I once had a normal house cleaning customer many years ago that was amazing, but during deep cleans I would find tiny piles of cat food on top of the kitchen cabinets. Behind the ornamental stuff, sometimes inside them. I thought maybe one of her adult kids was testing me. She had a cat, but I never saw it on the counter or above. So I asked about it, and eventually the cat was caught stashing goodies when noone was around- because the chonkster had been put on a diet. It still cracks me up when I have to dust kitchen cabinet tops :)
Basic training in 1995. We had to clean the barracks, called a GI Party. Drill Sargent leaves and I see him brush his hand in the doorway out of the barracks. He had left a dime hidden up there. When he came back in to inspect, he ran his finger across the top lip of the doorway to retrieve his dime, but 10 pennies fell down for him. We still got in trouble for it.
I’d call and say “I think your last guest had a wild party because I’m finding coasters under the rugs, loose change, duvets flipped around. I’ll be more than happy to straighten up the others rooms that are untidy and see what other things “they” may have done but I will have to charge extra for that because I’m on a very tight schedule and I’m expected at another home at such and such time.” People tend to get defensive if you outright accuse them of doing something, so I would make it sound like, maybe a guest did it.
I clean AirBnBs and that's exactly what I do when I find strange little things in bizarre hiden places, e.g., disposable flossers shoved inside the handle of a squeegie used for the shower walls, a bottle cap on top of the ceiling fan, etc. I laugingly tell her we had another funny "guest" who was playing games as I describe what I found and where I found it and let her know that's why I had to add an extra hour (or whatever the time is) since I knew she wouldn't want her next guest leaving a bad review after finding bizarre things in odd places so I had to be extra extra vigilant.
I was thinking of making a collection of all the items and putting them in an organized box with everything in little bags like all the cotton balls you found in one bag and pennies in another. Then return it to your customer pretending like you are mystified as to why these random items were found in weird places.
I gave a friend the name of my house cleaner. The cleaner was dynamite and worked very efficiently and very productive for her HOURLY wage. My friend hired her and informed me that she had left a match in several lactations and that a match remained in the bathroom above the big mirror and she was disappointed in the cleaning lady. I was SO VERY offended for this fabulous house cleaner!! I asked my friend if the cleaner had put in the hours she was paid for and the answer was yes. Then I suggested she make a list of the special areas she wanted cleaned and let the cleaning lady know that those areas were important to her. Grrrrrr!
I'm sorry this happened to you and that your friend's booby traps created unnecessary disappointment. ☹ From me to you, thank you from the bottom of my heart that you gave your friend the referral for the cleaning lady. That was a lovely thing for you to do. 😍
Thank u for sticking up for her…often times people look down on house keepers…but it’s how I could afford college…no one would hire me as a college student and young mother…so I started cleaning houses…but people with money don’t get that part lol
Yeah thats not fair. Especially first cleaning. Usually first deep cleaning for each room takes longer. So unless every room deep cleaned on first trip ...but still.
As a woman that owned her cleaning company for over 10 years until my health stopped me from doing this. But my advice would be be honest with the customer. Let them know what you’ve been finding and ask why they’re doing this if you do not get the answer your looking for then walk, there are many other customers out there
I think every house cleaner is good for a couple of rounds of this game per owner - but two days apart? Come on. I can see why the cleaner was not amused.
Honestly weird stuff like this when called out makes the person doing it look silly and embarrassing. Some places have a waitlisted for cleaners so if you do this drop the client.
What is the point asking questions? Just do the job, it is the same routine for every cleaning, doesn't matter if they do this or not. When they don't like something they will tell.
When I was in college, I worked for a cleaning company one summer. One of the sites I cleaned was the headquarter offices of a large firm. I was paid by the site and not by the hour. My Dad had instilled in me a very strong work ethic, and I always prided myself on being both a hard worker and an efficient worker. They allowed me 4 hours to clean that site and I would finish it usually in under 3 hours. It was absolutely spotless when I was done. In the middle of my shift at the end of the 2nd week, my supervisor for that site approached me and expressed concern that I wasn't cleaning well enough, making the observation that I often left an hour earlier than the estimated job time. I told her I can artificially slow down if she likes but really can't clean any more thoroughly, I just like to get it done as quickly as possible and move on. She then said, "well, there's the other thing... the coins." As I was cleaning, I would often find coins in very odd, out-of-the-way places. It was small change, just a dime here, a nickel there, maybe a rare quarter. I thought I was being tested on whether I would take them - a test to see if I was a thief - so I made a deliberate effort not to touch them and to clean around them. My theory that it was a test to see if I would take them seemed to be validated when I would come in the next time and the coin locations would change. As it turns out, the test was just the opposite. My supervisor EXPECTED cleaning staff to pick up and pocket the coins. She placed them in areas she figured cleaning staff would likely slack off because it was an area less trafficked or out of view. Because I had been leaving the coins exactly where they were, she assumed I hadn't cleaned the area. I laughed when she explained this, and told her I'll be sure to pick up the coins from now on. I still finished that site in under 3 hours but now collected the coins and placed them in an envelope for my supervisor at the end of my shift (even though she told me to pocket them). When I left the job at the end of the summer to return to college, she told me I never missed a single coin and gave me a bonus that far exceeded the value of the coins had I pocketed them.
I would have collected the coins and left them on the kitchen counter or living room table. I have small bowls with change in the bedroom, bathroom and laundry room. I do not have a cleaner, this is just where I would notice the change in my pocket and collect it. It never occurred to me what people might be thinking about that. 😂
this is exactly what I would think about when finding coins while cleaning. I wouldn't leave them though my petty ass would make sure to collect them all and put them in an obvious place.
ikr- maybe if they were old bits of paper or something of similar worth, then it would have been clearer that they were meant to be removed, but finding coins (or anything of monetary value) does seem like a test of thievery
I'm a retired nurse and I've seen these tactics used by family members visiting their loved ones in the hospital. One daughter clipped her father's toenails and put them under the bed and she came to visit early the next day and complained to me that they were still there. Toenails! I told her that housekeeping had not yet come that day to sweep and mop, but would she like me to save the toenails for her? LOL I hate passive aggressive BS.
It's is crazy how some people run these covert contracts and the other person doesn't know the rules of the game, how the game is played or won. When I find myself in situations like this where confronted I ask what the other person would like to see happen next. After hearing them out, I ask permission to share what I would like to see happen next. Only then can we come to come working agreements about the rules we are both playing by. You bring up some great points. Thanks for sharing this. 👍
@@AskAngelaBrown I worked in a care home. I woman had dried poop under her nails. Peoples diapers were wet. Patients nice lotion went missing. Don't put your parents/grandparents in assisted living/care homes. My grandma is paying $3,00 a month in a tiny one bedroom apartment. They feed leftovers for breakfast for those who don't want to go downstairs. One day she had french fries and cold cuts. She stopped eating the food there and makes her own food. She is confined to a walker/wheelchair and can't even get into a car.
@@kingexplosionmurderfuckoff9376 It sounds like the family was blaming/shaming the nurse for something that wasn't her job. It's like me blaming the waitress because the cook burned my food.
Can you articulate the logical jump from 'hiding toenails under the bed' to 'ensuring a loved one is well cared for'?? These two things are not equivalent.
I quit a client because she managed to find dust on picture frames, light bulbs, and cabinet trim even though I honestly cleaned those specific areas every time I was there. She had to be looking very hard for a reason to criticize me if she called me on tiny specks of dust. When a month had gone by without me cleaning, she wanted me back! (I didn’t go back!)
The Easter eggs are a much better approach because they can't be imagined like the dust in your case. It's a clear standard that both of you can objectively assess. The problem is if they don't want to pay for that level of cleaning. I helped my mother clean clients' houses sometimes and SHE would imagine dust, claiming I didn't vacuum. So I took a video of myself vacuuming certain parts under a rug, then asked her to identify which parts I vacuumed. She failed but still didn't admit that she was imagining dust, or that vacuuming wasn't enough to achieve her level of clean. I'd figure after years she understood that mopping was the final clean, not just vacuuming.
I was accused of not dusting flat surfaces but knew I was doing it for a fact. Wasn't lost on me that the complaint came three days after services were rendered. On my next visit, I showed the client how dust settles within minutes after swiffer dusting and polishing surfaces. I can remove dust from the surface, but I cannot remove it from the atmosphere. If I figure out how to do that, I'll have to raise my rates.
My granny used to clean for ppl. She said one lady was always putting bits of money or jewelry in odd places. Granny said she just put it all in a dish as she ran across them. Said it was likely a test of her honesty or seeing if she really cleaned.
This has happened to me by families I babysit and dog sit for, but they leave money, purses, etc, behind. I've NEVER BEEN TEMPTED to steal. My reputation is impeccable! Trusting someone in your home is a HUGE chance you take when u hire help. It's not comfortable for either party.
Yeah, this is what I was thinking. I’ve heard people purposely leave items out to test a house guest’s integrity but I’d never heard of it as a trap for someone contracted to work. Definitely anxiety-inducing in both instances though
My job takes me into people's houses when they're not home and so many of them leave money and jewelry everywhere. I don't know if it's to see if I'll steal something but there have been a few times I had to move the items because their pets were messing with them. I always let them know and sent a photo of where I moved it to so they wouldn't think I took it.
Had this happen to me on a few occasions with the same customer. They put a pile of dirt and grass under a huge area rug and would frequently put empty cans way under the beds and couch against the back wall. They were always standing up so I know they didn't just roll under there. I just removed them and after a while they quit doing it. I guess I proved myself but I couldn't help but be a bit annoyed by it.
I have several employees who work out of my home. I think they play this game with me as well. I flip the rooms they are in daily - and there are weird coffee spills in places that no one has been in and rubber bands and q-tips that weren't there when I mopped and vacuumed before they arrived that morning. I think they are out to get me. 😂
I thought I was just being paranoid, when I kept finding uncooked rice along living room baseboards/ behind furniture. Like how the heck would uncooked rice end up in rarely used formal living room completely separate from kitchen, unless put there on purpose. This only added insult to injury from this particularly passive aggressive ungrateful customer. Fortunately she moved on before I needed to do so myself. Thank you for validating my suspicion 😻
Yes, I'm sad to say, this is often intentional from the customer - and very annoying to the house cleaner. There is no way for the house cleaner not to feel like they have been distrusted with these games.
They could use rice socks lol. I use them and from time to time one will start leaking rice for awhile before being noticed, which leads to dry uncooked rice being in weird places
I own a cleaning business. And I have encountered this so many times! I leave it exactly where they left it. But, I also mention that I know what their doing and it’s the last time I do work for them. If a client ever asks me to stay out of the bedroom or closet. I don’t ever go in there not even once! Trust is built over time. By both parties.
Sadly, my mum had to set a couple of traps because our housekeeper was stealing from us. It was heartbreaking, and one of the housekeepers stole an 18k gold wedding band. Now, we don't set traps, we just take pictures the night before. It hurts a lot to have to do this, and I wish we could find a trustworthy person to work for us. We pay well, and we aren't mean folks.
@@hlw1306 The jewelry was in a box. She forgot that she left it there that day, and when she went back, it was gone. If you can't trust your housekeepers, it's a major problem.
I'm not house cleaning anymore but I did have a couple of customers who did that to me. If I had it to do over again, I would have immediately called them out and walked out of the job. My self esteem wasn't high enough at the time but I definitely would never put up with that again. I've never been treated as sub-human as I was when I cleaned houses. It's so important not to take any crap.
Hi, Frances, do you live in Netherlands? Thanks for leaving your experience. I did a bit of cleaning as well, except 1 family really, every other was good experience, not treated in demeaning way. I would say, there got to be a click between the cleaner and the family, otherwise it won't be an enjoyable experience. Why would we go into someone's house to clean it all while feeling miserable, right?
@@originalmix2546 that's so true! My Dad actually immigrated to Canada from the Netherlands and now I'm helping him immigrate to the US. I think my problem is that I went from working retail where "the customer is always right" to being a solo house cleaner/dog walker. I never gave people boundaries when I cleaned their houses. I never said no to anything and the requests would get crazier and crazier. It's so important to give some thought to what you're willing to do/not willing to do and also how you need to be treated.
i just leave something that’s not obvious like the toilet paper holder behind the toilet. and i need cleaned behind my toilet. also, i keep my shampoo and soap at 90 degree angles (yes, ocd) so if they don’t clean the tub, i’ll know. i have a trust issue with people because of the trauma from my mom
As an Air BnB customer who has stayed in less than clean rooms, I appreciate that tactic, as long as the cleaner is compensated for the extra work. If the cleaner passed the first time with flying colors, then there's no reason to continue the test.
If I was lucky enough to have a cleaning service I would not treat them this way. If I noticed something wasn't taken care of, I would just say, "Hey, could you make sure you dust the window sill and make sure the duvet is put on the bed right. Thank you for all you do." No need for passive aggressive games.
@@AskAngelaBrown My mother had a cleaning lady when I was young. Well, at times I liked to make myself rice pudding late at night and then eat it while reading a book. To apologize for the extra pot the cleaning lady had to wash the following day I always made more pudding and always left her some for her.
These traps are literally from the Victorian era (if not earlier), used to hire and fire maids for not being perfect or honest. Astonishing that these are still around
LOL. Right? And with just cause. Lots of homeowners and BNB hosts have been burned by house cleaners who skip stuff or don't follow a checklist or a routine, and the hidden items are clues they've hired a good house cleaner.
I can almost understand for a full time maid, their duty is to maintain the cleanliness of the full house so nothing should be missed. Modern cleaning staff though are so often hired on a specific checklist of items and areas to be cleaned and the "tests" nothing to do with those areas, just expectation of a bunch of free, unspecified labour.
I’ve had customer s who have left large amounts of cash on counters to see if I’d take it. I’ve also found hidden cameras. I called them out and never returned.
@@kingexplosionmurderfuckoff9376 You're hiring a stranger to come into our house to clean............Hello? Just clean your own house if you're that paranoid? That's how that works???? wtf?
@@kingexplosionmurderfuckoff9376 To leave money on the counter or behind the couch to test trustworthiness is one thing, but hidden cameras? That's just sick. It's okay to have cameras on you at work when you're fully aware of them, but to try to hide them is just gross. Also, seems like an excuse some creep would use. "Oh, that camera in the bathroom wasn't to spy on my naked guests. No no, I was just using them to spy on the housekeeper to make sure they were scrubbing the shower real good." Eww, no thanks. That's how you get fired as a client and can't find a new housekeeper because word gets around that you're a creep and no one wants to put up with you.
As for the traps, when finding pennies I would put the pennies on a table and w a note, asking why the pennies are set out and if they had questions about your services.
Interessting topic and I like Angela's take on it. She always sees both sides and I'm glad she didn't encourage the questioner to get in a lather about it. Also interesting how the cleaning parameters are different for an Airbnb vs normal house. Never thought of that.
Thanks for joining me here and for your comments. I do see both sides as both a house cleaner and a homeowner. The house cleaner is miffed with the lack of confidence, and the homeowner is begging "earn my confidence." In a minute everybody wins and the treasure hunts will go away - but in the beginning there seems to be a fair amount of healthy skepticism. 👍
I think your checklist idea is great. You can make sure you've done everything and not forgotten something. The customer can use the same list to check your work later. Everybody is on the same page.
Yes 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾 We had an OCD lady who would drop stuff under her beds, bathroom shelves, etc to make sure we cleaned under them- she had a bad back and would have her husband check to make sure we weren't taking advantage of the fact she couldn't bend down there. And another lady who would hide pennies under different rugs. I was always so paranoid if I found anything like that in a house that they were hiding other stuff to test us. So stressful.
I haven't been a house cleaner in a few years now, but I absolutely love how professional and thoughtful you always are. You give amazing life lessons that can be applied to multiple facets!
Funny backfire story.... We cleaned a house and the homeowner was not a favorite...Every single item I picked up to dust underneath had a hidden piece of paper underneath it. I'm talking EVERY SINGLE ITEM... Whatever, I picked up every scrap of paper and threw them away. The homeowner called later to say she had texted ( to the wrong number)earlier in the week to say (don't move the pieces of paper under the decor) She had paid a designer to come and move all of her decor around to the "best" spots. 🤣😂🤣
I'm with you there - we had a homeowner do this but the paper had names on them. They too were tossed thinking it was a weird game. (Not all the items, but quite a few.) The homeowner it was later discovered had just found out she was terminally ill and had called each of her children. The names under the items were to be given to her children after her passing. 😰
I didn't need to set "traps" to catch a cleaner. I hired a cleaner recently to do a bond clean. Paid them over $500 to clean just a 2 bedroom unit. By the looks of it, all they did was give the floor a vacuum (not a perfect job) , clean the toilet / basin (not very well) and possibly wipe out the already pretty clean cupboards in the kitchen. They didn't remove cobwebs, clean switches / power points, doors, walls, mop the floor, clean the windows / window tracks, clean the stove top properly (if at all), the sinks, sweep out the garage, clean on ledges, clean the shower. In and out within an hour ($500 +) I even posted a video about it on my channel. Unfortunately they do this frequently and get away with it.
@@AskAngelaBrown Yes and no. Basically they write and get you to agree to terms and conditions prior to the job. These have been carefully written so they do barely anything . They have a huge list in there with "exclusions". Most people don't read terms and conditions / privacy statements etc as it is pages long (sometimes 10 - 20 pages) Basically these guys don't do mold (will attempt - so they say, but didn't), complete wall clean, ceilings, heights, garage walls, outside windows. The mould came off easily with "exit mould" just sprayed in the shower recess when I did it. This means they'll vacuum the floor, clean the toilet / sink. The thing is... They didn't clean the sink properly, clean the floor properly, spot clean walls (included), clean the skirting boards, mop the floor, clean the blinds (included), clean the rangehood / stovetop (included) , clean the window tracks or windows inside, clean window sills , clean light switches . They also made so many promises on the phone which they didn't carry out. As for the guarantee, the real estate has to inspect the place within a very short period and then complain to them to get them to come back (if they bother coming back - usually don't even when requested) Obviously there is a huge difference between a "bond clean" and what they do . It is like a professional car cleaner saying they'll give it a professional clean / detail and only emptying the ash tray. The long and the short is... I ended up re-doing the floor (They didn't even vacuum properly - cat litter still on floor behind the toilet), cleaning the windows, window tracks, rangehood filter, skirting boards, power points, etc and paid an additional $250 to a real cleaner to finish the job. The original cleaners only did about $30 - $50 worth of work (out of $500 +). To add insult to injury, on the day they wanted another $150 ??? to actually clean because it was "heavily soiled" (dust bunnies that was under / behind the furniture , stove top actually needed cleaning (not that bad), etc
Yes. If your eye isn't on most cleaners they do not clean. Work ethic in all fields is declining. As a teacher I see a huge difference between experienced, older teachers and the young ones. Very sad.
I used to clean offices and for a short time kept finding £10 notes (which I always handed in). Later my manager told me they did this deliberately to see if i was trustworthy! I had been working for the company for over 7 years when it started.
What? They started testing you 7 years in? I'm guessing in this situation, it was theft happening somewhere else in the company and you got blamed. Someone trying to prove your innocence hid the notes to prove it was not you. High Five for showing the integrity that they were looking for. 👏👏👏
I've had clients leave money 20 dollar bills, credit cards, and change strewn around. I always dust, put the bill back, and change back. I don't know if they're testing. Kinda seems like it. Absolutely love your channel Angela, thanks from Ontario Canada! ❤️
If it happens more than once, I'd walk. I'm here to clean, not a hide and go seek game. I have never been let go from cleaning an airbnb and never been tested either.
@@Tazzyone. me either but if there were cameras set up inside an Airbnb rental, I would do a good job that time and decline to clean for them again. In most states, it's illegal to put indoor cameras up in a rental, even if they're visible. Peeping Tom much? Outside the house is a good idea for rentals and own home imo.
This video made my day its so true. You also have people who will complain to just complain. I confront them on it and have walked out only to get a call later with an apology and a raise I never asked for. Lol If you are doing a great job don't accept that you know you are good and more importantly they know as well.
I worked in a Elderly Rehabilitation home which is short stay as they heal . I would have family members come to visit and leave black pepper poured out on the tv cabinet shelf. They claimed to leave it it’s for there meal . lol high up sprinkled on dark wood shelf. They family would take all the normal supplies like toilet paper, gloves , plastic hangers and dial soap when they got discharged. No way because they had a room mate . The roommates bathroom items got taken by family packing up but blaming the housekeeping took everything. I left because of family caused trouble.
In my experience many clients leave traps. Particularly 100$ bills wedged in places. I always ignore all traps and pretend I don't see them. If you are an excellent professional cleaner people will forget about games like that and just be happy they found you.
It‘s funny if these are then the people who hide money in all sorts of places for emergency and then you stumble upon their emergency bills. We once cleared out the apartment of my grandmother when she moved next to my parents. We found several hundred euros all over the apartment that she had hidden for emergency. Granted, it had been a challenge for her to get to the bank for years, but she had then forgotten all the places where she had hidden money.
My mom was a fabulous housekeeper and taught us three girls how to. Middle girl was tasked with a bathroom one day. Mom asked, "Did you clean behind the toilet?" Girl, "Yeah!" Mom took her to said bathroom and pulled out a bobby pin located behind said toilet. BUSTED! I had helpers who ONLY clean what can be seen, though I specifically ask for "behind and below." I am disabled enough that I cannot do that work myself, so......
Using these to teach/check behind children is not a bad idea. I legit might use that tactic with my teenager. But doing it to a paid, grown housekeeper is soooo insane.
Wow this is the most amazing example of making your job work for you. Full disclosure I haven't even watched the vid yet but I'm just tickled to see someone who may not have had the most fun job in the beginning use all that knowledge to change the actual job itself. To go from professional house cleaner to media creator and educator is such a strong move. Go you
I worked at a gas station that did stuff like this. It's petty and a waste of time for them and me. They'd have people unface the shelves after I faced them and then say I didn't do my job because one or two items were out of place. Stupid stuff for a low paying job. I'm so glad I'm done there.
Once about 10 years ago my parents, aunt & uncle & I rented a VRBO house in the mountains…we got to the two-story, 4 bedroom house and found that the downstairs had the most basic level of cleaning done, but the upstairs was incredibly dusty, beds hadn’t been cleaned or properly made and hair all over the bathroom, clearly the house cleaner was not doing anything upstairs. Toward the end of our stay we called the owner/host to let him know our experience out of courtesy before leaving a review, and came to find out he was a paraplegic and wheelchair-bound…his house cleaner had been taking advantage of the fact that he couldn’t check the upstairs for her work. 😢 This was back before STR agencies/cleaning companies & quality control were a thing, and I am fairly certain he was paying for a whole house clean based on number of occupants. He was very gracious and thanked us for letting him know, but we were very pissed that someone would take advantage of a vulnerable person. Hopefully he was able to find a replacement cleaner because it was a very rural town of about 200 people.
I had a customer years ago..and the husband would leave pennies hidden all over the master bedroom..it was a joke..we'd laugh..went on for months..until I poured all his pennies out of his pennie jar under the covers on his side of the bed..lol..he got a kick out of it..after that no more hidden pennies lol...I think he realized the joke was getting old..lol.
I had this happen to me 25 years ago for one specific house. I started swapping out the item they left with a smiley sticker or I sometimes swap out one place to another. The last time I was there I put all her little trap items into a plastic bag and put them in her freezer and left her a note sending her on a scavenger for her missing items, with a not so nice note telling her that I would not be returning. This lady would also preclean her house before we got there. Yeah she has issues.
i worked in an office where the office manager was literally a con artist and would leave traps and use it to fire them to hire her own daughter instead. and then her own daughter did a crappy job and complained about the men’s shop bathroom having a spider inside of it so she refused to clean it ever.
STOP THE PRESSES. I HAVE FOUND THE PERFECT PRO CLEANER PANTS. Helly Hansen makes the "Luna Construction Pant". It's incredible and I cannot believe it wasn't designed for cleaners. Has big hanging pouches that fit cleaning cloths and pant pockets for phone, tools, and keys. It's quick drying and has built in knee pads. They are expensive but I'm buying 3 more pairs asap. The knee pad inserts have to be ordered separately.
I just checked out those pants and they look perfect BUT I can't figure out their sizing which is in numbers, e.g., 6, 8 10 etc.for the pants while their sizing chart uses xs, s, m etc., and not size numbers, for specific body measurements. I recently lost a fair amount of weight after being the same size for 30 yrs so don't really know what my new size is. It seems to vary by brand so I currently have 3 different sizes in my closet and those pants are expensive so I'd hate to waste time and money for something that may not fit. Too bad because they look like they'd work well.
Thanks for the tip! Going to check these out. I'm an animal behaviorist for a shelter, but I still have to power clean my share of kennels and cages. I wear a fishing vest for all my stuff and wear literal volleyball knee pads, and this would be a great alternative. Are they flexible enough to fit in mid-calf chore boots?
Sorry, but having a bunch of housecleaning services that charged but didnt clean according to my checklist, i started leaving strands of hair behind the toilet, on the top of the bathroom vanity etc. If I am paying you for a "deep clean" and all you do is wipe off the toilet seat, you best believe I am going to take before "trap shots" and after cleaning shots to make sure you do you job. Its gotten so bad that now when I schedule a cleaning I am IN my home and WATCHING what they do. Yeah they hate me, but I refuse to pay for a bad job.
I'm so glad you brought this up. House cleaners hate it when clients hover. And homeowners hate it when they get sloppy work for the price they pay. So it is a catch 22. It comes down to clear communication and a satisfaction guarantee that can be enforced and honored. Thanks for sharing this. I'm sorry you have gone through this. 🤗
@@GLT2024 not if I am nursing/consoling a colicky baby, and working from home to do tele-health. Just because I am PHYSICALLY in the house and am able to periodically check, doesnt mean I am NOT doing things. Your comment is the reason why it IS necessary to check. A boss in your office checks your work all the time. Its called accountability.
I have wanted to hire a house cleaner for years, now. But mostly for the tedious stuff. My wife and I would do our own laundry, make our bed, it just the moping, vacuuming dusting, cleaning windows and baseboards that can get a bit overwhelming. But getting past that crippling social anxiety part of finding a reputable cleaner who we can trust around our stuff is preventing us from ever taking that first step. We don't know anyone who currently uses a house cleaner and have trouble trusting people.
That’s great that you want to hire a house cleaner. It’s understandable you are hesitant to take that first step. Check out this video on hiring a house cleaner for tips: th-cam.com/video/J8SPZPaRCgo/w-d-xo.html
The only trap I could actually see someone doing is to make sure they don't steal from you. I've heard a few horror stories, but if you have time to set traps, you can clean ya own house. Charge extra for the traps.
We rented a verbo house once and when we got there the beds had been stripped then the dirty linen was piled on the bed. There was dirty dishes in the sink etc. It turned out the cleaner had never come.
Some of us could only be so lucky to find thorough house cleaners (for our homes). I went through 3 house cleaners in one year and decided it wasn't worth it. It seems in my area, the cleaners always come in twos. The first pair really hustled. The job they did was amazing, but I kept noticing them cross contaminating surfaces. During the first appointment I went to check on my son, as I passed the bathroom, one of the girls was wiping behind the toilet seat, then she wiped the toilet handle. I stopped in my tracks and watched as she proceeded to clean the upper body of the toilet. I didn't know what to say, but at the end of their appointment, I brought it up. A similar thing happened another time, and I kept finding scratches on my furniture and they broke a knickknack that I loved and just hid it behind other decor. They worked so fast that they were moving things on my shelves and furniture a bit harsh, vacuuming so fast that they were bumping the vacuum into the lower part of my Cherry wood furniture, causing nicks. I asked several times if they could be a little more careful, but they didn't like being confronted and got sassy, so that was the end of that. The next pair of girls were really outgoing and fun, but they never did the job that was agreed upon. Tops of dressers, bookshelves, behind the TV stand, or lamps still had dust. They vacuumed my entire home in what seemed less than 20 minutes, and they spot cleaned my tile floors. I vacuumed and mopped my floors after they left to see how much dirt was left behind, and it seemed that they didn't clean my floors at all. Each time they returned, I would let them know of all things that didn't get dusted, and that my floors were still dirty. I was friendly and hoped that they would do a better job, but they quit instead. Nothing I complained about was outside the contract, and I never asked for more. If I wanted something else done, like the windows, I fully expected that to be included in the next visit and that I would have to pay extra. The last service came as a trio, and I quickly learned that they weren't professional. I'm not asking for anything extra or unusual, but it seems that around here, house cleaners want the money, but they don't want to put in the agreed upon work. People who set traps, do it for a reason. In many cases, I"m sure, it's because they repeatedly find things that weren't cleaned. Don't just clean the top of the wooden chairs, but the legs too. Not just what's easy to reach, but the top of the furniture too, top of the shower, the whole TV stand, not just what you can see. If we are paying for what was agreed upon, then the cleaner needs to do the work they agreed upon. I would love to hire house cleaners that I don't have to check up on.
I had a home that hid change around the house. Under the skid mat under the rug was on in the middle. No way it gets there by itself. That day I collected $11 of changes. Left a note saying someone got holes in their pockets.
We might be tested in life but being honest and having integrity is within - never compromise who you are :) keep cleaning keep happy keep going :) with shiny lights and sparkling homes ❤
My daughter had to fire one - things, including cleaning products, kept disappearing from her house. The cleaner somehow ripped a curtain rod out of the wall taking a huge chunk of drywall with it, broke an expensive ceiling light fixture. Not everyone is designed to do this job.
I owned a cleaning service with a dozen employees that cleaned residential, commercial, construction clean-up, Frat and Sorority house's. We would work in 2 or more person crew's. All our residential clients had agreed apon check list and we would list the name of cleaners, time in/out, any problems or concerns we might have encountered on a receipt. If a client wanted extras they could add it for additional cost.
Oh no, I hope my boyfriend's cleaner doesn't think we're doing this to her. We try to hide stuff from her all the time under couches, on top of cabinets, etc, because she'll "hide" them from us. I'm sure she's putting them in places she thinks they belong, but after you've spent 2 hours looking for the headlamp you left on the counter and still can't find it, it gets a little aggravating. Before Christmas, his mom bought him a bunch of fir scented sticks for his tree and she put them all in there and he hated how strong they were. I spent an hour sniffing the tree like a bloodhound until I found each and every one and put them back in the jar. The next week she found them on top of the cabinet and put them all back, and we had to hunt for them again, lol. His mom is the one who hires her and she usually comes while he's at work, so it's not super easy to communicate with her about how and where he wants things. We joke about starting to put things in his scorpion's tank because we know that's the only place she'll always leave alone.
Thanks so much for leaving a comment about customer traps. You’re right, I don’t think anyone would stick their hand in a scorpion tank. Great hiding place!
Yea, they do the penny crap at truck stop I work at and have for almost two years!! I work for a nationwide truck stop not to name any names... (T cough A cough....)... My co-workers and management does this penny crap and I've already told all of them that when they do it, I just pick up the pennies clean around it and put them back in the same spots!
After i bought our first house i hired a carpet cleaner to deep clean all the rugs and carpets. After he said he was done, I asked him did he clean under the bed in the kids room. He said oh yes. I looked at him skeptically because you need to lift the frame in order to get under it and i had told him to call me when he got to it so i could help him. I lifted the frame to check and there were old condom wrappers and papers under the bed left by the previous owners! I looked at the cleaner and he said oh, guess i missed that. 🤥
I think the person running the B&B needs to be up front in the contract and let them know that from time to time they will hide Easter eggs. I also think they should hide sizable eggs… like dollar bills… $1, $5, $10… and put in the contract if found they are considered extra pay, or bonuses!
I'm so glad I'm not the only one who thought the same thing about if they had enough time to set tasks, why didn't they just clean it rather than make it a mess?
I cleaned a large house for 2 years, no problems. I worked with the ethos that there might be a nanny cam in every conceivable place. Eventually they were having an extension built and suddenly I get a call "can you come in 10 minutes early we want to have a catch up chat". The owner's expensive watch had gone missing... I pointed out that nothing had ever gone missing before, all cash was regularly left out on worktops and I always just piled it up neatly and moved on. They realised I was right and my impeccable track history and trustworthiness went before me...but...it put a wedge between me and them (from my side) and I eventually left their employ (by my own insistence). Rightly or wrongly I couldn't work for people that assumed 'the cleaner did it'. I wasn't poor, I enjoyed my job, I worked for myself and with 2 small children that was a great position to be in! Those 4 hours were quickly taken up with another family home and I carried on my life happily working as though I was on nanny cam 😊
Oh no, I'm so sorry to hear this happened. And I love that you work as if you are always on camera. That is a great practice to get into. It's natural for a house cleaner to be questioned when something goes missing - not necessarily that the cleaner took it - but that they may have come across it in their cleaning (i.e. The owner took it off while watching TV, put it on the nightstand, then fell asleep and when they got up to go to bed stumbled into the nightstand and bumped the watch off under the bed.) Stuff like that happens all the time. And, the house cleaner usually knows where the item is.
@@AskAngelaBrown yes I've had that happen before and it's nice to help them out but...this time it was definitely accusatory. I'd never have moved on if it had been a simple inquiry as it was a great contract 🙂
My mum used to clean a house years ago and the people would always leave a ten pence piece laying in places like they didn’t trust her, on her last day she took the money and left two 5 pence pieces in its place..
Clients are the worst. I had a client who would throw dirt around after I had cleaned so she could dock my pay. I started photographing and filming. The last time she tried it I told her I had pictures and would take her to court. She still only paid me half. But it wasn't worth going to court. Horrible person.
What? She paid you to clean, then tossed dirt around? Even if she paid half she still had to clean up the mess. I don't understand this type of behavior. I'm so sorry you experienced that. 🤗
Alright, so.... I work FT plus OT in healthcare, and I'm burned out. Tried hiring a cleaner. About a week prior to the cleaning, I lost a sizeable check and was frantically looking for it, and was about to call about replacing it. Cleaner found it, put it on my kitchen counter (it was under a cabinet). I thanked her profusely. We scheduled a second cleaning, she got sick and had to cancel. I've tried twice to reschedule and she ghosted me. Does she think I was testing her??
She might have thought that, but she should have gave you some kind of notice. It's a shame that people do this and leave without any explanation. Not cool! It is frustrating to deal with. And it happens to cleaners too.
With Air BnBs you want your clients to have the best ratings :) be the referral and have good reviews for them :) never compromise and never get lazy !! Never if you do then that reflects on you and make sure your time is also set within you phone and alarm if needed- also try to get a egg timer :) it might work better than the phone because the phone is used for other things like music and phone calls :)
I have an Airbnb. I do my own cleaning. Then I know it's done and it's done well. Besides I don't make enough money to be able to hire out the cleaning.
These are the best for my car. My 6 yr old daughter got in my wk old card and said, Mommy if your car is new when is it so dirty." She was right there was so much dust on the dash. Now I keep the duster and 5 refills in the car. 👍👍
I've been cleaning houses for over 30yrs I never heard of such a thing. Thankfully my clients can discern a good job when they see it and don't do these silly things
I worked for Merry Maids and would find maybe a crumpled dollar under the bed or a bill under the small drape on top of a dresser. One, did I clean under it and 2 am I honest.
Ugh, when I worked retail I had a boss who used to do this. We were supposed to clean and tidy and organize our section of the store every night before close, and she liked to hide things in someone's area just to make sure they were doing a thorough job. I worked very closely with her, and sometimes when we were walking the store she'd just casually pick up a photo frame from the housewares section and tuck it behind the books in the children's section when we made our way over there. Then she'd count how many days the photo frame stayed hidden behind the books. Or she'd stand on her tippy-toes to place a box of cereal on the top shelf of an end display behind some stuffed animals. Just the most random things, always hidden so you had to play the worst game of "Where's Wally?" It was exhausting enough having to clean stuff that customers carelessly left strewn around the store in their normal shopping, or things they deliberately hid so they could come buy it at another time. But to have the boss deliberately contributing and then checking up on us every day to see if we found her "easter eggs"? No thanks. Whenever I saw her do it, I'd always casually mention it to the coworker if I got the chance so they could fix it themselves. It felt so childish.
Oh no, so sorry that you had to deal with that! Thanks for sharing your story and for watching the video, I appreciate it! And it was nice of you to give your coworkers a heads up of this.
I dealt with this a few times, my tests were spaghetti splatter under a spoon rest and cash in an envelope on the top of a China hutch, plus another one was a hundred dollar bill left under a jewelry box. These were recommendations from a friend who knew these ppl.
Maybe I was childish, but it happened to me when I was cleaning a home, Every time I got there, there was always like a 50 cents piece under the sofa or some other hiding place (5 kroner in Sweden). One day I got tired and took the 50 cents piece and put back like 2* 25 cents (5 single crowns). After that the 50 cents piece stopped being hidden in the house.
My daughter has her own cleaning business and people do that to her too. She had to tell them by leaving traps, they are eating into her business times for her other clients schedules. If they did not stop doing what they were doing she would have to drop them. She always goes above and beyond because her clients of a long time are like extended family to her.
@@AskAngelaBrown Yes they did because my daughter had showed them other places she cleaned for them that wasn't included with the service. All of her clients now are fantastic. Most are like extended family. They came to realize she was right about the extra time she spent hunting for traps.
She should say. Oh i cleaned johns bed. I found a coaster there and other odd items in odd places.. I thoughy it was for some type of game or experiment so after cleaning I just put them back : l
I have had quite a few house cleaners and my house is organized, without clutter. I paid the last few ladies $150 for 4 hours, and it got to where they would stay less time. I cleaned my own toilets because I had an experience with a lady that cleaned my toilet using a cloth and put her hand and the cloth in the toilet, then wiped down the outside 😮. One lady would leave lamps sideways when it was clear that the lamps should not be placed the way she placed them. When I brought this to her attention, she said she had ADD……I said, “so do I” 😅. I am 71 years old now and would love to hire someone to do the heavier cleaning, but my frustration with dealing with another cleaner is not worth it.
I understand your frustration with previous house cleaners and the challenges you've faced. It can be disheartening when cleaners don't meet your expectations or display attention to detail. It's important to find someone who aligns with your standards and respects your preferences. If you feel hesitant to hire another cleaner due to past experiences, it's completely understandable. As an alternative, you might consider exploring other options such as occasional deep cleaning services or seeking recommendations from trusted friends or family members for reliable and thorough cleaners. Ultimately, the decision is yours, and it's important to find a solution that brings you peace of mind and meets your cleaning needs.
So what's the big deal with employers doing this? If you're doing your job you will find these and effortlessly take care of it. They don't know you so why should they trust you? Trust is earned. This obviously sets their mind at ease.
I know its not related but i immediatelty remembered how we hired cleaning servises after renovation in our house. And the ladies who were suppoused to clean my room brushed all dust and dirt under my closet. We never confronted them.
I had a part time job cleaning churches after Saturday weddings so they would be clean for Sunday services, at one church in particular, I found dollar bills in weird places and always turned them in to the office. I'm sure those were traps set just for me,
These stories are so bazar to me. They don't want to clean themselves, but they take time to hide things on dirty surfaces? Wouldn't the place looking fantastic after a cleaning be sufficient? Are they planning to eat off the floor or something? I'm not a cleaner and had no idea a cleaner would lift a rug to clean under it on a routine basis. Wouldn't that be a deep clean task? I can't imagine needing it done more than 2 times a year at the most. I've never thought to do it, so I guess I might want to do that next time I vacuum. I'm so wishing I could hire a cleaner, but I only rent a room & bathroom, so not sure someone would be willing to do it. I do know that having a professional come clean is amazing and magic for me. There's nothing better than a clean house that I'm not physically exhausted from cleaning.
I once worked for a house cleaning service years ago. Our team went into one house and there was a $50 bill pinned to the kitchen bulletin board. That was obviously a trap to see if we were honest or if we would take the money and then claim it hadn't been there in the first place.
If I cleaned houses I'd never accept an AirBnB customer, period. If these AirBnB owners are so worried that someone will not do the job, they should either do it themselves or stop renting out rooms. AirBnB is illegal in most big cities, anyway, and it was never supposed to be anything more than individuals renting out a room or two occasionally. Instead, unscrupulous property owners with multiple units have opted to rent their apartments as AirBnB's than rent them on a monthly basis. Because so many are doing it this way it has contributed to a growing housing shortage, which is disgusting.
I worked for an air bnb owner in a busy tourist city and learned so much from them about 5 star hospitality. It was a great experience for me, and judging from the reviews great for all of the guests too!
We had one client who would take a dump in her master bathroom and not flush it. It was disgusting. I told my boss next time she does it I’m gonna put a lil flag on toothpick and stick it in it. I told my boss I’d leave a note and say I felt it was missing something. My boss laughed but shrugged it off. I felt a serious amount of disrespect for us. We may clean houses but our client was not above us. She did stuff like this too. It’s annoying.
I worked as a housekeeper at a hotel for a few months and I left because our head housekeeper and management were absolutely abhorrent. They micromanaged everything we did, spoke horribly of each of us to one another and yet portrayed themselves as Angels to guests and upper management. We were understaffed everyday because people would NCNS and were never reprimanded, our head housekeeper stole tips from us if she stripped our rooms before we did even though we maintained those rooms during the week. I only stayed for a few months, I have never been afraid of hard work but I will NOT be treated poorly because of someone else's poor morals and ideals. I said all this to say, please be mindful of housekeeping staff and the work that they do, it is not easy and you are not their only client. They most likely service other clients/businesses an just want to be respected and compensated, the same as anyone else.
I had cleaned a house for a school principal with a large friendly dog many times. I never opened his bedroom drawers, as I did not do his laundry and fold and put it away. He told a friend of his that I was not a "Snoop", that I was a good cleaner, and that he had bought a tube of tennis balls and put one behind the almost bottom drawer and the other two IN the bottom drawer. So that if he ever opened that drawer and saw all three in the bottom drawer, he would have evidence of me searching those drawers. I still cleaned for him, still got into the shower and cleaned it well. And dusted everything first, then moved the big furniture and dusted, swept, mopped under them, as his big dog's hair was everywhere. He was a very clean, nice guy, and his friend had me follow her around as she started cleaning her house, and did everything as she did, even wiping the dust off of her plants leaves with a damp lemon oil cloth. If I ever broke anything or found any money, I would leave it by the phone at his place with a note to tell him about it. I did once break a old wooden book-stop. No, he was not angry at all. He was the one who told me that, "If nothing ever got broken, nothing much was ever being done."
Story time: a very long time ago I got a side job working for a janitor service company. This company was different in that they would install hidden cameras at all their clients locations to keep tabs on us. They would also set traps, such as leaving cash and jewelry under desks or laying on the ground. I was part of a team of 4 new hires, within the first few days one guy was fired for opening up desk drawers and looking in them. Our managers gathered us up and warned us to absolutely not touch anything, even candy in bowl. DONT TOUCH ANYTHING, they said. Welp, the next day someone else got fired cause that same night they warned us someone else was caught on video looking at some folders on a desk. Her reasoning as to why she was looking was that the folders had our names on it. And in them it had pictures of us doing our jobs, very odd. I quit that same week, these people were nuts. They had an expectation of you running while cleaning. They would get on to you for walking.
I mean, if you’re going to set traps for the maid, make it more interesting. Instead of hiding pennies and buttons, hide folded tens and twenties. Then tell them any cash they find is their’s to keep.
LOL. They do this as well, but if you find it, you don't get to keep it - it is yet another test to see how honest you are. Those that keep the money get fired.
@@AskAngelaBrown Oh, wow! That’s a catch 22! If you keep it, you’re “stealing”. If you don’t, you’re “not doing your job”! I think at that point, you’d see me running away. 🤣 I tend to avoid difficult decisions. But, hey! As long as I’m quitting, I might as well go back and grab the bills! … Never mind! Keep running!
That would be kind of...idk the word to use... patronizing? Like either pay the person more if you think theyll clean better. Or talk to them/fire them if you are not happy. No one wants to be treated like a puppy. If you do a good job and ill give you treats. Yea no thanks. Ill do a good job regardless, if you feel otherwise talk to me. But i suppose that tactic will work for some but they can easily take the money without cleaning anyways. Do you really want to hire someone who will only do a good job if they "get more out of just the regular pay."
@@monicawilson8075 Who said anything about cleaning better? Twenties would be fun to find and make cleaning more interesting than just cleaning. Period. I would gladly enjoy a cleaning job where the client left large bills laying around for me to find. Coins would be demeaning and even annoying. But I’ll keep your name in mind for future reference. If I ever hire an Ivy Lavender to clean my house, I’ll be sure to hold on to my money, so she won’t feel offended. 😁👍
This is outrageous. Trust is a VERY important thing. Trust and respect. In general life, also in bussiness. If someone is working for me, I will not disrespect myself and my employee doing childish tricks. Instead, if I notice something is wrong I will try to engage on a conversation about it. Nothing good in general can come of this attitude, and sure, no good bussiness. If someone does this as employer, shows lack of leadership. Employer and employee are the two sides of the same coin. If someone plays dirty like that, creating fear and resentment... what goes around, comes around. Comunication, trust and respect. People work at their best when they are happy and feel appreciated. Not when someone are playing mind games. In my job, it is quite common clients lying to me. Well, then they are wasting their money and my time. Oh, well, some things are way out my understanding. By the way, on a brighter note. Merry X- mas and happy New Year.
I used to clean offices. This one lady put crumbs/paper clips under keyboards, paper confetti on high shelves, a staple in a far corner under a cabinet that could not be seen, etc. The office passed a white glove inspection, but this was still happening. It was never good enough.
Here is how I do with the cleaning lady: I look at the job and tell her if it's good ^^ And when something is not good, I show it. Also, when something is so messy and would require her to tidy just to clean, I give her a pass and tell her she doesn't need to deal with that part. She also get to work with proper equipment and helping tools (like automatic scrubber). She is also free to help herself in the fridge and in the chocolate boxes. If you employ someone, you have to provide him with an optimal work environment and not expect them to just deal with what they are given. That makes for employees who are happy to work and can do more because they only have to deal with the real work. To give an example, I worked in a company where we had sometimes to move boxes full of magazines. The second time, I used an office chair, then told the boss that there are tools which could carry the boxes for us, and instead of spending almost a day, we could probably do the same job in an hour and much less tired and hurt. I convinced him and he bought the levering device. The soy boy did the job 🤣 So, it was a huge win for everyone! That sounds stupid, but too many employers fall for the "but it works, they don't need extra bells and whistle". Yes, they do! When I got internet installed, I was nice with the guy. Discussed his job (was part of my first years of bachelor), offered him water and let him also concentrate on his job (nothing worse than a customer babysitting). They guy offered me half the installation as a thank you and the material (used free "spares"). I had many times where I got good things back, because people wanted to return the favor, Locked outside the building ? The guy rushed to open because every morning, when I passed in front of him, I said "hello" while other people would just go straight. I also despise people trying to show their superiority...so it helps being nicer.
Ah yes, forgot that I had an assholistic landlord at some point and that landlord was asking me how the cleaning lady performed...I had great time speaking with the cleaning lady how of an asshole was the landlord 🤣 Yeah, people have mouths and use it.
Lol I love the little traps it's a chance to shine and prove you a good cleaner and trustworthy. Few of my clients when new have left large sums of $ on a shelf etc... I can guarantee they know the exact amount :) also like a $20 under a dresser oops lol I just pick it up and set it on top. I'd test and want to know the character of someone in my home as well :)
It's great to hear that you approach these situations as an opportunity to showcase your cleaning skills and build trust with your clients. As a cleaner, it's important to be honest and trustworthy, especially when working in someone's home. Keep up the great work and always prioritize honesty and integrity in your cleaning business. Happy Cleaning! 😊
A friend had a housekeeper and used to do things like this. She left Girl Scout cookies in the cabinet over the stove. She COUNTED the cookies before the cleaning and counted them after. The housekeeper had a couple of cookies and when confronted, yep she did!, the housekeeper lied. She was immediately fired. I asked the friend is she was fing serious. She said of course, she stole from me!!! And, her name IS Karen!!!
Why would a housekeeper eat the client's food if not invited to do so? When I worked as a home health aide the only thing we could use that were the client's was the toilet and sink to wash our hands. We weren't even allowed to put our cold drink/lunch in their fridge or microwave!
I had a lady who had a little fridge and kept it full of drinks and snacks. Another lady would let me sit down and have a tea, and I had another one an Indian lady who would have a whole long table spread out for me with food. I ate so much one time that I had to go home, that food was the bomb and she was fine with me coming back the next day.
I worked part time for a cleaning service that assigned me to a small dispatch security office at a gated community. It was a small office and did not take long to clean each night. One day I saw they had left a pile of dirty dishes in the breakroom sink. I had been told by my employer to not clean the dishes left behind. When I saw the sink, I texted my boss and sent a picture of the sink with the dishes in it. Once again she told me not to touch the dishes. About a week passed, still dirty dishes sitting there. I couldn't stand it, so I cleaned them. Another week goes by and my boss gives a me a complaint from the customer stating that I never clean the breakroom sinks, the bathrooms are dirty, floor is not mopped etc... I was expected to sign and reply to the complaint. I wrote, "Since the customer is obviously unhappy with my work, and has complained about every task I do each day, including the dirty dishes they left to rot for a week, I am going to resign this position immediately so they can find someone who better fits their needs. Extremely satisfying.
My mother would use clear dental floss strung across certain areas to see if her little tripwires had been "triggered." She did it with me, too, not just the housecleaner. I figured it out first and let the cleaner know. My mother had borderline personality disorder and was often manic, anyway. She and I had to deep clean the house *BEFORE* the cleaner came, so she'd set the tripwires before I cleaned and then reset them for the cleaner. I was used to her shenanigans, so I was just disappointed that it was so obvious. Who doesn't start to recognize clear strings in random places as being suspicious?!
I remember someone telling me to leave $1.00 in change around the house when hiring a house cleaner. If they don't find it all they are skipping steps or stealing it. Either way, call the next person. I can see both sides of this. Nobody wants to be tested or watched.
Perhaps if the change is left in places where the cleaner had specifically been told to clean... Maybe that's okay to do with a first-time cleaner and you don't know how well they work, or how thorough their job is.
I would have never thought to be this disrespectful. My parents had a cleaner come once every 2 weeks when my siblings and I got older with busier schedules. We all treated her with the utmost respect because she was doing all of US a favor by taking deep cleaning off our plates. Even if something wasn’t perfect (which it almost always was), we didn’t care because she worked hard and she was so sweet!
Yikes!! What is wrong with people? Just communicate your expectations and concerns (please clean this area every time) with the cleaner you work with like an adult instead of leaving traps like a passive-aggressive child! Someone who can’t handle that much shouldn’t have an AirBnB to start with.
Seems like a really reasonable way to feel confident that you’re getting what you’re paying for? I’m sure its annoying on your end, but this is a pretty unobtrusive way of feeling confident in a cleaner. That said, you should only be obligated to clean the rooms you’re paid to clean, that’s when it goes too far.
I don’t need to set a “trap” to know if a unit was really cleaned! There’s just no substitute for checking after cleaning. I will say I sympathize with owners who pay a premium (I pay $250 per visit to clean a rental unit) to someone who comes through and gives a lick and a promise. I’m not giving a checklist either to a professional. When a new cleaner asks what I want done, I ask them “what do you think should remain dirty?” I don’t need a “checklist” to do my job, why do they? If you need a checklist maybe get a job cleaning hotel rooms.
Sorry, but I think if you were to change job, even in the same industry, you would need a checklist, and some amount of training on top of it too. Why is it different for cleaners? Those questions are the difference between a detail-driven cleaner or a "let's do a non specific quick job and get outta here" one.
@@Serena-or7sl Hmm. Well, many occasions I’ve had to jump in and do the cleaning myself when a guest is coming and the cleaner didn’t show up. I see it differently. Luckily now I have someone 100% reliable who leaves no stone unturned. She’s worth her weight in gold.
I don't do checklists either, but charging by the job- I need to specify exactly what each level of service entails. I'm not doing a deep clean when the client is only paying for a standard cleaning.
I once had a normal house cleaning customer many years ago that was amazing, but during deep cleans I would find tiny piles of cat food on top of the kitchen cabinets. Behind the ornamental stuff, sometimes inside them. I thought maybe one of her adult kids was testing me. She had a cat, but I never saw it on the counter or above. So I asked about it, and eventually the cat was caught stashing goodies when noone was around- because the chonkster had been put on a diet. It still cracks me up when I have to dust kitchen cabinet tops :)
That’s such a funny story, thanks for sharing! 😆
I understand this cat in a visceral level. 😂
Pets make our lives so much better, don't they? 🤣
Great story!
Lololol
Basic training in 1995.
We had to clean the barracks, called a GI Party.
Drill Sargent leaves and I see him brush his hand in the doorway out of the barracks.
He had left a dime hidden up there.
When he came back in to inspect, he ran his finger across the top lip of the doorway to retrieve his dime, but 10 pennies fell down for him.
We still got in trouble for it.
😂😂😂😂😂 That's a good one. You just made my day.
That's cheeky, love it
So worth it
We did fun pranks that were worth the punishment, as well!
Imagine if you just polished the dime
I’d call and say “I think your last guest had a wild party because I’m finding coasters under the rugs, loose change, duvets flipped around. I’ll be more than happy to straighten up the others rooms that are untidy and see what other things “they” may have done but I will have to charge extra for that because I’m on a very tight schedule and I’m expected at another home at such and such time.” People tend to get defensive if you outright accuse them of doing something, so I would make it sound like, maybe a guest did it.
I appreciate you sharing this tip. Thank you! 👍
I clean AirBnBs and that's exactly what I do when I find strange little things in bizarre hiden places, e.g., disposable flossers shoved inside the handle of a squeegie used for the shower walls, a bottle cap on top of the ceiling fan, etc. I laugingly tell her we had another funny "guest" who was playing games as I describe what I found and where I found it and let her know that's why I had to add an extra hour (or whatever the time is) since I knew she wouldn't want her next guest leaving a bad review after finding bizarre things in odd places so I had to be extra extra vigilant.
I was thinking of making a collection of all the items and putting them in an organized box with everything in little bags like all the cotton balls you found in one bag and pennies in another. Then return it to your customer pretending like you are mystified as to why these random items were found in weird places.
brilliant
@@101runaways exactly! I would act clueless and tell them all the odd things I found. lol
I gave a friend the name of my house cleaner. The cleaner was dynamite and worked very efficiently and very productive for her HOURLY wage. My friend hired her and informed me that she had left a match in several lactations and that a match remained in the bathroom above the big mirror and she was disappointed in the cleaning lady. I was SO VERY offended for this fabulous house cleaner!! I asked my friend if the cleaner had put in the hours she was paid for and the answer was yes. Then I suggested she make a list of the special areas she wanted cleaned and let the cleaning lady know that those areas were important to her. Grrrrrr!
I'm sorry this happened to you and that your friend's booby traps created unnecessary disappointment. ☹
From me to you, thank you from the bottom of my heart that you gave your friend the referral for the cleaning lady. That was a lovely thing for you to do. 😍
Thank u for sticking up for her…often times people look down on house keepers…but it’s how I could afford college…no one would hire me as a college student and young mother…so I started cleaning houses…but people with money don’t get that part lol
Yeah thats not fair. Especially first cleaning. Usually first deep cleaning for each room takes longer. So unless every room deep cleaned on first trip ...but still.
"Lactations"?
@@tonyabrookes9931 'locations' I would hazard.
I guess customers don’t consider that they can be fired also 🙂
Customers get fired all the time by house cleaners who won't put up with their antics - it's true there two sides to a coin.
Not really. You can't fire them if you don't pay them. You're easily replaceable
Nailed it.
@@wlonsdale1 We fired customers whenever necessary. A customer can get a reputation for being difficult and no one will deal with them.
A good, reliable cleaner is worth a lot... don't play STUPID games because YOU will lose!!
As a woman that owned her cleaning company for over 10 years until my health stopped me from doing this. But my advice would be be honest with the customer. Let them know what you’ve been finding and ask why they’re doing this if you do not get the answer your looking for then walk, there are many other customers out there
I think every house cleaner is good for a couple of rounds of this game per owner - but two days apart? Come on. I can see why the cleaner was not amused.
Yes, that is a reasonable piece of advice.
Honestly weird stuff like this when called out makes the person doing it look silly and embarrassing. Some places have a waitlisted for cleaners so if you do this drop the client.
What is the point asking questions? Just do the job, it is the same routine for every cleaning, doesn't matter if they do this or not. When they don't like something they will tell.
if u have enough time to set traps and make ur cleaners job harder, u have enough time to clean ur own house.
Thanks so much for watching the show and leaving a comment.
perfectly said 💯
So true but if an owner takes time to hire someone, you expect the job to get done with minimal shortcuts.
Not really lol, it takes a milisecond to leave a trap
If I was a housekeeper and someone set a trap for me, I would not want to work for them.
When I was in college, I worked for a cleaning company one summer. One of the sites I cleaned was the headquarter offices of a large firm. I was paid by the site and not by the hour. My Dad had instilled in me a very strong work ethic, and I always prided myself on being both a hard worker and an efficient worker. They allowed me 4 hours to clean that site and I would finish it usually in under 3 hours. It was absolutely spotless when I was done.
In the middle of my shift at the end of the 2nd week, my supervisor for that site approached me and expressed concern that I wasn't cleaning well enough, making the observation that I often left an hour earlier than the estimated job time. I told her I can artificially slow down if she likes but really can't clean any more thoroughly, I just like to get it done as quickly as possible and move on. She then said, "well, there's the other thing... the coins."
As I was cleaning, I would often find coins in very odd, out-of-the-way places. It was small change, just a dime here, a nickel there, maybe a rare quarter. I thought I was being tested on whether I would take them - a test to see if I was a thief - so I made a deliberate effort not to touch them and to clean around them. My theory that it was a test to see if I would take them seemed to be validated when I would come in the next time and the coin locations would change.
As it turns out, the test was just the opposite. My supervisor EXPECTED cleaning staff to pick up and pocket the coins. She placed them in areas she figured cleaning staff would likely slack off because it was an area less trafficked or out of view. Because I had been leaving the coins exactly where they were, she assumed I hadn't cleaned the area. I laughed when she explained this, and told her I'll be sure to pick up the coins from now on.
I still finished that site in under 3 hours but now collected the coins and placed them in an envelope for my supervisor at the end of my shift (even though she told me to pocket them). When I left the job at the end of the summer to return to college, she told me I never missed a single coin and gave me a bonus that far exceeded the value of the coins had I pocketed them.
Oh wow! Thanks so much for sharing your story about your cleaning job and how your father instilled in you a strong work ethic.
I would have thought the same thing! That they were testing me if I would steal the money. I wouldn't have thought that they wanted me to take it.
I would have collected the coins and left them on the kitchen counter or living room table.
I have small bowls with change in the bedroom, bathroom and laundry room. I do not have a cleaner, this is just where I would notice the change in my pocket and collect it. It never occurred to me what people might be thinking about that. 😂
this is exactly what I would think about when finding coins while cleaning. I wouldn't leave them though my petty ass would make sure to collect them all and put them in an obvious place.
ikr- maybe if they were old bits of paper or something of similar worth, then it would have been clearer that they were meant to be removed, but finding coins (or anything of monetary value) does seem like a test of thievery
I'm a retired nurse and I've seen these tactics used by family members visiting their loved ones in the hospital. One daughter clipped her father's toenails and put them under the bed and she came to visit early the next day and complained to me that they were still there. Toenails! I told her that housekeeping had not yet come that day to sweep and mop, but would she like me to save the toenails for her? LOL I hate passive aggressive BS.
It's is crazy how some people run these covert contracts and the other person doesn't know the rules of the game, how the game is played or won. When I find myself in situations like this where confronted I ask what the other person would like to see happen next. After hearing them out, I ask permission to share what I would like to see happen next. Only then can we come to come working agreements about the rules we are both playing by. You bring up some great points. Thanks for sharing this. 👍
You're mad at people for making sure that their family members are well taken care of?
@@AskAngelaBrown I worked in a care home. I woman had dried poop under her nails. Peoples diapers were wet. Patients nice lotion went missing. Don't put your parents/grandparents in assisted living/care homes. My grandma is paying $3,00 a month in a tiny one bedroom apartment. They feed leftovers for breakfast for those who don't want to go downstairs. One day she had french fries and cold cuts. She stopped eating the food there and makes her own food. She is confined to a walker/wheelchair and can't even get into a car.
@@kingexplosionmurderfuckoff9376 It sounds like the family was blaming/shaming the nurse for something that wasn't her job. It's like me blaming the waitress because the cook burned my food.
Can you articulate the logical jump from 'hiding toenails under the bed' to 'ensuring a loved one is well cared for'?? These two things are not equivalent.
I quit a client because she managed to find dust on picture frames, light bulbs, and cabinet trim even though I honestly cleaned those specific areas every time I was there. She had to be looking very hard for a reason to criticize me if she called me on tiny specks of dust. When a month had gone by without me cleaning, she wanted me back! (I didn’t go back!)
Oh no, what a horrible story. I'm so sad you had to go through that. ☹
I'd have gone back - but doubled my rate.
Any worker that does a specific job IS a servant. A king is a servant. A teacher is a servant. A doctor is a servant.
The Easter eggs are a much better approach because they can't be imagined like the dust in your case. It's a clear standard that both of you can objectively assess. The problem is if they don't want to pay for that level of cleaning.
I helped my mother clean clients' houses sometimes and SHE would imagine dust, claiming I didn't vacuum. So I took a video of myself vacuuming certain parts under a rug, then asked her to identify which parts I vacuumed. She failed but still didn't admit that she was imagining dust, or that vacuuming wasn't enough to achieve her level of clean. I'd figure after years she understood that mopping was the final clean, not just vacuuming.
I was accused of not dusting flat surfaces but knew I was doing it for a fact. Wasn't lost on me that the complaint came three days after services were rendered. On my next visit, I showed the client how dust settles within minutes after swiffer dusting and polishing surfaces. I can remove dust from the surface, but I cannot remove it from the atmosphere. If I figure out how to do that, I'll have to raise my rates.
My granny used to clean for ppl. She said one lady was always putting bits of money or jewelry in odd places. Granny said she just put it all in a dish as she ran across them. Said it was likely a test of her honesty or seeing if she really cleaned.
Oh wow, this game has been going on much longer than I realized. Thanks for sharing this story with me. 👍
This has happened to me by families I babysit and dog sit for, but they leave money, purses, etc, behind. I've NEVER BEEN TEMPTED to steal. My reputation is impeccable! Trusting someone in your home is a HUGE chance you take when u hire help. It's not comfortable for either party.
You’re right it’s uncomfortable for both parties. Thanks so much for leaving a comment. 👍
Yeah, this is what I was thinking. I’ve heard people purposely leave items out to test a house guest’s integrity but I’d never heard of it as a trap for someone contracted to work. Definitely anxiety-inducing in both instances though
My job takes me into people's houses when they're not home and so many of them leave money and jewelry everywhere. I don't know if it's to see if I'll steal something but there have been a few times I had to move the items because their pets were messing with them. I always let them know and sent a photo of where I moved it to so they wouldn't think I took it.
@@NighDarke Imagine if they hid a diamond ring and one of their pets found it and ate it 😆
Had this happen to me on a few occasions with the same customer. They put a pile of dirt and grass under a huge area rug and would frequently put empty cans way under the beds and couch against the back wall. They were always standing up so I know they didn't just roll under there. I just removed them and after a while they quit doing it. I guess I proved myself but I couldn't help but be a bit annoyed by it.
I have several employees who work out of my home. I think they play this game with me as well. I flip the rooms they are in daily - and there are weird coffee spills in places that no one has been in and rubber bands and q-tips that weren't there when I mopped and vacuumed before they arrived that morning. I think they are out to get me. 😂
I thought I was just being paranoid, when I kept finding uncooked rice along living room baseboards/ behind furniture. Like how the heck would uncooked rice end up in rarely used formal living room completely separate from kitchen, unless put there on purpose. This only added insult to injury from this particularly passive aggressive ungrateful customer. Fortunately she moved on before I needed to do so myself. Thank you for validating my suspicion 😻
Yes, I'm sad to say, this is often intentional from the customer - and very annoying to the house cleaner. There is no way for the house cleaner not to feel like they have been distrusted with these games.
Secret wedding? People used to throw rice at the pappy couple.
They could use rice socks lol. I use them and from time to time one will start leaking rice for awhile before being noticed, which leads to dry uncooked rice being in weird places
Carpet moth casings look like grains of rice and those are exactly the kind of places you’d find them, so that’s a possibility.
I own a cleaning business. And I have encountered this so many times! I leave it exactly where they left it. But, I also mention that I know what their doing and it’s the last time I do work for them. If a client ever asks me to stay out of the bedroom or closet. I don’t ever go in there not even once! Trust is built over time. By both parties.
I appreciate you sharing your thoughts on this!
Sadly, my mum had to set a couple of traps because our housekeeper was stealing from us. It was heartbreaking, and one of the housekeepers stole an 18k gold wedding band. Now, we don't set traps, we just take pictures the night before. It hurts a lot to have to do this, and I wish we could find a trustworthy person to work for us. We pay well, and we aren't mean folks.
I’m so sorry you’ve had stuff stolen from you and your mom. Sending hugs! 🤗
@@hlw1306 The jewelry was in a box. She forgot that she left it there that day, and when she went back, it was gone. If you can't trust your housekeepers, it's a major problem.
@@AskAngelaBrown Thank you. It was so sad to deal with.
I'm not house cleaning anymore but I did have a couple of customers who did that to me. If I had it to do over again, I would have immediately called them out and walked out of the job. My self esteem wasn't high enough at the time but I definitely would never put up with that again. I've never been treated as sub-human as I was when I cleaned houses. It's so important not to take any crap.
Hi, Frances, do you live in Netherlands? Thanks for leaving your experience. I did a bit of cleaning as well, except 1 family really, every other was good experience, not treated in demeaning way. I would say, there got to be a click between the cleaner and the family, otherwise it won't be an enjoyable experience. Why would we go into someone's house to clean it all while feeling miserable, right?
I’m so sorry that happened. I appreciate you sharing your experience.
@@originalmix2546 that's so true! My Dad actually immigrated to Canada from the Netherlands and now I'm helping him immigrate to the US. I think my problem is that I went from working retail where "the customer is always right" to being a solo house cleaner/dog walker. I never gave people boundaries when I cleaned their houses. I never said no to anything and the requests would get crazier and crazier. It's so important to give some thought to what you're willing to do/not willing to do and also how you need to be treated.
@@AskAngelaBrown thank you! Love your channel.
i just leave something that’s not obvious like the toilet paper holder behind the toilet. and i need cleaned behind my toilet. also, i keep my shampoo and soap at 90 degree angles (yes, ocd) so if they don’t clean the tub, i’ll know. i have a trust issue with people because of the trauma from my mom
As an Air BnB customer who has stayed in less than clean rooms, I appreciate that tactic, as long as the cleaner is compensated for the extra work. If the cleaner passed the first time with flying colors, then there's no reason to continue the test.
Good point! Thank you for sharing your input.
If I was lucky enough to have a cleaning service I would not treat them this way. If I noticed something wasn't taken care of, I would just say, "Hey, could you make sure you dust the window sill and make sure the duvet is put on the bed right. Thank you for all you do." No need for passive aggressive games.
Thanks for sharing this nice comment on how you’d handle the situation. 😊
@@AskAngelaBrown My mother had a cleaning lady when I was young. Well, at times I liked to make myself rice pudding late at night and then eat it while reading a book. To apologize for the extra pot the cleaning lady had to wash the following day I always made more pudding and always left her some for her.
These traps are literally from the Victorian era (if not earlier), used to hire and fire maids for not being perfect or honest. Astonishing that these are still around
LOL. Right? And with just cause. Lots of homeowners and BNB hosts have been burned by house cleaners who skip stuff or don't follow a checklist or a routine, and the hidden items are clues they've hired a good house cleaner.
there's a certain meanness about it.
Human nature doesn’t change.
I can almost understand for a full time maid, their duty is to maintain the cleanliness of the full house so nothing should be missed. Modern cleaning staff though are so often hired on a specific checklist of items and areas to be cleaned and the "tests" nothing to do with those areas, just expectation of a bunch of free, unspecified labour.
My grandma was a house maid in the 1920s....she already told me about the money under the rug trap....to make sure, the maid is honest.
Yes and to make sure the maid cleaned where the money was hidden too. 👍
I’ve had customer s who have left large amounts of cash on counters to see if I’d take it. I’ve also found hidden cameras. I called them out and never returned.
@@truckingwithtobee Okay, but why? Why do you expect people to blindly trust housekeepers?
@@kingexplosionmurderfuckoff9376 You're hiring a stranger to come into our house to clean............Hello? Just clean your own house if you're that paranoid? That's how that works???? wtf?
@@kingexplosionmurderfuckoff9376 To leave money on the counter or behind the couch to test trustworthiness is one thing, but hidden cameras? That's just sick. It's okay to have cameras on you at work when you're fully aware of them, but to try to hide them is just gross. Also, seems like an excuse some creep would use. "Oh, that camera in the bathroom wasn't to spy on my naked guests. No no, I was just using them to spy on the housekeeper to make sure they were scrubbing the shower real good." Eww, no thanks. That's how you get fired as a client and can't find a new housekeeper because word gets around that you're a creep and no one wants to put up with you.
As for the traps, when finding pennies I would put the pennies on a table and w a note, asking why the pennies are set out and if they had questions about your services.
That's great! Kudos to you for doing this.
Some people use pennies to keep spiders away- you could ask if they are having problems with spiders... passive aggressive but :)
Or leave a note saying I won! Where's my prize?
Interessting topic and I like Angela's take on it. She always sees both sides and I'm glad she didn't encourage the questioner to get in a lather about it. Also interesting how the cleaning parameters are different for an Airbnb vs normal house. Never thought of that.
Thanks for joining me here and for your comments. I do see both sides as both a house cleaner and a homeowner. The house cleaner is miffed with the lack of confidence, and the homeowner is begging "earn my confidence." In a minute everybody wins and the treasure hunts will go away - but in the beginning there seems to be a fair amount of healthy skepticism. 👍
I think your checklist idea is great. You can make sure you've done everything and not forgotten something. The customer can use the same list to check your work later. Everybody is on the same page.
I’m so glad you like the idea of a checklist! 😊
Yes 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾 We had an OCD lady who would drop stuff under her beds, bathroom shelves, etc to make sure we cleaned under them- she had a bad back and would have her husband check to make sure we weren't taking advantage of the fact she couldn't bend down there. And another lady who would hide pennies under different rugs. I was always so paranoid if I found anything like that in a house that they were hiding other stuff to test us. So stressful.
Oh no, I am so sorry things were so stressful at a past house cleaning job. Thank you for watching the show and leaving a comment. 👍
I haven't been a house cleaner in a few years now, but I absolutely love how professional and thoughtful you always are. You give amazing life lessons that can be applied to multiple facets!
Thank you so much, I appreciate the feeddback!
Funny backfire story.... We cleaned a house and the homeowner was not a favorite...Every single item I picked up to dust underneath had a hidden piece of paper underneath it. I'm talking EVERY SINGLE ITEM... Whatever, I picked up every scrap of paper and threw them away. The homeowner called later to say she had texted ( to the wrong number)earlier in the week to say (don't move the pieces of paper under the decor) She had paid a designer to come and move all of her decor around to the "best" spots. 🤣😂🤣
The designer had put scraps of paper under the items so the homeowner would remember where to place them.
That doesn't make a sense to me
I'm with you there - we had a homeowner do this but the paper had names on them. They too were tossed thinking it was a weird game. (Not all the items, but quite a few.) The homeowner it was later discovered had just found out she was terminally ill and had called each of her children. The names under the items were to be given to her children after her passing. 😰
@@AskAngelaBrown 😬
I didn't need to set "traps" to catch a cleaner.
I hired a cleaner recently to do a bond clean. Paid them over $500 to clean just a 2 bedroom unit. By the looks of it, all they did was give the floor a vacuum (not a perfect job) , clean the toilet / basin (not very well) and possibly wipe out the already pretty clean cupboards in the kitchen.
They didn't remove cobwebs, clean switches / power points, doors, walls, mop the floor, clean the windows / window tracks, clean the stove top properly (if at all), the sinks, sweep out the garage, clean on ledges, clean the shower. In and out within an hour ($500 +)
I even posted a video about it on my channel. Unfortunately they do this frequently and get away with it.
For $500+ I'm hoping they had a satisfaction guarantee and came back to finish the job. ☹
@@AskAngelaBrown Yes and no.
Basically they write and get you to agree to terms and conditions prior to the job.
These have been carefully written so they do barely anything . They have a huge list in there with "exclusions". Most people don't read terms and conditions / privacy statements etc as it is pages long (sometimes 10 - 20 pages)
Basically these guys don't do mold (will attempt - so they say, but didn't), complete wall clean, ceilings, heights, garage walls, outside windows. The mould came off easily with "exit mould" just sprayed in the shower recess when I did it.
This means they'll vacuum the floor, clean the toilet / sink.
The thing is... They didn't clean the sink properly, clean the floor properly, spot clean walls (included), clean the skirting boards, mop the floor, clean the blinds (included), clean the rangehood / stovetop (included) , clean the window tracks or windows inside, clean window sills , clean light switches .
They also made so many promises on the phone which they didn't carry out.
As for the guarantee, the real estate has to inspect the place within a very short period and then complain to them to get them to come back (if they bother coming back - usually don't even when requested)
Obviously there is a huge difference between a "bond clean" and what they do .
It is like a professional car cleaner saying they'll give it a professional clean / detail and only emptying the ash tray.
The long and the short is... I ended up re-doing the floor (They didn't even vacuum properly - cat litter still on floor behind the toilet), cleaning the windows, window tracks, rangehood filter, skirting boards, power points, etc and paid an additional $250 to a real cleaner to finish the job. The original cleaners only did about $30 - $50 worth of work (out of $500 +).
To add insult to injury, on the day they wanted another $150 ??? to actually clean because it was "heavily soiled" (dust bunnies that was under / behind the furniture , stove top actually needed cleaning (not that bad), etc
I'd do that for two bucks. Dang.
Yes. If your eye isn't on most cleaners they do not clean. Work ethic in all fields is declining. As a teacher I see a huge difference between experienced, older teachers and the young ones. Very sad.
I used to clean offices and for a short time kept finding £10 notes (which I always handed in). Later my manager told me they did this deliberately to see if i was trustworthy! I had been working for the company for over 7 years when it started.
What? They started testing you 7 years in? I'm guessing in this situation, it was theft happening somewhere else in the company and you got blamed. Someone trying to prove your innocence hid the notes to prove it was not you. High Five for showing the integrity that they were looking for.
👏👏👏
@@AskAngelaBrown thanks, but my initial thought was if it was my tenner id lost, i would like someone to return it.
I've had clients leave money 20 dollar bills, credit cards, and change strewn around. I always dust, put the bill back, and change back. I don't know if they're testing. Kinda seems like it. Absolutely love your channel Angela, thanks from Ontario Canada! ❤️
Kudos to you for doing that. And thank you for watching from Canada! Sending hugs. 🤗
If it happens more than once, I'd walk. I'm here to clean, not a hide and go seek game. I have never been let go from cleaning an airbnb and never been tested either.
LOL. Well, if the day ever comes that this happens to you, just remember you heard it first here and we warned you. 😜😂👍
@@AskAngelaBrown oh I absolutely agree. I heard of it. I wouldn't put it past them to put cameras around too.
@@Tazzyone. me either but if there were cameras set up inside an Airbnb rental, I would do a good job that time and decline to clean for them again.
In most states, it's illegal to put indoor cameras up in a rental, even if they're visible. Peeping Tom much?
Outside the house is a good idea for rentals and own home imo.
@@tracyjohnson5023 I mean for the owner to put in hidden to see what you clean, then take them down. Not for the guests.
@@Tazzyone. I know what you meant, but I'm pretty sure that's illegal too if theres a camera hidden in a bathroom.
This video made my day its so true. You also have people who will complain to just complain. I confront them on it and have walked out only to get a call later with an apology and a raise I never asked for. Lol If you are doing a great job don't accept that you know you are good and more importantly they know as well.
I appreciate you watching the show and commenting. 😊
I worked in a Elderly Rehabilitation home which is short stay as they heal . I would have family members come to visit and leave black pepper poured out on the tv cabinet shelf. They claimed to leave it it’s for there meal . lol high up sprinkled on dark wood shelf. They family would take all the normal supplies like toilet paper, gloves , plastic hangers and dial soap when they got discharged. No way because they had a room mate . The roommates bathroom items got taken by family packing up but blaming the housekeeping took everything. I left because of family caused trouble.
Oh no, that is terrible! So sorry that you had to deal with this.
In my experience many clients leave traps. Particularly 100$ bills wedged in places. I always ignore all traps and pretend I don't see them. If you are an excellent professional cleaner people will forget about games like that and just be happy they found you.
Agreed! Thanks for commenting!
It‘s funny if these are then the people who hide money in all sorts of places for emergency and then you stumble upon their emergency bills. We once cleared out the apartment of my grandmother when she moved next to my parents. We found several hundred euros all over the apartment that she had hidden for emergency. Granted, it had been a challenge for her to get to the bank for years, but she had then forgotten all the places where she had hidden money.
My mom was a fabulous housekeeper and taught us three girls how to. Middle girl was tasked with a bathroom one day. Mom asked, "Did you clean behind the toilet?" Girl, "Yeah!" Mom took her to said bathroom and pulled out a bobby pin located behind said toilet. BUSTED! I had helpers who ONLY clean what can be seen, though I specifically ask for "behind and below." I am disabled enough that I cannot do that work myself, so......
Well your middle sister learned a good lesson on cleaning that day. Thanks so much for sharing this story. 😊
Using these to teach/check behind children is not a bad idea. I legit might use that tactic with my teenager. But doing it to a paid, grown housekeeper is soooo insane.
@@kateclark8400 I would not do that with an adult either.
@@kateclark8400 How is that insane? A housekeeper better be doing their job if they're getting paid.
@@kingexplosionmurderfuckoff9376 you're 13 be quiet
Wow this is the most amazing example of making your job work for you. Full disclosure I haven't even watched the vid yet but I'm just tickled to see someone who may not have had the most fun job in the beginning use all that knowledge to change the actual job itself. To go from professional house cleaner to media creator and educator is such a strong move. Go you
Wow, thank you! I appreciate your kind words of encouragement and support. 🙏
I worked at a gas station that did stuff like this. It's petty and a waste of time for them and me. They'd have people unface the shelves after I faced them and then say I didn't do my job because one or two items were out of place. Stupid stuff for a low paying job. I'm so glad I'm done there.
I’m sorry that happened at your previous job. Thanks for sharing your story. 👍
This is crazy. If I had time to set all these traps, I’d have time to clean my house. What a terrible experience that must’ve been
Good point! Thanks for taking the time to comment, I appreciate it.
Once about 10 years ago my parents, aunt & uncle & I rented a VRBO house in the mountains…we got to the two-story, 4 bedroom house and found that the downstairs had the most basic level of cleaning done, but the upstairs was incredibly dusty, beds hadn’t been cleaned or properly made and hair all over the bathroom, clearly the house cleaner was not doing anything upstairs. Toward the end of our stay we called the owner/host to let him know our experience out of courtesy before leaving a review, and came to find out he was a paraplegic and wheelchair-bound…his house cleaner had been taking advantage of the fact that he couldn’t check the upstairs for her work. 😢 This was back before STR agencies/cleaning companies & quality control were a thing, and I am fairly certain he was paying for a whole house clean based on number of occupants. He was very gracious and thanked us for letting him know, but we were very pissed that someone would take advantage of a vulnerable person. Hopefully he was able to find a replacement cleaner because it was a very rural town of about 200 people.
Oh no, that’s awful! Thanks for sharing your story. 👍
I had a customer years ago..and the husband would leave pennies hidden all over the master bedroom..it was a joke..we'd laugh..went on for months..until I poured all his pennies out of his pennie jar under the covers on his side of the bed..lol..he got a kick out of it..after that no more hidden pennies lol...I think he realized the joke was getting old..lol.
LOL. You showed him didn't you? 😂😂😂
I had this happen to me 25 years ago for one specific house. I started swapping out the item they left with a smiley sticker or I sometimes swap out one place to another. The last time I was there I put all her little trap items into a plastic bag and put them in her freezer and left her a note sending her on a scavenger for her missing items, with a not so nice note telling her that I would not be returning. This lady would also preclean her house before we got there. Yeah she has issues.
Oh wow. I’m sorry that client didn’t work out but I hope that your present clients aren’t leaving you traps.
I got out of that business shortly after that.
i worked in an office where the office manager was literally a con artist and would leave traps and use it to fire them to hire her own daughter instead. and then her own daughter did a crappy job and complained about the men’s shop bathroom having a spider inside of it so she refused to clean it ever.
Oh my, now that is very shady. I hope they are not still doing this. Thanks for sharing this story.
STOP THE PRESSES. I HAVE FOUND THE PERFECT PRO CLEANER PANTS. Helly Hansen makes the "Luna Construction Pant". It's incredible and I cannot believe it wasn't designed for cleaners. Has big hanging pouches that fit cleaning cloths and pant pockets for phone, tools, and keys. It's quick drying and has built in knee pads. They are expensive but I'm buying 3 more pairs asap. The knee pad inserts have to be ordered separately.
Good to know, thanks for sharing!
I just checked out those pants and they look perfect BUT I can't figure out their sizing which is in numbers, e.g., 6, 8 10 etc.for the pants while their sizing chart uses xs, s, m etc., and not size numbers, for specific body measurements. I recently lost a fair amount of weight after being the same size for 30 yrs so don't really know what my new size is. It seems to vary by brand so I currently have 3 different sizes in my closet and those pants are expensive so I'd hate to waste time and money for something that may not fit. Too bad because they look like they'd work well.
Thanks for the tip! Going to check these out. I'm an animal behaviorist for a shelter, but I still have to power clean my share of kennels and cages. I wear a fishing vest for all my stuff and wear literal volleyball knee pads, and this would be a great alternative.
Are they flexible enough to fit in mid-calf chore boots?
Sorry, but having a bunch of housecleaning services that charged but didnt clean according to my checklist, i started leaving strands of hair behind the toilet, on the top of the bathroom vanity etc. If I am paying you for a "deep clean" and all you do is wipe off the toilet seat, you best believe I am going to take before "trap shots" and after cleaning shots to make sure you do you job. Its gotten so bad that now when I schedule a cleaning I am IN my home and WATCHING what they do. Yeah they hate me, but I refuse to pay for a bad job.
I'm so glad you brought this up. House cleaners hate it when clients hover. And homeowners hate it when they get sloppy work for the price they pay. So it is a catch 22. It comes down to clear communication and a satisfaction guarantee that can be enforced and honored. Thanks for sharing this. I'm sorry you have gone through this. 🤗
If you have to watch them clean, you have time to clean it yourself. Ugh
@@GLT2024 not if I am nursing/consoling a colicky baby, and working from home to do tele-health. Just because I am PHYSICALLY in the house and am able to periodically check, doesnt mean I am NOT doing things. Your comment is the reason why it IS necessary to check. A boss in your office checks your work all the time. Its called accountability.
I have wanted to hire a house cleaner for years, now. But mostly for the tedious stuff. My wife and I would do our own laundry, make our bed, it just the moping, vacuuming dusting, cleaning windows and baseboards that can get a bit overwhelming. But getting past that crippling social anxiety part of finding a reputable cleaner who we can trust around our stuff is preventing us from ever taking that first step. We don't know anyone who currently uses a house cleaner and have trouble trusting people.
That’s great that you want to hire a house cleaner. It’s understandable you are hesitant to take that first step. Check out this video on hiring a house cleaner for tips: th-cam.com/video/J8SPZPaRCgo/w-d-xo.html
The only trap I could actually see someone doing is to make sure they don't steal from you. I've heard a few horror stories, but if you have time to set traps, you can clean ya own house. Charge extra for the traps.
Thanks for watching the video and leaving a comment. 👍
The checklist is an excellent idea. It sets an expectation for both the cleaner and the homeowner.
Yes! That's why I love it so much. Thanks for watching. :-)
We rented a verbo house once and when we got there the beds had been stripped then the dirty linen was piled on the bed. There was dirty dishes in the sink etc. It turned out the cleaner had never come.
Oh wow. Did you call the host?
Some of us could only be so lucky to find thorough house cleaners (for our homes). I went through 3 house cleaners in one year and decided it wasn't worth it. It seems in my area, the cleaners always come in twos. The first pair really hustled. The job they did was amazing, but I kept noticing them cross contaminating surfaces. During the first appointment I went to check on my son, as I passed the bathroom, one of the girls was wiping behind the toilet seat, then she wiped the toilet handle. I stopped in my tracks and watched as she proceeded to clean the upper body of the toilet. I didn't know what to say, but at the end of their appointment, I brought it up. A similar thing happened another time, and I kept finding scratches on my furniture and they broke a knickknack that I loved and just hid it behind other decor. They worked so fast that they were moving things on my shelves and furniture a bit harsh, vacuuming so fast that they were bumping the vacuum into the lower part of my Cherry wood furniture, causing nicks. I asked several times if they could be a little more careful, but they didn't like being confronted and got sassy, so that was the end of that. The next pair of girls were really outgoing and fun, but they never did the job that was agreed upon. Tops of dressers, bookshelves, behind the TV stand, or lamps still had dust. They vacuumed my entire home in what seemed less than 20 minutes, and they spot cleaned my tile floors. I vacuumed and mopped my floors after they left to see how much dirt was left behind, and it seemed that they didn't clean my floors at all. Each time they returned, I would let them know of all things that didn't get dusted, and that my floors were still dirty. I was friendly and hoped that they would do a better job, but they quit instead. Nothing I complained about was outside the contract, and I never asked for more. If I wanted something else done, like the windows, I fully expected that to be included in the next visit and that I would have to pay extra. The last service came as a trio, and I quickly learned that they weren't professional. I'm not asking for anything extra or unusual, but it seems that around here, house cleaners want the money, but they don't want to put in the agreed upon work. People who set traps, do it for a reason. In many cases, I"m sure, it's because they repeatedly find things that weren't cleaned. Don't just clean the top of the wooden chairs, but the legs too. Not just what's easy to reach, but the top of the furniture too, top of the shower, the whole TV stand, not just what you can see. If we are paying for what was agreed upon, then the cleaner needs to do the work they agreed upon. I would love to hire house cleaners that I don't have to check up on.
I am so sorry this happened. I appreciate you reaching out to share this story. Sending hugs. 🤗
I had a home that hid change around the house. Under the skid mat under the rug was on in the middle. No way it gets there by itself. That day I collected $11 of changes. Left a note saying someone got holes in their pockets.
I appreciate you sharing your story about the client that hid money around the house.
We might be tested in life but being honest and having integrity is within - never compromise who you are :) keep cleaning keep happy keep going :) with shiny lights and sparkling homes ❤
Thanks so much for leaving a comment. 👍
My daughter had to fire one - things, including cleaning products, kept disappearing from her house. The cleaner somehow ripped a curtain rod out of the wall taking a huge chunk of drywall with it, broke an expensive ceiling light fixture. Not everyone is designed to do this job.
I’m so sorry that your daughter had a bad experience with a house cleaner. Thanks for sharing!
I owned a cleaning service with a dozen employees that cleaned residential, commercial, construction clean-up, Frat and Sorority house's. We would work in 2 or more person crew's. All our residential clients had agreed apon check list and we would list the name of cleaners, time in/out, any problems or concerns we might have encountered on a receipt. If a client wanted extras they could add it for additional cost.
Sounds like you had great systems in place. Thanks so much for sharing. 👍
Oh no, I hope my boyfriend's cleaner doesn't think we're doing this to her. We try to hide stuff from her all the time under couches, on top of cabinets, etc, because she'll "hide" them from us. I'm sure she's putting them in places she thinks they belong, but after you've spent 2 hours looking for the headlamp you left on the counter and still can't find it, it gets a little aggravating.
Before Christmas, his mom bought him a bunch of fir scented sticks for his tree and she put them all in there and he hated how strong they were. I spent an hour sniffing the tree like a bloodhound until I found each and every one and put them back in the jar. The next week she found them on top of the cabinet and put them all back, and we had to hunt for them again, lol. His mom is the one who hires her and she usually comes while he's at work, so it's not super easy to communicate with her about how and where he wants things. We joke about starting to put things in his scorpion's tank because we know that's the only place she'll always leave alone.
Thanks so much for leaving a comment about customer traps. You’re right, I don’t think anyone would stick their hand in a scorpion tank. Great hiding place!
Yea, they do the penny crap at truck stop I work at and have for almost two years!! I work for a nationwide truck stop not to name any names... (T cough A cough....)... My co-workers and management does this penny crap and I've already told all of them that when they do it, I just pick up the pennies clean around it and put them back in the same spots!
Ugh! Sorry that you’ve had to deal with this for two years. Thanks for commenting.
After i bought our first house i hired a carpet cleaner to deep clean all the rugs and carpets. After he said he was done, I asked him did he clean under the bed in the kids room. He said oh yes. I looked at him skeptically because you need to lift the frame in order to get under it and i had told him to call me when he got to it so i could help him. I lifted the frame to check and there were old condom wrappers and papers under the bed left by the previous owners! I looked at the cleaner and he said oh, guess i missed that. 🤥
Oh no, I am so sorry that happened. I hope he did a good job after that.
@@AskAngelaBrown i did watch him clean under the bed, so at least that part was thorough. We didn’t hire them again.
Hi Angela!! I just want to wish you and your family a happy, healthy and prosperous Year! Xxx
Aww, thank you so much!! Wishing you and your loved ones the same for 2023!🤗😊
I think the person running the B&B needs to be up front in the contract and let them know that from time to time they will hide Easter eggs. I also think they should hide sizable eggs… like dollar bills… $1, $5, $10… and put in the contract if found they are considered extra pay, or bonuses!
That is a great suggestionm thanks for sharing it!
I'm so glad I'm not the only one who thought the same thing about if they had enough time to set tasks, why didn't they just clean it rather than make it a mess?
Good point. 🤷♀️
I cleaned a large house for 2 years, no problems.
I worked with the ethos that there might be a nanny cam in every conceivable place.
Eventually they were having an extension built and suddenly I get a call "can you come in 10 minutes early we want to have a catch up chat".
The owner's expensive watch had gone missing...
I pointed out that nothing had ever gone missing before, all cash was regularly left out on worktops and I always just piled it up neatly and moved on.
They realised I was right and my impeccable track history and trustworthiness went before me...but...it put a wedge between me and them (from my side) and I eventually left their employ (by my own insistence).
Rightly or wrongly I couldn't work for people that assumed 'the cleaner did it'.
I wasn't poor, I enjoyed my job, I worked for myself and with 2 small children that was a great position to be in!
Those 4 hours were quickly taken up with another family home and I carried on my life happily working as though I was on nanny cam 😊
Oh no, I'm so sorry to hear this happened. And I love that you work as if you are always on camera. That is a great practice to get into.
It's natural for a house cleaner to be questioned when something goes missing - not necessarily that the cleaner took it - but that they may have come across it in their cleaning (i.e. The owner took it off while watching TV, put it on the nightstand, then fell asleep and when they got up to go to bed stumbled into the nightstand and bumped the watch off under the bed.) Stuff like that happens all the time. And, the house cleaner usually knows where the item is.
@@AskAngelaBrown yes I've had that happen before and it's nice to help them out but...this time it was definitely accusatory.
I'd never have moved on if it had been a simple inquiry as it was a great contract 🙂
My mum used to clean a house years ago and the people would always leave a ten pence piece laying in places like they didn’t trust her, on her last day she took the money and left two 5 pence pieces in its place..
Lol
I appreciate you reaching out to share this story. 👍
Clients are the worst. I had a client who would throw dirt around after I had cleaned so she could dock my pay. I started photographing and filming. The last time she tried it I told her I had pictures and would take her to court. She still only paid me half. But it wasn't worth going to court. Horrible person.
What? She paid you to clean, then tossed dirt around? Even if she paid half she still had to clean up the mess. I don't understand this type of behavior. I'm so sorry you experienced that. 🤗
That is so terrible! The nerve of some people just astonishes me.
Whoa!
Alright, so.... I work FT plus OT in healthcare, and I'm burned out. Tried hiring a cleaner. About a week prior to the cleaning, I lost a sizeable check and was frantically looking for it, and was about to call about replacing it. Cleaner found it, put it on my kitchen counter (it was under a cabinet). I thanked her profusely. We scheduled a second cleaning, she got sick and had to cancel. I've tried twice to reschedule and she ghosted me. Does she think I was testing her??
She might have thought that, but she should have gave you some kind of notice. It's a shame that people do this and leave without any explanation. Not cool! It is frustrating to deal with. And it happens to cleaners too.
With Air BnBs you want your clients to have the best ratings :) be the referral and have good reviews for them :) never compromise and never get lazy !! Never if you do then that reflects on you and make sure your time is also set within you phone and alarm if needed- also try to get a egg timer :) it might work better than the phone because the phone is used for other things like music and phone calls :)
Thanks for the tips!
I have an Airbnb. I do my own cleaning. Then I know it's done and it's done well. Besides I don't make enough money to be able to hire out the cleaning.
These are the best for my car. My 6 yr old daughter got in my wk old card and said, Mommy if your car is new when is it so dirty." She was right there was so much dust on the dash. Now I keep the duster and 5 refills in the car. 👍👍
Nice! Thank you so much for sharing this story with us!😊
I've been cleaning houses for over 30yrs I never heard of such a thing. Thankfully my clients can discern a good job when they see it and don't do these silly things
That’s great! Thanks for commenting. 😊
Yes. I have a service business not cleaning but floral. They for sure set traps to see if u do it
Thanks so much for leaving a comment. 👍
I worked for Merry Maids and would find maybe a crumpled dollar under the bed or a bill under the small drape on top of a dresser. One, did I clean under it and 2 am I honest.
Did the company ever explain how to handle customer traps? Thanks so much for watching the show. 😊
Ugh, when I worked retail I had a boss who used to do this. We were supposed to clean and tidy and organize our section of the store every night before close, and she liked to hide things in someone's area just to make sure they were doing a thorough job. I worked very closely with her, and sometimes when we were walking the store she'd just casually pick up a photo frame from the housewares section and tuck it behind the books in the children's section when we made our way over there. Then she'd count how many days the photo frame stayed hidden behind the books. Or she'd stand on her tippy-toes to place a box of cereal on the top shelf of an end display behind some stuffed animals. Just the most random things, always hidden so you had to play the worst game of "Where's Wally?"
It was exhausting enough having to clean stuff that customers carelessly left strewn around the store in their normal shopping, or things they deliberately hid so they could come buy it at another time. But to have the boss deliberately contributing and then checking up on us every day to see if we found her "easter eggs"? No thanks. Whenever I saw her do it, I'd always casually mention it to the coworker if I got the chance so they could fix it themselves. It felt so childish.
Oh no, so sorry that you had to deal with that! Thanks for sharing your story and for watching the video, I appreciate it! And it was nice of you to give your coworkers a heads up of this.
I dealt with this a few times, my tests were spaghetti splatter under a spoon rest and cash in an envelope on the top of a China hutch, plus another one was a hundred dollar bill left under a jewelry box. These were recommendations from a friend who knew these ppl.
Did the clients continue to leave traps out or just the first time you cleaned?
@@AskAngelaBrown just the first time, they were actually referred to me by friends.🤦🏼♀️
Maybe I was childish, but it happened to me when I was cleaning a home, Every time I got there, there was always like a 50 cents piece under the sofa or some other hiding place (5 kroner in Sweden). One day I got tired and took the 50 cents piece and put back like 2* 25 cents (5 single crowns). After that the 50 cents piece stopped being hidden in the house.
Sorry that you had to deal with it, but I guess you handled it well because it stopped. Thanks for sharing your story.
My daughter has her own cleaning business and people do that to her too. She had to tell them by leaving traps, they are eating into her business times for her other clients schedules. If they did not stop doing what they were doing she would have to drop them. She always goes above and beyond because her clients of a long time are like extended family to her.
Oh no, I am sorry people set traps for your daughter when she is cleaning. Did the clients stop doing it after she confronted them?
@@AskAngelaBrown Yes they did because my daughter had showed them other places she cleaned for them that wasn't included with the service. All of her clients now are fantastic. Most are like extended family. They came to realize she was right about the extra time she spent hunting for traps.
She should say. Oh i cleaned johns bed. I found a coaster there and other odd items in odd places.. I thoughy it was for some type of game or experiment so after cleaning I just put them back : l
I have had quite a few house cleaners and my house is organized, without clutter. I paid the last few ladies $150 for 4 hours, and it got to where they would stay less time. I cleaned my own toilets because I had an experience with a lady that cleaned my toilet using a cloth and put her hand and the cloth in the toilet, then wiped down the outside 😮. One lady would leave lamps sideways when it was clear that the lamps should not be placed the way she placed them. When I brought this to her attention, she said she had ADD……I said, “so do I” 😅. I am 71 years old now and would love to hire someone to do the heavier cleaning, but my frustration with dealing with another cleaner is not worth it.
I understand your frustration with previous house cleaners and the challenges you've faced. It can be disheartening when cleaners don't meet your expectations or display attention to detail. It's important to find someone who aligns with your standards and respects your preferences. If you feel hesitant to hire another cleaner due to past experiences, it's completely understandable. As an alternative, you might consider exploring other options such as occasional deep cleaning services or seeking recommendations from trusted friends or family members for reliable and thorough cleaners. Ultimately, the decision is yours, and it's important to find a solution that brings you peace of mind and meets your cleaning needs.
So what's the big deal with employers doing this? If you're doing your job you will find these and effortlessly take care of it. They don't know you so why should they trust you? Trust is earned. This obviously sets their mind at ease.
I appreciate you sharing your opinion on the topic of customer traps.
I know its not related but i immediatelty remembered how we hired cleaning servises after renovation in our house. And the ladies who were suppoused to clean my room brushed all dust and dirt under my closet. We never confronted them.
Oh wow, now that is a lazy thing to do. So sorry that happened. I wonder if they are still doing this? 🤔
I had a part time job cleaning churches after Saturday weddings so they would be clean for Sunday services, at one church in particular, I found dollar bills in weird places and always turned them in to the office. I'm sure those were traps set just for me,
Wow, traps in a church! Thanks for leaving a comment. 👍
These stories are so bazar to me. They don't want to clean themselves, but they take time to hide things on dirty surfaces? Wouldn't the place looking fantastic after a cleaning be sufficient? Are they planning to eat off the floor or something?
I'm not a cleaner and had no idea a cleaner would lift a rug to clean under it on a routine basis. Wouldn't that be a deep clean task? I can't imagine needing it done more than 2 times a year at the most. I've never thought to do it, so I guess I might want to do that next time I vacuum.
I'm so wishing I could hire a cleaner, but I only rent a room & bathroom, so not sure someone would be willing to do it.
I do know that having a professional come clean is amazing and magic for me. There's nothing better than a clean house that I'm not physically exhausted from cleaning.
Thanks so much for watching the show and leaving a comment.
I once worked for a house cleaning service years ago. Our team went into one house and there was a $50 bill pinned to the kitchen bulletin board. That was obviously a trap to see if we were honest or if we would take the money and then claim it hadn't been there in the first place.
Oh wow! Thank you for sharing this story and for watching the show. 👍
If I cleaned houses I'd never accept an AirBnB customer, period. If these AirBnB owners are so worried that someone will not do the job, they should either do it themselves or stop renting out rooms. AirBnB is illegal in most big cities, anyway, and it was never supposed to be anything more than individuals renting out a room or two occasionally. Instead, unscrupulous property owners with multiple units have opted to rent their apartments as AirBnB's than rent them on a monthly basis. Because so many are doing it this way it has contributed to a growing housing shortage, which is disgusting.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this topic.
I worked for an air bnb owner in a busy tourist city and learned so much from them about 5 star hospitality. It was a great experience for me, and judging from the reviews great for all of the guests too!
One of my clients used to put sesame seeds under the couch cushions!
Oh wow, those are small and hard to see. Did you vacuum them up or save them and return them to the client?
@@AskAngelaBrown , I vacuumed them up! She paid $4 an hour in the early 80’s….I earned it.
My mom set traps. She wanted to make sure cleaners were moving furniture to clean underneath periodically.
Oh wow, is she still doing this or are the cleaners moving the furniture to clean underneath?
We had one client who would take a dump in her master bathroom and not flush it. It was disgusting. I told my boss next time she does it I’m gonna put a lil flag on toothpick and stick it in it. I told my boss I’d leave a note and say I felt it was missing something. My boss laughed but shrugged it off. I felt a serious amount of disrespect for us. We may clean houses but our client was not above us. She did stuff like this too. It’s annoying.
I’m so sorry you felt disrespected. Do you have present clients doing stuff like this?
I worked as a housekeeper at a hotel for a few months and I left because our head housekeeper and management were absolutely abhorrent. They micromanaged everything we did, spoke horribly of each of us to one another and yet portrayed themselves as Angels to guests and upper management. We were understaffed everyday because people would NCNS and were never reprimanded, our head housekeeper stole tips from us if she stripped our rooms before we did even though we maintained those rooms during the week. I only stayed for a few months, I have never been afraid of hard work but I will NOT be treated poorly because of someone else's poor morals and ideals.
I said all this to say, please be mindful of housekeeping staff and the work that they do, it is not easy and you are not their only client. They most likely service other clients/businesses an just want to be respected and compensated, the same as anyone else.
Thanks so much for watching the show and leaving a comment.
I had cleaned a house for a school principal with a large friendly dog many times. I never opened his bedroom drawers, as I did not do his laundry and fold and put it away. He told a friend of his that I was not a "Snoop", that I was a good cleaner, and that he had bought a tube of tennis balls and put one behind the almost bottom drawer and the other two IN the bottom drawer. So that if he ever opened that drawer and saw all three in the bottom drawer, he would have evidence of me searching those drawers. I still cleaned for him, still got into the shower and cleaned it well. And dusted everything first, then moved the big furniture and dusted, swept, mopped under them, as his big dog's hair was everywhere. He was a very clean, nice guy, and his friend had me follow her around as she started cleaning her house, and did everything as she did, even wiping the dust off of her plants leaves with a damp lemon oil cloth. If I ever broke anything or found any money, I would leave it by the phone at his place with a note to tell him about it. I did once break a old wooden book-stop. No, he was not angry at all. He was the one who told me that, "If nothing ever got broken, nothing much was ever being done."
Sounds like you’ve had some very kind clients. Thanks for reaching out to share. 👍
Story time: a very long time ago I got a side job working for a janitor service company. This company was different in that they would install hidden cameras at all their clients locations to keep tabs on us. They would also set traps, such as leaving cash and jewelry under desks or laying on the ground.
I was part of a team of 4 new hires, within the first few days one guy was fired for opening up desk drawers and looking in them. Our managers gathered us up and warned us to absolutely not touch anything, even candy in bowl. DONT TOUCH ANYTHING, they said. Welp, the next day someone else got fired cause that same night they warned us someone else was caught on video looking at some folders on a desk. Her reasoning as to why she was looking was that the folders had our names on it. And in them it had pictures of us doing our jobs, very odd.
I quit that same week, these people were nuts. They had an expectation of you running while cleaning. They would get on to you for walking.
Oh no! I’m sorry that job didn’t work out for you. Thanks for sharing! 👍
I mean, if you’re going to set traps for the maid, make it more interesting. Instead of hiding pennies and buttons, hide folded tens and twenties. Then tell them any cash they find is their’s to keep.
LOL. They do this as well, but if you find it, you don't get to keep it - it is yet another test to see how honest you are. Those that keep the money get fired.
@@AskAngelaBrown Oh, wow! That’s a catch 22! If you keep it, you’re “stealing”. If you don’t, you’re “not doing your job”! I think at that point, you’d see me running away. 🤣 I tend to avoid difficult decisions. But, hey! As long as I’m quitting, I might as well go back and grab the bills! … Never mind! Keep running!
That would be kind of...idk the word to use...
patronizing? Like either pay the person more if you think theyll clean better. Or talk to them/fire them if you are not happy. No one wants to be treated like a puppy. If you do a good job and ill give you treats. Yea no thanks. Ill do a good job regardless, if you feel otherwise talk to me. But i suppose that tactic will work for some but they can easily take the money without cleaning anyways. Do you really want to hire someone who will only do a good job if they "get more out of just the regular pay."
@@monicawilson8075 Who said anything about cleaning better? Twenties would be fun to find and make cleaning more interesting than just cleaning. Period. I would gladly enjoy a cleaning job where the client left large bills laying around for me to find.
Coins would be demeaning and even annoying. But I’ll keep your name in mind for future reference. If I ever hire an Ivy Lavender to clean my house, I’ll be sure to hold on to my money, so she won’t feel offended. 😁👍
@@flxmkrexactly, im good.
I have been considering hiring a cleaner but I have no idea what a decent rate is for a 2bed/1bath once a week in North Carolina would be.
I'm in Charlotte NC, and the going rate is between $55 and $65 per hour. A home that size would be around 2 hours to clean.
This is outrageous. Trust is a VERY important thing. Trust and respect. In general life, also in bussiness. If someone is working for me, I will not disrespect myself and my employee doing childish tricks. Instead, if I notice something is wrong I will try to engage on a conversation about it. Nothing good in general can come of this attitude, and sure, no good bussiness. If someone does this as employer, shows lack of leadership. Employer and employee are the two sides of the same coin. If someone plays dirty like that, creating fear and resentment... what goes around, comes around. Comunication, trust and respect. People work at their best when they are happy and feel appreciated. Not when someone are playing mind games. In my job, it is quite common clients lying to me. Well, then they are wasting their money and my time. Oh, well, some things are way out my understanding.
By the way, on a brighter note. Merry X- mas and happy New Year.
You are so right, comunication is key!! Thanks for sharing your input and for the holiday wishes! Wishing you te best for the New Year!
I used to clean offices. This one lady put crumbs/paper clips under keyboards, paper confetti on high shelves, a staple in a far corner under a cabinet that could not be seen, etc. The office passed a white glove inspection, but this was still happening. It was never good enough.
Oh no! I am so sorry that happened.
Here is how I do with the cleaning lady: I look at the job and tell her if it's good ^^
And when something is not good, I show it.
Also, when something is so messy and would require her to tidy just to clean, I give her a pass and tell her she doesn't need to deal with that part.
She also get to work with proper equipment and helping tools (like automatic scrubber).
She is also free to help herself in the fridge and in the chocolate boxes.
If you employ someone, you have to provide him with an optimal work environment and not expect them to just deal with what they are given. That makes for employees who are happy to work and can do more because they only have to deal with the real work.
To give an example, I worked in a company where we had sometimes to move boxes full of magazines. The second time, I used an office chair, then told the boss that there are tools which could carry the boxes for us, and instead of spending almost a day, we could probably do the same job in an hour and much less tired and hurt. I convinced him and he bought the levering device. The soy boy did the job 🤣
So, it was a huge win for everyone!
That sounds stupid, but too many employers fall for the "but it works, they don't need extra bells and whistle". Yes, they do!
When I got internet installed, I was nice with the guy. Discussed his job (was part of my first years of bachelor), offered him water and let him also concentrate on his job (nothing worse than a customer babysitting). They guy offered me half the installation as a thank you and the material (used free "spares").
I had many times where I got good things back, because people wanted to return the favor, Locked outside the building ? The guy rushed to open because every morning, when I passed in front of him, I said "hello" while other people would just go straight.
I also despise people trying to show their superiority...so it helps being nicer.
Ah yes, forgot that I had an assholistic landlord at some point and that landlord was asking me how the cleaning lady performed...I had great time speaking with the cleaning lady how of an asshole was the landlord 🤣
Yeah, people have mouths and use it.
Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts and opinions on the topic. 👍
Lol I love the little traps it's a chance to shine and prove you a good cleaner and trustworthy. Few of my clients when new have left large sums of $ on a shelf etc... I can guarantee they know the exact amount :) also like a $20 under a dresser oops lol I just pick it up and set it on top.
I'd test and want to know the character of someone in my home as well :)
It's great to hear that you approach these situations as an opportunity to showcase your cleaning skills and build trust with your clients. As a cleaner, it's important to be honest and trustworthy, especially when working in someone's home. Keep up the great work and always prioritize honesty and integrity in your cleaning business. Happy Cleaning! 😊
If you find something unusual in my house...it's not a trap, lol. Thanks for finding X for me, I was looking for that!!
Hahaha...good one! Thanks for commenting.
A friend had a housekeeper and used to do things like this. She left Girl Scout cookies in the cabinet over the stove. She COUNTED the cookies before the cleaning and counted them after. The housekeeper had a couple of cookies and when confronted, yep she did!, the housekeeper lied. She was immediately fired. I asked the friend is she was fing serious. She said of course, she stole from me!!! And, her name IS Karen!!!
Wow! Thanks so much for sharing.
wow! i think if someone is doing a great job cleaning MY mess they can eat a couple cookies. actually it would prob be an energy boost/
Certainly not possible that your friend's partner or kids or other friends had eaten any cookies, oh no!
Why would a housekeeper eat the client's food if not invited to do so? When I worked as a home health aide the only thing we could use that were the client's was the toilet and sink to wash our hands. We weren't even allowed to put our cold drink/lunch in their fridge or microwave!
I had a lady who had a little fridge and kept it full of drinks and snacks. Another lady would let me sit down and have a tea, and I had another one an Indian lady who would have a whole long table spread out for me with food. I ate so much one time that I had to go home, that food was the bomb and she was fine with me coming back the next day.
I worked part time for a cleaning service that assigned me to a small dispatch security office at a gated community. It was a small office and did not take long to clean each night. One day I saw they had left a pile of dirty dishes in the breakroom sink. I had been told by my employer to not clean the dishes left behind. When I saw the sink, I texted my boss and sent a picture of the sink with the dishes in it. Once again she told me not to touch the dishes. About a week passed, still dirty dishes sitting there. I couldn't stand it, so I cleaned them. Another week goes by and my boss gives a me a complaint from the customer stating that I never clean the breakroom sinks, the bathrooms are dirty, floor is not mopped etc... I was expected to sign and reply to the complaint. I wrote, "Since the customer is obviously unhappy with my work, and has complained about every task I do each day, including the dirty dishes they left to rot for a week, I am going to resign this position immediately so they can find someone who better fits their needs. Extremely satisfying.
Oh wow, that can be frustrating. But kudos to you for doing what was best for you.
My mother would use clear dental floss strung across certain areas to see if her little tripwires had been "triggered."
She did it with me, too, not just the housecleaner. I figured it out first and let the cleaner know.
My mother had borderline personality disorder and was often manic, anyway. She and I had to deep clean the house *BEFORE* the cleaner came, so she'd set the tripwires before I cleaned and then reset them for the cleaner.
I was used to her shenanigans, so I was just disappointed that it was so obvious. Who doesn't start to recognize clear strings in random places as being suspicious?!
Yikes! Sounds like someone could have tripped on the tripwires. Thanks for commenting on the video.
I remember someone telling me to leave $1.00 in change around the house when hiring a house cleaner.
If they don't find it all they are skipping steps or stealing it. Either way, call the next person.
I can see both sides of this.
Nobody wants to be tested or watched.
Thanks for watching the show and leaving a comment. 👍
Perhaps if the change is left in places where the cleaner had specifically been told to clean...
Maybe that's okay to do with a first-time cleaner and you don't know how well they work, or how thorough their job is.
I would have never thought to be this disrespectful. My parents had a cleaner come once every 2 weeks when my siblings and I got older with busier schedules. We all treated her with the utmost respect because she was doing all of US a favor by taking deep cleaning off our plates. Even if something wasn’t perfect (which it almost always was), we didn’t care because she worked hard and she was so sweet!
Love this! You guys make the job of cleaners better and happier. You are appreciated. 😊
Yikes!! What is wrong with people? Just communicate your expectations and concerns (please clean this area every time) with the cleaner you work with like an adult instead of leaving traps like a passive-aggressive child! Someone who can’t handle that much shouldn’t have an AirBnB to start with.
Thanks for the feedback. You're correct, clear communications are much more powerful and make a lot more sense than this.
Seems like a really reasonable way to feel confident that you’re getting what you’re paying for?
I’m sure its annoying on your end, but this is a pretty unobtrusive way of feeling confident in a cleaner.
That said, you should only be obligated to clean the rooms you’re paid to clean, that’s when it goes too far.
I agree with you. And hiding things daily is a bit excessive as well - maybe a random hiding, but don't make it so painfully obvious. 👍
I don’t need to set a “trap” to know if a unit was really cleaned! There’s just no substitute for checking after cleaning.
I will say I sympathize with owners who pay a premium (I pay $250 per visit to clean a rental unit) to someone who comes through and gives a lick and a promise.
I’m not giving a checklist either to a professional. When a new cleaner asks what I want done, I ask them “what do you think should remain dirty?” I don’t need a “checklist” to do my job, why do they? If you need a checklist maybe get a job cleaning hotel rooms.
Sorry, but I think if you were to change job, even in the same industry, you would need a checklist, and some amount of training on top of it too. Why is it different for cleaners? Those questions are the difference between a detail-driven cleaner or a "let's do a non specific quick job and get outta here" one.
@@Serena-or7sl Hmm. Well, many occasions I’ve had to jump in and do the cleaning myself when a guest is coming and the cleaner didn’t show up. I see it differently.
Luckily now I have someone 100% reliable who leaves no stone unturned. She’s worth her weight in gold.
I don't do checklists either, but charging by the job- I need to specify exactly what each level of service entails. I'm not doing a deep clean when the client is only paying for a standard cleaning.
Thanks for commenting!