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Please talk to me about having cleaner back?

19 replies

GrumpiestOldWoman · 28/06/2020 16:25

Rational bit of me thinks that chances of catching covid are slim, chances of catching from cleaner (and not from a shop for example) are probably slimmer still if not negligible. I do still feel funny about it though, it'll be odd having someone coming into our home after all this time without having anyone else here.

In normal circumstances our cleaner would come when we're all out, and it would be several hours after she left before we were home. Now we'll all be at home WFH and trying to keep out from under her feet.

We have settled into 'living quietly' remarkably well and whilst things are going back to normal we're not feeling the need to rush out to busy places yet - more because I find crowds stressful and I've got out of the habit than because of concern about covid.

If we didn't already have a really brilliant cleaner there's no way I'd be looking for one now. But it feels daft to keep paying her to do nothing if she's happy to come back. It also feels really bad to give her notice which if it weren't difficult for her to replace us, I'd probably happily do now, mainly because I'm at home all day and clean as I go. It feels crazy to be feeling pressured to pay someone to come into our home to do jobs I could easily do myself. Confused

Am I needing to wobble my head and get her back, is it reasonable to give her notice (e.g. 3 months paid), or have I missed something from my reasoning?

To avoid drip feed later - she's a great cleaner, we've voluntarily continued to pay her throughout, we haven't suffered a drop in our own income, she runs a legitimate self employed business (so maybe also will get some govt support too) and seems to be normally in high demand.

OP posts:
Themostwonderfultimeoftheyear · 28/06/2020 16:30

No way I would give you a good cleaner! Our cleaner comes back on Thursday but has asked us to be out while she is here, can you do that?

Themostwonderfultimeoftheyear · 28/06/2020 16:30

Give up a good cleaner!

BlusteryLake · 28/06/2020 16:31

Mine has been back for a while now. We go upstairs when she is downstairs and vice versa.

vinoandbrie · 28/06/2020 16:33

Go out while she’s there, or just stay in one room and agree that she won’t clean that one room.

We’ve had our cleaners back for a few weeks now, it makes such a difference.

PMTRex · 28/06/2020 16:38

Ours came back 2 weeks ago. Me and younger DC go out while she is here and DH and older DC work in 1 room upstairs where she doesn't clean.

She wears gloves and said she won't come if her family or our family get symptoms.

So there is no contact with her directly when she is in our house. And given the amount of bleach and antibac spray she uses there would be little chance of any germs servicing her visit!

GrumpiestOldWoman · 28/06/2020 16:48

Yes mostwonderful it does worry me that we let her go and in 12 months we're back on the hamster wheel and really need the support again!

Being out is difficult vino, we're both WFH and whilst adults could stay in one room for the duration (4 hrs) it would be difficult managing where DC are whilst still working. I wonder if we ask her to do 2hrs instead, that would be more manageable.

OP posts:
Pipandmum · 28/06/2020 16:54

My cleaner came back three weeks ago. My daughter has online school so she doesn't do her room. I'm usually in any room she isn't or out in the garden or out out. Anyway it's fine I'm not worried, she's not worried, the house gets clean...

babychange12 · 28/06/2020 16:58

I was having the same internal debate but my cleaner sorted it for me by just turning up one day and started cleaning! Shock

I'm so glad she did though as I really missed her!

usernotfound0000 · 28/06/2020 17:01

Ours came back at the start of June. We are WFH but she comes when youngest is at nursery and oldest at school, we just stay in the office and she doesn't clean in there.

Firefliess · 28/06/2020 17:04

We've now lost ours :( She's good and I'm sad to lose her but with two of us WFH and 3-4 teenage/student kids kicking around all summer we'd be in her way, and she'd be in ours. I'd happily take the risks re Covid if it was possible for her to come when we're all out. I'm currently paying unemployed DSD to do 2 hours a week for us instead and that's gone ok so far.

Frazzled2207 · 28/06/2020 17:11

Ours is back for the last month or so. We try and go out otherwise we stay downstairs while she is upstairs then vv.

Ifonlyiweretaller · 28/06/2020 21:53

Ours came back weeks ago, and we leave the house before she arrives. I actually really miss the 10 minute chats we used to have before I went off to work, but just so pleased she's coming.

sleepwouldbenice · 28/06/2020 23:08

Ours is due back soon. 2 adults and 2 teens at home so not ideal. But we will open all windows and patio doors p. She won't do the 2 rooms DH and are working in. Kids will stay in their rooms. When she's ready they will move downstairs and she will do their rooms

Giggorata · 29/06/2020 09:44

Mine came back this week, masked and gloved, and we maintained distancing too.
I think we were both more than ready!

GrumpiestOldWoman · 29/06/2020 19:15

Thanks for advice everyone, will give it a go!

OP posts:
MRex · 29/06/2020 20:41

Just back. She wears a mask and gloves, if she's in any room more than a couple of minutes she opens the windows and we stay in different rooms or outside. It's ok. Not really relaxing because we can't chat in the same way, but at least we have a little less to do each week. It's weird having clothes ironed again, they look so nice!

WombOfOnesOwn · 29/06/2020 20:55

I think worrying about cleaners is and has always been silly.

The whole reason we were isolating was to flatten the curve. Does anyone even remember that? "Flatten the curve"? We weren't trying to prevent everyone from catching it forever, just make sure hospitals weren't bursting at the seams and piles of corpses waiting for burial in transit stations.

It seems like people have gone really far on their anxiety now and even though hospitals are nowhere near overburdened with coronavirus cases, even things that add a tiny overall chance of exposure risk are being treated like terrifying stunts.

It also hasn't escaped my notice that much of the heightened anxiety since we left "flatten the curve" behind for "no exposure is acceptable" has had the impact of ensuring there's more "women's work" with no chance of relief. It's starting to seem very strange.

GrumpiestOldWoman · 01/07/2020 20:31

Womb

I remember the 'flattening the curve' thing but I think at one point we were also told 'it's no worse than flu' and that message has also gone by the wayside as we realise we don't really understand the effect of the virus on our other systems.

I think that as time has gone on the desirability of catching it has reduced, but the economic factors are taking greater precedent, hence they're trying to get things opened up again.

I'm not frightened of it and I'd reckon the benefits of DC being in school out weight the risk of them going, but I'm not sure I can say that about the cleaner and having come this far I'd rather not catch it now...

OP posts:
GabriellaMontez · 01/07/2020 20:37

You've paid her in full for 3 months Shock

Just get her back in.

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