemotion · 23/10/2020 15:13

Absolutely not your job.

Iminaglasscaseofemotion · 23/10/2020 15:14

@JaggedRag

Both YABU and YANBU YABU - you're a cleaner and it's your job. What do you mean "a professional cleaner should do it", you're a professional cleaner. YANBU - as a professional cleaner, you should be trained and equipped to clean up bodily fluids. If you're employed then that's their responsibility to do.
No, its not OPs job as a cleaner. She is not required to clean shot off of walls and carpets Hmm
Fajitanita · 23/10/2020 15:21

@JaggedRag, there is specific PPE and cleaning materials to be used on body fluid clean ups, some environments will provide these for their cleaners are standard if it's a place where it's likely to occur often. For others (usually retail and places like that) the guidance is often to call a specialist cleaner to deal with it, as it's often cheaper than maintaining the kit all of the time just in case. I might be wrong, but from memory we could clean up wee as it's sort of sterile (?), but anything else we weren't to expect the cleaner to do.

TurquoiseDragon · 23/10/2020 15:22

@JaggedRag

Both YABU and YANBU YABU - you're a cleaner and it's your job. What do you mean "a professional cleaner should do it", you're a professional cleaner. YANBU - as a professional cleaner, you should be trained and equipped to clean up bodily fluids. If you're employed then that's their responsibility to do.
Bodily fluids should be cleaned up by specialists, they are a biohazard. In the middle of a pandemic, this is more important than ever.

Most cleaners are not specialists, including OP. They are general cleaners and should not be expected to clean up shit.

Ferrari458 · 23/10/2020 15:26

Fantastic Op! Just proves that you acted completely correctly and can ignore those saying it was your job, or you should have cleaned it up with some blue paper. There are some really stupid comments on threads like these about cleaners and what they do.