Stray hair: Here's what I intend to do

I have a cleaner. I like her a lot as she really does care about my place. Plus, she buys supplies when needed and makes sure that my guidebook, map of the city as well as other messages are placed at the right place. So, I’m happy with her.

That being said, I don’t know how to eliminate stray hair that can sometimes be found on the bathroom floor (and on the walls) after she leaves.

Sure, my cleaner vacuums the place first, before mopping it. She claims that she thoroughly inspects the bathroom before leaving. I believe her.

Still, it must be that she doesn’t see well (because I can spot hair right away when I get to the apartment) or these little monsters can actually walk?!

It’s frustrating that half of the time when I inspect my apartment before handing over the keys I find a hair or two lying on the bathroom floor. After all, it’s really not that hard to spot a brown or black hair against light colored tiles, right?

So, in order to help my cleaner help me, here’s how I was thinking to change the cleaning workflow for her:

  • Before and after each cleaning, clean the brushes of the head of the vacuum (remove dust and hairs caught up in the brushes).
  • Use UV Light Hair and urine detector torch to detect hair (haven’t tried this, but I hope it can actually detect hair)
  • Just before leaving the place, do a quick sweep on the bathroom floors with a washable sticky lint roller with an extendable handle.

I’m not sure what else could I do.

Any ideas?

P.S. Today, before writing this post I spent two hours reading all posts related to ‘stray hair’ here on this forum. Maybe you guys @Wilburforce and @Billy_Bob_Merkowitz can chip in with your advice? You guys seem to have a lot of experience with this kind of stuff.

That’s right. While I am certain someone could find stray hairs after I clean…I insepct and inspect after myself to see if I see anything on the toilet, in the tub, etc. The fact that you seem to be spotting them easily tells me your cleaner isn’t that detailed. I am sorry. I don’t know that you need to lint roll the floor. You can just take a damp paper towel and wipe the floor on your hands and knees.

I always put my hair back before I start cleaning, and I always inspect the bathroom thoroughly before I leave.

UV light is too much, tbh.

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I have found a wad of TP to be great at picking up hairs. The sticky roller, I think, would be a pain and perhaps leave a bit of the stickiness behind which will compound your problem.

A microfiber duster may also be a good choice.

I like this duster a lot and the extension handle would keep you from having to get down on your hands and knees. https://www.amazon.com/OXO-Grips-Microfiber-Extendable-Duster/dp/B00940DV3K/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1481116738&sr=8-4&keywords=microfiber+duster

And yes, I do believe those hairs walk, run, hide, and play tricks on us, like an unruly two year old…

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I use a ling roller (not washable, disposable) with the extended handle. I used the disposable because it leaves no stickiness afterwards. No hair whatsoever. When I vacuum , or sweep and then mop, it will always have 1 or 2 hairs somewhere, but with this lind roller nothing stays behind.

It is like those from Ikea, except that I bought the handle and the roller for the floor in a normal supermarket. I only use 1 or 2 sheets each time after the major cleanup. It takes everything the vacuum, sweep etc left behind.

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I use a lint roller on the bed linens and occasionally the carpet but not on a tile floor. I use a hand held vacuum to go over the floor in the bathroom. My bathroom is so small that I get on my hands and knees to clean/scrub the floor and so I see any stray hairs then.

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The UV flashlight is one of the BEST tips I have picked up from this forum. I don’t ask my cleaner to use it. I use as a way of doing a routine check when I am staying in my cottage. I have found stuff, for sure. It was an eye opener. H/t to @KKC for that tip.

I’ve not had problems with stray hairs, but my cleaner has short hair like me.

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I think this ma be the difference between a good cleaner and a great cleaner. I don’t have a problem with catching hairs but then I check, check and check again.

I have noticed with the cleaner who does the place I’m staying in in Mexico - she’s a nice woman but doesn’t seem to notice the little things like missed hairs in the corner of the shower. Some people just can’t see it …

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Hey @CatskillsGrrl, does the UV flashlight work on human hair? You actually can detect them with this?

Hey @Vera that sounds like something my cleaner would need. I’d love to see a picture of this. What kind of “disposable” sheets are you buying?

I will send you a picture tomorrow when I am doing the cleaning

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Ask her to wear a hair net, whatever it’s called and make the analogy that preparing a place for guests and working in a restaurant needs to have the same caution. End of issue.

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Thanks Vera! That would be awesome! Mark

Just before my guests checked in I did a once over… I had missed hairs all over the bathroom, and some of them were mine I think! I hate the way they sticke to everything. I wonder how they handle this in hotels. In decent hotels you never see hairs in the bathrooms.

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You use a dry microfibre cloth to ‘polish’ or do a once over once everything is dry in the bathroom. The microfibres catch the hair. They also trap residual dust … seriously microfibre cloths are the bomb .

EDIT: in terms of how hotels do it (I worked at the Hilton and Premier Inn) you have a supervisor double checking every single room. Yep that’s all it is. A different set of eyes.

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@konacoconutz: EXACTLY! I wonder how they do it in hotels. I’ve been to many many hotels and never ever have I seen stray hair on the floor of the bathroom. It must be they are doing something pretty simple yet effective ;))) What would that be?

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I know, right? I have a new respect for housekeeping now. Very tough job. That is it Zandra? Someone else inspects after they clean?

That’s it … the cleaners turn over the rooms in teams of two (and they get allocated A LOT). A supervisor then checks each room. I think the only reason it’s so effective is because it’s a fresh pair of eyes…

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Here it is. It doesn’t leave stickeness in any of my floors (tile and hardwood) . I use one or 2 sheets to catch the sneaky ones after I clean.

This is the size of each sheet:

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What kind of sheets are you buying @Vera?