Just curious how many of you have encountered issues with cleaning staff or other house staff while on a sit? It’s normally not an issue, in fact I tend to make friends with them most of the time, but on a few recent sits the interactions have been a bit strange. Friendly, but strange.
At times the cleaners have been oversharing way too much very immediately. I’m always a bit suspect about this. I know some people just do it as part of their personality and it’s mostly harmless. (I struggle with it at times too, but this is way more than that and instantly upon meeting.) But I’m also aware of the class dynamics at play, and I know that forced camaraderie can sometimes be a weird tactic….
I’ve also encountered:
Comments and gasps at “how much stuff” I have in the house. (It’s 3 suitcases plus groceries and toiletries because yes, I’m a nomad here for weeks and this is my whole life. I challenge anyone to fit their whole life into 3 suitcases! Lol. The HOs always know how much stuff I have and I even give them a heads up about it.)
Detailed questions about my life, job, the sitting arrangement, etc. Sometimes this feels like a bombardment, and a possible poking around for info. I don’t always answer all of this.
In a recent sit I was actually triangulated with the maid. She was taking pictures and communicating with the HO while at the house, and at times it seemed like she was trying to get me in trouble, or the HO was. Very very uncomfortable and I really don’t understand why. This same cleaning staff was very friendly with me, oversharing at times, but was also somewhat secretive. She was lying to the HO about when she was arriving at the house, for instance. I wasn’t reporting this to the HO because I didn’t know about it until after the sit ended. Nor am I there to watch and scold someone’s house staff. They arrive when they arrive!
I’ve thought about it and I wonder if at times there may be some tension between cleaning staff and housesitters, as they may see you as a threat in some way? Or they maybe wish they could perform this role, and are slightly jealous? Or at least curious and a bit threatened?
Sort of related but also a sidebar to the cleaning lady thing. A few years ago we had an American expat host ask us to sit in Turkiye (not THS) & asked for a cost. Had zero idea so suggested 30 euros in as a ballpark per 24 hours. She thought that was outrageous and quoted “I don’t even pay my cleaner that much”. So your cleaner who doesn’t like dogs, won’t walk them, doesn’t speak English, doesn’t drive, has never looked after a $4000 chocolate pedigree Labrador & who you pay around 5 euros an hour, is worth more than our live in pet care. # toodlepip
We just had a situation at a recurring sit where the new cleaners lied about us because they were upset that I had asked them to clean certain parts of the house that were especially dirty due to a work crew repairing a leaky water pipe. Unfortunately, the cleaners were able to speak directly to the owners in their language, while we were left standing there looking foolish and relying on translators to communicate.
I’ve only had one sit where there was a cleaner. I thought naively it would reduce our cleaning input during the sit but quite honestly you could bearly tell they’d been it was so light touch and I ended up doing our normal keeping on top & final full clean. We just went out when they were scheduled so we weren’t under their feet.
I’ve only ever done one sit where a cleaner came in once a week. I was in a foreign country and didn’t speak her language so there was no interaction.
Perhaps, in the situations where you get bombarded with questions, the cleaner sees you as an equal and feels comfortable asking you about house sitting, it is, after all, of great interest to most people.
In a situation where it appears that the cleaner is ‘spying’ on you I would feel most uncomfortable.
To be honest, I avoid homes where there is a cleaner coming in, I prefer to do it myself, and I definitely wouldn’t be the least bit interested in anywhere that has ‘staff’. I prefer a more grassroots situation.
I’ve done a number of sits with cleaners and had no issues. I make myself scarce when they come clean, because I telecommute. I’ll stay in one room while cleaning happens elsewhere (with the dogs if there are any, or go outdoors with them, weather permitting). If I’m in a room, the cleaners let me know when they’re ready to switch off. Or I tell them I’ll clean that room myself.
In one case, I had handed off to another sitter and she pinged to ask whether I’d broken a vase. I hadn’t and said so. The host later said it probably was the cleaner and to not worry, because it was inexpensive anyway. They’d had the cleaner for 20+ years and must’ve been happy with them. But that experience taught me to not do sits where I’d hand off to or from another sitter, because of the risks of accountability.
We do one sit where the cleaner comes every week for 10 hours!!! The villa is immaculate and all hard floors. She’s a comedy character and normally brings us fruit & veg from her garden plus a singular beer, an ever-ringing mobile phone & smokes to enjoy during her long day. We think it’s respite from the family demands. The HO always leaves us the cash to pay her each visit too. #gleaminghousesit
I’d never direct someone else’s cleaner to clean a specific area. It would feel like intervening in a relationship I have no background about.
On one of my sits (in Asia where a helper came a couple of times a week) another couple were taking over the sit as I couldn’t extend and when they came in advance to do the handover they said ‘can you tell the cleaner to clean that cupboard?’ (they were unhappy with a dusty kitchen area). I thought it was really rude.
As someone who has had domestic help I know they can sometimes be very protective and in a sense have “ownership” of the house hence could cause conflicts. I would suggest it’s best not to engage to much, nor offer directions. I would just leave while they go about their duties.
I have a cleaner lined up with this sit. She comes for 2 hours regularly and is paid by the Home Owner. The sitter arrives at 7.15 am! So it’s an early start for me to get washed,dressed,breakfasted and ready to take the dog out for 2 hours whatever the weather! Still it’s wonderful to have the help. Especially on the day I’m handing things back!
When the cleaner comes, disappear. If you can’t get out of the house for whatever reason, just say, “I need to be on a call so I’ll stay in this room until you need to be in there”, go in there, and shut the door (you don’t have to actually be on a call!) Then when you need to change rooms - change rooms. Do not engage except for mild pleasantries.
One time, years ago, I did a months-long sit for a wealthy couple. Shortly after they returned, their cleaner of more than a decade quit in a huff. She declared that I had treated her so much better than they had and she didn’t realize how mistreated she was until I came along! They were furious. Luckily this wasn’t on THS so I didn’t get a review! Based on that experience, I learned that just as I never interfere in a relationship between spouses, I will never again involve myself in a relationship between a homeowner and their cleaner. It is a sacred bond.
Although I enjoy having the house cleaned with me having to do anything, mostly I don’t really like having cleaners around. I work online, and usually station myself in the kitchen/dining area, so I can also keep an eye on the pets. When the cleaners come I have to move myself away.
I did have one sit where the owner was trying to set me up on a date with the (rather attractive) cleaner!
Also, another fairly regular sit I do, has a cleaner that comes on a Tuesday (my day off) afternoon, and lingers around until 7pm, which is rather annoying!
I understand your point, but in our case the situation was very different.
It was not about asking cleaners to do “extra” or “different” things just because of personal preference, but about a very practical issue.
We were sitting a large 8,000 ft² villa. A broken water pipe had caused a leak into the basement floor. When the repair workers came to fix it, they opened up a ceiling and a lot of black, silicone-like crumbs fell into the laundry room – the same room the cleaners use regularly. These crumbs are extremely difficult to remove once you step on them, because they stick to shoes and get spread all over the house.
We had already experienced this problem during previous maintenance work in another part of the house, when we were sitting there for several months in winter. That’s why we thought it was reasonable (and even necessary) to point it out to the cleaners – not because we wanted to “intervene,” but because otherwise the debris would quickly spread everywhere.
As housesitters, I don’t think it’s our role to clean up after construction work. But it is our responsibility to protect the home from unnecessary damage and to communicate important issues like this. Unfortunately, the cleaners didn’t take it well and twisted the situation.
Additionally, I found the new cleaners quite disrespectful toward the owner himself. They always left earlier than the hours they were paid for. On the very day the owner departed they even washed his polo shirt in the same machine load as the mop they had just used on the floors.
Personally, unless it was a huge clear up, I’d probably have swept up the debris myself. If it was a bigger problem I’d have reported the issue to the owners directly to get their input and ask them for help cleaning up. As a sitter I’m happy to do emergency clean up like that, especially if there’s a regular cleaner so I don’t have to worry about day-to-day.
I also reserve judgement about the way cleaners behave. The owners have chosen them and it’s not up for me to keep tabs on them or approve or disapprove of their behaviour.
They were furious. Luckily this wasn’t on THS so I didn’t get a review! Based on that experience, I learned that just as I never interfere in a relationship between spouses, I will never again involve myself in a relationship between a homeowner and their cleaner. It is a sacred bond.
