Talk to me... do you have a cleaner or are you a cleaner

[Studyinghell]

I'm thinking of starting cleaning self employed part time. What do I need to know?
Have you got a cleaner, how much pay and what services do you expect?
Are you a cleaner? Do I need specialist insurances? Any info would be appreciated

[bluediamonds]

Hi studyinghell,

I've just started doing p/t cleaning as self employed. I've literally just started. I've found work quite easily by looking at local facebook groups and advertising in my local area (shop windows).

I find it very tedious, but the pay is ok and it's a means to an end as I'm planning on doing an OU degree (are you studying too).

I'd steer clear of people with too much stuff to shift (time consuming) and houses which are really dirty although at first you're just happy to get anything and in fairness it doesn't take long to g er on top of it.

All the people in clean for are really nice and appreciative of what I do.

It does (well it does me) take a couple of cleans to get into the flow of their house and learn the ropes. This extra time I don't personally charge for and it only lasts a couple of weeks.

I have an Enhanced DBS from my last job (worked with children) and that seems to be a hit with my clients.

It's very tiring too, but it's early days and I'm sure I'll get used to it.

I haven't got any insurance but I have had a couple of moments when I've nearly broken something as I'm rushing!

[bluediamonds]

Excuse the typos etc. Being distracted massively at this end and am a phone which doesn't help!

[Studyinghell]

Thanks for your reply, Yes I'm studying too, I was thinking on getting some business cards up in local shop windows and seeing how it goes... just not sure what to charge and what ppl Expect for their money

[Allthebestnamesareused]

I pay £13 per hour to my self employed cleaner. She has insurance.

She does 2 hours a week. I ask her to do the kitchen, 2 bathrooms and a downstairs loo, 2 x living rooms. She also mops kitchen, utility toom. She also dusts and hoovers 3x bedrooms every week and spare room when I ask her too (when we have guests). She says she likes my house because its light and airy and because its tidy and I do some cleaning inbetween her visits.

A friend used to clean but do 5 hours and used to change beds etc but I'd feel weird asking someone to do that for me!

[Studyinghell]

Thanks for your reply, when u say kitchen do u mean things like work tops, tiles, pots and tidying or do you include fridge and oven/job in that?

[KatherineMumsnet]

We're just moving this to AIBU at the OP's request.

[Studyinghell]

Bump...

[Studyinghell]

Moving to aibu for some more traffic, hoping to get business cards ordered at weekend

[Ratbagcatbag]

I have a cleaner and pay £11 per hour. I have two hours every other week.
For that, they Hoover throughout, mop kitchen, bathrooms and hall.
Dust throughout. Clean bath, separate shower and toilet.
Clean kitchen, which is all work tops, hob, sink, and unit fronts. Full oven is a separate job.

[Giraffeski]

I'm looking for a cleaner at the moment.
I was thinking of having someone initially for a bit of a spring clean then three hours a week. I would probably just discuss what I wanted doing on a regular basis. and leave time for jobs that don't need doing every week, so then leave a list of other stuff to get through.

[Giraffeski]

If you're north west based then PM me!

[Rockspin]

I run a cleaning company, although we now are more commercial and contract cleaning we started out with domestic cleaning.
You must must must have insurance, can't stress that enough. There are lots of self employed trade insurers out there.
Decide whether to use customers own products or to supply, and if you provide own equipment and materials factor in depreciate and all expenses and costs.
Being honest, in my experience there isn't an awful lot of money in domestic cleaning but it's an awful lot of effort and hard work.
There is far more money is oven cleaning and the equipment is easy to buy, relatively cheap, once you know how to do it its easy and you can earn far far more per hour and get more jobs done per day. Plus free advertising via Facebook.
I often point my self employed cleaners in that direction if they are looking at working more hours and some have done very well from it.

[RebeccaWithTheGoodHair]

My cleaners do two hours each week - £22 for the pair of them for an hour each time.

They do the downstairs one week and upstairs the second. I supply all the stuff, they just let me know when we're running low on something.

They mop, dust, hoover and love'em they like to rearrange things to look 'nice'! They were trained by someone who ran a B&B so they can't help themselves but arrange the tea, coffee and kettle into a triangle!

I make sure I've tidied everything away before they arrive and I do clean in between their visits as well so that they're not dealing with a load of crap that needs moving around the place before they can clean.

They are also absolutely lovely with my dogs and always bring them a treat.

[Pinkheart5915]

I hire a self employed cleaner, she has insurance. I pay her £20 an hour

She has been cleaning for me & dh for 6 years now, she's always been reliable. Reliability was something the cleaners before her stuggled with.

My cleaner comes 6 hours per week (3 hours per day) she;

Washes floors in the kitchen, 1 en suite we use , main bathroom
Hoovers the play room & living room, all bedrooms & stairs
Cleans the bath/sink/toilet in the main bathroom and the shower/sink/toilet in the en suite we use
Dusts all rooms we use
Cleans all kitchen work tops & cleans the hob
1 visit per week she will change the beds
Cleans the windows inside once a week

Oven is cleaned every month or so
Skirting boards etc are cleaned every month

Do you have references? People will want to check them
I know your hoping to order business cards but try and advertise on Facebook or a gumtree advert?

[Justmadeperfectflapjacks]

I am a cleaner. .
When you first start don't be afraid to ask for lists /notes regarding specifics!!
Once you get to know the house /customers its easier.
Insurances I looked at had an excess of £££££££.
So I am just very careful!!
In 7 years all I have broken is a toilet brush!!
I have been known to clean out chickens, walk dogs, clean up cat 'presents - dead birds and mice.
Watch dc for a few hours.
Assist in medication administration to an elderly lady at her dd request!!
It can be a position of great trust and a huge asset to a family. .
Not just a cleaning lady!!
Good luck on finding some great clients like I have. .
It isn't just cleaning loos!!

[Me624]

I have cleaners for 3 hours a fortnight (but there's two of them so they do 1.5 hours). It's £12 an hour and they supply their own products. I asked to see their insurance certificate before they started.

I used to pay slightly more for a cleaner who cleaned to an extremely high standard but became very unreliable. I'd rather have my now slightly-less-good but extremely reliable cleaners.

I don't expect fridges/ovens/insides of cupboards etc to be cleaned as standard. I'd ask them to do that as an extra every now and then. They do clean hob, sink, kitchen sides, kitchen table every week and mop floors, vacuum and dust living room, clean insides of widows, vacuum and dust 4 bedrooms and clean 2 bathrooms and 1 cloakroom.

[SummerMummy88]

If your in Lancashire message me!

[Rufus200]

I pay my cleaner £12 per hour which I think is top end in London but expensive everywhere else!

pinkheart there is no way I would pay a cleaner £20 an hr no matter how good they were!

[CheesyCrust]

I have a cleaner. I expect common sense, efficiency and honesty. Ours also cooks and runs errands such as grocery shopping. She works 4 hours a day M-W-F. We pay £20 an hour. I suspect 'tax free'' but that's up to her.

She does everything from laundry, cleaning, organising gardeners to come, making everything look tidy, dusting, cleaning. The hours fit around her children being at school and we're flexible over holidays.

When you're in someone's home it's a careful balance between getting the job done and not imposing. Building a relationship with clients is important but I think some people 'get' the balance and can be professional and friendly. Too professional can mean cold and that's not what people want with someone working in their home. Too friendly and you wish they'd let you get on with your day whilst they do their job.

[RortyCrankle]

I'm disabled and find housework difficult so have a cleaner who comes for 2 hours every other week. She is self employed and I pay her £13 an hour (in Buckinghamshire).

I always ensure my home is tidy before she comes - I don't think it's a cleaner's job to tidy. Neither does she iron (nor do I) nor change my bed which I know some on here expect. She hoovers throughout, dusts, takes out rubbish, cleans living room, bedroom, hall kitchen and bathroom, cleans inside the fridge if needed, my oven needs a professional clean after which she has said she will maintain. I provide all equipment and cleaning stuff. I've no idea if she's insured.

I would make sure you decide upfront what you will or won't do. Best to have a clear agreement before you begin.

Good luck.

[musicmaiden]

Ours is £12 per hour – I am in London. She comes 3 hours a week and cleans the kitchen (surfaces/sink/floors – she will do the grill pan and microwave but not oven or fridge which are bigger jobs). She also does downstairs loo and main bathroom, hoovers and dusts everywhere else (dining room/lounge/3 bedrooms), puts out rubbish and puts fresh sheets on the beds (I strip them before I go to work and leave sheets out, just my preference). She would iron if I wanted her to but we iron rarely in our house anyway, so not bothered!

On the morning before she comes I run around making everything reasonably tidy picking up kids' crap so she can actually get to things to clean them, so she doesn't really tidy that much.

[musicmaiden]

Forgot to say we supply all the cleaning stuff. And I doubt she is insured.

[Allthebestnamesareused]

Kitchen - means everything except ovens but she will do them if I ask specifically but it will mean something else is left that week so I tend to get her to do them when I am on holiday.

[Twuntsrule]

I'm in NYC suburb, so I know that my $100 for 4.5 hours of work may seem high, but my cleaner is a gem and v good to my two cats! I also have a lot of clutter she cleans around. It's a duplex apartment, so she hoovers living room, stair, and upstairs (2 br/1bath). She Swiffers kitchen floor and all other wood floors, dusts, changes the linens (just one bed), cleans bathroom and kitchen counters, and probably other things that I don't notice. If there is cat sick on the rug that I just couldn't deal with, I leave her an extra $10 and a note of apology. If I ask her to do something else extra, I leave her the appropriate extra money. She's worked for me for nearly 20 years, is totally honest, and has her own keys. Am considering asking if she'd do laundry, which is across the street, for the appropriate fee. She also shares her breakfast with my cats! Frankly, I'll do anything within reason to keep her!

[donajimena]

I don't really do domestic cleaning (specialise in end of tenancy now) but I charge between 13"- 20 p/h. If I do a one off domestic clean.
Don't be afraid to ask for 12 and above p/h.
This works out around minimum wage take home (taking into account holiday pay and travel between jobs)
Insurance is fairly inexpensive. I paid around 15pcm (I pay more now as I offer other services)
I always use my own products. I found some people's ideas of cleaning materials very different to mine. For example, loo liquids rather than bleach don't clean properly, anti bac spray gets on my chest. Magic erasers are a god send for cleaning. Its much easier to have your own tool kit.
Same with vacuum cleaners. With a Henry you can do skirting, cobwebs and stairs with far more ease than an upright vac.
Good luck. I found once I had a few customers my number was passed around and I got very busy.
However as a PP said I found it very tedious so I now do End of Tenancy and ovens/carpets. I enjoy working in different locations and there is far more £££ in it.
If you are a student in a university town or city you are just in time to pick up student house cleaning. You have to be extremely thorough and a house will take you a good days work.
If you want any further information pm me x