Cleaner stealing things..?

fluffnutter

I had a cleaner for a while. She was a friend of mine. She nicked loads of my old childhood books. I was in her daughter's bedroom once saying goodnight and I saw them all on her shelf. I know they were mine because I used to have a nerdy way of sticking stickers on them when I was younger (I had a Dewey decimal/librarian obsession for a while ) and you could still see all the stickers.

I'm ashamed to admit I didn't tackle her about it but I did ditch her as a friend (she stopped cleaning for me by then).

mummyoftwomonkeys

is your husband around when the cleaner is? does she know that you know this stuff is missing? could you have a chat with your husband in front of her saying something like "I think I will get those rings cleaned tomorrow" or oh darling could you get me those vouchers later Im going to spend some of them Ive seen something for the baby" something along those lines, you never know she may have a prang of guilt and put them back or you could judge her reaction? I had some money stolen out of my bedroom by my brothers friend one christmas and I know how awful it feels :-( let us know how things go x

Nicki

pimento wrote: »

I don't think I would ever have a cleaner. I work full time and manage to keep my four bed house clean so I'd have no trouble with a two bed flat.

Congratulations :cool:

OP - it isn't really up to you to prove that the cleaner has been stealing, though obviously if you do have any hard evidence of this that will help. A theft of £400 and jewellery worth £800 is fairly significant though, and I would expect the police to be interested in tracing that via John Lewis and local jewellers, and also to take an interest in anyone who had access to your home, which would include the decorators as well as the cleaners. Not sure how pregnant you are, but at any stage of pregnancy I wouldn't have needed the hassle, so personally I'd just turn the whole thing over to them to investigate.

fluffnutter

pimento wrote: »

I don't think I would ever have a cleaner. I work full time and manage to keep my four bed house clean so I'd have no trouble with a two bed flat.

Perhaps T-Sil just doesn't like cleaning and would rather pay someone else to do it. Up to her innit. I think the whole idea of you should/shouldn't do your own cleaning is a bit divisive personally and far too easily used as a way to berate women.

thegirlintheattic

pimento wrote: »

I don't think I would ever have a cleaner. I work full time and manage to keep my four bed house clean so I'd have no trouble with a two bed flat.

Good for you. Doesn't help the OP does it?

Aimless

Would it work if you said that some things have got misplaced during the decorating, and instead of the next cleaning session could she help you do a thorough search? Maybe add if the vouchers don't turn up you'll have to get onto the shop and see if they can cancel them. Don't mention you haven't got the codes of course, let her think they're traceable.

pimento

Maybe not, but I haven't had my jewellery and my money nicked.

pimento

fluffnutter wrote: »

I think the whole idea of you should/shouldn't do your own cleaning is a bit divisive personally and far too easily used as a way to berate women.

No beration required casa pimento, Mr. pimento does the cleaning.

maypole

Aimless wrote: »

Would it work if you said that some things have got misplaced during the decorating, and instead of the next cleaning session could she help you do a thorough search? Maybe add if the vouchers don't turn up you'll have to get onto the shop and see if they can cancel them. Don't mention you haven't got the codes of course, let her think they're traceable.

Great solution. :beer: Very diplomatic, I would, go with this. But just don't over egg it otherwise she might suspect what you are doing.

Nicki

pimento wrote: »

Maybe not, but I haven't had my jewellery and my money nicked.

I am sure all this makes the pregnant and already upset OP feel tons better :cool:

Shall we all just agree that you are a far superior person to us mere mortals, and get on with helping OP with what she has asked?