SINGAPORE: An employer complained that their helper washed their cleaning cloth together with the employer’s clothes multiple times.
“To me, it’s a dusty and dirty cloth. All these different cleaning cloths clean the table, floor, oil, spills, dust, sink, stove etc….can wash with my clothing meh?” the employer wrote on Saturday (Jan 27), taking things to an online group.
To give readers some context, the employer wrote, “This helper in my house washes the cleaning cloth with my laundry clothes again and again. Told her many times not to do that but she keeps telling me she (has) rinsed it already. ‘not dirty anymore…'”
“Need some advice here,” the employer asked. “After cleaning the house with a cleaning cloth, how do you ask your helper to wash it? By hand and air dry it? Or using a washing machine? Or what other mode? With floor rug?”
The employer then asked others in the group how to go about the issue, asking, “How to bring it across to her nicely so that she can understand and remember it? She is testing my patience and I am controlling my anger not to raise my voice at her.
I am very pissed off whenever I unload the dryer and (see) cleaning cloths among my family clothing! Easily more than five times already! Imagine how many times she added extra dirty cleaning cloths into my family laundry washing and I didn’t see it. I want to trust her but she is making it very hard for me to close both eyes.”
The post, which gained much traction in the group, got a mixed response from people. Some agreed that cleaning items should be washed separately.
“No common sense at all,” wrote one. “Even in kampong, we didn’t do (it) like this..so unhygienic. All cleaning cloths must (be) handwashed.”
“Cloth used for cleaning should be washed separately and even in drying it shouldn’t be mixed with the laundry, for hygiene purposes,” wrote another. “This helper should know that. I don’t think she wants her clothes to wash together with the dirty cleaning cloth.”
However, some saw things differently. “I washed it all separately. But I saw my employer wash rugs and hand towels in the kitchen and toilet and bath towels and kitchen cloth together. So I asked her and she said (that) all the bacteria would die in the dryer later. She’s the boss so, I follow her,” wrote one.
Still, another commented, “Everyone has different standards of hygiene for themselves, their family and their home. (The) helper is hired to assist in the home.
(The) employer instructs as necessary what is acceptable hygiene standards in their own home. It’s not for the helper to set her own idea of what’s acceptable in the employer’s home.
If the helper cannot take instructions, it’s very obvious, what needs to be done. Your house, your rules!”
