‘I had to climb into a dumpster’ Michigan woman says $350 deep clean left her rewashing floors and digging through trash

A Michigan woman said she paid $350 for a deep clean, then had to rewash her floors and dishes and climb into a dumpster to retrieve her sink strainer. When she sought a correction, she said the cleaner offered to return but never showed up.

Kimberly Kemper shared her complaint about Cecilia’s Cozy Cleaning in an October 13 Facebook post, including photographs and messages. She alleged that walls, baseboards, and stairs had been left untouched and dishes were put away dirty.

Cecilia Bodart, the business’s owner, apologized for failing to communicate but maintained that she and an employee had performed work deserving payment. She offered a $100 refund, which Kemper rejected, requesting $250 back instead.

Kemper questioned the work behind the $350 charge

Kemper said Bodart visited her home before quoting the job. They discussed cleaning the kitchen, living room, bathroom, hallway, and stairs, excluding the bedrooms.

The homeowner specifically mentioned the walls the night before the appointment. “I’m so excited for these walls to be clean,” she texted. Bodart replied, “I got you!!”

Kemper said she trusted Bodart because their children attended school together, and paid before checking the house. When she inspected it, she said that sections of the very walls she had been looking forward to having cleaned remained untouched.

In her public response, Bodart described Kemper as a client who “wasn’t completely satisfied with her cleaning” and added that “everyone has different expectations.” In their messages, though, she listed walls, baseboards, windowsills, and cabinets as work performed.

Kemper’s complaint concerned work Bodart said she had performed. She reported that cabinets remained dirty above eye level and sections of walls and baseboards hadn’t been touched. She also posted photographs of rags she said she had used to wipe down the areas afterward.

Questioning what work justified the $350 charge, Kemper texted Bodart, “Can you tell me what work did get done so I can justify it?” She added, “This is a genuine ask.”

What a cleaning service includes varies by business, according to cleaning trade association ISSA. The association recommends requesting a list of included tasks when getting an estimate and asking whether the company offers a satisfaction guarantee.

She hadn’t expected another cleaner in her home

Kemper’s concerns about cleaners handling her belongings extended to who had entered her home. She had given Bodart her door code, expecting her to clean the home. Only afterward did she learn that an employee had accompanied Bodart and helped clean while she was away. She said she hadn’t been told another worker would be coming.

The business owner later apologized for not giving Kemper advance notice. ISSA advises customers to ask whether an individual or team will clean their home, how workers are screened, and to request notice of crew changes if that matters to them.

Bodart offered to return and correct the cleaning, along with a free routine visit afterward. Kemper couldn’t accommodate the same-day offer but accepted Tuesday when Bodart proposed, noting that her family would be home.

Tuesday morning, Kemper was still waiting to hear whether Bodart was coming. No arrival time appeared in the messages, and her follow-ups that morning and afternoon went unanswered. Kemper said nobody returned.

“You deserved communication from me, and I’m genuinely sorry I didn’t provide that,” Bodart subsequently wrote. She cited personal difficulties while acknowledging that she should have responded.

The Facebook posts became part of the refund talks

With no correction completed, the dispute turned to payment for an unsatisfactory service. Kemper requested $250 back, saying she had spent hours cleaning herself. Bodart offered $100, maintaining that the work justified retaining $250.

The complaint was public, and Bodart reported unwanted messages from outsiders. Kemper tied removing her posts to receiving $250. Bodart wrote she felt pressured but wasn’t asking her to remove them.

Kemper updated her posts, asking readers to stop contacting Bodart. She said her intent was to inform customers, not encourage harassment.

Michigan’s Attorney General’s office offers informal mediation for unresolved business complaints. It forwards complaints and supporting documents to businesses for a response, though refunds aren’t guaranteed.

The Mary Sue requested comment from Kemper and Bodart. Additional statements were pending at publication; any responses will be added.

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