Cleaning crew dumps filth in client's home after dispute over premium service

A video showing a cleaning crew member dumping filth on the living room floor of a client's home on moving day has gone viral, stirring controversy. The customer claims the company pressured her into purchasing a premium service and then failed to carry out even the basic cleaning, while the company says the original contract covered too little time and too small an area.

The incident took place Friday at a home in Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province, and has been drawing widespread attention across online communities and social media platforms.

Video circulating on social media shows a move-in cleaning crew member pouring black filth onto the living room floor, with window frames, cupboards and shelves left visibly uncleaned throughout.

According to the customer, identified only as A, she had originally booked a "between-move clean" — a service performed after the previous occupant's belongings are removed and before the new ones arrive — for an 84-square-meter apartment, with the work to be completed by 3 p.m. before her furniture arrived. She said she later learned that cleaning fees are calculated based on the total supply area rather than the exclusive-use area, and agreed to pay an additional 110,000 won ($80) the company requested.

However, A said on-site team leader B subsequently demanded an extra 400,000 won for a "premium clean," and when she refused, B's crew failed to properly clean basic areas including shelves, drawers and window frames.

She added that the crew attempted to wrap up and leave around 2:30 p.m. with the cleaning incomplete, and that when she withheld the remaining payment, B said "then I'll restore everything to how it was" and spread the collected filth across the living room and laundry room.

A also claimed that during the confrontation, B threw coffee and trash into the living room and kitchen drawers, and in front of her young baby threatened that she "won't be able to move in on Monday" while hurling insults.

Police were ultimately called to the scene. The cleaning company's manager later arrived, apologized and cleaned up the dumped filth while the furniture move-in was delayed, and the matter appeared to be resolved.

After the incident became public, the company faced a wave of online criticism, but the situation shifted when the company posted its own account.

The company said the original booking was for a between-move clean at 11 a.m. for 410,000 won, based on an 84-square-meter unit, with a 100,000-won deposit paid. It said the previous tenant's departure was delayed, forcing the crew to wait until around 12:30 p.m., and that the company had been told the new furniture would begin arriving at 2 p.m.

Facing a tight schedule, the company said it offered A two options: pay a waiting fee and push back the furniture arrival time, or proceed with cleaning as much as possible within the remaining time. It said it then agreed with A's husband to prioritize key areas — two bathrooms, all floors and the large living room window.

The company also explained that the apartment turned out to be 112 square meters — not the 82 square meters stated at booking — and that it accordingly charged an additional 90,000 won at a rate of 10,000 won per 3.3 square meters. The company said the total A paid came to 500,000 won, comprising a remaining balance of 310,000 won and the 90,000-won area surcharge, and was not a charge for premium services.

In addition, the company said the window frames and shelves A claimed were left uncleaned had not been included in the agreed scope of work due to time constraints, as discussed with A's husband. It acknowledged that B reacted emotionally when told the cleaning fee would not be paid, and admitted wrongdoing over the dumping of filth, saying B "deeply regrets" the act.

A's side disputed this, saying B did not properly apologize on the day and that most of the dumped filth was cleaned up by the moving company's workers rather than the cleaning crew. The cleaning company countered that it recleaned the affected areas and communicated its willingness to compensate for any damage.

On A's claim that B had made threats in front of her baby, the company said B's remark — "do you really want to do this with a child present?" — was being characterized as an insult directed at the child, and clarified that no abusive language was aimed at the baby.

A is now preparing civil and criminal complaints against B over the dumping of filth, while the cleaning company has reportedly filed a complaint against A on charges of spreading false information, violating personal data protection law and infringing on portrait rights.