Posted by
beetle
18 yrs ago
I have noticed that our new maid is turning on the air conditioning while cleaning. I don't feel that it is necessary and generally a waste of electricity but I haven't said anything yet. Our preference is to use Air Con only in a room we (my family) is currently & actively using if we ourselves feel it is too hot. I am not sure if she is doing this for her own comfort or for the sake of drying the floors more quickly. Are there any similar experiences or thoughts out there?
(FYI, our maid has Air Con for use in her own room when she sleeps and rests there.)
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hi beetle for cleaning time why she need ac that is no point all dust r goen in ac and for dry the floor no need ac if u have fan on that or open the window and let them dry why wasting ele etc
tell her u dont want to this
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hi beetle for cleaning time why she need ac that is no point all dust r goen in ac and for dry the floor no need ac if u have fan on that or open the window and let them dry why wasting ele etc
tell her u dont want to this
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hkkm
18 yrs ago
If your flat is anything like ours, it gets pretty hot during the day. We certainly have the a/c on in any room we are actively using (like you), so why shouldn't your maid have it on if she is actively using (ie cleaning) a room? It sounds like you don't mind her having it on in her room if she is in there, so why not have it on in another room if she is in that room?
As for opening the windows to dry the room, well that isn't going to do much good if it's pouring rain or 90% humidity. You will just get mildew and insects. I never open the windows at this time of year!
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Totally agree, there's no way that I'd do the housework/ironing without having the aircon on. However, after telling my helper repeatedly to use the aircon, whenever I come home from work she's always got the patio doors wide open and the ceiling fan on ... the lounge is like a sauna!! ... She says she prefers this! ... So I then scurry off into another room to cool down with aircon on until she's finished!! I guess it's personal preference.
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aemom
18 yrs ago
It's also a personal preference of the employer when to turn on A/C.
Many people in HK (and elsewhere in the world) work without A/C - I did for the first 5 years I worked here and it didn't kill me. Yes, it was uncomfortable, but it was a fact of my employment that A/C was not available.
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i agree with cara.
in regards to aemom's comment, i also worked in an office where ac was not available, for everyone in the office. however, if i understand this situation correctly, ac is available in this home, but the employer wishes the helper not to use it, which does not seem, in my opinion, fair.
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Ok i can understand why the poster doesn't want the helper to use the A/C because the E/bill would be high.
And she's thinkin that she has to pay for a service already why she has to bear the A/C charges? The maids eats, sleeps, works at hers, that's enough already why on earth she has to again spend extra on her?
Im working in the office and i do give food allowance to my staffs. I don't have to and im happy to do so. But if my staffs are going out eating everyday but giving me the bills at the end of the days, i wouldn't be too happy about it. I guess it's just that i don't like to be forced to pay somthing i didn't say i would offer.
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I agree with cara, it's very hot and humid this time of year and the AC is necessary when doing physical work (Not the same as sitting at a desk in an office).
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maxis
18 yrs ago
I cannot work in my office when the a/c is turned off, it is stifling and very very uncomfortable - break into sweat even typing.
When I get home I need a/c at this time of year even when I am doing absolutely nothing.
Therefore when my helper asked if she could use it when cleaning, I automatically replied "of course! Please do!"
Anyhow, helper wages a very cheap, if you can't afford the a/c then yo cant afford the helper, I would think.
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Agree with Cara. My helper turns the A/C on in the room she is cleaning and then turns off when she moves onto another room.
I cannot imagine having to do house work in this heat and humidty. Cara says it all!! The winter weather is different.
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My helper does the opposite - she turns the a/c off when she cleans although she has it on in her room when she irons. I don't really mind what she does although i have asked her to turn off lights, appliances and a/c if not in the room.
Thinking about it, I think that she turns the a/c off because the room is already cool from being on overnight - she does the cleaning in the morning when everyone has left for the day so is comfortable working without it. If your household is similar, maybe asking your helper to clean at this time without a/c would be better received than simply telling her not to use it when she cleans.
I also wonder whether it is actually any more comfortable cleaning with a/c than without - hot sweaty work is hot sweaty work whether the a/c is on or not. Think about working out at an air-conditioned gym - you still get hot and sweaty. The benefit of a/c is that you cool down more quickly in it but this may not help the DH as she wouldn't get the benefit of the a/c if she moves on to the next room (where the a/c may not be on)once she has finished cleaning the first room.
Having said that, I think that, in the interests of domestic harmony, you need to consider whether, and how, to approach this. It is a small thing for you to concede to her but could well make her resentful if she thinks you're being petty and mean.
If your rooms are cool as a result of the a/cs being on overnight ask her to clean at that time wihtout a/c but reassure her that, if a room is hot and she needs a/c while she cleans, she should use the a/c as necessary turning it off when she leaves the room.
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if your helper is Filipina, I can tell you .... they don't like air cons. UNless it's roasting and humid.... our helpers won't turn on the air cons even when we ask them to.... they always say it's too cold.... they are pretty tolerant b/c of the weather they are used to back home. However, if your helper needs to turn on the air con (as a preference) I think it's b/c it IS really necessary.
If you don't allow her to turn on the air con, of course you can ask her to. But in general, I think "comfort" is something that we take priority in the household , even for our helpers!
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cara, how long has your helper been in HK ?
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Miggy
18 yrs ago
My helper is also a Filipina. Been in HK for just about 3 years. She, like any of us, would prefer turning on the aircon especially during summer. She sometime does not turn on the aircon due to sheer shyness. Further, she doesn't want us to think she's taking advantage of it and she cares for us so much that she tries to sacrifice a bit for the sake of lower electricity consumption.
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As a matter of fact, I have done my own house chores in tropical humidity. I lived in Singapore on and off for 7 years and for large periods of time did not employ a domestic helper. At that time only 1 room (the MBR) in my flat had air-con and I used it only at night when sleeping or resting. Other times I used a fan when necessary and took advantage of a cross breeze (similar to what we have now at times in our HK flat).
I think in our circumstance and to be considered fair, moderation may be the key. Thank you all for your input.
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mrsl
18 yrs ago
beetle, I do it here. We have a helper, but she does not not always do things the way that I like, so I do certain things myself. I still have not turned on the AC except in the children's rooms at night. I know that I'd be more comfortable with it on, but moving to HK has made me acutely aware of how bad air quality can be and we therefore do as much as we can to reduce our carbon emissions. AC is not a human right, in fact we'd all be better off if we tried not to use it. That said, I do not stop my DH from using AC, I just hope that she'll be sensible about it. I will be turning it on as it gets hotter, but I can assure everyone that it is possible to do housework without AC in this weather.
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TC
18 yrs ago
But isn't everyone's constitution different? I don't do much housework myself nowadays but still have the air con on pretty much 24 hours/day - during the day it's on in the living room and at night it's on in the bedroom. What might be comfortable for one person isn't necessarily the same for another - even if they come from the same place.
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Wow, people can be rude! 'Inhuman' because she'd rather not have Aircon running all day? We'd rather have ours on all day, but there is a cost, and I am not just talking about $6k a month in electricity bills. We all grip and moan about the air quality in HK, but will happily run the aircon all day? Where do you think the pollution is coming from? And before you all blame the Mainland Chinese - we have to take some responsibility. HK power plants are only emitting pollutants proportionate to what we use. I don't know the helper in question, but as a shot in the dark, she probably comes from the Philippines or Indonesia. My guess is that she's done plenty of housework there without aircon.
Everyone's constitution is different, but if the option was not there, we'd all survive without it. Some of us (and I'm not just talking about helpers) should try a little harder to do that.
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aemom
18 yrs ago
Cara:
I don't think it's being a Canadian that has you so hot at night. Last night I was cold with a/c dehumidifier set at 27C.
Maybe there is another reason for your discomfort:
- your bedroom is huge and the a/c is in adequate for the size of the room?
- your a/c is not working well and needs to be inspected?
- you have a medical condition that needs some attention?
We hardly ever use the a/c on cool - we often use it (or previously a floor-model) as a dehumidifier (the 'dry' setting on the remote). For me, it's often not the heat that's the killer, but the humidity.
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You said your new maid - how new is she? With my knowledge- most of the helpers -if they are new with the employer, they will be shy to turn AC on
or will ask permission if it is ok. However, what is your point of not wanting the AC on? If you want to save money for higher e-bill ,I do not think that is inhuman. I agree with southside opinion.Just talk to your helper in a nice way.
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I still do not see a problem with turning on the air con in the room she is cleaning. Or as Saikunga mentioned, ceiling fans. Cara, we are Canadians too, and HAVE to hav ac on all t ime in this heat.
While we are home during the day, the ac in the living room/dinning room is always on, as well as a ceiling fan. Our helper doesn't turn the a/c on, but she knows she is welcome too if needed, and will turn it off after. Luckily we have ceiling fans as well, so they run most of the day.
As for opening windows, unless you get a cross breeze, you are just letting in hot and humid and polluted air (and dust)
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Firstly may I apologise if I come over a little terse, but I feel this needs to be said.
I have been reading many different forums on Domestic Helpers and I am astounded, disturbed and find it quite distressing about people’s opinions of DH’s and how they should be treated. At the end of the day we the employer should be grateful for our DH who provide an invaluable service for very little money. Think about it if we were in the UK, USA etc. we would be paying considerably more and would have less leisure time. Perhaps some people should have less leisure time by doing their own babysitting and housework instead of fussing over such meaningless dilemmas.
The whinging and complaining is nothing more than frustrating and short sighted. In my opinion there is only one conclusion, YES you should buy her/him a present/phonecard/cake whatever for their birthday/Christmas etc. Yes you should allow your DH to have the air con on if it is hot!
Undertandably others view points are quite the opposite and equally as valid as mine due to previous/present bad experinces of their DH's. However not all DH's are the same.
What people tend to forget is that most if not all DH’s are not here out of choice they are here because they need to be, to support their families back home. Are people forgetting that most families in the Philippines/Thailand/Indonesia are poor? Are we also forgetting that some DH’s here have left their children and loved ones behind in order to provide financial support back home?
For goodness sake show some humility, DH’s are not second grade citizens and more importantly are equal as human beings, they are just doing a job.
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OK, it's hot, but indoors (in our house anyway) it is not unbearable - not yet anyway. I am from Northern Europe, and not used to the heat, although after 18 months in HK, I am adjusting. I am also 8 months pregnant and cleaned the house from top to bottom without AC on Sunday. Yes, I used a fan and I had a shower afterwards. I am still alive to tell the tale.
AC is not a necessity and it is certainly not a human right. I am LOVING the clean air at the moment, if we all used less electricity, we might get to see a little more of it.
Before I get attacked, I am very happy for our helper to use the AC, I have never asked her to restrict her use of it in any way. Also, I did not do any ironing on Sunday, I would certainly never expect anyone (including myself) to iron in this weather without the aircon. Just please, do not assault posters just because they are trying to establish what is a sensible use of a resource!
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We live in Tai Tam. I'm not saying that AC does not make it more comfortable, just that life is possible without it (I may eat my words next month though).
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Devon
17 yrs ago
"Our preference is to use AC ONLY in a room we are currently using."
Never mind the poor DH slaving away in the heat. Like cara pointed out... doesn't work for us either.
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while wearing boxer shorts a la simon is a great option when you are solo, i don't think a lot of helpers have that option. few are allowed to wear shorts on the job.
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