Cleaner issues

[Chalatte]

I generally try to go low on chemicals when cleaning. I have flash spray and bleach for the toilet but also use things like smol and method for cleaning.

I got in a new cleaner last week who insisted on using their own chemicals. They also mentioned I had better leave the doors open due to fumes, and I got a whiff of the strong chemical(chlorine? Not sure what) as I was in the kitchen

That same time I started to notice my throat getting irritated by it and by the next day I developed full on hay-fever type symptoms, with a totally inflamed throat nose and bunged up tonsils, and I basically had to stay in bed to recover

I it's worth mentioning I don't normally get hay-fever so I'm 99% sure it's a reaction to the cleaning chemicals.

This issue aside I loved the cleaners, they were so efficient and sweet
I also imagine the chemicals must be even worse for them given they use it in their job.

I'm also worried if they used those chemicals on my kitchen counters where I prep dough etc (I only use smol/washing up liquid on counters for this reason)

The question I'm trying to ask is, can I tell the cleaners not to use those chemicals? What if they refuse? How can I approach the situation generally (I'd like to stick to these cleaners)

It's you house, you decide what is used to clean it. Have the conversation. I think cleaners like the chemicals because they get things cleaner quicker than the eco friendly versions. Do it in a friendly way and explain you've been having a reaction to the fumes, if they refuse then they're not as nice and sweet as you think.

It is not the chemicals they used per-se, it will be whatever they either mixed them with, or what they reacted to when coming into contact with your surfaces, e.g. traces of your cleaning products, or surface contamination...for instance, the build-up of soaps, body-fats, and moulds on bathroom tiles can be lethal (literally) when touched with a bleach-based cleaner. They need to be scrubbed first with a neutral detergent, such as cream cleaner or a washing up liquid. Only then have harsher products be used to whiten the grout. And of course, cleaning products should never, ever be mixed together.

For a reaction as strong as you describe, there will almost certainly have been bleach involved somewhere. You say "cleaners", and this suggests they come from a company. If so, what they have done means they've had little to no training, or else have ignored it, and both is far from ideal. I wouldn't want to use them again, as there's no knowing if they will take note of your instructions, or if different cleaners come and you have to explain it all over again.

They aren't using their own 'chemicals' correctly if that's the situation.

Tell them you want them to use yours only or unfortunately you'll just have to look elsewhere. They can't force you to have random industrial cleaning products smeared all over you house. You could tell them you've an allergy?

But if they don't listen to your needs and commands and seem incapable of mixing or using their own products safely, then they're crap.

I agree with all of this, though I wouldn't assume they'd used "industrial" products, as it's not needed for domestic cleaning...however, the dangers of ordinary domestic cleaning products are vastly underestimated.

Yeah, sorry, I just said industrial to indicate they are clearly fairly heavy duty/strong.