To ask: if you are a cleaner, what are the things in the house that would make you judge someone?

[Eastie77Returns]

I spend about an hour doing a pre-clean/tidy before our new cleaner arrives. There are some things I think look too messy for her to deal with and I also worry she will judge me on the general state the house has fallen into in between her visits.

A friend who has the same cleaner thinks I'm nuts for doing this.

Can I ask, if you are a cleaner are there certain things that would make you think someone is an absolute slob or you don't think you should have to deal with? I know surfaces should be as clear as possible and also cleaners should not be expected to tidy up,fold clothes etc (unless mutually agreed).

I had a cleaner for a short while. I refused to let her clean my toilet - she was pregnant. She was quite willing to do it and kept asking but I thought nope not letting you do that in your condition

She only cleaned the bottom of the house lounge carpets always looked wonderful when she'd hovered.

I felt bad having a pregnant woman doing my housework but she needed the money.

‘I find MN attitudes towards cleaners quite patronising.
They are there to do a job, in your workplace do you expect other people to do half of it before you arrive?!?
’

our cleaner has 3 hours a week to clean the house, and realistically I know there’s only so much she can do in 3 hours. That’s not patronising. It’s practical!

So we make sure the house is tidy, so that she can actually vacuum, wash, mop, wipe. Polish etc

Yep this. Also I don’t mind tidying up and if I do it I know where I put things (mostly anyway). I hate most cleaning and I’m not that efficient at it so I’d rather our cleaner who is super efficient can get on with it

Cleaner here.
I'm happy to tidy, de clutter, wash up, make beds etc..as long as I have enough time to do it!
For example, If it takes me 2 hours to clean a house don't then leave a sink full of washing up as well as I won't have time to get that done. If you want me to wash up on your visit that's fine, but you'll need to book a longer slot.
The only things I would judge are grim things that have been left for me..e.g, toenail clippings on a coffee table, unwrapped sanitary towels, toilets with crusty poo and used condoms..I don't get paid enough for these things! 🤣

I want you, when are you free?!!!

Everything. Loool

sorry, I know I am not helping 🌺🤣

Me next please!!!

My cleaners say this too!

I tidy up so they can get to the worktops etc, but I stop wiping the cooker a couple of days before they are due, and they say it's really satisfying to transform the house. On more than one occasion they've folded clean dry laundry for me even though it's not really their remit!

(I honestly love my cleaners, if I'm home when they are here we have such a laugh)

Mine make the beds and fold the loo roll into a point. They'll even change the beds if I leave the clean duvet covers out for them.

Legends.

I have to employ a cleaner as I can't do it myself. I used to tidy up but leave it to them to work their miracles on.
And I always thank them for it.

I think I am still scarred from the memory of something our previous cleaner told us. She cleaned the home of a very famous couple. She would often turn up to find things like diarrhoea filled loos and congealed food on plates under beds. The husband used to pee in Evian bottles and leave them by the bed for her to empty and other delights. She was desperate for money so stayed but eventually left after the husband screamed abuse at her and accused her of stealing a vase (eventually found in one their many rooms). Horrible and I cannot understand how anyone could treat another human being that way.

@Eastie77Returns eurghhh so lazy was it Liam Gallagher? I can’t imagine who would wee in a bottle as surely they’d have an en-suite

Stop doing this as it's a waste of your life as she is redoing it so it gets done twice when once will do xx

Cleaning and tidying are two different things if you hadn't done a little sorting then she wouldn't have time to clean

My cleaner is happy to tidy. I pay her to save me 3 hours. I don't actually mind the cleaning, I'm not too posh to clean my home. What I'm short of is time, so i pay her to do 3 hours worth of housework in my home.

Works for everyone.

Cleaner & housekeeper here. I love cleaning, tidying and transforming. Dirt is my bread & butter, and I know only too well how easily it builds up. But I do judge adults who:

> leave their dirty used underwear laying around on floors
> throw used sanitary pads and liners into the bin without wrapping them, so they stick to the inside of the bin meaning I can't just tip the bin out - I have to peel the pad off the side of the bin
> leave used dirty tissues on surfaces or floors
> leave toilets unflushed, so I'm greeted by a bowl piled high with human waste and foul toilet paper
> leaving shitty skid marks in the toilet
> leaving used positive covid tests around on surfaces (I have some clients who work in health care settings and are still required to test)
> leaving last night's used sex toys laying around on floors and bedside tables
> pissing around the toilet, instead of in it, and leaving it

Basically anything that I would consider disrespectful to leave for another person to clear up after me, regardless of their occupation.

Adults, no matter how wealthy they are that they can afford the luxury of a personal cleaner, should do those things for themselves. In comparison to all the other stuff I'm doing, the things I expect them to do for themselves are very very minor...
> Put your pants in the dirty laundry basket
> Throw your dirty tissues in the bin
> Wrap your sanitary pads
> Flush the toilet once you're finished
> Scrub your skids off the bowl
> Dispose of covid tests
> Put your sex toys away
> Wipe your own piss off the floor/outer sides of the loo if you miss

These small things that an average adult (disabilities excluded) can easily do for themselves greatly reduces the spread of infection and other contaminants. And it's just general basic respect and manners tbh.

I never cleaned before my cleaner came, but I did always have a good tidy. I employed her to clean, not put things away

I think it entirely depends on the situation. Our housekeeper has 9 hours, so she has time to pick the scatter pillows off the floor, put any pens in pots etc.

She knows these are the priorities (toilets, sinks etc) but otherwise use your initiative so it looks and smells nice when I get back!

I think they are more bothered how you treat them (reasonable pay, reasonable amount of time to do it, polite, always paid on time) than weather you've tidied the lego 😉

Domestic and business cleaner here.

we are there to do a job! Deep clean and make sure that your house is completely clean and tidy that is what we get paid to do, clean in places that you wouldn’t necessarily think of to clean. My only gripe but I don’t judge is poop marks in the toilet,
nothing makes me think you are disgusting 🤮 I have different clients and each household is completely different . I work round paperwork left on sides or anything that seems to have a place that shouldn’t be removed. I wash up, make beds if needed and place clothing on a bed neatly folded if left on the floor of kiddies rooms, some are tidyish others not so much but i am OCD so love cleaning and Lea leaving a house spotless and clean and smelling fresh for my clients.
Tbf my clients love it when I clean each week for them and 2 of them I have cleaned for almost 5years now

so don’t worry about tidying up beforehand or worrying that you are getting judged, if your cleaner is good at their job this is not an issue for them 😁

SPOT ON. Skid marks in toilets are the ultimate sign of disrespect and slobbiness

My cleaner brings me immense joy.
I don’t think that she realises how grateful I am for the time and effort she puts into
maintaining my home

Used condoms strewn about (IRL).

Dirty nappies (but only read about on MN) sanitary towels, pet faeces would be gross. Unflushed toilets perhaps…but weird to clean before the cleaner comes. Crap job cleaning toilets (pun intended) and surely one of the reasons to pay a cleaner?

Loom bands and Lego are very annoying as a Mum though.

I am a cleaner. I wouldn't judge you on anything!

I think the window cleaner analogy is wrong but what you're saying is similar to washing your hair before going to the hair dresser (or at least timing it so it's not a greasy mess) or even paying someone to clean the car but clearing all the rubbish out. I think most people do all these things as we don't want to come across as filthy animals. I don't have a cleaner but if I did, I reckon I would focus on tidying up and make sure there were no shit stains in the toilets and that would be it. Give yourself a break OP 🙏

Interesting thread. Due to a combination of issues, my whole house needs a deep clean. I could do with someone who loves a challenge and won’t judge why I have let it get in a state. Having said that, my toilets are always clean.