Do you ever wonder if there are things you do which might irritate your domestic worker, even just a little bit?
You really do lay your home, and your bad habits, bare when you bring a cleaner into your home to get stuck into all those dirty corners.
Do you let your cleaner in, point them in the direction of the cleaning supplies, and hope for a miracle? Or are you one of those people who frantically tidies their house before the cleaner comes? You wouldn’t want to be embarrassed by your dirty laundry literally laid out to air, after all.
Even if you have the best of intentions and you’re sure you’re doing everything right, there might be a few small things you can do to make the experience of cleaning your home a lot more pleasant for your domestic worker.
SweepSouth’s online platform and app connects professional cleaners with people needing domestic assistance. Based on feedback from their very experienced SweepStars, here are the top five things your domestic worker probably wishes you'd stop (or start) doing immediately (please!).
Let this soak in.
Do you feel like spending an hour of your morning trying to scrape dried scrambled egg off the bottom of your pan? No? Well, neither does your domestic worker. Especially when she has a lot of other work to get to so she can ensure that your home is sparkling clean for you.
SweepStars have said that it is a great help when customers pile dishes neatly and put a little bit of dish soap and hot water in the bottom of pots and pans that are particularly greasy or caked with leftover food remnants. Either invest in non-stick pots and pans (isn’t modern technology great?), or make it much easier for them with just a little bit of effort.
Pick up this habit.
What would your mother say if she saw you letting someone else pick up your dirty socks and underwear? Most moms tell their kids to pick up after themselves, and not to leave their stuff all over the floor. You’re an adult now, so you know better right?
Many SweepStars say it’s really helpful when people stash their dirty clothes in the laundry basket and pick up other items like shoes and bags off the floor. It’s kind of a pain having to step over things and it makes it so much easier to vacuum and clean floors.
Wipe this bad habit for good.
Household surfaces manage to attract all sorts of dust and gunk. Isn’t it nice when you get home and all your surfaces are shiny and clean after your domestic worker has been there?
You can return the favour and make the experience a bit more pleasant for them. All SweepStars wipe all sorts of surfaces every day, but there are some instances that make it kind of a gross task.
As a general rule, try to wipe up anything you drop or spill. For example, if you’re making a smoothie and you drop bits of blended, sticky fruit. Or if you drop a glob of toothpaste in the basin while you’re brushing your teeth. While you’re at it, clean up those stray hairs from the bottom of the shower. Your domestic worker will thank you for it.
Don’t make yourself too at home.
At home when your cleaner is there? There are a view things you should try to avoid. Don’t make a mess in an area she has just cleaned. Yes, it’s your home and you can, technically, make yourself at home, but it’s a bit frustrating when you’re spilling your coffee on an area she’s just spent the last hour scrubbing and polishing. And don’t put that dirty coffee cup in the sink when she’s already finished cleaning the kitchen. Just give it a rinse so she doesn’t feel like she has to go back to it.
Don’t be a chatty Cathy.
On another note, try not to be too chatty when your domestic worker is at your home. There’s a big difference between being friendly and polite and overly talkative. She won’t want to be rude to you, but she’s also seeing that time tick by ? knowing she’s got a lot of cleaning left to do before the hours run out. And you do want a clean home, don’t you?
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