Jenny Hinkle

It went terribly. Jenny and her boyfriend, Nathan, came over on April 14, 2014 for the deep cleaning. They stayed no more than 3 hours. When she asked me to do a walk-through to check her work, she made a point of telling me how she had done the bathroom floors on her hands and knees (what other way is there to do a bathroom floor?) and pointing out all the things she had done. But I found numerous things that hadn't been cleaned--celling fans, base boards, light fixtures, etc. At that point she either cleaned the items in a hurry while I stood there, or she said she would get them "next time." She then explained that the way she worked was to clean most things the first time, then continue the work when she came back for the maintenance cleaning. I was skeptical, but I really needed the cleaning and I very much wanted this to work out. She charged $400, so I hoped she would actually clean the rest of the house the "next time." Over the next two weeks, I noticed many more things that hadn't been cleaned--a sink, blinds in a couple of rooms, door panels, bathroom tile, etc. So I made up a list of everything I could find. They had also used the wrong cleaner on the floors, so they were sticky and gummy looking. Far from making my life easier, this situation was making it more stressful. When Jenny came back on April 28, she brought Nathan and another woman. I asked her to sit down and discuss the list I made. She again explained that they don't do all the work at once and mentioned clients who had displeased her. I thought that was strange, since it was I who was obviously displeased. But since she had the list, I thought it was clear what I wanted her to do. They again stayed no more than 3 hours. And again during the walk-through, I found even more item they hadn't cleaned--even things that were on the list! Some things she cleaned on the spot, but other not. When I showed her a dirty window sill, which was on the list, all she did was lick her finger and rub it on the sill to see how much dirt came off. (Ew!) And she didn't even clean it up! She claimed that the soap-holder in the tub could not be cleaned, although I have cleaned it many times myself. And the wood floor in the kitchen looked like a lake with all the water sitting on it. Jenny then began to blame Nathan and say how stupid he was and that he never listened to her. She borrowed a towel from me to soak up the water, but the floor was still so dirty she had to mop it again. When I mentioned other things, like a rug she didn't vacuum, she said she would get them "next time." She was obviously in a hurry to leave and had already packed her vacuum in the car. Just before she left, I heard a big slosh and cursing coming from the foyer. I knew she had spilled something, but I figured it wasn?t too bad, because she didn't say anything to me or do anything about it. On her way out the door, she said she liked lists, so I should keep making them. When I looked over the house more carefully it became clear that not only had she neglected to clean all the items on the list, she had hardly touched other things. Anything she had done in the kitchen was superficial and sloppy. The stove still had spots, the sink had grime, the counter had crumbs. They hadn't done many of the floors, including my mother's room, which were still covered in dust and cat hair. Light fixtures and blinds still had thick layers of dust. And the next day, I wondered why the foyer smelled strongly of cleaning chemicals. So I turned back the rug where she had spilled her bucket and I found a huge wet spot on the wood floor! At that point, I knew I didn't want her coming back. It was clear that the house was never going to be cleaned entirely or thoroughly, no matter how many lists I made. And why would I want to be spending my time making lists for the cleaning service, when anyone with eyes could see the dirt in the house? So I wrote Jenny a letter explaining that I wasn't happy with the arrangement and I wanted a refund of $100 for the work not completed. I gave her a list of all the items either uncleaned or partially cleaned. Her response was to call me, threaten me with legal action, and say that she could use my mother as a witness against me! It?s hard to know with some people whether they are scammers or just delusional. But one thing is clear?Jenny Hinkle is a deadbeat. She charged me for services she did not render and refused to give a refund.