Abusive cleaner took pics of my home

[ChicExpert]

My lovely self employed cleaner went back to her own country. New cleaner started this week. House is tidy but dirty floor and surfaces, needs a good vacuum/mop/wiping up. We hire 4 hours a week for a deep clean of the downstairs(kitchen dining living room)/hallway and stairs. Standard 3 bed house in London with kitchen extension, takes me 2 hours to do but pay for 4 so the job gets done properly.

New cleaner came and in 4 hours couldn't clean what we asked which is just vacuum/mop and wipe down all surfaces. Had to ask her to clean individual window seals as she didn't and when she left I noticed the living room window seal wasnt cleaned. She broke my glass chopping board and didn't say anything and left chemicals in the oven which I told her not to clean. Last cleaner was able to wipe the skirting boards and didn't leave a spec of dirt in corners, this cleaner left many areas dirty.

I said nothing and thought I won't hire again. The company messaged me why I don't want to hire again and I said I wasn't happy with the clean nothing else.

I then get very abusive messages and pictures of my floor being dirty saying my house is disgusting. Didn't get to respond before I was blocked by the company.

AIBU? I feel completely violated and want to complain some how. She took photos of my home without permission.

Don't even know what to do now and feel uncomfortable using another cleaner. Husband says I'm over reacting :( am I?

FYI I've added a photo of my home before the cleaner came. Floors are clearly dirty but the kitchen is tidy/needs wipe down.

@DodoTired one cleaner. Let’s leave it shall we. I won’t respond to you anymore, I’ll leave you to carry on having a fun night calling people names.

Definitely not! There are horrible responses on here. Don’t repeat other comments if you’re not willing to stand by it and own it. I have kids in my class who use the same argument.

OP the cleaner should have been able to managed all that in 4h. You are not being unreasonable.

You get a cleaner so you don't need to clean. It's not rocket science.

I'd get a recommendation for a different cleaner and maybe be at home when she / he comes.

I'd also invest in a robot vacuum cleaner. They are life changing.

Yes to this.

Eh? Who said I wasn't willing to stand by what I said? What an odd comment.

I've said several times she should either move, hire a more regular cleaner, or take the 60 seconds here and there to brush up dropped food items into a dust pan. The latter is less desirable, given her family size. But that doesn't mean she should just let food items crunch around underfoot for a whole week. I've also asked why the hell her DH isn't pulling his finger out.

I have NEVER taken a photo of a clients house and I would NEVER dream of posting anything on line. I don't advertise anyway or have a public profile. Find a cleaner who doesn't have a fb page for starters. Your current situation sounds unsustainable and really stressful. Make it a priority to find some household help. There are some good people out there!

100%.

There are mnetters who for whatever reason dislike people who have the funds and temerity to use cleaners. Hence they shame OP's floor as a proxy for shaming the OP. The floor is fine, the OP has explained that is the cleaner sweeping into a pile.

I have been to people's houses with young children which are far far worse and messier with no cleaner insight. But mnetters will say oh no judgment in that situation. But here? No, the floor must be spotless before a cleaner comes. That is utterly nonsensical.

I think you’re getting such a bad rep here

i have a housekeeping to keep my house tidy. If I tidied it before she came I wouldn’t need her

your floor wasnt disgusting…. You’re paying for them to clean then!

This is why I don’t have a cleaner. There are 6 of us (4 adults/ late teens, 2 younger dc) plus 2 dogs and 2 cats. “Telling” them to clean/ sweep/ whatever doesn’t work.
My floors can look like this by the time I’m home from work even after sweeping the night before. DH has offered to pay for a cleaner (generally when I’ve asked him to help- he’s too tired after work apparently) but I always say no because I’d be too embarrassed

You are a big family, only 3 bedrooms and another baby on the way. Your plate is full! Just a regular cleaner twice a week should keep on top? Just make sure it's all sorted before the baby comes. Your husband really my needs to step up if you can't make your Dad and siblings!

You shouldn't feel ashamed Op but the who can't/won't tidy up after themselves.

I had no idea that this was even a thing!

They should all be stumping up to pay for more hours of regular cleaning.

OP, you have a lovely kitchen and tidy house. Don't know how you do it with 6 people living in the house, including kids and cats, and no help from them (maybe not the cats).

You are amazing and deserve a much much better breed of cleaner.

You are amazing and deserve a much much better breed of cleaner.

She deserves a much better breed of people who share her home.

You’re in London, there are 1000s of great cleaners here. PM me and I can send link you 2 good agencies. This is obviously an agency run by a loon.

Most cleaners wouldn’t turn a hair at sweeping a floor with crumbs.

Her home is fine even with the people who live there.

We are talking about cleaners because this thread is about hiring cleaners. The OP did not ask how not to have to hire cleaners.

Unless you have a problem with people hiring cleaners. But that is your problem.

Absolutely. I am a veteran of using cleaners. OP's floor is not a problem for a normal, I would not even say good, cleaner.

I prefer to go by word of mouth recommendations for a cleaner and hire the person directly. I avoid calling the cleaning agencies even though multiple leaflets drop through my door precisely because of the risk of OP's situation where she gets a bad'un.

I understand. I could leave the shower, toilet and everything black and still no one would bother to help. Just get a different cleaner. Good luck.

No it doesn't. It was only you who seemed to struggle with what OP meant. You were hoping OP only did it once a week so you could give her a kicking.

Congrats on the pregnancy OP!

I used to work as a cleaner. I wouldn't think twice about your floor. I'm baffled by the hysterical, neurotic early comments on this thread. There are so many weirdos on this site.

Btw of course you don't clean up before you cleaner comes. Tidy so s/he can do their job, yes please. But don't clean. That's why you hire a cleaner. Some pp sound a bit dim.

The cleaning agency sounds ridiculous and unprofessional. They are 100% in the wrong, not you. Don't let it stress you.

I own a cleaning company and there is no way we could do a good quality deep clean (ie window seals) of a normal house in 4 hours for one person. That house is bad - probably 2 people for 5 hours 🤷‍♀️

Ahhh, of course. It has been spoken so it must be true, despite my explanations otherwise.

Meanwhile, I'll carry on with my sensible questioning. Enjoy your own contributions to the thread.

@ChicExpert I think the problem with the replies you are getting is that you threw some chum in the water with the comment about window seals. I didn't realize you meant windowsills, but even then it seems a somewhat petty issue overall.

The main points were that you started with a new cleaning company and asked that they do a clean focussing mainly on some very high traffic areas of your home and the cleaner:

1. "broke my glass chopping board and didn't say anything"
2. "left chemicals in the oven which I told her not to clean"
3. "cleaner left many areas dirty"
4. You said nothing and thought "I won't hire again".
5. "The company messaged me why I don't want to hire again and I said I wasn't happy with the clean nothing else."
6. "I then get very abusive messages and pictures of my floor being dirty saying my house is disgusting. Didn't get to respond before I was blocked by the company."

Given all this, you are not being unreasonable.

OP has explained she meant window sills.

I assume the cleaner took these pictures because your house was a challenge...and they thought that 4 hours would not be enough to do it all. So it was evidence for the agency.

You really need to push for the people in your house to clean after themselves, your floors should not be that messy.

GDPR?

I take it you're joking. 🙄