I’m a professional cleaner and these are the secrets of my job I’m never supposed to share – and women are so much worse
WHETHER you are lucky enough to have your own or work in an office that employs them, we all come into contact with cleaners every now and then.
And while it’s always a joy to come home to a tidy house or stay in a perfectly polished hotel room, it’s not always a joy for the professionals who get it to that state.
Anna has been working as a professional cleaner since 1988 and says women make far more mess than men[/caption]Anna Garfield*, 54, from Cardiff has been a professional cleaner for 33 years, now running her own company, and has just about seen it all.
Here she reveals what she really thinks about your mess, and the secrets your cleaner would never tell you…
Women are far worse than men
I love my job as a cleaner but, and I have an incredibly strong stomach but there are some scenarios that are worse than others.
When I worked as a hotel chambermaid I came across some real horrors, but aside from the odd sticky sheet, it was always the female guests that were far worse.
Because they tend to be so house proud, when they go away they have the attitude of ‘well someone else will clear up after me.’
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And the mess they left me to clear up was just disgusting, there was always menstrual blood everywhere and occasionally I’d even come across a used tampon that hadn’t been binned.
I choose a toilet over that mess any day.
Hotel rooms are filthy
Cleaning hotel rooms was a real eye-opener for me and every time I stay in one now I always bring my own wipes to clean the room.
I do this because the majority of rooms are cleaned using the towels of the last guest.
The dirty towels clean everything from the bathroom right down to the drinking glasses, so if I were you I’d bring your own in the future.
Equally, while the bed sheets are washed, any fancy throws or bedspreads go straight back on the bed after the previous guest.
To err on the side of caution I would just remove the bedspread
Cleaners are clumsy
If you have a cleaner who comes to your house there is a high chance that they have broken something – you just might not know about it.
I’ve had a few hairy moments, I’m six foot tall and I can be a bit clumsy, during my time as a domestic cleaner I broke a lot of ornaments.
I would simply sneak them home and ask my husband to glue them back together.
I once dropped an extremely valuable piece and a piece of it snapped off, but to be honest you could hardly notice.
I surreptitiously put the piece in my pocket, stuck it back where it was and then left and the owner was none the wiser.
It was only when she died that her daughter came round and told me just how valuable it was and all I could think was ‘it’s not anymore.’
If I can get away with it then I won’t own up but it happens quite a lot to us cleaners.
We are much richer than you think
While bodily fluids and grim toilets don’t bother me in the slightest, there is one aspect of my job that I really hate – the people.
I find myself being constantly judged by clients, they are forever looking their nose down at me and all because I am carrying a mop and bucket.
However, they’d be surprised to learn just how well off I actually am.
I went to a private school and I am middle class. I live in a four bedroom detached house and we even have our private number plates.
I don’t do my job because I have to, I do it because I want to and it is very good money, I earn the same as I did working in civil service and I am much happier for it.
*Name has been changed
In other news, a bikini waxer has revealed the surprising things she comes across in her job.
And this hairdresser has revealed the comments that you’ll always be judged for.
Plus this ex-hotel manager has revealed the secrets of her industry.