I’m sharing my experience with Mum and Me Housekeeping because I believe they may take advantage of people dealing with illness or vulnerability. Asking for help is already difficult, especially when you're dealing with health challenges, and it can feel shameful to reach out. Unfortunately, my experience with this company left me feeling disappointed and disrespected.

I hired Mum and Me Housekeeping because I needed assistance with cleaning and tidying due to my chronic illness. As a single mum working full-time, managing a household, and caring for my health, I was in need of help.

I clearly communicated that I needed help with the main bedroom, ensuite, lounge room, living/office area, kitchen, toilet, and bathroom. These areas were the most critical and required attention, particularly for tidying, putting things away, and folding clothes.

I emphasized this multiple times, and the owner reassured me that they could help, even claiming they frequently work with clients who have similar needs. The initial quote was around $200, but I offered $300, knowing that tidying and organizing would take extra effort. She promised excellent results and even said it would be like an “end-of-lease clean.”

The owner mentioned that two cleaners would work for three hours (a total of six hours), but when I checked my doorbell footage, I saw only one cleaner coming in and out. Where was the second cleaner? I would have been fine with just one, but the work wasn’t even completed as agreed.

When I returned home, I was devastated. The stove, cupboards, rangehood, splashback, and dishwasher hadn’t been touched. The toilet was still grimy, there were cobwebs on surfaces, and dust on tables and desks. Worst of all, the main bedroom, which was the most important area for me, wasn’t touched at all. Nothing was put away from the table and bench.

When I contacted the owner, she claimed they “ran out of time,” which didn’t make sense given how little was done. I sent photos, but instead of directly addressing my concerns, she had the cleaner call me. The cleaner claimed they were only instructed to do a “normal clean” in the living areas. Even if that were true, the results were still unacceptable—six hours for what felt like just two hours of work.

The cleaner insisted on returning to “fix” the job, offering to send one person for one hour to clean my bedroom. Coordinating the initial clean was already a huge challenge. As a single parent working full-time, I had to rearrange my schedule, manage my kids, and figure out how to accommodate my dog, since the cleaners were uncomfortable with him. I couldn’t leave him outside because of the heat, so after all the effort I’d already put in, I couldn’t bear the thought of doing it again. The job hadn’t been completed properly the first time, and I was emotionally exhausted and humiliated. At that point, all I wanted was a refund, even if it was just partial.

The pressure to rearrange everything again and the embarrassment of having to ask for help in the first place was overwhelming. I couldn’t face the cleaners again.

A friend stepped in to communicate on my behalf after the owner insisted on sending someone right away, despite the fact that I wasn’t home, my kids were about to arrive, and the dog was there. My anxiety was through the roof. The owner’s rude and aggressive behavior made things worse. Concerned about my mental health, my friend agreed to let them return to “fix” the job. She even came over to manage the dog so I wouldn’t have to face them.

When they returned, the bedroom was better, but still not as promised. Clothes were folded and left at the foot of the bed, and the ensuite was done, but the other areas remained untouched. At that point, I just gave up.

Approximate cost: $300