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Helper stained husband's shirts :(((

  1. #9
    elle is offline Registered User
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    Do you use a fabric softner? It IS possible for fabric softener to leave grease-like spots on clothing if it comes into direct contact with the clothes and isn't diluted properly. We've had this problem here using concentrated fabric softners from the US - the disbursement mechanism in washing machines is different here and its easy to use too much. its pretty hard to see the spots while the fabric is wet, but obvious once it is dry.


  2. #10
    dimsum mum is offline Registered User
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    this is very frustrating for you! i suggest you:
    1) supervise your helper doing a load of wash
    2) on her day off do a load yourself and iron ONE shirt, just to narrow down possibilities of what it could be.

    i wouldn't deduct the money from her salary. it is unlikely your dh is doing this on purpose, and in any office i have ever worked in, no employee was asked to replace an item they broke, whether they were printers, computer parts or highlighters ruined because the caps were left off.

    this is very irritating.


  3. #11
    starbucks2 is offline Registered User
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    I agree, very frustrating. But I also wouldn't deduct $ off her salary especially since you cannot 100% rule out another cause. My helper ironed one of my silky tops too hot and melted a hole in it. I was annoyed but did not deduct $ as it was a one off and, to be honest, I could have easily done the same thing by accidentally having the iron on too hot. She now uses a hankerchief for delicate ironing and no further issues so far.


  4. #12
    Honkyblues is offline Registered User
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    Likewise, I wouldn't deduct money - you don't know if it was done through carelessness or was an unavoidable accident or had nothing to do with your helper (eg, leaky iron or problem with washing machine).

    Tell your helper your husband is very cross about the shirts (not you - you're the good guy!) and suggest your helper could try to find out the cause and just be really careful when doing the laundry. Stress that you don't know what happened and suggest your helper try to find out what the problem is. Give her some responsibility.

    At the end of the day, we are lucky to have helpers - we don't pay them the wages of household staff in London or New York. They haven't been to 'butler school' or 'housekeeping school' or 'nanny school'. They are simply human and we all make mistakes. If a couple of ruined shirts are your biggest problem, I think you're pretty lucky. Yes, it's annoying - but it's nothing in the grand scheme of things.

    Remember - don't sweat the small stuff!!!

    ;-)


  5. #13
    HappyV is offline Registered User
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    Does your husband have a new belt? Sometimes a new belt can leave stains on clothing - especially if there is dye on the belt that has not sealed properly. (Just a though given that the stains are somewhat in the same place?)

    I don't think it is reasonable to deduct money - imagine how we would feel about being financially penalised for a mistake where we simply did not kow where the problem had come from......??


  6. #14
    geomum is offline Registered User
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    I will not deduct from her salary of course but just that I need to put across to her that money does not grow on trees. She needs to feel the pinch too every time something gets broken or spoilt due to her carelessness. The problem has come from ironing for sure and she should have been watching while ironing the second time around after I told her to. None of the other clothes have stains so they could not have come from washing machine, detergent or fabric softner. She washes all the clothes, folds them and irons them and hangs in my husband's closet.


  7. #15
    shuchisingh is offline Registered User
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    oil stains from ironing ! .... which iron do you have ?


  8. #16
    geomum is offline Registered User
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    Quote Originally Posted by shuchisingh View Post
    oil stains from ironing ! .... which iron do you have ?
    Can't say they are oil stains but they are oil based. I have a Philips steam Iron.

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