To ask agency not to send me for jobs where the client has pets?

[Cleanernopets]

I’ve been trying to get a cleaning job but not successful as every time I have an interview with an agency and I explain I cannot work in homes where they have pets they say that it’s not possible to accommodate that?

The reason is allergies and severe sensory aversion.

Is it better to become self employed then when I have potential clients approach me I can let them know ?

I think it would be niche area as a lot of people have pets

You should probably look into cleaning offices and other commercial buildings.

I'd imagine that agencies want people on their books that are flexible - there have been other threads on here about frequent changes in personnel from agency cleaning organisations. If they had someone on their books that could only service say half of their clients they'll probably take on someone with no restrictions in preference.
What happens if a client doesn't have pets but has visitors with pets?

Being self employed would give you more control.

Just dogs and cats or are you allergic to other pets like hamsters, gerbils, birds?

I think you'll find it hard to recruit pet-free clients. Or people will get a pet and you'll have to drop them. Or they have friends with dogs who visit, so some areas might have pet hair. Some cleaners ask that dogs are put in a crate or out with dog walker when they visit, if you have a fear of dogs but can cope with cleaning hair?

But a lot of people who hire a cleaner do so because pets shed so much and make everything dirtier and smellier. Especially if they're allowed on furniture with muddy feet, it's twice as hard to keep clean. Is it the smell, hair or something more specific you're averse to? Some cleaners refuse to empty litter trays or clean up spills of pet food.

How about being a commercial cleaner or working in hospitals or care homes?

You’d be better off doing commercial cleaning. The issue with wanting a no pet house to clean is your also asking the customer to notify the agency if they even say have a friend over with a dog briefly for a couple of hours or pet sit for a weekend, and frankly most people cnba to do that and would just want a new cleaner.

Quite a lot also don't have pets...

Personally I think self-employment is a great idea. Or as others have mentioned, commercial cleaning.

What about cleaning offices, hotels or nursing homes?

Mostly pet free.

We hired a cleaner for PIL and were asked if there were pets and then what kind (they don’t have any). I think it would be quite reasonable as cleaners might have allergies.

But people who have pets probably need more cleaning done so may be over-represented as customers of cleaners.

Whereabouts do you live? I’m literally looking for a cleaner that isn’t around any animals because of serious allergies in the home

It’s a reasonable adjustment I’d have thought, might reduce your ‘jobs’ though.

severe sensory aversion

Is cleaning really for you?

N London

I love cleaning and I’m really good at it as have OCD tendencies (I’m autistic). Day to day dust and dirt doesn’t bother me at all, I just can’t cope with anything pet related

Sounds like you need to stay away from domestic and look at other options.

Look at commercial cleaning.

You could go self-employed, but you'd need to be prepared for negative reviews or comments if you turn people away for owning pets.

OCD tendencies could work against you if it means making you late for the next job.

If it doesn't then it's neither here nor there, as you're just cleaning in the allotted time slot like the other cleaners.

I set exact alarms for everything so I would
not do the wrong amount of time. From my research that is the top issue that causes cleaners to be sacked . Arriving late and leaving early is a definite problem

I will look at commercial cleaning though as i think office cleaning when they are empty might be very easy and relaxing

edited to add not relaxing because I would be working hard but relaxing because there would be any people to have to talk to / navigate my way round

When I was a cleaner about half my clients had pets. The worst was a German shepard who would jump up at me and was so big his paws easily rested on my forearms held out. He also barked at the hoover. I did 2 shifts there