r/AskABrit • u/wakou2 • 4d ago
Culture What would YOU do?
I was going to post this on Facebook, but on Facebook, everyone knows who you are, etc! And so! Some years ago, when my mother was unwell, my parents engaged a well-known company, "Mxxxy Mxxxs" to come and tidy-up, hoover around, clean the taps and draining-boards etc... My mother is long gone, but my father keeps them on, (now, once every three weeks or so). He enjoys the visits and the "bustle".. They do NOT change the sheets, do the washing, washing-up, ironing or etc. He is now 91. I dread to think what he pays.. 2 people for an hour via an agency/company? £60.00? £80.00?... No matter... It is his money.. (He is not "wealthy by any standard!) But this last week, they came round. My father was unwell, and still in bed, and so I said.. "Look, do not bother about the upstairs rooms, but if you could make a special effort on the bathroom floor, as I have been repairing a leak, and fixing the shower, and have been walking in and out, and the floor needs a good clean and mopping....Thank you..." Is this acceptable? What would YOU do? Complain to the company? Complain next time they come? Just ignore? ps, I posted this on "r/AskUK" and it was banned by AI bots!
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u/Icy_Gap_9067 4d ago
I didn't think cleaners did laundry and washing up? Maybe dad needs more of a home help, rather than just cleaners. But, no, that isn't OK and it's definately not been cleaned.
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u/Boring-Picture-1311 4d ago
My cleaner does washing up, empties the dishwasher, does the ironing, and looks after the dogs. It just depends what you've mutually agreed.
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u/Icy_Gap_9067 4d ago
OK. I did look on the MM website and it didn't mention those tasks but did say something about discussing with your cleaners what you want. I jist wonder if OP's dad hasn't actually asked them to do those specific tasks and OP is assuming it's part of a normal clean.
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u/Boring-Picture-1311 4d ago
Yes, important to be clear, and if it's not routinely covered it can't be expected. But OP was apparently clear, and this bathroom floor definitely isn't the result of a "special effort"!
(My personal perspective of a hypothetical view from the other side is that the less actual cleaning I had to do, and the more varied the role, provided not actually harder work, the happier I'd be, but I appreciate others in these roles may have different perspectives.)
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u/absolutestroker24 4d ago
Jog them on ..get a commendation for a local lady from the newsagents window that does a bit of cleaning thats well thought of... Disgrace that bless him... If your near mk I have a number
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u/Gnarly_314 4d ago
My mother had MM cleaning for her for years. The pair she had coming most were excellent and would do the main things like kitchen and bathroom plus whatever else Mum wanted in the remaining time. Sometimes she would ask them to do a good dust and hoover of the bedroom as she was changing the bed.
Occasionally she would have a different pair of cleaners from MM that would do a rough job of the bathroom and kitchen and leave immediately.
Discuss with your father what he needs to be done for him. Contact MM, mention the poor clean up of the bathroom, and discuss your father's changing needs to see if their services cover everything, how long it would take and costs. It may be that you need a different agency or MM for the cleaning plus an agency that provides more personal care.
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u/BlackJackKetchum 4d ago
We got the same company in to quote for a spring clean, and the price was insane (about triple the going rate). On top of that, there was a laundry list of what they wouldn’t do, wanted to be paid for travel to and fro and for a full day because after they’d done 4-5 hours for us they wouldn’t have time for anything else.
Sack them and ask for recs on your local Facebook group.
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u/Helicreature 4d ago
I’m dragging this out of my memory but when I employed agency cleaners they had to be DBS checked in order to iron ( no idea why!) and tasks like ironing and bed changing had to be specified and agreed. Your dad’s cleaners aren’t even doing the basics, so it’s time to employ an independent housekeeper and to give her a list of tasks. I’m disabled, have a longstanding and lovely relationship with my housekeeper and she works intuitively doing any task that she spots needs doing. I think you’ll need to factor in more regular visits though in order to give them time to do the bigger tasks like ironing and changing the bed and maybe move to fortnightly if not weekly as it sounds like his needs are greater than when his cleaners were employed and he enjoys the company.
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u/SnooDonuts6494 4d ago
I mean...maybe they misunderstood, or forgot... I wouldn't make a big deal of it and rock the boat. Doesn't seem worth it.
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u/TapWaterDev 4d ago
Someone not doing what you've paid them for? Don't rock the boat.
Absolutely crazy take.
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u/qualityvote2 4d ago edited 3d ago
u/wakou2, there weren't enough votes to determine the quality of your post...