I just had the worst day ever! All because of a new cleaning

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Forum -> Household Management -> Cleaning & Laundry

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SplitPea

Thu, Feb 02 2012, 6:21 pm

I am currently dealing with ppd, an 8 week old and a VERY active 16 month old. DH decided I needed a little help aroun d the house and agreed to once a week cleaning. The new lady showed up today... admitted to never having worked in a koshber home before. No big deal I covered the milckg sing with a towl and said don't touch ANY of this and wash everything else (I am off dairy as is dd2 and dh so we don't have much dairy) I handed her rags sponges brillo pads etc and said feel free to ask if she needed anything. She took FOREVER like slowest cleaning lady ever. I was dealing with the kids but peaked into the kitchen once or twice to see that she was not touching the milk sink. nope everything was fine.

BUT then 5 HOURS into cleaning the kitchen (she had started on the stove top and the oven as well as the nmicrowave and floors Smile

I went to put a fork in the sink and noticed ALL of my cleaning equipment (sponges etc) sat UNUSED! I then noticed the sink full of her OWN materials! She was using BOILING hot water from our sink to wash with (with gloves on) (no kidding our sing can leave burns on a person) She was finshed with my kitchen. I asked her (holding back tears) why she was using her own stuff.. she said she just operfered her own brushes and told me they cleaned the pots and stove sooo much better. I asked her if it was new. Nope she uses it at her own house all the time.

sooooooooooooooooooo time to call the rav. After listening to detials EVERYTHING is treif. can't use if for 24 hours Thankfully I have glass dishes so they are kashurable. And BH we hold microwaves can be kashured..\

OK so everyhtihg in my house is treif and I ahve a screaming hungry 16 month old and no way to make food. I call th only neighbor home and she said sure some use her stuff. I nurse baby #2 and go downstairs to find out neighbor LEFT in the mean time.. now 16 month old is FREAKING out because 1 she is hungry 2 she thought she would see her friend at the neighbors....

I come upstairs in panic and realize we have a cup of soup thingy. make that for 16 month old while holding off for dh to bring takeout home for dinner.

So now I can't cook for shabbos. We can't go out because dd's nap time is RIGHT in the middle of lunch and its just not worth it she would be screaming the WHOLE time and we really don't know who to cll on short notice any way. (and she goes to bed ay 6 so night meals are out 9we have not eaten out in 6 months) we 100% did not have the money for this cleaning help and now 200% don't have the money for all the takeout it will cost us (plus kashuring our kitchen!)

ok just a vent on my crazy bad day no mroe cleaning ladies for me

amother

Thu, Feb 02 2012, 6:25 pm

I'm sorry

Can you ask friends/neighbors who they use. This way you know that 1. she's someone who people are happy with and 2. She's familiar with a kosher kitchen.

amother

Thu, Feb 02 2012, 6:25 pm

I'm sorry

Can you ask friends/neighbors who they use. This way you know that 1. she's someone who people are happy with and 2. She's familiar with a kosher kitchen.

Chana Miriam S

Thu, Feb 02 2012, 6:30 pm

Hang in there. Why not call your Rav and see if the shul has a chessed committee of any kind? Or people who are looking for guests in your community?

Raizle

Thu, Feb 02 2012, 6:35 pm

oy, Take a deep breath and tell yourself you will get through this.
Once it's over and life gets back to normal it will be in the past with no lasting affects.

Just keep repeating this to yourself and take things one step at a time.

Buy take out for shabbos and when the kitchen is back to normal make a number of cheapy meals to make up for the money you spent on take out.

or

ASK FOR HELP! You mentioned a neighbor who knows what happened? can she help you with shabbos?

btw what if you just got a cheap pot and utensils to cook for shabbos and used plastic dishes to eat on?

SplitPea

Thu, Feb 02 2012, 6:36 pm

oh wow I wanted that post amother... opps well now some people will know who I am HIIII!

There are people who could have us for meals but its too hard because we would ahve to keep dd awake from bedtime or up fom a nap either way and she is VERY much attached to her schedule if she does not sleep on time she will go into screaming fits and we have to leave anyway...

Sherri

Thu, Feb 02 2012, 7:19 pm

Can you explain that to the people who would invite you, and ask them if dh could pick up some food before Shabbos?

sneakermom

Thu, Feb 02 2012, 8:02 pm

So so sorry! Hug

You have totally described a nightmare. But it will pass. Like a bad flu.

Also. Don't give up on cleaning help altogether. Ask some neighbors, friends etc. Anyone who who already trained someone in. Those are easier to deal with.

Or you can consider the option of not having the cleaning lady do kitchen work just yet. Except for the kitchen floor. Focus on her cleaning the rest of the house for now.

Sending lots of strength your way. Hope you feel better soon and Mazel Tov on your new baby!

Ema of 5

Thu, Feb 02 2012, 8:10 pm

im so sorry I didnt see this sooner, or I would have offered to make you something!!

but, b"h for awesome neighbors and friends, and at least its mostly fixable. we are going away for shabbos, but let me know if you need anything...im really ALWAYS aroundcuz I have nothing better to do (anyone know someone who is hiring just until pesach?)

Raisin

Fri, Feb 03 2012, 5:24 am

that sounds awful. I'm so sorry. Just so you know, you always have to watch a cleaning lady the first time like a hawk, otherwise she will do stupid things.

Liba

Fri, Feb 03 2012, 5:34 am

I am so sorry! That is a nightmare. Sad

New help can be so good, or so horrific.

I have learned that if I want help in the kitchen I have to be in there. I do my food prep while they wash dishes or just sit at the table and shmooze with them. Now that my kids are older I sometimes have them sit in the kitchen and read or do homework and keep an eye on things.

If no one is available to be mashgiach the cleaner needs to do something else during that time.

What happened to you is my worst nightmare. I hope you have things kashed and back to normal soon and never experience such a thing again.

imaima

Fri, Feb 03 2012, 6:23 am

SplitPea wrote:

Oh no!!!! Sounds terrible!! That's why I never let the cleaner touch anything in my kitchen, regardless of how dirty it is.

anonymrs

Fri, Feb 03 2012, 6:58 am

Oy! That sounds so awful, not what you need on your head right now! I'm sure a sparkling clean kitchen sounded soo appealing to you but this was NOT what you had in mind. I wish I could help you out with something. Lots of luck!

devorahh

Fri, Feb 03 2012, 7:13 am

At first when I read your title, I thought wow someone is complainning about cleaning help. I wish I had cleaning help. I was soooo wrong, this story sounds like a pure nightmare. I'm so sorry for you. This must be so fustrating and really not what you need on your plate right now.

Liba

Fri, Feb 03 2012, 7:13 am

I have been thinking about your situation since I read your post. I am really upset that this happened to you.

On the other hand, I think you must have a special zechus to have such a a bracha! Can you imagine the damage, upset, and mess that could have chv"sh been if you had only found out what she had done after her fourth or fifth (or more!) time coming and doing this? As disastrous as this was, B"H, you were on your toes enough to notice and are able to correct kasher most of what she triefed and none of you ended up eating treif because of it. That is a huge huge bracha.

HindaRochel

Fri, Feb 03 2012, 9:11 am

I also would have been upset and this is a big pain. But I give you a bracha, that your title remains true and this is the worst day ever for you in the whole of your life.

gold21

Fri, Feb 03 2012, 10:34 am

what an absolute nightmare!! OMG!! that cleaning woman is a nutcase- she should have asked before using her own stuff in your kitchen- what is wrong with her?? you should deduct from her pay, because what she did totally violates the "cleaning lady code", which is that you always ask before doing something questionable- and using her own products is obviously questionable.

Barbara

Fri, Feb 03 2012, 11:20 am

gold21 wrote:

You are completely, totally, and 100% off base here.

Look, I feel really bad for OP. She's just had a baby, and having some problems. I wish her a refuah shleima and only the best. I'm not intending to criticize her at all.

But if you're not familiar with kashrut, the fact is that it sounds absolutely, totally bonkers that one would not be able to use one's own cleaning equipment in another person's kitchen, or that using perfectly good, and indeed excellent, cleaning equipment, to make sure that someone's kitchen is as clean as possible, is problematic.

Look at ads. Lots and lots of professional cleaning crews bring their own equipment. When we hire cleaners for Pesach, they show up with everything from mops and buckets to cleansers.

This cleaning person did nothing wrong. There was nothing questionable about what she did. She should be paid for her services.

Sherri

Fri, Feb 03 2012, 11:27 am

OP, did you get any food for Shabbos?

Sherri

Fri, Feb 03 2012, 11:28 am

Barbara wrote:

gold21 wrote:

But don't they have to ask? What if-- I don't know-- there's some allergy you have to some cleaning product?

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