Thread by @DrPetra

Excellent thread.
I'm a PhD, but I also worked for many, many years as a cleaner.
Sometimes I still do.
I've cleaned hotels, homes and halls of residence.
Academics treat cleaners pretty badly, btw.
Probably why many shudder at very idea they could be mistaken for manual staff

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by @DrFloraPoste view original on Twitter

I've shared this before but it was a uni prof who said, when his daughter said hello to me as she arrived at college and I was cleaning the stairwell, "you don't talk to epsilons"

It was the Open University students who repeatedly commented on how they were doing something with their lives, something I, as a mere cleaner, could never aspire to.
(They also left their rooms filthy and never checked out on time).

And it was the women academics who seemed so angsty about their titles and seemed so *eager* to prove to me we were all just the same. 'No titles here! Just call me by my first name, yes?' As they didn't pick their crap up off the floor or clean out their filthy coffee cups

If you were really unlucky you'd get one who'd want to fire theory at you about your oppressed state and how nobody rewarded women's work and thus it was considered *demeaning* (that bit would be in finger speech marks). Never noticing you actually had targets and shit to do.

The students were a mixed bunch. The ones used to servants were a PITA. Those coming from poverty struggled to accept help. Others tried to clean alongside me as if they felt cleaners were some terrible poverty case they had to save. Mostly though they slept through my work ;-)

If you work in a uni and want to help cleaners
- leave your office tidy
- wash your own cups
- don't pee in your wastebins
- flush the toilets when you use them
- learn your cleaner's name and say hello
- don't grope or otherwise harass your cleaner

other things you can do
- don't assume your cleaner is thick, or that cleaning work is demeaning
- don't get in the way when they're working
- value the job they're doing
- recognise they'll be underpaid, under pressure to hit targets, and often on precarious contracts

- don't make them your special project, feel they need saving, decide what they *really* need is for you to liberate them from their terrible life.
- offer to make them a cuppa
- if they have time to talk (and seem interested) find out about their life, don't make assumptions

remember they may have more than one job, may or may not speak the same language as you, they may hate their job or like it or be indifferent. Just because you see it as menial don't project that onto them by saying so - or acting so awkward it's obvious what you think

also don't expect your cleaner to
- look after your kids
- walk your dog
- take your shirts home for washing and ironing
- pretend they threw out your marking because you couldn't be arsed to do it and are up shit creek
- fetch you a snack

University staff, whatever their job, are generally not treated well (apart from the top dogs). Solidarity and respect is a highly underrated thing.
Not just for cleaners but all those people referred to as 'non-academics'. Find out who they are in your workplace. Be kind.

ps. when I've talked about this people often want to know why I'm not embarrassed about it. Or whether I think it's 'cute' to show off some kind of 'menial past'. I'm not embarrassed. It's not in the past. It's just a job. I'm equally good at cleaning as academic work :-)

pps. often cleaners are working for a subcontractor, they may not be treated well. If you believe your cleaner is being mistreated ask if they're okay. Seek help from your union. Let them know you'll support them if they need it - including when they take industrial action.

and finally (promise) remember all my experiences are for a white woman with english as her first language. You can,I'm sure,imagine all the additional racist, sexist abuse that cleaners who aren't white and/or english speaking get.
If you can't imagine,I'll clue you in,it's grim