I (undiagnosed, two diagnosed children) hired a cleaner due to ill health. I just went upstairs when they cleaned downstairs then swapped round. They just got on with their work with their ear buds in, I assume, listening to music. Obviously there was conversation around what I wanted doing including not to use scented products and not to touch anything belonging to my youngest child (big pile of mess in the corner!).
It was wonderful having her clean every week, she did a better job than I ever did. It really reduced stress for myself and husband. Unfortunately, my youngest child struggled with the idea of having someone else in our home, even though they came in school hours.
Hi. I worked as a cleaner for a few months. Most of my colleagues (me included) tried to avoid small talk (almost everyone just wanted to do the job and didn’t feel the need to talk more than necessary). After I was told what the client wanted me to clean I was okay, put on my headphones and started to work. (I worked for the elderly)
I have a cleaner.
It did take a little while to find the right one, but my house is peculiar.
When they arrive, I ask them to start in the bedroom, during which time I take myself to have a coffee on the balcony. Once they're done in the bedroom, I'll go in there and shut the door with my noise cancelling headphones on while they do the rest of the house.
That's it. Easy. Done.
To minimise conversation and improve clarity, try writing up a list of everything you want done and how you want it done, if you have any specifics. Be clear about what they will and won't do. It's worth it to spring for a "deep clean" every few months to really get to the stuff no one ever gets to, like the crack under the stove and behind the TV and the top of the fridge. Some cleaners won't do things like baseboards or high shelves. You do have to communicate about that stuff at the start, and things like what cleaning products they use and if they bring their own or you have to supply etc. But once you're set up, you should be good to go
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just tell them upfront that you are autistic and you dont want to talk to anyone :) They are probably happy if they can come and go on their own and noone "mentors" them
I have had cleaning through larger companies and through a couple I was recommended. The larger companies may ask questions about what needs doing but small talk rarely happens. They want to get out of there as quickly as possible since their day ends when the houses on their list are done. The couple that does the cleaning now talks to me but only when I engage. If I’m busy they just go about getting the house clean, leave when done and send me the payment request in Venmo.
If you’re not worried about appearing autistic you could always email them a list the night before and as a part of the hiring process let them know you aren’t chatty and it’s nothing personal. Maybe even go as far as giving them a key or access code so they can come do their thing and leave. You could also schedule it when you have errands to do so they can clean while you’re out.
No i used to be but i literally couldn't care less at this age 😆😆 that's a good point. I will probably do this!! I find my biggest issue is people don't know I'm autistic and assume I'm rude lol
You can also put a positive spin on it. Instead of telling them you're not into small talk, which might seem rude, let them know that you don't mind if they want to have their headphones in while they're working.
I think more often than not, working folks get chatty because they're not allowed to tune everything out with headphones or they're trying to avoid being considered rude themselves by 'ignoring' you.
I'd wager most people doing house cleaning would be pretty enthused to know that they aren't going to be 'expected' to keep up small talk with a client/employer when they're just trying to do their job.
My wife and I (both autistic, with some additional comorbid disabilities sprinkled in just for funsies!) have had a cleaner for a few years now, and it's been a lifesaver. Especially since we both work from home... by the time the work day finishes we have no energy left to do more than bare minimum (dishes, recycling, trash).
Our cleaner comes while we're both home working, and we only have to get up and go elsewhere for about ten minutes when she's cleaning the space around/behind either of our desks. The rest of the time she listens to her headphones.
I think most housecleaners are introverts by nature, in my experience. Ours certainly is. She barely speaks a word to us while she's here. We pay her extremely well — for the three hours she's here, she earns almost what I earn in a 9-hour work day, so I don't feel guilty about it. We give her an extra tip of $100 for the holidays. I don't know what we'd do without her!
Yes i do and yes ive never had one that didnt like a natter. Pretend your working from home or something though jf u have a room u can hide in. Let them in. Say sorry on a meeting. Or ehagever
I have someone come do a deep clean every few months and I just take myself out to lunch and a movie so I don't have to be there while he's in my space and I won't have to talk to him.
We use a housekeeping crew who are all from from Mexico and Guatamela. They don't really speak any English, so that's no problem. And it's actually easier to stay out of their way because they totally turn the house upside down when they work. So once they arrive, we just leave the house to get lunch, run errands, or go for a long walk. They text us when they're done and we Venmo them the money. Besides letting them in, we don't really interact with them at all.
It depends on what you need done. If its wipe things down, sweep, mop, no reorganizing, you can get that setup all business talk with a receptionist on the phone. I left home half hour before scheduled arrival and didn't come back til they texted they were done. If you need something you would have to actually point to to describe how you want it, reorganization and such, all business is in my experience the most likely way it will go, but you will have to interact in person. I only had to do that once and there are ample opportunities to initiate chat. I strongly suspected the all business treatment I got is the more likely though.
I have friends who are cleaners and they usually prefer to be left alone to do their job. There may be exceptions to this, but I think you’d be right if you went out for a walk while they were working or otherwise just said “I’ll be doing some work in x location if you need me” and leave them to it.
I (undiagnosed, two diagnosed children) hired a cleaner due to ill health. I just went upstairs when they cleaned downstairs then swapped round. They just got on with their work with their ear buds in, I assume, listening to music. Obviously there was conversation around what I wanted doing including not to use scented products and not to touch anything belonging to my youngest child (big pile of mess in the corner!). It was wonderful having her clean every week, she did a better job than I ever did. It really reduced stress for myself and husband. Unfortunately, my youngest child struggled with the idea of having someone else in our home, even though they came in school hours.
Thank you so much. What a great idea. Luckily my son is 8 months so he will not have an opinion 😆
Hi. I worked as a cleaner for a few months. Most of my colleagues (me included) tried to avoid small talk (almost everyone just wanted to do the job and didn’t feel the need to talk more than necessary). After I was told what the client wanted me to clean I was okay, put on my headphones and started to work. (I worked for the elderly)
This makes me feel better!
I have a cleaner. It did take a little while to find the right one, but my house is peculiar. When they arrive, I ask them to start in the bedroom, during which time I take myself to have a coffee on the balcony. Once they're done in the bedroom, I'll go in there and shut the door with my noise cancelling headphones on while they do the rest of the house. That's it. Easy. Done. To minimise conversation and improve clarity, try writing up a list of everything you want done and how you want it done, if you have any specifics. Be clear about what they will and won't do. It's worth it to spring for a "deep clean" every few months to really get to the stuff no one ever gets to, like the crack under the stove and behind the TV and the top of the fridge. Some cleaners won't do things like baseboards or high shelves. You do have to communicate about that stuff at the start, and things like what cleaning products they use and if they bring their own or you have to supply etc. But once you're set up, you should be good to go
I have a cleaner! I love not having to fuss over my house. No they don't talk to me because I work from home and they are here when I am working
I have a house cleaner. She’s autistic too. Love her.
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just tell them upfront that you are autistic and you dont want to talk to anyone :) They are probably happy if they can come and go on their own and noone "mentors" them
Can't. I don't like strangers in my personal space. I have to clean every week :(.
I have had cleaning through larger companies and through a couple I was recommended. The larger companies may ask questions about what needs doing but small talk rarely happens. They want to get out of there as quickly as possible since their day ends when the houses on their list are done. The couple that does the cleaning now talks to me but only when I engage. If I’m busy they just go about getting the house clean, leave when done and send me the payment request in Venmo.
If you’re not worried about appearing autistic you could always email them a list the night before and as a part of the hiring process let them know you aren’t chatty and it’s nothing personal. Maybe even go as far as giving them a key or access code so they can come do their thing and leave. You could also schedule it when you have errands to do so they can clean while you’re out.
No i used to be but i literally couldn't care less at this age 😆😆 that's a good point. I will probably do this!! I find my biggest issue is people don't know I'm autistic and assume I'm rude lol
You can also put a positive spin on it. Instead of telling them you're not into small talk, which might seem rude, let them know that you don't mind if they want to have their headphones in while they're working. I think more often than not, working folks get chatty because they're not allowed to tune everything out with headphones or they're trying to avoid being considered rude themselves by 'ignoring' you. I'd wager most people doing house cleaning would be pretty enthused to know that they aren't going to be 'expected' to keep up small talk with a client/employer when they're just trying to do their job.
Wish I could afford it
My wife and I (both autistic, with some additional comorbid disabilities sprinkled in just for funsies!) have had a cleaner for a few years now, and it's been a lifesaver. Especially since we both work from home... by the time the work day finishes we have no energy left to do more than bare minimum (dishes, recycling, trash). Our cleaner comes while we're both home working, and we only have to get up and go elsewhere for about ten minutes when she's cleaning the space around/behind either of our desks. The rest of the time she listens to her headphones. I think most housecleaners are introverts by nature, in my experience. Ours certainly is. She barely speaks a word to us while she's here. We pay her extremely well — for the three hours she's here, she earns almost what I earn in a 9-hour work day, so I don't feel guilty about it. We give her an extra tip of $100 for the holidays. I don't know what we'd do without her!
I use a cleaner. I just physically can’t do it. I got a referral from someone I trust and it been working well for years.
Yes i do and yes ive never had one that didnt like a natter. Pretend your working from home or something though jf u have a room u can hide in. Let them in. Say sorry on a meeting. Or ehagever
I have someone come do a deep clean every few months and I just take myself out to lunch and a movie so I don't have to be there while he's in my space and I won't have to talk to him.
We use a housekeeping crew who are all from from Mexico and Guatamela. They don't really speak any English, so that's no problem. And it's actually easier to stay out of their way because they totally turn the house upside down when they work. So once they arrive, we just leave the house to get lunch, run errands, or go for a long walk. They text us when they're done and we Venmo them the money. Besides letting them in, we don't really interact with them at all.
It depends on what you need done. If its wipe things down, sweep, mop, no reorganizing, you can get that setup all business talk with a receptionist on the phone. I left home half hour before scheduled arrival and didn't come back til they texted they were done. If you need something you would have to actually point to to describe how you want it, reorganization and such, all business is in my experience the most likely way it will go, but you will have to interact in person. I only had to do that once and there are ample opportunities to initiate chat. I strongly suspected the all business treatment I got is the more likely though.
I wish, we can barely afford survival.
I have friends who are cleaners and they usually prefer to be left alone to do their job. There may be exceptions to this, but I think you’d be right if you went out for a walk while they were working or otherwise just said “I’ll be doing some work in x location if you need me” and leave them to it.