Cleaner dunked sandwich press in water

[Twatalert]

She wanted to clean it and she washed it in the kitchen sink like you would wash a plate. I couldn't believe when I I saw it and she went on to reassure me she does it all the time at other customers houses and the piece of electrical is fine.

I told her that if it stops working I'll have to deduct it from her wage. AIBU? You wouldn't give the toaster a bath.

She's an excellent cleaner but could do with respecting boundaries a bit more. She'd previously water plants when I had just watered them and so some died, feed the cat, bin stuff that wasn't to be binned, ripped off a piece of wood from a floorboard and a few other things. I tell her after when something wasn't ok, but there is always something new and unexpected she does.
I'm always around and she never asks 'is it ok if...'.

Cleaner her too. I would never feed a customers pets unless asked to and even then wouldn't see it as my job to as a cleaner. Your pet could be on a strict diet or having to take medication with food for all she knew. I only water plants if the customer is on holiday. As for the sandwich press. Shaking head here. Her personal problems are not your responsibility. I would look for another cleaner if I was you.

I definitely wouldn't assume I had to tell anyone not to dunk an electrical appliance in water.

I assumed cleaners were professionals and therefore didn't need instructions on e.g. don't scrub non stick with a metal scourer.

How many other things does one need to specify? Don't bleach soft furnishings?

Don’t take it from her wages - that’s draconian!

Our cleaner broke a £150 light fitting the other day; I managed to find a replacement for £90- I wouldn’t have dreamt of asking her for the money. Cleaners are usually low waged women.

Give her a warning or let her go if needs be, but you can’t keep her wages back.

Just so everyone is clear you can't use a hairdryer after putting it in the dishwasher either

Well, you could, but only once 😂

Maybe a pannini press?

We had a cleaner who was let's say a bit quirky but we were very fond of her, there was a long standing relationship, she used to babysit us etc. My mum had loads of clothes, ridiculous amounts. One day she bumped into the cleaner in tesco and she was there wearing my mums coat 😨. She said she only did it occasionally but my Mum swore there had been many times she couldn't find outfits so we think she was having personal fashion shows at ours and taking outfits for occasions etc. We never knew for sure.

I bet you didn’t dunk it into the sink though.
You know how a sandwich toaster/ press works, they have electrical heating elements between the outer casing and the plates..water and electricity shouldn’t mix or else nasty things happen, shock, electrical burns, death.
I clean mine by wiping the plates with a damp sponge.

True. After that the dishwasher will be unusable

Sandwich press.
Toastie make.

I think the device that we all know it as is called a sandwich maker.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=sandwich+maker

Can you straighten your hair in a panini press?

P.S. I didn't add "&tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21" to the above URL by the way. The forum did that?

@VestaTilley I hear what you are saying. I can get my head around how it is awful to reduce her pay but I honestly thought letting go of her would impact her more until she has secured a new job. It's not about the money or the appliance.

As I said there have been other incidents that cost me money but weren't accidents but were down to her attitude how she treats my home for anything other than to do with cleaning. Because her cleaning and reliability are so excellent I held onto her because 'nobody is perfect'. The electrician opened my eyes and I can't justify keeping her any longer.

She is a liability. Please get rid of her.

If you are always around why not clean your own dirt?

Call them what you will: Sandwich toaster, sandwich press, panini maker, or a George Forman grill or an omelette maker, they all have one thing in common; electrically operated heating elements which should not be submersed in water. Even after being left to dry you can’t be sure the water hasn’t damaged the circuits.

But you shouldn't have to explain not to wash electrical goods. It's common sense!

You wouldn't put a TV in the sink!

Could be any number of reasons. Busy with other responsibilities, wfh, disabled, has disposable income to spend however she likes.

If she's that good a cleaner, can't you have a conversation with her? Tell her she's excellent at her job and you want to keep her but that she absolutely must not do any extras of any kind and focus solely on the basics. I know you shouldn't have to but it's no different than managing someone at work who isn't performing in their role. You give them feedback and the chance to improve.

@omgsally unfortunately no. I have told her many things that didn't have to do with cleaning and how they mustn't happen again. And they don't happen again, but I'm having to take it case by case and then another thing happens. I feel like she doesn't just want to clean but would love to run a household, but it's not for me right now. I feel the trust is gone and a big reason is her reaction to when I told her it's not okay to wash the appliance in the sink. I don't care what's going on in other houses. This is my home and she should respect my requests.

I did actually say to her that I have every intention to stay alive, but then thought I'm overreacting. Well, I'm not.

The poster who said she got me on edge is exactly right and it takes two to tango.

What an idiot.,Its a safety issue. She is clueless and needs to go.

Yes …..basic common sense
if an electrical appliance has been submerged in water@Twatalert please dont use it again it’s not worth the risk

This sounds like my mother. She has a complete lack of boundaries. She’s decided she would ‘clean my house’
whilst I was on holiday. Thought she was ‘helping’, etc etc. She threw out newspaper reports I was keeping for work purposes, as she thought they were rubbish; reorganised my bathroom cupboards, as she thought they would be ‘better’ that way; etc etc.
It’s the only thing we’ve had massive arguments about since I was a teenager.
I took my spare keys off her, and told her she could no longer be in my house without me there. I think she finally gets it.

I know I don’t have her there as a paid cleaner, but sounds very similar. If I was paying her, it would stop.

Every cleaner I've ever met is better than this. Why do you think this woman is the pinnacle of cleaning expertise and the OP won't be able to find someone better?

I’m sure she didn’t do it on purpose.

She admitted to doing it on purpose! Op your cleaner is an idiot and I wouldn’t want her in or near my home.