Mud causing huge drama in my building

[Welshiegreen]

Today I came back to my flat to see the cleaner has collected mud from the corridors and staircase of the general building and emptied it outside my flat! She has then put an angry note on the building noticeboard downstairs asking people to be more considerate with bringing mud indoors and to take off boots and wellies outside and carry them to their flats.

I live in an old mill building which has been converted. There are probably 30 flats in all, each rented. The building itself is owned and managed by a company who employs a cleaner. The cleaner is an old lady who lives in the building.

Do I put a complaint into the management company? Or am I wrong and should I be removing my boots?

I live on the fourth floor and don't feel it's reasonable to be expected to remove my shoes at the entrance of the building and carry them four floors. Especially in the cold of winter, with my young child, carrying shopping etc..

Is there a good door mat - if not maybe this could be suggested to the management company. Not reasonable to be tracking mud in but wouldn't expect you to remove footwear at the front entrance.

No you take your boots off at your own front door and the management company finds a solution to the mud inside like runners on the floors that can soak in the dirt that are easier to clean etc. if you pay a management fee then your paying for cleaning.

Are you not clearing the worst of the mud off at the communal doorway?

If she collected it all and put it all outside your flat then does that mean she thinks it's only you doing it?

That doesn't mean gathering it all and dumping it at your front door is ok BTW! But does it mean the others aren't tracking mud in like you do, or that she picked your door at random? Do you wipe your boots at the door? Kick the wall a bit outside to shake some mud off?

30 flats and she's decided that only you're bringing mud in? And dumped it at your door? I'd go apeshit.

It depends, just normal out and about the town/city no I wouldn't take them off, been for a muddy walk in the country/park I would definitely take my wellies/boots off at the entrance of the building (and did when I stayed in flats).

Depends, if it's nicely carpeted then yes I would take my shoes/boots off at the door and carry them up. Because I want the place I live in to stay nice. That's just me though.

How muddy are your boots?
If you are walking through the building and clumps are falling off you should be wiping then or removing them.

Why are people treading all through mud to get in anyway? Surely there must be pathways?

Spent a lot of time living in flats and yes - if my boots were so muddy that using the doormat wouldn't suffice and they would leave it all up the stairs I took them off and walked up in my socks. And made DD do the same.

How are you that muddy from normal day to day though? Are you always walking in fields on the way home?

Depends how much mud
I would stamp my feet outside the door to remove any clumps, and wipe on a doormat

If it was the odd crumb of mud then fine but I wouldn't tramp through loads of it, and try and wash my boots off a bit before I get home
(I live in an apartment and have horses!)

Yes you don't traipse great clods of mud inside. It is not a barn and the mud fairy is displeased.

If you've got muddy boots/shoes on, you either clean it off before going inside or take your boots/shoes off first rather than trailing it up 4 floors. Are you the only resident doing this? (sounds like it!).

there must have been quite a bit for her to be able to dump it outside your door.

don't you scrape excess mud off on the curb outside and then wipe your feet?

I wouldn't walk mud into a building regardless of it being communal/hallway or other. Take your muddy shoes off.

Did the clods of mud lead up to your door so she's assumed it's you?

Sorry, you live on the 4th floor but she’s gone round scooping up all the mud from the building, dragged it to the 4th floor and then dumped it outside your flat?

Or did you mean that there were muddy trails from the lobby leading to your door, so it’s obviously you doing it, so she’s left it outside yours to make a point?

If you have enough mud on your boots to leave a trail up four floors to your door, then you are definitely being unreasonable. At the very least, clean the worst of the mud off before you go inside.

If they are very muddy possibly a boot scraper at the front door. Most old buildings have one. You can also get door mats with them built into the side. Or even get some shoe covers (like at swimming pools) to go over your shoes that way mud is contained but you aren’t wandering in socks.

I would complain about the mud being dumped outside your door but I’d do it in a passive aggressive way to management with a photo. I was very concerned to arrive home and find this terrible mess by my door, it wasn’t like that when I left. I just wanted to let you know so cleaner can keep an eye out and also check if there been any other
issues in the building that I should be concerned about?

They will hopefully respond with how strange we will let cleaner know but please keep us informed type email. That way if it happens again you’ve laid the basis of a complaint, I was shocked and appalled to discover the cleaner has been leaving mud outside my door. They will probably have a word which will discourage a repeat.

Maybe the old mill building is haunted and it was the ghost of a former employee who fell into a loom that left the mud by your door......👻

@Welshiegreen I’m sorry I am a bit confused. If you live on the fourth floor how did the cleaner empty all the dirt outside your flat? Do you mean she collected the dirt, took it upstairs and piled it inside the building on the fourth floor in front of your flat? That is really odd. Does she have reason to believe that you are the one (out of 30 flats) solely responsible for all the mud trekked in? Or did she sweep up dirt on every level in small piles in front of every flat?

Did you leave a trail of muddy footprints leading to your door? Wipe your feet before you go in.

So she’s collected mum from four floors of the building and deliberately carried the mud up flights of stairs to leave at your door ?

Dumping myd outside a 4th floor flat needs a comment to management. That's bonkers.

If you've walked along pavements, a event wipe on a doormat should be ok. If you've been wandering along muddy woodland tracks, you need to take your boots off - and depending on how small your child is, carrying the pushchair. Pram wheels are a nightmare for collecting bits, especially if it's wet, and tracking them through dry floors.

Suggest they get boot scrapers and better mats so mud doesnt get past the entrance hall. And yes shoe covers are a great idea if you regularly have very muddy boots or shoes.

How muddy is muddy? If it was enough to be collected and put outside your door it must have been a fair bit? I think it is only fair get a boot scraper or whatever and get as much off as possible. Much like I wouldn't walk into a public building in mega muddy boots, because it isn't fair on anyone.