Things you Shouldn’t Ask your House Cleaner to Do
A professional house cleaner can be an absolute godsend to a busy family. As a whole, we are helpful, eager to please, and detail oriented. Who doesn’t need someone like that in their life??
But being that way has its downsides: we have a hard time saying no, even though we know we should. That can result in work that isn’t done well, damage to your home, or huge liability issues. Here are ten things you shouldn’t ask your housecleaner to do.
Clean sewage
A toilet backup or sewage backup requires intervention by a mitigation / restoration specialist. First, the moisture can get into your drywall where mold can gain a foothold and make you sick. Second, this is a heavily regulated industry, and a house cleaner that steps out of bounds and into mitigation can get in a lot of trouble. Like, bankruptcy trouble. Like, losing their business license trouble. Like losing their house and their car and their kids’ college funds trouble.
Clean mouse droppings
Mouse droppings are very dangerous for a house cleaner to handle. Hantavirus can live in mouse droppings. Vacuuming up the droppings can aerosolize the virus, the cleaner breathes it in, and it’s game over. Hantavirus has a 27% mortality rate. The victim’s lungs full with fluid during the infection, and they drown in their own body. If your cleaner is self-employed, or employed by a small business, they likely do not have health insurance. Cleaning mouse droppings can result in a painful death or crippling medical debt. Please call a pest control specialist or a mitigation company.
Clean mold
Outside of the run-of-the-mill mildew you find in a shower, on the windowsill of an older window, or inside an appliance due to condensation, mold should not be handled by a house cleaner. If there is mold on your walls or baseboards, that’s a huge red flag! Where did the mold come from? Drywall is like a huge sponge: it can hold an enormous amount of water, bacteria, and mold. That also raises a question: how did the water get there? Is there a roofing or plumbing issue at the base of this?
Clean bodily fluids
Without proper protective equipment, bodily fluids can pose a serious health risk to house cleaners. Blood, spit, vomit, feces, and urine can carry viruses and bacteria that can prove to be dangerous to cleaners. Used feminine products, vomit, blood, or other common household bodily fluids should be pre-cleaned by the homeowner. Forensic cleaning specialists can help with job sites from cleaning up after injuries and death. These cleaners will have the proper training and protective equipment to clean without risking their health.
Elder / child care
Unless this is a service that your cleaner offers, is insured for, and is licensed for, do not ask them to take on this kind of care. State agencies often regulate caretaking of vulnerable populations like children and the elderly. Regulations include specific training and continuing education to stay abreast of best practices. If you need childcare, contact your state office to find licensed providers near you. If you need elder care, there are many agencies who provide anything from certified nurses to companions for elderly clients.
Professional disinfecting
According to a study conducted by the CDC in 2020, 1 in 3 Americans misused disinfectants while trying to combat covid-19. If your house cleaner is not a certified technician with specific training in disinfecting, they are no better off than you are when it comes to disinfecting. Hire a certified professional to get professional results.
Handyman stuff
Most cleaners are not trained on or insured for handyman work. If you need something painted, sanded, or repaired, call a handyman. Does a drain need to be snaked? Call a plumber. Exterior cleaning? Window cleaner or soft washer. Lawn work? Landscaper. I tell people to think of it like this, “If you would ask your husband to do it, you shouldn’t ask your cleaner to do it. We do wife-things.” Now, I know that it’s a little over general, and it doesn’t give quite enough credit to the amazing ladies in my life that can fix anything, but it does give you a good idea of the things you shouldn’t ask your cleaner to take care of.
Clean while pests are present
Cleaning in the presence of bed bugs, roaches, ants, and other infestations can create huge problems for your cleaner. The first issue is cross contamination. Those bugs can hitchhike to their next clients’ houses and to their own home. It can infect their equipment, requiring it to be replaced at enormous cost. If she brings pests into another client’s house, they will blame her, hold her financially accountable, and likely ruin her reputation which is the basis of her livelihood. If you are dealing with pests, step one is to call a pest control company. If you already have a cleaning person, call them and cancel. She will be so grateful that you are protecting her.
Clean carpets
Carpet cleaning is its own industry. The right equipment can extract 90% of the water it used to clean back out of the carpet. The right equipment can remove spots and stains. The right equipment can clean up traffic patterns without damaging your floors. The right equipment can create incredible results. Consumer-available “carpet cleaners” are not remotely comparable. They only extract 40-50% of the water used to clean. The cleaning solutions that you purchase from the grocery store are not effective. Using life hacks like shaving cream and Windex and irons is not only ineffective, but also unprofessional, and will make it harder for a certified carpet cleaner to produce results.
Freebies
Don’t ask your house cleaner to do extra work if you are not willing to pay extra money. Navigating the conversation to add services doesn’t have to be difficult. Instead of saying, “Can you do (THING)?” Say, “How much would it cost for you to take care of (THING)?” If you are adding services, please note that your cleaner may have to schedule extra time at another visit to be able to meet your needs.
Amber Starling, Author
Founder and President of
Good Witch Cleaning Services, LLC
IICRC Journeyman Textile Cleaner