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.

Don’t make the situation bigger than it is, the cleaner didn’t work out . Move on and employ another .

As a cleaner myself, I've come across lots of people who think they're home is relatively clean and tidy and on the surface it can do but when I start the work and pay more attention it becomes clear that it's a bigger job than I anticipated. It's possible she just didn't have the time to clean as much as she thought she would in that time. You say it takes you 2 hours, that's probably just a quick clean and tidy around, a proper clean takes much longer. I can clean my whole house in 2 hours or less but thats a quick clean up, if I cleaned my own home as throughly as I do my customers homes it would take me hours. 4 hours for a home with as many people and pets as yours does then it would possibly take over 4 hours, especially for the first few cleans until everything is on top of as it becomes easier to clean. I think your new cleaning company should have recommended a proper deep clean first before doing a general clean. A deep clean will take many more hours then just the 4 they did.

Same here, and there is 7 people, 2 dogs and 2 cats in our house. Off topic, I love your kitchen op.

Not even that, I'm already cleaning their plates and cups and still manage to cook dinner for everyone.

Last week I tried to make a schedule on emptying the dishwasher as we use it every day. My hubby, kid and mum all completed our days. The other men didn't so I had 3 extra days of doing the dishwasher the joys :)

Don’t let people bully you.

That’s why you hire the services of a cleaner.

There is no need to clean before the cleaner comes that is just bonkers and redundant and in that case I wouldn’t hire someone to do the job anyway.

There are 6 people there and pets. What do you expect? Pristine floors?

Also just to point out it's pretty standard for cleaners to take before photos, it covers them incase an issue arises where the customer says they've broken or damaged something, a before photo shows that it was damaged before the work began. They also often take before and after photos to show that something was cleaned throughly before they left and they use it for advertising purposes also. Usually they would ask if photos are okay to be used for advertising but standard before photos are something I would always take in a new home to cover myself.

So... Did she actually clean the window seals, then, if that's how you spelt it on your to-do list? Maybe they're sparkling! Bit harsh to get annoyed about her not cleaning the window sills when you used the wrong word. 😅

Get a wee robot vacuum to set off everyday to keep on top of the floors!

That is a fabulous suggestion

This. People really do underestimate how long it takes to properly clean. I'm a cleaner and there's no way I could do a full house in 2 hours. Takes even longer if it's really grubby as you really have to get stuck into every corner.

You cleared the surfaces. It's easy for a cleaner to come in and blitz the place - she did a sucky job. It's not on you to clear up after all the adults who won't - where's the supportive sisterhood that is Mumsnet to defend your time and energy from other people's slovenliness? Geeze.

That would make my blood boil. A penis does not get in the way of cleaning. I’m any culture. I’d stop cooking for them if it was me but appreciate that might be too tricky.

Will they expect you to do that with a new baby?!

move out! 😱

The other men didn't so I had 3 extra days of doing the dishwasher the joys :)

Why just you picking up their slack?

Do you all have to live together?

People are being ridiculous. The cleaner is there to clean, she has 4 hours so the OP is paying extra time for extra mess. Fair enough.

I don’t have an issue with leaving a total mess to the cleaner provided they are paid for extra time.

I think you have a far bigger problem here. Living with men who do nothing in the household plus pets and a baby on the way. You can’t let a baby crawl on a floor like this.

how do you all fit in a 3 bedroom house? Move out if you can.

I think it’s telling that the first thing the cleaner did was to take pictures so they could try and wiggle out of doing a good job as an excuse. They did that at the beginning of the time so they just couldn’t be bothered to clean properly and needs an excuse. Op booked a deep clean because it was dirty, wtf was the cleaner doing? 4 hours is plenty, that kitchen was clean just the floor was dirty but that’s literally their job!

She was paid for FOUR hours

If that's the case and between you, your mum, your DH, and your child you still live with floors like that...then you need either a cleaner several times a week or you all take duties on sweeping. There is no reason to let bits stay on the floor like that. I just brushed mine after we cooked - maybe a minute long process.

It's not fair the men aren't pulling out their fingers, but that doesn't mean you just live in a pigsty until the cleaner comes. I'm hardcore down the line partners/husbands have to clean or they go, but these are your family members so obviously the situation is different. Short of leaving, you've only got a few options. Sitting and letting filth accumulate when you've got kids isn't really one of them.

Why doesn't DH do his bit? Why can't you move out?! This isn't any way to live, it's no good for you or anyone. Let them stew in their filth and leave. Or stay and do the extra work, but either way something has to give.

And taking pictures of other peoples houses is wrong without prior permission to start with. Probably against GDPR for the company to keep those photos without permission.

Yes I would also like to know why no one else cleans? Even my 5 year old daughter vacuum's

Nobody should be taking pictures secretly of people’s homes.

I would leave a review of this revolting
‘cleaning’ company.

No it takes me 2 hours to vacuum/mop/wipe all surfaces for our downstairs and hallway before I got pregnant. Like skirting boards, window sills, wiping the windows cabinets and tables. I pay 4 hours as that's what our last cleaner requested.

This does not include tidying up dishes in the kitchen or toys in the living room as I do that every week regardless hence why the kitchen is tidy just the floor is dirty and cabinets need to be wiped.

MN thinks my entire house has dirt like that photo when it was one section she sweeped all the dirt from the room together in one part of the kitchen.

Feeling very judged for trying to provide the best for my family.

We used to have such a great cleaner. She sadly left and until then we didn’t quite realise just how lucky we were. The next 3 were just terrible. We gave up. Keep looking around there are good ones out there