Down Mulberry Lane

Cleaners came today...again

The cleaners came again today.  This was the confrontation with the boss and the employee.  Very uncomfortable for all involved, I believe.  Dh did all the talking... until he left to get corn when they started to reclean what they had missed.  When they were done, Dh was still gone, so I had to go over it with the boss and what does one say?  Can't you put elbow grease into your cleaning?  The spots we cleaned were still cleaner than what they cleaned.  Apparently professional cleaners don't use elbow grease.  Instead, he saw a couple streaks and fixed them, but admitted it wasn't wonderful and still would need cleaning.  Each spot that was touched up still wasn't good enough to be clean on its own.  When they take you on a quick tour of your own house, it looks better overall, but up close... which I didn't do when they were here, tells a different story.  The hallways steps where the smoke travelled upstairs... has a shelf ceiling where the smoke just rolled over it.  The cleaner said, they got what they could see, but it likely will show more soot in a week as it bleeds out of the paint and I may repeat cleaning once a week for several weeks and hopefully I won't have to paint.  This is the boss talking and how do you fight something they do professionally and we've experienced only once???  I took it as good enough.  Dh saw it and says... pretty pathetic effort, huh?  Of course he has a heavy arm for cleaning, so his cleaning is apparently more than necessary.  We can still see each clean spot in the living room that he did to show them that it wasn't clean enough.  I just sighed and said... well if you say it's as clean as it gets... and I'd walk over to a spot dh cleaned and look and they'd look and say... ya, it's not perfect, but it's better.  ???    They'd take a rag and wipe it to show me it doesn't come off... and it doesn't unless you rub with a little pressure.  I looked at the crew... 2 elderly men (meaning past 50 years old each) and a woman that is just bones and likely 50 yo herself.  They all are sweating and panting from climbing up and down and I just realized it wasn't worth it... they did what they could with an honest effort.  After they left, I cleaned some of the worse spots for about a half hour... and yes, they came off with several strokes over the same spots. 

I guess what bothers me after they left was that the owner and this guy would say... you can see better in different lighting (at night).  But that wasn't the point.  I began to see they were spot cleaning and not doing a systematic cleaning.  Meaning they would have had better luck had they started in one corner and did 1 foot deep and worked across the ceiling and then back again another foot out until it was all touched... not this ... squirt, squirt... got that spot, squirt, squirt... got another spot.  No wonder they leave streaks and spots totally missed. 

As for the confrontation, the owner took me aside when the other two were cleaning and said... this new gal, (they blamed it on her when they first came in and I didn't like it one bit because she cleaned the best!) works for him part time and she was new to the ceiling and floor cleaning... saying she works at his laundromat and she loves to clean houses in general, but this was her first fire to clean up after.   Anyways he says she is wonderful and likely did what she was told to do... wipe it down with sponges.  He said that the crew leader was in error by choosing the dry sponge, vs the wet rag cleaning.  He was basically told that he erred by not checking and that was his job.  He also erred in not telling her to clean with a wet rag...  Anyways, I'm not sure if I failed the test or what... was I supposed to complain about why can DH get the ceilings clean, but you can't?  I don't get why they get paid $5000 to do something poorly and if we do the job right, we don't get paid... because they already paid the cleaners to do it.  Perhaps we were supposed to get ugly and irritable, but as I said earlier, it seemed that physically it was too much for this crew.  (As a nurse, I noticed that and didn't want to push them anymore). 

After the boss left, the crew leader went into a room they said they couldn't clean any further cuz he touched it up already and was touching it up again (and still removing soot from those streaks that I was seeing).   When he came out, he walked out and I believe he would have continued to walk out without saying a word, but I said... Thank you (his name)... and meaning it... I know it was hard to come out and clean a second time with your boss over you.  I didn't say that last part, but that's what I was thinking.  Then he turns to me and says... I apologize for offending you in any way, it wasn't what I meant to do.  You wanted a clean house and your satisfaction is what we desire... now you are satisfied so things turned out alright for everyone.  He turns and walks out.  I just stood there, unsure of how to take the apology.  I am sure that he went and touched up the laundry room just to have time to hang back and give the apology if I gave him opportunity to do so and I did.  

After they left, I had a mixture of feelings.  I felt bad for them all.  I felt upset the house still isn't any cleaner.  I felt angry when I found they had spilled cleaner on our couch and didn't say a word... It is a bit greasy and I hope it comes out of it... right now I have a spot on it.  I feel frustrated that we went through this without any improvement... I was hoping at least one ceiling or one wall would be saved, but no.  It is all still as it was ... in need of something to cover the streaks... or in need of some elbow grease.  The insurance adjuster said to wait on the dining room ceiling to see what the boss could do... and he dabbed at the spot, but it really isn't much cleaner... and I fear the insurance adjuster will say to paint the ceiling cuz they won't pay to replace that room.  That will just look sick, in my opinion... the fancier dining room with flat painted tile and the only tile we can find to replace in the kitchen is designed tile... the tile won't match... the rooms won't blend like they did... I was thinking if they could save the tile, it has a gold fleck in it and I could paint the new ceiling tiles gold to blend the two rooms.  I hate to sound picky, but I really liked the tile that was in there and to see it just carelessly cleaned one day to make it have to be paintable... due to a stubborn employee who felt I should thank him for leaving streaks so I could repaint the house.  UGH. 

So, now we wait for the insurance adjuster to come again so we know where to go from here.  I just wanted to cry after they left today.  Not because of any loss... I can deal with that... in fact it seems it would have been easier if the entire house had burned down... I could live in the camper and life would be stable... I would know what is expected and what is going down, but this shaking up of my life is just hard.  Crying seemed senseless... so instead I did laundry then played in the pool with my girls.  When Dh got home from his offshift (yes he got called after they left) then we unloaded corn for the chickens and got that into the barn.  A full day.  Just keep plugging along.   Perhaps that is part of the point... we can't control everything... but, we have to keep going.  I will be emailing the adjuster our estimates for kitchen repairs tomorrow.  The weather is to be warm this week, but not overly hot.  A good week for cleaning.  *grin* 

FYI:  I've logged 90 hours in cleaning our house as of yet.  My estimate to finish cleaning logs in around 150 hours to go.  That is getting in places that the insurance guy is not wanting to pay... the storage area upstairs and the small tv room, both of which were lightly affected.  He will pay for me to clean the walls, but not ceiling or floors or contents.  That area alone estimates around 50 hours.  There is a LOT of stuff up there that needs to go.  My down time has consisted of these updates and reading.  I'm trying to read down my pile of "to read" books... so that they can leave the house.  My current book I am reading is How to Clean Anything.  Some good ideas, but some eye rolls as well.  I think it was written by a professional cleaner because he says using elbow grease is not a good plan... I laughed... I understand the cleaning when it is lightly dirty... it just seemed to be funny... like using elbow grease is not for "good cleaners".  Seems to be this cleaning company's motto...(no elbow grease) 

Warmly, ~Melissa

Untitled Comment

8:50 AM, July 23, 2008 .. Posted by safords

Just wanted to say: I hope you have a good day today and that you get lots done on the house! I pray it will be over soon.