1st world problem with cleaner

[Besswess88]

Had cleaner since Feb this year and she/person who works for her has broken the second (brand new) steam mop.

Also won’t use our shark hoover, asked us to buy a Henry (I refused as the shark was brand new) and brings her own Henry.

If she is breaking my equipment (not general wear and tear), she should be insured to pay for this?

WWYD?

Clean yourself, or let her clean her way

Why did the steam mop break? Did she use it incorrectly? Forcefully? Or did it just happen to break when she was using it normally?

That’s just how it goes I’m afraid. You can get rid of her.
Fine for her to bring her Henry

Well you'd expect a cleaning agency to have insurance but someone who's paid cash in hand would be very unlikely to have insurance. Which scenario applies here?

My cleaner brings her own Henry and is insured against accidently damages. Has your cleaner let you know whether she has insurance?

Why are you asking the question?
Did you not check that she was insured, read and sign a contract, and think about this before you got a cleaner?

Bit odd to complain that she brings her own Henry - no impact to you at all.

I’m tempted to say that yes she should pay for both broken steam mops - and then it’s her business if she claims that via her insurance - but you seem a bit clueless about this so I’m wondering if the steam mop was decent quality in the first place.

How did she break the first one, and what did you do about that?

If it's broken and it's new - send it back for a replacement. It needs to be fit for purpose under the consumer act.

How do you pay her (cash in hand/ salary monthly into a bank account). How much do you pay per hour? Do you pay travel expenses? Do you give her paid holiday? If you’re paying cash in hand at a relatively low rate then I don’t think it’s really sensible to assume she or he will have insurance. And if you take the cost of the mop off what are probably low earnings anyway I think that’s a bit harsh. Plus if the cleaner is good in other respects it’s in your interest to keep them. How about just getting the cleaner a normal mop and bucket and seeing how that goes? Incidentally I also rate a Henry, they are brilliant.

If she's broken 2 steam cleaners. I'd have forgiven the first but the second I'd want reimbursing for whether she has insurance or it comes from her own pocket. You can't just break your employers stuff!

Tbh I'd get rid of her for asking me to buy a Henry let alone bringing her own Henry. They are shit, just cheap and don't die but horrible suction and don't clean effectively.

People on mumsnet have an odd idea about cleaners, like they are doing you a favour whereas they are actually doing a job. There's also a lot of reverse snobbery as seen by PP of do it yourself. If you are paying a fair wage you deserve a decent clean and not to have to worry about your property!

She should have insurance.

I’m not sure that I would want someone so accident prone.
The bringing her own hoover wouldn’t bother me.

@ChubbyLittleManInACampervan ‘Clean yourself, or let her clean her way’

Your issues with the steam mops should be taken up with the manufacturer. You should anticipate a brand new piece of equipment would last longer than a few months, and you have an eminently reasonable case to pursue a refund or repair from them. Your cleaner is not responsible.

And perhaps she brings her own henry because, unlike Shark hoovers (in my experience) they aren't liable to break. If you have to borrow a mumsnet catchphrase form for having substandard, prone to breakage equipment (especially when you get shirty with your cleaner about it breaking) then I can completely understand why she would prefer not to use your stuff and just bring her own.

Would you not just give her an old school mop and bucket after the first steam mop broke?

Well. Seems you didn’t bother to answer the insurance question after the first breakage, nor even bother to thank the people who replied last time, or come back to your thread… so not sure the point of this one 🤷🏻‍♀️

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/a4203748-Cleaner-issue-help?msgid=105954295#105954295

That a bit of plastic broke off last time may mean that you bought cheap crap - that’s not the cleaner’s fault.

Is it the same problem this time?
Why do you think it’s the cleaner’s fault not the manufacturers?
Don’t you get tired of a husband who goes “ballistic” over simple damage that might not be her fault?

So many questions that I doubt you’ll bother answering!

Cleaner here, well only for one more day 🥳 I bring hetty with me everywhere, especially when sharks are involved. I spend most of my time unclogging the fuckers otherwise.

How is the mop being broken? is she bashing it around or is it just breaking while being used? I've had steamers just give up on me, while using them normally. This I wouldn't expect to pay out for. It should be covered under warranty, being new. If I dropped it or bashed it around and snapped something off I'd either offer to replace the part or it would be covered under my insurance. Just ask her. Either get her to bring her own, provide a normal mop or I find spray mops can be just as effective.

Are you happy with the results of her work? Does it exceed your expectations ?

If you are happy with the quality of the work, why do you care what brand of equipment is being used? If you are bot happy with the quality of the work, then this is clearly not the right cleaning service for you.

It really is that simple.

Henry Hoovers have excellent suction and clean very effectively. Can be a bugger to lug around, though, so if she's prepared to bring her own, good on her.

Same as the last thread. Is she insured? Do you pay her cash in hand, through an agency, or is the self employed? If cash in hand, which I strongly suspect, then I understand it as a "friend has your home", and you claim from your own home insurance. In a normal business setting, direct employees aren't required to pay for equipment that gets broken. Unless you had a specific contact saying otherwise (?) then you can't expect her to pay. Just get an proper mop and bucket and let her use her own equipment.

@JustWonderingIfYou

If she's broken 2 steam cleaners. I'd have forgiven the first but the second I'd want reimbursing for whether she has insurance or it comes from her own pocket. You can't just break your employers stuff!

Tbh I'd get rid of her for asking me to buy a Henry let alone bringing her own Henry. They are shit, just cheap and don't die but horrible suction and don't clean effectively.

People on mumsnet have an odd idea about cleaners, like they are doing you a favour whereas they are actually doing a job. There's also a lot of reverse snobbery as seen by PP of do it yourself. If you are paying a fair wage you deserve a decent clean and not to have to worry about your property!

I agree, and I used to be a cleaner. You can't ask people to buy your preferred hoover! And one mop, fine, but two, she should replace the second time.

I’d just stop using her. Breaking stuff implies she either hasn’t read the instructions or doesn’t care about your stuff. Or both.

@aiwblam

I’d just stop using her. Breaking stuff implies she either hasn’t read the instructions or doesn’t care about your stuff. Or both.

Or that the OP bought a faulty mop, then replaced it with the same crap 🤷🏻‍♀️

It’s all rather pointless as OP didn’t explain what happened last time and what she did about it.

Bit odd to complain that she brings her own Henry - no impact to you at all.

I get it. Henry’s are shit and don’t clean properly, I’d have to redo the hoovering if it had only been done with a Henry.

She should have insurance for breakages. If she doesn’t I would probably chalk the loss up to experience but let her go and hire someone who does have it.

You can't ask people to buy your preferred hoover

Our lovely cleaner has been with us for over fifteen years.

She knows perfectly well that we would do or buy pretty much anything she asks, because she makes our lives so much better. It is in both our interests to make her job as easy as possible.

After all, it is her hard work that makes the service so brilliant.

If it's new then surely it's covered under warranty?

Also why haven't you asked if she's insured?

I wouldn’t bother about the cleaner bringing her son stuff, ours do, they prefer to use their own.