Worst Job Ever

We've all had them. Yep, it's those jobs we've had or have that cause us to groan just thinking about them. Life threw our family a curve ball last year and I needed a job ... fast. Friends of mine own a cleaning company and were looking for help in the office and, Hey, I have experience working in an office. It's a win-win. Except..... more often than not, I'm out cleaning. I HATE CLEANING. Always have. Growing up, my parents cleaned a bingo hall for a little extra money. That's fine except my sister and I had to come along .... and help. Most of it wasn't bad but the bathrooms .... Let's just say the elderly don't always manage to hit their target. It was enough to make me gag and refuse to clean bathrooms. (just ask my college roommate). So now I am cleaning other people's homes. Some aren't bad. Some are well maintained. Others are complete pig stys. In the office, I talk to customers who get mad because we have sent a new team to their house and, to quote, "They are not my kind!" Yes, I have some that actually complain because we have sent non-English speaking employees to their home. On the other hand, we have clients who prefer non- Enlish speaking teams --- so they don't have to have a conversation with them. I am asked if all the clients homes are for rich people. That is the misconception. Sure, there are quite a few super-sized homes that we clean. But the question should be whether those homes are maintained in between cleans. The truth of the matter is some are, some are not. Having money does not make people organized or self-sufficient. Neither does not having money. The homes I don't mind cleaning are for our clients who are elderly or sick or handicapped. These are the people who truly need the help and are more often than not, grateful for the extra hand on the duties they can no longer do themselves. But there are those other homes, where we may clean on a regular basis, but they do absolutely nothing in between to help themselves. The kitchens which are spotless when we leave, are covered in spaghetti sauce, crumbs, and various other food the very next week we come. There are parents who are not teaching their children the importance of cleaning up after themselves; picking up toys, clothes, food items. They leave it for the maids to do for them. Pure laziness as far as I'm concerned. Today I was sent to an empty apartment. Our job was do wash everything down because the elderly tenant was gone and his son (or grandson, not sure) was going to move in. I walked in and wanted to cry. The apartment was small (thankfully) I'd estimate not more than 500 square feet total, but disgustingly dirty. Years worth of cobwebs hung from the ceiling and walls. Dust and dirt covered the baseboards and cabinets. I've cleaned some neglected places before but not like this. My teammate and I did our best in 4 1/2 hours, but in the end, I refused to do the toilet bowl as it was so black inside I didn't know what health hazards I'd be facing. In the midst of wanting to quit my job all together (remember I took an office job, not the cleaning) I truly felt sorry for the man who had lived there. Not knowing his health issues or his age, I do know he was neglected by his family who ALLOWED him to live in such filth. Obviously they live close enough that one of them wants to take over the apartment. I can honestly say I'm glad the family member who called us to do the clean was not in attendance today. While I can be very tactful, I think I would have had a difficult time not expressing my opinions of their apparent disregard for family. No, it's not the first time I've seen it. I've cleaned a kitchen in a home that had not been cleaned in six years. I only cleaned the kitchen because that is all I had time to do in the 2-hour time limit we had. That woman had us come in because someone cared enough to buy a gift certificate for her. We did what we could in that time, but I know that unless she finds the money to have us come back,... or family to come in to help, her house will get to the point where it will be better off to condemn than clean. Just last month, with 3 feet of snow on the ground, I had a rat run across my foot as I walked up to the entrance of a home. Yes, this is the worst job I've ever had. But it's a paycheck right now. Is it building character? I don't know about that. But when it comes to the expression "What doesn't kill you will make you stronger" I have to add "Hey Doc, when was my last tetanus shot?" So that's my worst job story. How about you?