Weird Housekeeper Story

[Anonymous]

My husband just got a security camera system for our house. He intends to install it to monitor outside around the house. The other day he was testing it out and decided to set one of the cameras up inside to monitor what our house cleaning crew did the next day. Most of the time including this one they come when we are at work. They have a key to our house and come each time let themselves in, clean the house and leave the house or so I thought. He setup the camera in our master bedroom.

So that night we go home and watch the surveillance video and two women who we have seen before if we were home, come in and clean the bedroom. Pretty normal stuff at first dusting, cleaning mirror, change bedding, make bed, vacuum floor. Then they leave the room and one of them comes back into the room with cleaning supplies and heads into the bathroom. We can see her cleaning the sink and toilet from the angle of the camera then we hear the shower turn on and assume she is cleaning the shower. It seems like she is in there a while and then she comes walking out of the bathroom in a towel! My towel! She cleaned the bathroom then took a shower! Even more weird the other woman comes in and they are having a conversation, something in Spanish so I have no idea what they were saying but as they are talking the shower woman drops the towel and the other woman hands her a change of clothes she proceeds to get dressed. THEN the other woman goes in and does the same thing, takes a shower and comes out and gets dressed.

Now here is the issue, do I fire them and get a new cleaning company? I really like the company. I have had them for almost 4 years and they do a fantastic job. Before finding them I went through 4 other companies until I found this one that actually cleaned the house well. We have never had a problem with them before this but I don't know if I can get this out of my mind!

[Anonymous]

I had a carpenter take a shower in the house. It was obvious (didn't have a camera). We let it go since he otherwise did a good job and it wasn't someone who was going to return. If they were going to return - I think one would need to pursue the issue. I do think doing this may be a bit more common than we would like to think.

[Anonymous]

Did she put your towel in the laundry after using it or did she hang it back up for you to use?

[Anonymous]

Did she use your soap? As in a bar of soap that her pubes are now stuck to?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Did she put your towel in the laundry after using it or did she hang it back up for you to use?

She actually did put the towel in the laundry hamper.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Did she use your soap? As in a bar of soap that her pubes are now stuck to?

No bar soap in the shower but she may have used the body wash. Considering she is a house keeper I'm sure she cleaned up after herself. The bathroom was clean as usual.

[Anonymous]

She cleaned the bathroom then they each took showers, and they used your towel to dry off? Okey-dokey. I don't think I could get this out of my mind, either, if this had happened to me. PP is likely right about this being more common than you'd think, so that's something to think about when considering whether to change services, or whether to switch from a service to an individual, part-time housekeeper.

[Anonymous]

Considering all, I think they were actually very "nice" in putting the towel in the laundry basket. Because of that I would let it go...but I would mention and tell them (with a straight face) to please use some specific towel (that you will put aside) and then put the towel to wash. And also some specific soap.


I bet they won't shower in your place again.

[Anonymous]

OP,

What's wrong with this? I'm assuming your house was the last one for the day? Did you specifically tell them not to use the shower? They dealing with other people's dust and dirt. Do you see them when they come? Do they speak decent English? I'd let it go!

[Anonymous]

I thought the story was going to lead into a p*rno....was thinking to myself "hmm...did I stumble into the explicit forum by mistake?"

[Anonymous]

I guess I don't get the big deal. These are people who clean houses for a living. Cleaning a house thoroughly works up a sweat. It's manual labor. They used your shower because they were dirty and wanted to clean up. The only relevant question in my mind would be whether they cleaned up after their shower -- i.e., whether their shower left the bathroom dirty. If they cleaned the bathroom after the shower I don't see how it could make any difference whatsoever. The idea of leaving pubes in the soap is ridiculous. They probably use their own supplies.

You might read Barbara Ehrenreich's "Nickel and Dimed in America" in which she describes what it's like to be a domestic worker and covered in filth all day long. They are cleaning your feces out of your toilet. And you begrudge them a shower?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I thought the story was going to lead into a p*rno....was thinking to myself "hmm...did I stumble into the explicit forum by mistake?"

LOL, me too! I was ready to read that the second housekeeper got undressed and started a lezbo scene on your video but then.... they took a shower??!! I mean, it's kinda something you don't expect but not a reason to create any fuss. They probably don't wanna head home all sweaty and smelling of cleaning products, so just provide specific towels and ask them to use them next time.

[Anonymous]

To me the issue would not be your housekeepers using your facilities, but your housekeepers using your towels without asking for your permission first.

Had they brought in their own - or asked you in advance to provide them with a clean set - I'd have no problem whatsoever. But towels are personal hygiene items, sort of like toothbrushes and combs..I wouldn't want to share mine with strangers.

[Anonymous]

OP, did this happen before or after they cleaned the kitchen?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I guess I don't get the big deal. These are people who clean houses for a living. Cleaning a house thoroughly works up a sweat. It's manual labor. They used your shower because they were dirty and wanted to clean up. The only relevant question in my mind would be whether they cleaned up after their shower -- i.e., whether their shower left the bathroom dirty. If they cleaned the bathroom after the shower I don't see how it could make any difference whatsoever. The idea of leaving pubes in the soap is ridiculous. They probably use their own supplies.

You might read Barbara Ehrenreich's "Nickel and Dimed in America" in which she describes what it's like to be a domestic worker and covered in filth all day long. They are cleaning your feces out of your toilet. And you begrudge them a shower?

She isn't begrudging them a shower. Regardless of how dirty they get on the job or how much they sweat it is odd to have people who you employ get naked in your house and use your towels. If they had asked or it was part of an arrangement - great. It has also put OP in the uncomfortable position of seeing them get naked on video!

My mother used to clean houses for a living and I can tell you the idea of having a shower or a nice bubble bath at the house she was cleaning would never have entered her mind! And even though she was a domestic worker she took pride in what she did and wasn't covered in filth all day long as you suggest. She worked hard, made decent money and showered at home! She had lots of stories about people's homes and lives - some people she cleaned for treated her great, others didn't. If they didn't treat her well she would find another job and drop the one she didn't like.Lots of people work manual labor jobs, lots of people sweat at work - they still manage to make it home before they drop trou and jump in the shower.