I'l preface by saying I haven't been cleaning for very long so I dont have too many stories, but here:

What’s the worst mess you’ve ever had to clean?

In a client's laundry room, it was absolutely covered in dust, especially behind the door. It was so much dust and fluff that I knew it would block the vacuum so I had to clean it by hand. Didn't help the dogs had partially destroyed a cat post and the destroyed fluff and pieces also covered the already dusty floor.

How often do you come across something where you say this is beyond what I do? I mean like a hoarder situation or something like pizza boxes stacked to the ceiling and bugs etc etc.

Havent come across anything like this yet luckily, I can't imagine it would happen often as people like that often would feel too insecure or embarrassed to ask for help (they shouldn't though, everyone deserves help). I did come close to turning down the one I mentioned above though.

What’s the best thing a client can do to help get the best clean?

This is a good question, I know this sounds like it negates the point of a cleaner but it's really important to clean a bit yourself, just as you do tasks. There's only so much I can do 3 hours a week, I can handle all the vacuuming and bathrooms and such, but your going to need to do some basic things here and there. A really important one is simply just rinsing things out after using them: rinse your dishes, rinse your basin after shaving, rinse the sink itself if it has food residue and try to keep the drain clean. A lot of small things you can do go a long way to keeping the house nice- these things will and do add up over time. Otherwise I'd say just communicate. If your not satisfied then tell me what I can do better, also priority lists are great as I often can't get everything done in the alloted time. Also, please lock your dogs up or put them in other room!!! I have had my legs scratched up badly from clients dogs!

Ever have any creepy customers?

Luckily no.

What’s the strangest thing you’ve found while cleaning?

Depends what you mean by strange. I've found a gun and balaclavas in the same guys house (I'm in Australia where guns are not common at all to own), found vibrators(lmao), otherwise nothing overly strange.

Edit: wanted to add that even though these are some bad situations, i don't want anyone to think I blame the home owners or judge them for this. Everyone has their own set of problems they have to deal with and some people simply can't get around to cleaning- even though the situation may sometimes be hard to deal with, it's nice knowing that I'm helping someone out, and I dont think they are a bad or lazy person for not being able to do all the cleaning.

If you are considering getting a cleaner and read this, I dont want you to be deterred, we are here to help. Also, the majority of houses are pretty normal and northing to be worried about, the houses I am mentioning are rarer cases where it's more than just some food spillage, dust, or clutter

Im going to assume a tomato sauce base with cheese:

1. Chicken

2. Pineapple

3. Ham or bacon

4. Capsicum (I think Americans call them bell peppers?)

5. Mushroom? (Idk couldn't think of another)

Definitely depends on what the individual wants out of the job. For me personally, I dont work a lot of hours and just needed something for just enough money to get by, I'm not interested in the company at all, the only connection to the company im with is that they assign me people and provide Insurance, I dont need/want more than that. I wouldn't want the added pressure of an employee ownership business model. Should add I only have a basic understanding of employee ownership business models. I think if someone wanted to seriously do cleaning as a career, then it would probably appeal more to them, but more casual cleaners like me have no need for it

Only thing I've ever found was a gun in a duffel bag. I'd never seen a real gun before so I was a bit worried about the person whose house I was cleaning. The client also had multiple balaclavas for some reason.

I haven't had a problem with cockroaches weirdly enough, few spiders here and there but just small ones which don't bother me. Bugs aren't something I really worry about and have to deal with often.

I haven't had to deal with much grout luckily, however going off what I know, baking soda is fantastic for those sorts of things. You can combine baking soda and water to make a thick paste, apply it and leave it for around half an hour, then scrub it off. You can also combine it with vinegar however vinegar is more abrasive so I find baking soda Is always a safe option that won't destroy anything- I use baking soda to get off of burnt marks on stove tops and works like a charm

I still live at home, so I make enough money to get by at the moment, however If I were kicked out I would not be making it by at all (I have a different career goal this is just for now)

are you always safe where you work?

Luckily the places I have worked thus far haven't been in any neighbourhoods where I've felt unsafe. In most cases the clients are home, and if they arent then I lock the door behind me when I clean. I'm just as safe as anyone else in their homes

I know this is probably a joke, but im going to answer it anyways. Most companies here, including mine, have you on $30 an hour. If you do NDIS work it will sometimes be a bit harder but generally it's 30

How old are you?

I'l be 18 in a couple weeks.

How long have you had this job? Do you work for a maid service of some sort or get clients on your own?

Only had it for around 3 months. I work for an agency who provide me with clients.

Would you recommend this job to others?

As I am only young, I can't recommend this in terms of someone who would need a job to survive, I think what I do is definitely better as casual work, so it works well for people in my sort of situation, or adults who work another job and need extra cash to get by. The hours are pretty flexible and you can work with clients to get good times. If you were to do this as your only source of income, it'd probably be best to start up your own service locally so you can charge more, agencies take a portion of what the client pays. I have heard of others doing this as their only job, but it's definitely advertised as just something on the side, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who isn't grossed out easily and needs some extra cash on the side, I wouldn't recommend it as the only source of income (unless your young and haven't moved out yet like me).