Housecleaner ruined hardwood floor

[connorlevismom]

Just for the record - when I hired her she said all she used was vinegar and water to clean hardwood. That is what I normally use (except I do have a Bona Mop that I use as well) so I guess I never thought about it. She stated (after she had done it and I asked her what happened) that she tried this other product on another home and the lady just LOVED it, so she decided to try it in my home. She did not ask me if she could, she just did. Again, I think that she did it because she thought it would make us happy because this other lady loved it. So I am not mad at her. But she did use a different product other than what she normally uses without asking.

I am not trying to make excuses, just putting it all out there exactly as it happened. I assumed that since she said all she used was vinegar and water, that I would not have to ask her every time she cleaned if that is what she was going to use that day.

 

[kamik86]

Since that's my quote, I'll answer.
I like having a pleasant, trusting relationship with anyone I regularly have in my home. I realize that homes vary in age and in surfaces. It's not much effort for me at all to supply products and make sure the cleaner knows the plan for my home.
Give them a pass for holding them responsible? Gosh, that's just not my style. I see as a team effort to get a good result.

Fair enough. And if you want certain products that does make sense... If I had a cleaner I would do the same as I would want pet friendly items and some smells bother me.

However for a professional cleaner to not know about to clean a surface without damaging it is just irresponsible in my opinion. The homeowner shouldn't have to take the hit for assuming they would know their craft just like any other service should.

I expect the real reason for the disparity is that it is much more reasonable to assume the homeowner would know the product shouldn't be used on the floor, where the homeowner would reasonably not know the details of what was needed for their electrical work, if it was they wouldn't need to hire an electrician.

 

[Hrhpd]

Not all electrical wiring, plumbing, or wall construction is the same either... yet other professionals are expected to meet these standards.


Again this is tue for paint, and electrical work and anything else. There is always varying quality in the products someone who is providing a service could use. The homeowner always has to live with the result.

So what is so special about cleaners that they get a pass where it is unethical to hold them responsible?

Apples to oranges. Electricians, plumbers and other professionals are licensed and have to undergo extensive training and have to prove their mastery of their craft in order to obtain that license.

A housecleaner is not a professional in the sense that they have to pass tests to prove their knowledge of their craft. So, it is up to the consumer to make sure that their housecleaner knows how to take care of their particular product in their homes.

When I have hired a painter, I have always had it in the contract exactly how they were going to prep the surfaces and what type of paint they are going to use. If I had some sort of siding or inside surface that needed special treatment, you bet I am not going to just trust that they know how to paint over it. I am going to make sure proper products are used.

 

[Hrhpd]

Just for the record - when I hired her she said all she used was vinegar and water to clean hardwood. That is what I normally use (except I do have a Bona Mop that I use as well) so I guess I never thought about it. She stated (after she had done it and I asked her what happened) that she tried this other product on another home and the lady just LOVED it, so she decided to try it in my home. She did not ask me if she could, she just did. Again, I think that she did it because she thought it would make us happy because this other lady loved it. So I am not mad at her. But she did use a different product other than what she normally uses without asking.

I am not trying to make excuses, just putting it all out there exactly as it happened. I assumed that since she said all she used was vinegar and water, that I would not have to ask her every time she cleaned if that is what she was going to use that day.

But did you ever say to her "These are engineered wood floors and therefore have specific cleaning needs. The only safe cleaning agents are water and vinegar or Bona cleaning solution. The installer has said that it is not safe to use anything else. Please check with me first if you want to use something else?"

 

[Tiggeroo]

Contractors have addendums in their contract that states if they find additional problems there will be additional charges. Also, they are pulling things apart so it is easier for them to see what they are dealing with. I don't really think you can tell by looking at floors what type of wood they are. Boma is a quality product, not cheap anyway. It is advertised as being for wood floors. It is the product line she had been using in the home previously. Even if she is insured a claim will cost her money in increased premiums that she may not be able to bear. This is not the same as using a metal scrubby on an new stainless steel fridge. If you are getting a home remodeled you talk to the contractor. You discuss what paint and flooring should be used. You choose your cabinets. You show him your existing home blueprints. If needed you hire an engineer. You don't just tell a painter go ahead paint my living room and let him do whatever he feels like.

 

[gwynne]

Fair enough. And if you want certain products that does make sense... If I had a cleaner I would do the same as I would want pet friendly items and some smells bother me.

However for a professional cleaner to not know about to clean a surface without damaging it is just irresponsible in my opinion. The homeowner shouldn't have to take the hit for assuming they would know their craft just like any other service should.

I expect the real reason for the disparity is that it is much more reasonable to assume the homeowner would know the product shouldn't be used on the floor, where the homeowner would reasonably not know the details of what was needed for their electrical work, if it was they wouldn't need to hire an electrician.

JMO-I think you have to consider that many, many products come in a WIDE range of quality. Someone "says" I have hardwoods, but really they have veneers or laminates. New products come on the market every day. The consumer market is very price sensitive. The cheaper stuff is often pretty delicate.....I think it's asking a lot to expect a cleaner to intuitively know everything about each product. Anyway, different strokes.

 

[msjprincess]

You can get very nice clothes at the thrift shop and you can get a nice car used and keep it up meticulously. I would never judge a person by their personal possessions, either rich or poor. My son's friend got a great deal on a used Beemer. It was a bit run down, but his uncle is a mechanic and helped him fix it up. It is an older model, but most people wouldn't know that, they would just see the BMW logo. Doesn't mean he is well off, he is a poor college student.

MTE

My husband drives a Mercedes S500. He got a good deal on it used. It's an older model with low miles. But the average person wou;dn't know that. We are far from well off.

 

[Tiggeroo]

And if she has business liability insurance there is no legal reason to not file a claim. She would be considered a sub contractor, not an employee. You don't have to do anything other then issue a 1099 if you pay over a certain amount in a year. I still bet that when you calm down and think about it, the floor can be cleaned and put back to new. The main draw back to filing a claim is that if she is a small cleaner, just working to pick up a couple hundred bucks a week her deductible is probably pretty high and if her premium increases it probably won't be worth it to keep cleaning. Homeowners might be the better way to go but you probably couldn't tell them you had somebody in your house to do it. Most people don't ask many questions of their cleaner other then price. They don't give them a pay stuff or hold out taxes. They don't ask their legal working status. They don't mention a 1099 because if the cleaner thinks they have to claim that income they would have to charge more. They rarely ask about insurance. The goal in hiring a cleaner is somebody who is good and cheap. Unless it is a big company with employees, or the cleaner has major clients and works 40+ hours a week it is doubtful they are claiming the income.

 

[connorlevismom]

But did you ever say to her "These are engineered wood floors and therefore have specific cleaning needs. The only safe cleaning agents are water and vinegar or Bona cleaning solution. The installer has said that it is not safe to use anything else. Please check with me first if you want to use something else?"

Ummm no - I did not. Like others have said, I assumed if she had been cleaning for 25 years she would know what she is doing. My bad. Also - she cleans a lot of other homes in my neighborhood which are all like mine, with the same floors. So she knows what to use on them, I just think she accidentally used the wrong thing.

 

[connorlevismom]

MTE

My husband drives a Mercedes S500. He got a good deal on it used. It's an older model with low miles. But the average person wou;dn't know that. We are far from well off.

I am not going to get into WHY I know this woman is not low-income. She is not.

 

[connorlevismom]

Contractors have addendums in their contract that states if they find additional problems there will be additional charges. Also, they are pulling things apart so it is easier for them to see what they are dealing with. I don't really think you can tell by looking at floors what type of wood they are. Boma is a quality product, not cheap anyway. It is advertised as being for wood floors. It is the product line she had been using in the home previously. Even if she is insured a claim will cost her money in increased premiums that she may not be able to bear. This is not the same as using a metal scrubby on an new stainless steel fridge. If you are getting a home remodeled you talk to the contractor. You discuss what paint and flooring should be used. You choose your cabinets. You show him your existing home blueprints. If needed you hire an engineer. You don't just tell a painter go ahead paint my living room and let him do whatever he feels like.

No - the cleaner had not been using Bona previously, she had used vinegar and water and told me that is the only thing she used. I, however, have a Bona mop with a Bona cleaning spray that I use in-between cleans. She decided to try this new product in my home because someone else loved it.

I am thinking that she accidentally used the polish and not the cleaner and that is what the issue is. I am pretty sure at this point it can be cleaned, but it sounds like it is going to take A LOT of elbow grease, which she has agreed to do. We have the professional looking at it tonight so we will see what they say. Either way I have learned a lesson here and hopefully so has she.

 

[gwynne]

No - the cleaner had not been using Bona previously, she had used vinegar and water and told me that is the only thing she used. I, however, have a Bona mop with a Bona cleaning spray that I use in-between cleans. She decided to try this new product in my home because someone else loved it.

I am thinking that she accidentally used the polish and not the cleaner and that is what the issue is. I am pretty sure at this point it can be cleaned, but it sounds like it is going to take A LOT of elbow grease, which she has agreed to do. We have the professional looking at it tonight so we will see what they say. Either way I have learned a lesson here and hopefully so has she.

In between the discussion I haven't lost sight of the fact that this is a situation you are working through.
I very much hope there is a good fix for your floors, and they are back to normal soon.

 

[nkereina]

Sorry about the situation OP. I just a built a home as well, and our builder told us a horror story about the cleaning woman they used to use which was always brought in right before the new owner's closed on the property. She used a soaking wet mop on the hardwoods of someone's new house, and almost all of them buckled from the moisture. The builder had to replace most of the hardwood. What a nightmare! I have hardwoods as well and will either use a steam mop on the dust/light steam setting or a water/vinegar combo. I've used a Swiffer Wet Jet in the past but found it left the floors streaky. I have dark hardwoods, so it was very noticeable.

If this were me, I would immediately take photos of the damage as best you can. See if you can find some "before" photos as well. I also wouldn't try anything myself to try and fix it. I'd call a flooring company and have them come out and give an estimate for the repair. You'll probably need this if you go through her insurance. Worst case, if you end up in small claims court, this will come in handy as well. Good luck!

 

[Grlpowers]

When we moved into our house the previous owners had used a waxy product on the laminate floors. I went to lowes and asked what to use to clean it. There is a stripper that will take off the white dull look and make the laminate look like new. I doubt you would have to redo the floors. It took some elbow grease but the waxy substance came up and my floors looked like new.

 

[EMom]

But did you ever say to her "These are engineered wood floors and therefore have specific cleaning needs. The only safe cleaning agents are water and vinegar or Bona cleaning solution. The installer has said that it is not safe to use anything else. Please check with me first if you want to use something else?"

Why should she? The cleaner has been cleaning for years and said she ONLY USED WATER AND VINEGAR to clean such floors. The cleaner was asked, she answered, the OP found the answer acceptable and believed her. The cleaner later decided to try a new product without clearing it with the homeowner. This is no one's fault but the cleaner's. No one's.

 

[wishesuponastar]

No - the cleaner had not been using Bona previously, she had used vinegar and water and told me that is the only thing she used. I, however, have a Bona mop with a Bona cleaning spray that I use in-between cleans. She decided to try this new product in my home because someone else loved it.

I am thinking that she accidentally used the polish and not the cleaner and that is what the issue is. I am pretty sure at this point it can be cleaned, but it sounds like it is going to take A LOT of elbow grease, which she has agreed to do. We have the professional looking at it tonight so we will see what they say. Either way I have learned a lesson here and hopefully so has she.[/QUOT

That sounds promising that the floors can be cleaned back to normal with a lot of elbow grease. Good luck OP!

 

[GaryDis]

other then issue a 1099 if you pay over a certain amount in a year

Nitpick alert: You would never issue a 1099 unless running a business out of your home. Either the person is a household employee or isn't. A household employee receives a W-2. An independent contractor will get a 1099-MISC when working for other businesses, but when hiring an independent contractor for personal purposes (such as home cleaning, home painting, etc.), there's no obligation to issue a 1099-MISC, and while not technically illegal, I consider it a bad idea for various reasons.

 

[Tiggeroo]

Nitpick alert: You would never issue a 1099 unless running a business out of your home. Either the person is a household employee or isn't. A household employee receives a W-2. An independent contractor will get a 1099-MISC when working for other businesses, but when hiring an independent contractor for personal purposes (such as home cleaning, home painting, etc.), there's no obligation to issue a 1099-MISC, and while not technically illegal, I consider it a bad idea for various reasons.

Thanks. I know I would never issue a 1099 to a contractor doing periodic or one time work in my home, no matter the cost I figured a weekly cleaner would be different. So you have no legal obligation for the way you handle paying a cleaner who comes to your home once a week or 2x a month? I have heard of issues where home owners who paid cleaners got into trouble for not withholding. I figure you would not withhold from the pay of a self employed person.

 

[focusondisney]

Just for the record - when I hired her she said all she used was vinegar and water to clean hardwood. That is what I normally use (except I do have a Bona Mop that I use as well) so I guess I never thought about it. She stated (after she had done it and I asked her what happened) that she tried this other product on another home and the lady just LOVED it, so she decided to try it in my home. She did not ask me if she could, she just did. Again, I think that she did it because she thought it would make us happy because this other lady loved it. So I am not mad at her. But she did use a different product other than what she normally uses without asking.

I am not trying to make excuses, just putting it all out there exactly as it happened. I assumed that since she said all she used was vinegar and water, that I would not have to ask her every time she cleaned if that is what she was going to use that day.

I give you a lot of credit for not being mad & accepting that she was trying to pleas you. I don't think I would be. So many cleaning products instruct you to test in an inconspicuous place. At the very least, she should have done that. I really think it comes down to her responsibility- you apparently agreed for her to use vinegar & water & she then used something else without asking. If her intentions were to surprise you, she has to take responsibility for her mistake. Which she apparently is doing. Good luck. I hope the professional has some good news for you.

 

[focusondisney]

But would you take your brand new, expensive car to some unknown car mechanic without checking to see if they use the proper parts for your new expensive car? Of course not. You would make sure you went to a mechanic that used the proper parts for your model of car. Same for the homeowner. It doesn't sound like the homeowner made the housecleaner aware or provided the proper cleaning agents for her particular model of new floors.

If I recall correctly from what our installer told us, cleaners that are safe on hardwood floors are not necessarily safe on engineered floors and vice versa due to the different construction methods.

Well, if I had been taking my car to the same shop repeatedly, know what products they use & am satisfied with the results I would expect the same service, products & results to be repeated. If the shop suddenly changed products & service in an attempt to surprise me & instead ruined my car, yea, the shop is responsible, not me.