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Housekeeping

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

Original poster

Housekeeper left iron on

123 replies

Chelseacoffee · 12/03/2023 11:25

I have a housekeeper who comes in a couple of times a week to clean, change bedsheets , iron dc uniforms, etc. she came on Friday and left around 6 pm. She irons in a small laundry room we don’t use much. Today I went there to take some laundry and found that she has left the iron on and it’s been on for about two days. Now I am at odds whether to keep her or ask her to leave. What would you do? I am so shocked. We could have burned down.

OP posts:
KnickerlessParsons · 12/03/2023 11:28

You didn't burn down though. And if you asked for a show of hands, I bet most of us have left the iron on at least once in our lives. Because it's happened several times in our house we now have an iron that switches itself of after a period of inactivity.
If she's otherwise a good cleaner, I'd maybe give her a warning.

ChangedmynameagainforChristmas · 12/03/2023 11:29

Tell her. She will not do it again. It's something we have all done. Thankfully it will never happen again in my house as I no longer iron !

Original poster
Chelseacoffee · 12/03/2023 11:30

She is a good cleaner and we hired her after our previous nanny housekeeper retired. We have the simplest iron but probably will need to upgrade!

OP posts:
NuffSaidSam · 12/03/2023 11:30

The problem that you're going to have is that all human beings are liable to make a mistake like this.

You can sack her, but you'd then have to do your own housekeeping because you're not going to be able to replace her with someone immune from mistakes like this.

And.... presumably you also are a fallible human being so you could also end up making a mistake?!

redbigbananafeet · 12/03/2023 11:33

I'm sure if you let her know this has happened it will never happen again! She made a mistake, if we all got fired for our first mistake we'd all be out on our ear!

minipie · 12/03/2023 11:33

Have you mentioned it to her yet? I think my decision would depend a lot on her reaction when you tell her. If she is horrified and very apologetic then I’d let it go as a one off mistake anyone could make. If she’s a bit “whatever” then I would be more likely to look elsewhere.

ChangedmynameagainforChristmas · 12/03/2023 11:34

I thought ironing was for dinosaurs !

Clymene · 12/03/2023 11:34

If you can afford a housekeeper a couple of times a week, you can afford to buy a better iron.

Brunilde · 12/03/2023 11:35

Have you never left the oven on, or the iron or hair straighteners etc.

If she continues doing it then fair enough but give the woman a break.

defi · 12/03/2023 11:35

She's only human, I bet if you mentioned it she'd be horrified

CharmedUndead · 12/03/2023 11:36

Buy an iron with auto shutoff. Anyone could make that mistake.

MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 12/03/2023 11:37

How would the house burn down?

Whitacre · 12/03/2023 11:38

I bought a new iron last year. It turns itself off if left on for 10 mins without the steam being activated. Obviously not so useful if you’re not using the steam, but it’s a good feature IMO (I’ve left my iron on loads of times 😳). It’s a Morphy Richards steam generator.

CharmedUndead · 12/03/2023 11:39

Also, safety is about good systems. So tell her what happened, and ask her to make sure before she leaves her shift that the last thing she does is check the iron. And it's the first thing you do when you get home after her shift.

monsterradeliciosa · 12/03/2023 11:39

I’d consider it my responsibility to ensure electrical items on my home are off

it’s a mistake that’s extremely common so that’s exactly why I’d check myself

Youpillock · 12/03/2023 11:40

It seems like the nuclear option to fire her. Could you just maybe try talking to her first instead 🙄

FoxInSocksSatOnBlocks · 12/03/2023 11:40

You are aware she is human, yes? And that she makes mistakes?

Do you think she deliberately left it on?

Hobbesmanc · 12/03/2023 11:41

I'm always leaving the hob or the electric blanket on. It's easily done. Why would you sack someone

Portillo · 12/03/2023 11:43

Get a better iron with an automatic cut off

That isnt a housekeeper- why call it that?

FlippyFloppyShoe · 12/03/2023 11:43

Could always ask her to unplug the iron and put it away after use, so it won't be left on accidentally...or buy an auto shut off one.

DomesticShortHair · 12/03/2023 11:46

I agree completely, OP. I’d be shocked too. You should sack her immediately and get a housekeeping robot, that doesn’t make mistakes like actual human beings, and does everything perfectly. It’s the only way to ensure your house won’t burn to the ground.

kitcat15 · 12/03/2023 11:46

I think you should be checking your appliances are off at night anyway.

Blondeshavemorefun · 12/03/2023 11:47

Sure it was an accident and one off

Tell her

How she responds will be the key to me

DoorstoManual · 12/03/2023 11:49

Don’t sack her, have her publicly flogged, that should concentrate her mind and just to be sure dock her pay.

🙄

SpringSparrow · 12/03/2023 11:49

It’s easily done. We bought an iron that turns off automatically about 15 years ago, after setting off on holiday and having to return to check the iron was off.
I would have thought most irons these days would have that feature these days. I’d upgrade the iron and ask her to check it’s off in future.