Cleaning My Work Uniform Is What I Call an Absolute Chore!
Because of my occupation, I have to wear a clean uniform every single shift I do.
Working in the healthcare sector, a clean uniform is absolutely essential to help prevent germs and bacteria from spreading.
Every night when I get home from a very long shift I can't just put my feet up and relax with a nice cup of tea! Oh no, I have to put my uniform in the washing machine.
This usually takes up to an hour.
Once that has finished I then have to put my uniform into the dryer.
Another forty minutes gone.
Finally I have to iron my uniform.
By this time my eyes are physically closing from yet another very long day.
Bear in mind I didn't have a dryer for the first two years of my job (which I have been doing for the past six years).
Back then when it had finished in the washing machine I would have to hang it on the maiden and pray it would be dry in the morning only then could I iron it as soon as I got up, only to do the exact same thing 12 hours later! Once I got my dryer life did become a little easier, but it was still a chore (not to mention the cost of soap powder these days!).
So one day I decided to go and see my manager and asked if I could have another uniform, you know to take the strain off a little.
His reply was "Yes of course you can, but it will cost you £14!" Now, with him being a manager, £14 is probably not a lot to him on his very large salary, but to me it was quite a chunk out of my national minimum wage.
I know a lot of people where I work are in the same position as me, yet the company still refuses to give them more than one free uniform a year, which in this profession is a bit of a joke really.
I suppose washing and maintaining my uniform is a part of my job but is still a strain when I also have family life to compete with.
Then one day, I spoke to a friend of mine who told me about claiming tax back for washing and maintaining my uniform.
At first, I thought she was mad, but then she showed me a cheque she had received that morning from the tax man.
So I decided what the hell, I'll give it ago.
I did, and three weeks later a cheque came through the post for £76! My tax code had also been changed so that I pay a little less tax in the future.
I was over the moon! I decided to buy another uniform, you know being practical and all, then I took my family out for a nice meal which was lovely.
I still have to wash my uniform but the tax rebate came as a really nice treat.
Working in the healthcare sector, a clean uniform is absolutely essential to help prevent germs and bacteria from spreading.
Every night when I get home from a very long shift I can't just put my feet up and relax with a nice cup of tea! Oh no, I have to put my uniform in the washing machine.
This usually takes up to an hour.
Once that has finished I then have to put my uniform into the dryer.
Another forty minutes gone.
Finally I have to iron my uniform.
By this time my eyes are physically closing from yet another very long day.
Bear in mind I didn't have a dryer for the first two years of my job (which I have been doing for the past six years).
Back then when it had finished in the washing machine I would have to hang it on the maiden and pray it would be dry in the morning only then could I iron it as soon as I got up, only to do the exact same thing 12 hours later! Once I got my dryer life did become a little easier, but it was still a chore (not to mention the cost of soap powder these days!).
So one day I decided to go and see my manager and asked if I could have another uniform, you know to take the strain off a little.
His reply was "Yes of course you can, but it will cost you £14!" Now, with him being a manager, £14 is probably not a lot to him on his very large salary, but to me it was quite a chunk out of my national minimum wage.
I know a lot of people where I work are in the same position as me, yet the company still refuses to give them more than one free uniform a year, which in this profession is a bit of a joke really.
I suppose washing and maintaining my uniform is a part of my job but is still a strain when I also have family life to compete with.
Then one day, I spoke to a friend of mine who told me about claiming tax back for washing and maintaining my uniform.
At first, I thought she was mad, but then she showed me a cheque she had received that morning from the tax man.
So I decided what the hell, I'll give it ago.
I did, and three weeks later a cheque came through the post for £76! My tax code had also been changed so that I pay a little less tax in the future.
I was over the moon! I decided to buy another uniform, you know being practical and all, then I took my family out for a nice meal which was lovely.
I still have to wash my uniform but the tax rebate came as a really nice treat.
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