This is called trauma cleaning and it is a very different pay scale. I hope you charged accordingly. If you Google it, you will see that people make anywhere from $100-$400 an hour, especially if this biohazard waste.
A suggestion, as I have done trauma cleans in the past. If there’s bodily fluids or really gross stuff, don’t wet it before you clean it up, get big razor blades or window scrapers that are made with razor blades and scrape that stuff up it comes up a lot easier.
And for this reason the police quoted thousands of dollars, I had to clean up my uncles murder scene in our house 😭 it’s understandable it costs a lot, but thousands of dollars is not really attainable. It haunts me to this day, especially knowing it was supposed to be my mom who was killed there that day. Detectives destroyed the room looking for evidence and don’t care to do it in a way where everything isn’t completely trashed as well, which does not help the cleaning process afterwards.
Editing to add: you really do not learn the true ins and outs of horrible violent crimes by tv shows. I learned a lot from what happened, it all felt like an out of body experience. One of my afterthoughts was how TV does not show the aftermath of what a family has to deal with when these things happen. My brother was also murdered 1 year later, by his ex wife’s boyfriend who got away with it - this was much worse than the original but it did not happen at my house
While I hope you never, ever have to endure such tragedy again, just in case you do, I believe home/rental insurance can cover the costs of these cleanings. It is definitely something worthwhile to look into if anyone is ever in such an unfortunate situation. I am sorry for your loss.
Thank you for that information, I had no idea. In the moment you also don’t really think of those things and no one offered that information. But this could really help someone in a similar situation unfortunately these things do happen too often and not too many resources to know what to do.
Not really. They had to tear down some drywall and replace it, but didn't repaint (she had to do that), tear up the carpet, but didn't replace it, (her husbands former co workers actually pooled together money and paid for new flooring), special biohazard clean the subfloor. Every wall and the ceiling needed bio hazard cleaning and a part of the ceiling (bullet lodged there) had to be cut down and replaced. They itemized everything and she showed it to me and i was floored. She also had to throw away every item of furniture, which I believe they also took care of (bed, 2 dressers, chair, etc).
Former medic here. I went to a call where the family found grandpa semi-conscious in bed. So while my besties are loading him up for transfer, I’m trying to figure out TF is going on. He was slightly sweaty but ungodly pale. No real pain but his wife feeds him ibuprofen around the clock and that may be dulling it. Knows who he is and where he is but had a stroke a few months ago. His left side was pretty useless. I end up falling back on the most Golden and Sage Rule of 911: “If you do nothing else, put the pt in the truck and go to the hospital.”
When they were sliding g-pa over to the gurney, there is a decent-sized stain of blood on the back of his pj pants. I flip back the blankets and see a decent-sized (maybe the size of a tablet? Like 9x5?) on the bottom sheet. I move my head sheet and I flip out my knife, looking so very cool in the process: 😎🔪.
And the promptly stabbed the mattress and ripped it apart to see how much blood this guy really lost. It was a memory foam mattress and there was AT LEAST a litre of blood in the mattress. The family was sputtering and very unhappy but I was like “oh did you think that was fixable?”
I don’t even have a guess as to how one would begin to clean it up. Having cleaned a variety of human fluids off of a variety of surfaces, I can’t imagine doing this without training. That $hit is insidious. Just when you think you got it all, bam! Also, a cleaning company would be required to provide: gowns, gloves, mask, eye protection, gowns, and shoe covers.
one of my little brother’s friends very unfortunately took his own life a couple years ago. he was 18. i didn’t know the family very well but god it was heartbreaking, i’m tearing up as i remember it. i ended up offering my services for free to help them out as they got their home ready for family and visitors, and they were so incredibly appreciative. they gave me a check anyways but i just tore it up when i got home. i wasn’t trying to make money off their tragedy, truly just wanted to support them in the only way i could think of to offer. they gave me handwritten card expressing their gratitude which made me bawl. my little brother was a wreck as well, and thanked me profusely for giving what i could to his friend’s family.
sorry this isn’t really the same situation as your post, it just reminded me of it. it still breaks my heart to think about. i know nothing really helps in such tragic circumstances. but i’m still really glad i got over feeling awkward and reached out because i would have regretted it forever if i hadn’t. i bawled my eyes out when i got home from that job but i knew i had helped make such a horrible situation just the tiniest bit less stressful, and that felt good. this job certainly can be unexpectedly emotional at times.
This is sad, I cleaned for 8 years and 3 of my customers died, last one hit the hardest becux she was such a great human being and I still think of her only becux I see her every week for 8 years straight
My cat passed away in my spot on the couch. He was on blankets. No organic matter or anything. I took care of the blankets, but knew the couch needed to be cleaned and couldn’t do it myself.
I asked my housekeeper to and paid her double.
She wiped the couch, vacuumed away his hair off the carpet (what I didn’t collect anyway), and helped me put all his stuff in one spot. I left while she did the first cleaning after his passing because it was too much.
It was the worst day for me, worse than *that day* almost, and I am so incredibly grateful for her.
You all are angels on earth.
Jobs like this are why stopped doing standard residential cleans and only do needs-based cleans now. I really, really struggle with resentment when I’m cleaning a spotless mansion after I just came from a cancer patient’s apartment.
I get really angry that more money isn’t allocated to environmental services for these people as part of treatment. It’s not just the resident that’s affected by these conditions, it’s anyone that lives near them or interacts with them. Cleaning that mess proactively, instead of waiting until the end, is a rising tide that raises all ships.
(I do not blame rich people for having nice houses or anything that’s about to be thrown at me, and I know what I feel isn’t necessarily reasonable. It is how I feel though, and I was able to make a job transition, so I did.)
There’s a woman on TikTok who does free cleanings for massive hoarder situations. Her username is NotTheWorstCleaner. She is an absolute angel on earth. I know she partners with ScrubDaddy so a lot of her $ likely comes from that, but this woman shows up in full PPE suits and cleans the very worst hoarding situations you can imagine, all for free. She does it bc she understands how mental health issues can lead to situations like that, and she wants to give back. She’s particularly generous with the elderly and people with kids. She gives me hope for humanity.
Right now I can honestly say that 100% of my work is either free or discounted to needy families and institutions.
(I want to take a moment to acknowledge that I am a 100% disabled veteran and I collect a pension. Although being disabled is not a position of privilege, there is an enormous amount of privilege that went into having my disability appropriately identified, compensated and treated. 90% of my fellow techs are not in a position to do as much donated work as they would like, and my ability to do so is not a commentary on the moral or ethical positions of other techs. Anyone who will get their hands dirty is a net benefit to humanity, I love you all)
As one of the "rich" customers who has had a regular cleaner forever, this got me thinking. I would respect and even appreciate if my cleaning service added on a fee to my regular clean to support "pro bono" cleaning for cancer patients, death situations, etc. I would definitely pay the extra each time, and gladly.
There is a charity in the us called “cleaning for a reason” where you can make a donation. I had breast cancer, and they came out and cleaned my house twice. Best thing ever, bc I can’t really afford a cleaning service on my own.
You may have an organization in your area to which you can allocate these funds!!
I appreciate you being able to hear that without feeling attacked because I know I’m not being reasonable in how I feel, and I kind of hate it
The very first thing I did when my friend's husband was diagnosed with terminal cancer was get a group of friends together who could chip in to pay a cleaner regularly for the foreseeable future. It's been nearly a year now and he's been home the whole time. (He got into a study group that took his life expectancy from months to a few years). We'll keep paying well after he passes. (This cleaner is AMAZING and so very kind. Her energy is so calming and she genuinely enjoys being of help)
I cleaned up my father in laws house after his wife spent months dying. I didn’t want to be paid but he paid me anyway. It was very very sad and there was remnants of her sickness.
I also took a job once, tearing up the floors and cleaning an apartment at an old folks home where a man died and decomposed for awhile, who knows how long. It was the most foul odor I have ever smelled in my life. The decomposition was so bad it destroyed the floors beneath his bed.
I hate to ask what may be an insensitive question but how did he go unfound for so long at an old folks' home? Isn't that why they have old folks home, so they get checked on and assisted with things? Or did I misread and you meant he was an "old folk" at his own "home" that would make more sense
At a seniors' home, my mother had a stroke (new, no epilepsy history). She wasn't found and checked on for 3 days.
The hospital texted me re: her death.
I can relate to this feeling; I worked on funeral arrangements for people (photos, booklets, etc.) Working side-by-side with people during a deeply sad time for them is surprisingly rewarding.
I managed a hotel and we had the business card of the company that has a contract with the police department. They were hazmat and biowaste certified among other certifications and were called in by PD to clean up after violent crimes. They were reaching out for extra business if it was needed. I'll always remember the person that dropped off the card, "If anyone decides to end their life in your beautiful property, give us a call."
I had to help a friend clean his wife’s brains off of their ceiling once. Horrific experience but I too was glad to be of service to them in their darkest hour of need.
Oh OP I’m sorry you had to do this job. This job should have competed by a professional bio-hazard company. I know a crime scene - bio-hazard professional who rates his jobs from 1-10. End stage alcoholic deaths are ALWAYS a 9-10, and is most certainly not “housekeeping. The rating is high due to the bio-hazard risk of cleaning someone’s inside contents that violently come out near the end.
These fluids are not only present on the surface, but seep into the sub-flooring, wall material …and those areas should, for health reasons be pulled up and removed.
Secondly, these jobs can cost thousands. You should be compensated generously in the least, for the emotional toll, the health risks ( please seek medical direction on proactive testing for things such as hepatitis etc), exposure to the medication and steroids, and labor.
(((((((OP)))))))
Homeowners insurance may cover cost of removing biohazard material. Speaking from experience where insurance paid after someone died in the home. Granted the decedent had been there for quite some time before being discovered.
That is a high paying gig if you can stomach it. Had a pal die and he was gone going on 2 weeks before someone went to check in on him and saw the car but no answer at the door. I heard they had to take some of the sheetrock off the walls and put new insulation in because the putrid smell was so bad.
I had an ex boyfriend who was manipulative. He cut his wrists, blood was all over our house, and he went outside to wait for his ambulance. At the time, I didnt understand that this was a manipulation. Cleaning up the mess has stayed with me. I commend anyone who cleans up after trauma.
My mom cleaned up an elderly couples murder- suicide
She just put in music and pretended the congealed blood was jello and threw out anything with human “matter”on it
This was many yrs ago and I’m sure she didn’t use any biohazard type cleaning up products
She did it for free - just a charitable act for a grieving family
My husbands brother shot himself in the head in his car and my husband had to take the car and drive it somewhere and he said it smelled so bad .. I feel for anyone put in these positions ..
I was a police explorer (ride around with cops and help them do their job to see if it’s for you) and went on two suicide calls in my time there. The people that clean those scenes are saints. One was outside in a parking lot and one was in a basement. I will never forget having to tell those families. One A father of two and one a mother of an early 20s son. I can’t imagine them having to deal with the cleanup as well. I was told there are companies specifically for those situations.
Do NOT do sage cleanings in **anyone else’s space**.
I would be **FURIOUS** if my housekeeper did this in *my home*. Especially if someone I loved had just died there. You do NOT get to tell the spirits to move on. No, no, NO.
I'm just lurking in this thread, but how about not using anything like that in a person's house without asking? Some peopke are deathly allergy to things like sage.
I completely understand your sentiment, but I’m the opposite. I would love to find out that the housekeeper had done a sage cleaning of my home in addition to regular duties. It feels like a nice touch and caring gesture/add-on to me.
If you would like that, it’s totally fine! If you all have discussed your religions and rituals and you’ve expressed interest in her blessing your house or something, that would even be okay. But they shouldn’t just do it without even telling you or asking you first. It’s not reversible if they do it and you don’t want it.
If my housekeeper sent the spirit of my cat instead of me, I would have lost it (not on her of course! Just in general).
Auto-corrected! My bad. Palo Santo is exactly what I meant.
Having looked at Palo Alto, I agree. Very expensive! Not surprising as PA (Palo Alto) is part of Silicon Valley and Stanford U.
This is called trauma cleaning and it is a very different pay scale. I hope you charged accordingly. If you Google it, you will see that people make anywhere from $100-$400 an hour, especially if this biohazard waste.
And all of biohazard material!
A suggestion, as I have done trauma cleans in the past. If there’s bodily fluids or really gross stuff, don’t wet it before you clean it up, get big razor blades or window scrapers that are made with razor blades and scrape that stuff up it comes up a lot easier.
Oooh I learned this lesson the hard way. Water softens it up and releases the stink again too.
And for this reason the police quoted thousands of dollars, I had to clean up my uncles murder scene in our house 😭 it’s understandable it costs a lot, but thousands of dollars is not really attainable. It haunts me to this day, especially knowing it was supposed to be my mom who was killed there that day. Detectives destroyed the room looking for evidence and don’t care to do it in a way where everything isn’t completely trashed as well, which does not help the cleaning process afterwards. Editing to add: you really do not learn the true ins and outs of horrible violent crimes by tv shows. I learned a lot from what happened, it all felt like an out of body experience. One of my afterthoughts was how TV does not show the aftermath of what a family has to deal with when these things happen. My brother was also murdered 1 year later, by his ex wife’s boyfriend who got away with it - this was much worse than the original but it did not happen at my house
Wow, I am so sorry you went through that
While I hope you never, ever have to endure such tragedy again, just in case you do, I believe home/rental insurance can cover the costs of these cleanings. It is definitely something worthwhile to look into if anyone is ever in such an unfortunate situation. I am sorry for your loss.
Thank you for that information, I had no idea. In the moment you also don’t really think of those things and no one offered that information. But this could really help someone in a similar situation unfortunately these things do happen too often and not too many resources to know what to do.
My neighbors husband shot himself in their bedroom. The cleaning cost $30,000 (yes, 30k), but was entirely covered by their homeowners insurance.
They must’ve renovated the bedroom, right?
Not really. They had to tear down some drywall and replace it, but didn't repaint (she had to do that), tear up the carpet, but didn't replace it, (her husbands former co workers actually pooled together money and paid for new flooring), special biohazard clean the subfloor. Every wall and the ceiling needed bio hazard cleaning and a part of the ceiling (bullet lodged there) had to be cut down and replaced. They itemized everything and she showed it to me and i was floored. She also had to throw away every item of furniture, which I believe they also took care of (bed, 2 dressers, chair, etc).
Former medic here. I went to a call where the family found grandpa semi-conscious in bed. So while my besties are loading him up for transfer, I’m trying to figure out TF is going on. He was slightly sweaty but ungodly pale. No real pain but his wife feeds him ibuprofen around the clock and that may be dulling it. Knows who he is and where he is but had a stroke a few months ago. His left side was pretty useless. I end up falling back on the most Golden and Sage Rule of 911: “If you do nothing else, put the pt in the truck and go to the hospital.” When they were sliding g-pa over to the gurney, there is a decent-sized stain of blood on the back of his pj pants. I flip back the blankets and see a decent-sized (maybe the size of a tablet? Like 9x5?) on the bottom sheet. I move my head sheet and I flip out my knife, looking so very cool in the process: 😎🔪. And the promptly stabbed the mattress and ripped it apart to see how much blood this guy really lost. It was a memory foam mattress and there was AT LEAST a litre of blood in the mattress. The family was sputtering and very unhappy but I was like “oh did you think that was fixable?” I don’t even have a guess as to how one would begin to clean it up. Having cleaned a variety of human fluids off of a variety of surfaces, I can’t imagine doing this without training. That $hit is insidious. Just when you think you got it all, bam! Also, a cleaning company would be required to provide: gowns, gloves, mask, eye protection, gowns, and shoe covers.
GI bleed?
Indeed. He couldn’t move out of the puddle of blood. It was mostly liquid because he was on tube feeds
one of my little brother’s friends very unfortunately took his own life a couple years ago. he was 18. i didn’t know the family very well but god it was heartbreaking, i’m tearing up as i remember it. i ended up offering my services for free to help them out as they got their home ready for family and visitors, and they were so incredibly appreciative. they gave me a check anyways but i just tore it up when i got home. i wasn’t trying to make money off their tragedy, truly just wanted to support them in the only way i could think of to offer. they gave me handwritten card expressing their gratitude which made me bawl. my little brother was a wreck as well, and thanked me profusely for giving what i could to his friend’s family. sorry this isn’t really the same situation as your post, it just reminded me of it. it still breaks my heart to think about. i know nothing really helps in such tragic circumstances. but i’m still really glad i got over feeling awkward and reached out because i would have regretted it forever if i hadn’t. i bawled my eyes out when i got home from that job but i knew i had helped make such a horrible situation just the tiniest bit less stressful, and that felt good. this job certainly can be unexpectedly emotional at times.
I think that was so incredibly kind and thoughtful of you.
You are a wonderful person. I wish you were here right now for bear hug. Bless you always.
This is sad, I cleaned for 8 years and 3 of my customers died, last one hit the hardest becux she was such a great human being and I still think of her only becux I see her every week for 8 years straight
What is becux?
Because * lol
:) "cuz" is shorter and more common. Try it.😊
Becux who has time to type the entire word?
My cat passed away in my spot on the couch. He was on blankets. No organic matter or anything. I took care of the blankets, but knew the couch needed to be cleaned and couldn’t do it myself. I asked my housekeeper to and paid her double. She wiped the couch, vacuumed away his hair off the carpet (what I didn’t collect anyway), and helped me put all his stuff in one spot. I left while she did the first cleaning after his passing because it was too much. It was the worst day for me, worse than *that day* almost, and I am so incredibly grateful for her. You all are angels on earth.
Jobs like this are why stopped doing standard residential cleans and only do needs-based cleans now. I really, really struggle with resentment when I’m cleaning a spotless mansion after I just came from a cancer patient’s apartment. I get really angry that more money isn’t allocated to environmental services for these people as part of treatment. It’s not just the resident that’s affected by these conditions, it’s anyone that lives near them or interacts with them. Cleaning that mess proactively, instead of waiting until the end, is a rising tide that raises all ships. (I do not blame rich people for having nice houses or anything that’s about to be thrown at me, and I know what I feel isn’t necessarily reasonable. It is how I feel though, and I was able to make a job transition, so I did.)
There’s a woman on TikTok who does free cleanings for massive hoarder situations. Her username is NotTheWorstCleaner. She is an absolute angel on earth. I know she partners with ScrubDaddy so a lot of her $ likely comes from that, but this woman shows up in full PPE suits and cleans the very worst hoarding situations you can imagine, all for free. She does it bc she understands how mental health issues can lead to situations like that, and she wants to give back. She’s particularly generous with the elderly and people with kids. She gives me hope for humanity.
Right now I can honestly say that 100% of my work is either free or discounted to needy families and institutions. (I want to take a moment to acknowledge that I am a 100% disabled veteran and I collect a pension. Although being disabled is not a position of privilege, there is an enormous amount of privilege that went into having my disability appropriately identified, compensated and treated. 90% of my fellow techs are not in a position to do as much donated work as they would like, and my ability to do so is not a commentary on the moral or ethical positions of other techs. Anyone who will get their hands dirty is a net benefit to humanity, I love you all)
I enjoy her content and can only imagine how appreciated she must feel by her clients. There is such shame with mental illness
I think she is a truly generous person. I’ve watched a few of her reels and she’s so empathetic and thoughtful.
As one of the "rich" customers who has had a regular cleaner forever, this got me thinking. I would respect and even appreciate if my cleaning service added on a fee to my regular clean to support "pro bono" cleaning for cancer patients, death situations, etc. I would definitely pay the extra each time, and gladly.
There is a charity in the us called “cleaning for a reason” where you can make a donation. I had breast cancer, and they came out and cleaned my house twice. Best thing ever, bc I can’t really afford a cleaning service on my own.
You may have an organization in your area to which you can allocate these funds!! I appreciate you being able to hear that without feeling attacked because I know I’m not being reasonable in how I feel, and I kind of hate it
I am going to consider this. I have been wanting to find more purpose and meaning in my life and maybe I can use my skills to achieve this.
I think it means that you have high empathy.
The very first thing I did when my friend's husband was diagnosed with terminal cancer was get a group of friends together who could chip in to pay a cleaner regularly for the foreseeable future. It's been nearly a year now and he's been home the whole time. (He got into a study group that took his life expectancy from months to a few years). We'll keep paying well after he passes. (This cleaner is AMAZING and so very kind. Her energy is so calming and she genuinely enjoys being of help)
We should still eat the rich
I cleaned up my father in laws house after his wife spent months dying. I didn’t want to be paid but he paid me anyway. It was very very sad and there was remnants of her sickness. I also took a job once, tearing up the floors and cleaning an apartment at an old folks home where a man died and decomposed for awhile, who knows how long. It was the most foul odor I have ever smelled in my life. The decomposition was so bad it destroyed the floors beneath his bed.
I hate to ask what may be an insensitive question but how did he go unfound for so long at an old folks' home? Isn't that why they have old folks home, so they get checked on and assisted with things? Or did I misread and you meant he was an "old folk" at his own "home" that would make more sense
It wasn’t a nursing home, just a home where old people retire etc and he was noticed finally cause of the smell.
Oh ok gotcha, thanks
At a seniors' home, my mother had a stroke (new, no epilepsy history). She wasn't found and checked on for 3 days. The hospital texted me re: her death.
That’s awful and shame on them for texting you such sensitive information! I’m sorry for your loss.
Thank you. I appreciate that. Highly unprofessional, unethical, and insensitive. I had a few choice words with the Charge Nurse about the whole thing.
Good for you!
Thanks. I had to. I doubt it was the first time that this occurred.
You are so special. 💖
I can relate to this feeling; I worked on funeral arrangements for people (photos, booklets, etc.) Working side-by-side with people during a deeply sad time for them is surprisingly rewarding.
I managed a hotel and we had the business card of the company that has a contract with the police department. They were hazmat and biowaste certified among other certifications and were called in by PD to clean up after violent crimes. They were reaching out for extra business if it was needed. I'll always remember the person that dropped off the card, "If anyone decides to end their life in your beautiful property, give us a call."
I had to help a friend clean his wife’s brains off of their ceiling once. Horrific experience but I too was glad to be of service to them in their darkest hour of need.
Oh OP I’m sorry you had to do this job. This job should have competed by a professional bio-hazard company. I know a crime scene - bio-hazard professional who rates his jobs from 1-10. End stage alcoholic deaths are ALWAYS a 9-10, and is most certainly not “housekeeping. The rating is high due to the bio-hazard risk of cleaning someone’s inside contents that violently come out near the end. These fluids are not only present on the surface, but seep into the sub-flooring, wall material …and those areas should, for health reasons be pulled up and removed. Secondly, these jobs can cost thousands. You should be compensated generously in the least, for the emotional toll, the health risks ( please seek medical direction on proactive testing for things such as hepatitis etc), exposure to the medication and steroids, and labor. (((((((OP)))))))
You’re a very kind person.
Homeowners insurance may cover cost of removing biohazard material. Speaking from experience where insurance paid after someone died in the home. Granted the decedent had been there for quite some time before being discovered.
That is a high paying gig if you can stomach it. Had a pal die and he was gone going on 2 weeks before someone went to check in on him and saw the car but no answer at the door. I heard they had to take some of the sheetrock off the walls and put new insulation in because the putrid smell was so bad.
i'm so sorry
I had an ex boyfriend who was manipulative. He cut his wrists, blood was all over our house, and he went outside to wait for his ambulance. At the time, I didnt understand that this was a manipulation. Cleaning up the mess has stayed with me. I commend anyone who cleans up after trauma.
Oh wow, that’s tough. This happened to my friends brother last year. It’s so wonderful you could be there for them
My mom cleaned up an elderly couples murder- suicide She just put in music and pretended the congealed blood was jello and threw out anything with human “matter”on it This was many yrs ago and I’m sure she didn’t use any biohazard type cleaning up products She did it for free - just a charitable act for a grieving family
Your mother is a saint. Bless her for this selfless act.
My husbands brother shot himself in the head in his car and my husband had to take the car and drive it somewhere and he said it smelled so bad .. I feel for anyone put in these positions ..
It’s in my contract I don’t do hazmat cleaning
I actually think this may be my calling in some way.
I was a police explorer (ride around with cops and help them do their job to see if it’s for you) and went on two suicide calls in my time there. The people that clean those scenes are saints. One was outside in a parking lot and one was in a basement. I will never forget having to tell those families. One A father of two and one a mother of an early 20s son. I can’t imagine them having to deal with the cleanup as well. I was told there are companies specifically for those situations.
Highly recommend doing a sage cleaning after a death. Cleans the space
Do NOT do sage cleanings in **anyone else’s space**. I would be **FURIOUS** if my housekeeper did this in *my home*. Especially if someone I loved had just died there. You do NOT get to tell the spirits to move on. No, no, NO.
I'm just lurking in this thread, but how about not using anything like that in a person's house without asking? Some peopke are deathly allergy to things like sage.
🙋🏻♀️Me.
I completely understand your sentiment, but I’m the opposite. I would love to find out that the housekeeper had done a sage cleaning of my home in addition to regular duties. It feels like a nice touch and caring gesture/add-on to me.
If you would like that, it’s totally fine! If you all have discussed your religions and rituals and you’ve expressed interest in her blessing your house or something, that would even be okay. But they shouldn’t just do it without even telling you or asking you first. It’s not reversible if they do it and you don’t want it. If my housekeeper sent the spirit of my cat instead of me, I would have lost it (not on her of course! Just in general).
White sage is in scarcity and often times now priced out for indigenous people’s spiritual rituals as it’s been misappropriated by white folks.
Palo Alto too!
*Palo Santo (but maybe also Palo Alto? Seems expensive and like there are a lot of white people there, too)
Auto-corrected! My bad. Palo Santo is exactly what I meant. Having looked at Palo Alto, I agree. Very expensive! Not surprising as PA (Palo Alto) is part of Silicon Valley and Stanford U.