Maid Service might be stealing things...what are my options? (hired, clean)

[bmwguydc]

That's a difficult one, since it begs the question, why would they risk stealing something like an iPod cable that has little monetary value? I would change services, and look for one who only employs people who are bonded, and insured. I also detest services that just send a wagon or van to a residence, whether or not the people have been there before, since it's easier to have a lack of quality control over the cleaning job, and where stuff gets misplaced, since some may not have been to the house before.

I had one cleaning service where the lady was so fastidious that things were put away where I'd not find them -- though it seemed logical to her. My solution was to place a basket on the counter and anything that was out, and should not be was put in it. That way, things like fountain pen converters, cables, camera chargers, etc. that are easily lost were not placed in a drawer, one of which I swear is a portal to another dimension because things enter and never return.

I am assuming that you don't have a cat, since in my experience, they have a tendency to like iPod connectors, especially since they can smack the end that goes into the iPod on the counter or floor when flipping the cable in the air.

If the missing items are priced similarly to the missing cable, I would just chalk it up to a hassle and move forward. It's incredibly difficult to prove anything, and the items might be too generic such that it would be next to impossible to prove that a given cable was yours. Frustrating, yes, but there's probably little that can be done, aside from firing the company.

[EJHJ]

I have a cute little japanese toy cat on my kitchen counter near the sink (to make me laugh). My new cleaning lady "moved" it to the other end of the house, behind some photo frames in a dark area of a passage way! I found it by chance. But I think they do that because if you don't find it and ask her about it next time, she will find it. If you don't ask about it, she will take it away.
I had a similar experience in Europe when I had a baby and a cleaning lady put some baby clothes behind a piece of furniture. I searched for them because I did not have a lot of clothes and found them. But I think she did the same thing. If the baby clothes had been left there two or three weeks, they would have "gone"

[statecollege]

Have you tried asking the maids where they may have put the charger?

[slim04]

Originally Posted by bmwguydc

That's a difficult one, since it begs the question, why would they risk stealing something like an iPod cable that has little monetary value?

You'd be surprised what gets stolen. I have a friend that owns a B&B and they said probably the item that gets stolen more than anything is cosmetics. I had no idea that brand name lipstick costs $30 or more and lots of maids can't afford such a luxury and don't think it is a big deal to steal.

[saganista]

Most services are entirely reputable, and most of the maids need the job badly enough not to risk it for nickel and dime stuff. If one crew starts getting cancellations over suspiciously missing items, it won't take long for the axe to come down somewhere. Keep in mind also that crews may do up to 50 houses in a two-week cycle, and not always the same ones either, as this place cancels a session while on vacation and the other one needs an extra session prior to having people in. In any case, there is no way they can remember where everything goes in every house every time they clean. I figure 15 minutes of follow-up will be needed when I get home, but it's sometimes less. Far more important I think are the 15 minutes in the morning to put things of actual value out of the way. Jewelry is obvious, but anything you'd have to ask to have a case unlocked in order to purchase down at the CVS or whatever would also qualify. Even like a spare printer cartridge. That's my rule of thumb anyway. It isn't that I don't trust the crew -- they've been coming for years. It's that I don't want them to have even the temptation to think about something while they are here. Sort of doing them a favor as much as me...

[South Jersey Styx]

The cleaning service probably put the chord in a nearby drawer or container. i suspect that they move very quickly when they clean and basically "sweep" the miscellaneous items and deposit them into some nearby open space, regardless of importance to the owner.

Charging cords are a pet-peeve of mine also. I don't like seeing them laying around unattended and plugged in. However, our family has one central place for these things. There is a console in the foyer with separated compartments (like the kind in china hutches for spoons and forks) and each family member has one. This is where we putting charging cords, sunglasses, digital cameras, spare car keys, and other important stuff.

Or, as bmwguydc suggested, have an empty basic or bin nearby where they can put the stuff.

[Nancy in Nokomis]

Better to clean your own house - its good exercise.

I always worry they will come to clean my home with rags and scrubbers they used in the last home and picked up God know what type of germs.

[Denton56]

Why would they steal something like that? I'll bet they put in it a drawer to tidy up the place and to get it out of the way. No way they'd steal something sitting in plain sight and worth next to nothing.

[greatblueheron]

I realized my maid service had stolen pieces of collectible jewelry over a period of months. (in a closet, in a chest and the chest covered with blanket). Since they were the ONLY people in my home (live alone) and no one had been upstairs except them, I did call the cops. Detective reported that the only hope would be for one of the items to show up at a pawn shop etc so they could prove where it came from....but I did not have gold etc it was just collectible pieces and a lot of silver so that fizzled.

They have a slick way of working and can work in rings, cops told me. They take only a little at a time; sometimes they hide it like the other poster mentioned, then if you ask them about it, they produce it saying they found it! If you do not mention it, then they take it. My mom's maid was sick once and mom visited her...she found HER OWN HAND-MADE ITEMS ON THE WALL of this dear maid we had for years.....OMG

The maids I used were helpful, smiling and tho they spoke Spanish, we interacted a lot. I gave them good tips with gifts at Christmas etc. It was not only sad to lose my stuff, but personally so disappointing. They were fired of course. (or the agency)

Cops say they are quite adept, take things that might seem odd to you; often items are whisked away to be sold in different cities. They know what is valuable-took the most expensives pieces, the silver made in Mexico and even a silver rosary! (staunch Catholics weren't they? ) I remember thinking when they brought in big bags of cloths etc for cleaning: they could put a lot of stuff in those bags I would never know

So trust your instincts-I would go the cam route if I ever have a maid again.

[Teebyrd86]

This has always been a fear of mine, even though I dont own any REAL valuable things. I think I will just stick to cleaning the pad myself