Help me keep my cleaning person healthy

April 21, 2017 6:50 AM

I'm sick right now. My cleaning person arrives tomorrow. What items should I attack with bleach today to keep the germs away from her?

Full disclosure: I've never used a cleaning service before but decided to take the plunge recently. After reading through a variety of Metafilter threads on tipping etiquette, how much tidying to do ahead of time, etc., I feel like I have a decent handle on the basics of what to expect. My first appointment is scheduled for tomorrow.

However, I'm currently on day 3 of a mild yet unpleasant stomach bug. I would really like to avoid inflicting this illness on the nice person coming to clean my apartment. I'm fortunate to have insurance, paid time off, etc., but I suspect my cleaning person may not have those things. Plus, it's just good manners to not spread plague around.

I'm not feeling fantastic today, but I can muster up the energy to clean a few things. I have a bleach cleanser that I could use to clean doorknobs and the toilet, which I know are usually germ vectors. I don't need my bed made or laundry done, so germs won't get passed from handling pillowcases and such. What else would be reasonable for me to do today? Also, how can I best stay out of the cleaning person's way tomorrow? If today is any indication, it's unlikely I'll be up to leaving the apartment while they're here.

(Also, if the answer is just "reschedule the appointment," I'll keep that under advisement as well.)

posted by Owlcat to Health & Fitness (6 answers total)

I would really like to avoid inflicting this illness on the nice person coming to clean my apartment.

Then you should call them, tell them you're sick, and offer to reschedule. If they clean things for a living they're probably used to this sort of thing and will take necessary precautions if they feel they need to.

I mean, if you're gonna walk around the house bleaching things then you don't really need a cleaning person.

You can also offer to stay out of the way in one room and tell them not to bother cleaning that room.
posted by bondcliff at 6:55 AM on April 21, 2017 [21 favorites]

If you wouldn't take this sickness into an office environment (and I wouldn't), it's equally unfair to ask someone to come and work in an environment where there's a reasonable risk of them coming into contact with it. There is no easy way for you to tell where you've spread this around your living space, and thus no way to mitigate it effectively.

Conserve your own energy when it comes to bleaching and reschedule.
posted by terretu at 6:59 AM on April 21, 2017 [4 favorites]

I've had to do this... four times? I called the service each time, and it's been about half "We'll remember to wear gloves" and half "How about we come next week instead?"
posted by Etrigan at 7:26 AM on April 21, 2017 [3 favorites]

I would combine these answers. Call and offer to reschedule. Do the dishes ahead of time. Hit the toilet, doorknobs, shower, kitchen sink with bleach. When she comes in, ask if she has gloves and maybe a mask.
posted by raisingsand at 7:54 AM on April 21, 2017

Response by poster: I don't have a way to call the person directly; I booked through an app that withholds contact info till the day of cleaning.

I rescheduled. Thanks, all.
posted by Owlcat at 9:40 AM on April 21, 2017 [1 favorite]

Can you get some masks and gloves for the cleaner and you? You've probably been coughing and the germs are widespread. If the cleaner wears gloves and a mask, it would help.
posted by theora55 at 6:23 PM on April 21, 2017