To have said this to my cleaner?

[wellwatnow]

NC for this. I've had this last cleaner for almost a year, I've had several over the years and although this one isn't all that great she's one of the best at cleaning and I will say is by far the most reliable. She comes every other Monday and sometimes I have to text her on a Sunday afternoon to tell her I won't be in as she has to use the key safe (usually I am home).

I wasn't home last time she came, and I won't be home tomorrow either. As always I thanked her for doing a good job, she's always said I must let her know if anything is missed out with her cleaning, so I asked her if she could make sure my laundry room gets a good clean as she forgot to do it last time.

Anyway, a while later she replied and said no problem, sorry if you thought the laundry room hadn't been cleaned, she said she had cleaned it but would give it a good clean. I replied to thank her and said I'd noticed that one of the wall cupboard doors had definitely not been cleaned which made me think she'd forgotten the room. Well she replied quite quickly by saying she knows which door I mean, and that she hadn't cleaned it because it looked like it was covered in dried cat sick (my cat often sleeps on the top of the wall cupboards in the laundry room) and that she didn't want to clean it, and that I must have known about it because otherwise how did I know it hadn't happened after she left? She said she left it as she didn't want to clean it up and thought it could be the thing we never spoke about, whatever that means. She then said she can't make tomorrow but would be in touch when she's free.

I suspect now that she won't be coming back, which is infuriating as it's impossible to get people to clean, all my friends that have cleaners tell me they are too busy and won't give me their numbers. I only found this one as she was cleaning for a neighbour one day. I had to wait ages for her to find a space to fit me in. But I can't help think she's taking this way too personally.

I am so disappointed that @EvangelicalAboutButteredToast wasn’t actually cleaning donkeys!

i tutor A level. Self employed. No longer in a school. I am not on first name terms with parents, I get paid by bank transfer and so pay tax etc.

Absolutely clients come and go. Some clients can be very flakey and just lack the comprehension that we need to make a living.

My friend runs a successful small gardening business and is quite sought after as she produces and maintains amazing pots and perennial borders. She is very picky about who she now takes as a client and has deliberately set her fee at a rate to exclude chancers. Her clients seem to really look after her especially around her birthday and Christmas - let’s just say she gets more than a bottle of Prosecco.

I don’t blame @wellwatnow cleaner. I don’t give parents of students who a tutor a second chance - muck me about once without a valid reason shame on you but muck me about twice then shame on me. So the parents who took their child skiing for two weeks without telling me in spite of having arranged lessons are in for a surprise tomorrow.

Ours does...he laughs that I'm so bothered by it...it doesn't phase him at all because he says finds it anyway when he digs...

I wouldn't get him to clear a garden full of dog turds though.

Oh well the OP has gone because the thread didn’t go the way she wanted it to.

I cant wait for when for l somebody bring out a robot cleaner. Yes l know you can get a robot type machine to clean floors etc.

My own experience of local cleaners has not been that great.Even those sent by the Council and Social Services after l was discharged from a Rehab/Nursing home

They either turn op late if at all with no apology. They throw things in the bin without asking. And many cannot speak or understand English very well.

They want silly money per hour even if it is cash in hand person..You know doing it the side.

If l had a cleaner l certainly would not pay them £20 per hour., but a rate above to the minimum wage.Yes, London is more expensive..

I would also given them £5 per session travelling expenses and buy my own cleaning products.

Fair Deal?

You sound lovely.

I'm a S/E cleaner and I charge £30p/h. And I'm fully booked with a wait list. Why? Because good professional cleaners are hard to find and I am worth every bloody penny 😚

OP I wouldn't be coming back, you sound like you're hard work.

Well here’s the thing. People can charge what others are willing to pay. You don’t set the rules even though you think you can dictate that cleaners should be paid ‘minimum wage’.

As a man who has cleaned people's homes it's the attitude here that would get my back up. The snarky comment about the utility where it's clear the cat had been sick and it had been left for me to clean up, which is disrespectful. As if the op was saying that your the skivvy you do the disgusting things. Which is how I would have read her message.

I've had women leave their pants on the floor with sanitary towels in. I didn't go back to that house and blocked her and her husband. I may be "just" a cleaner to some people but there are limits to what I should be expected to do. Cleaning dried puke isn't included in acceptable btw

I read it like that too! 😀

errmmm 🤔

It certainly is where I live. Good cleaners are very sought after, and have waiting lists. They can pick and choose their clients, one that I know won't take on any clients who have pets, because they create so much extra work.

@wellwatnow do you want this cleaner back or don't you?

If you do want the cleaner back, surely the sensible thing to do is to message saying "I really apologise - I hadn't realised the cat had been sick. I did not leave it for you to clean up."

I'm a bit puzzled by that though. Surely you would've realised if the poor cat wasn't well.

She did notice the cat sick that morning but was apparently rushing so just left it there.

I certainly would not be cleaning up cat sick if I were a cleaner.

I agree with PP, I don’t think it’s acceptable to leave cat sick for your cleaner.

I hate the thought of leaving anything for the cleaners as it just isn’t fair! I always check my kids toilets and clear any toothpaste from the sink! It’s unfair to expect them to clean bodily fluids of people / animals.

I thought she just noticed that the door was dirty

Maybe she's not explicitly saying it and I've missed it. But that would be a terrible thing to just leave for the cleaner. So I don't really understand why OP is angry with the poor cleaner.

But you say she is reliable and has never missed an appt and now she's suddenly not reliable?

Why is she no longer reliable?

I'm with the cleaner on this one. No way would I be cleaning cat sick or any other animal deposits.

And if it wasn't there the night before but was there on your way out, what exactly did you think it could be? How would a cupboard get dirty overnight?

That’s a really valid point, how did she jump from being very reliable to suddenly unreliable during this thread?

I think you should text your cleaner and apologise - dont make excuses just say im really sorry i may have come across as rude in my messaging , it honestly wasnt my intention, im so sorry and i will be more thoughtful in my communications in future, i really value you and appreciate the great job you do. Look forward to seeing you next week. Thanks again and again so sorry

I’m interested to know what you mean by “and although this one isn’t all that great she’s one of the best at cleaning and I will say is by far the most reliable” she’s a good cleaner and reliable surely are the most important things. What makes her not that great?

You sound like an absolute nightmare to work for.

I read that to mean that cleaners before have been average and unreliable so this one was better than the ones before.

with mine, I am lucky if same person turns up each time (organised by another lady) and whether they speak English or not.

but they do come each time and their cleaning in 2 hours is more than I would do so I accept the drawbacks.

Really?
I just went back and reread ops posts and really can't see what is particularly unreasonable, let alone 'complete nightmare to work for'

I hope op has apologised, guessing we'll never know for sure