I hired a professional cleaner
I am not The OOP, OOP is u/AwwNoNope
I hired a professional cleaner
Originally posted to r/CleaningTips
Thanks to u/e_l_r for showing my this post
TRIGGER WARNING: talk of mental illness
Original Post Aug 18, 2023
I am struggling mentally with stuff and my flat hasn't been cleaned in 6 months (I haven't cleaned the windows in 3 years...). I finally recognized that I need help because I won't be able to get it sorted on my own. I hired a cleaning company but I'm having second thoughts. I told them about my situation - they didn't need any pictures and are sending two ladies for a 7-8h clean. But I'm worried because:
there's a lot of - and I mean a lot of fruit flies, because I bought a watermelon, forgot about it (and because I didn't even get out of my bedroom for a month) and then accidentally "kicked the nest". I tried to vacuum some of them... but well. Will this be an issue? The watermelon is gone. I've also ordered online some traps for them but they won't be there until next week.
I have a lot of expired food in my fridge - but I did check the option for fridge cleaning. Should I force myself to tackle that? Somehow. (I also haven't opened my fridge in a couple of months and just thinking about it makes me lose sleep.)
I had trash all over my flat - take-out boxes with moulding food, packaging ect. I packed most of it into trash bags but I can't make myself take it out. Will this be enough? I break out in hives at the thought that my neighbours will see me hauling 10-15 trashbags out.
The cleaning ladies will be here in about 10h. I am freaking out and thinking about cancelling.
~OOP UPDATED THE SAME DAY~
A VERY HAPPY UPDATE:
I got the keys back. I cried again, but the flat looks amazing. The ladies went above and beyond and helped with organizing the kitchen and even did laundry. The service cost twice the original price - though they were upfront about that once they looked at the flat, and it was very fair. I also tipped because holly-molly I am so, so grateful.
The ladies are coming back in three weeks to clean again and give me the motivation to keep the flat as close to what it is now as possible. So, thank you so much, everyone. I was panicking yesterday before the meds kicked in and you all kept me from cancelling the booking. I am super, super happy and relieved to have my space so perfect.
The highlights I've found so far: - my fridge is empty and I have NO food in my apartment (which is good, as I can't be trusted around it and have dietary catering that starts on Monday as my doctor recommended). It's a huge, huge relief. - THE WINDOWS. HOLLY-F, they are so C-L-E-A-N!!! - it smells so good now! - I have more of my workspace now and it's so freeing I can't stop touching the desk and the clean screens omg thank you so much - i will never get over the empty fridge.
Some pictures for those of you who'd like to see the before and after.
(The fruit flies shall die tonight. I have the vinegar and am ready for war.)
RELEVANT COMMENTS
overwatchher
The best treatment here is to do it yourself. If you can post this on reddit, and even go out for an entire day, you have the energy to do it yourself. When you see how bad it is to clean, maybe this will help you not make the same mistakes again.
Struggling alot myself, but letting things fall apart like this will not help you in any way.
OOP replied
Hi. Thank you for your comment. It triggered me but I thought instead of shutting down I'll use this, so that maybe someone else will read it and feel better. I don't mean this as an attack on you - I think you have good intentions and I am grateful that you took your time to comfort me.
To me, it was triggering because the state I'm in and the state of my flat are very delicate topics. I'm very much living a nightmare right now. My mental illness has been with me most of my life, sometimes it's better, sometimes it's worse. I have a well paid job, I have extensive circle of friends, I always show up for engagements but that doesn't mean that I am able to look after myself or my flat. For me - when my meds stopped working as they should I didn't even notice what I was doing to myself. I thought I could just do it tomorrow, today I've got a work project to finish. When my shower clogged I just washed in my sink. When I ran out of clean dishes I just ordered take out and when I didn't have to do anything for work or with friends I just stayed in bed all day, sleeping for 15h+. All of that seemed completely reasonable to me. That is the most insidious part of it all. I am ashamed and I am afraid of what my own mind can reduce me to every single day. My worst fear is that one that I won't be able to break out in time.
I changed my meds and it does make a difference. I posted on Reddit before they kicked in, and I was panicking. Saying things like "if you can do X then you can do Y" hurts because, believe me, I would give anything if it worked like that. I would happily trade watching a YT vid or even going for a walk, to be able to do what everybody else can.
THIS IS A REPOST SUB - I AM NOT THE OOP