Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to think my cleaner is too expensive?

162 replies

BoldAmberCat · 04/04/2026 07:07

I have a new cleaner. She charges £75 for a fortnightly clean. I have a 4 bedroom house. Before she started, I asked her how long she would be at the house for each time. She said it would, “take as long as it takes”. The first week she stayed for two and a quarter hours. When she came for the second time she only stayed one hour. I feel ripped off. Is this ok or not? Thank you

OP posts:
ForMerryMauveDreamer · 04/04/2026 10:28

I pay £15ph for a 5 bed, 4 bathroom house over 3 floors. Cleaner does 3 hours per week and that just about does the job. And I’m in an urban area! You’re being ripped off, £75 for a couple of hours is a joke.

Viviennemary · 04/04/2026 10:27

She is a total chancer. Get rid.

WittyW00 · 04/04/2026 10:26

I only saw the headline of £75 4 bedroom house and I was all ready to defend the hardworking cleaners… the I read the rest! If she was working solo and got it done in 2.5 hours then she was doing it super fast(not impossible) but 1 hour would be physically impossible to do a 4 bedroom house. If she’s been with you for a while and had her weetabix one morning then I can well believe being able to get the clean done quicker and far more efficiently as she will have gotten a routine perfected and kept your home maintained. Time to part ways I think… not all cleaners are made equal and it sounds like you’re actually willing to pay the right money for the right hard working person … best wishes!

BillieWiper · 04/04/2026 10:25

That's appalling?! No of course it's not right she should charge £75 for one hour? Most charge £15-20.

Horses7 · 04/04/2026 10:25

She is a CF and is ripping you off big time - get rid and find another cleaner!

TheChosenTwo · 04/04/2026 10:22

My cleaner is £21 an hour, she comes weekly for 3 hours. Ideally I’d like her for 4 hours but she doesn’t have the time available although says I’m first in line for when she has a 4 hour gap come up.
£75 fortnightly doesn’t sound unreasonable but if you’re not satisfied with what you’re getting for that you need to let her know.
I’m happy with £63 a week because she leaves my house looking and feeling lovely - not all those little jobs (dusting skirting boards etc) are done weekly of course because she doesn’t have long enough but the kitchen and bathrooms are sparkling and the other rooms are immaculate to a casual observer.

Ouuuuccchhhh · 04/04/2026 10:20

My cleaner is £30 for a 2-hour fortnightly clean of a 3-bedroom house with a main bathroom, ensuite, downstairs WC, kitchen, living room and hallway/stairs/landing. You’re definitely being ripped off!

Parentofstudent · 04/04/2026 10:19

She is taking the piss. When she stayed for one hour did she get through a list of tasks? Hoovering / dusting / bathrooms/ kitchen?

I’d expect around 4-5 hours for £75.

Mischance · 04/04/2026 10:18

I pay £35 for two hours.

TulipsDaffsAndSunshine · 04/04/2026 10:16

Yes she’s expensive

Mumlaplomb · 04/04/2026 10:13

I pay £20 an hour and she’s very good and efficient but it’s a general clean for two hours and doesn’t allow for everything. There is no way she could clean a four bed in an hour and she is ripping you off charging £75 for one hour.

Obeseandashamed · 04/04/2026 10:13

I get 4 hours for this amount. She usually even puts on a laundry during this time and does the kitchen, bathroom thoroughly, changes bedsheets, vacuums, dusts etc

jgjgjgjgjg · 04/04/2026 10:11

No sorry she'd have to go, the trust is broken. She must know as well as you do that taking £75 for one hour isn't okay. What did she say when you talked to her about it?

topcat2014 · 04/04/2026 10:11

Paul O'Grady once said, (of his time cleaning), make sure you polish the telephone handset and spray a bit of pledge around before the lady of the house returns..

EnterFunnyNameHere · 04/04/2026 10:10

I don't have a cleaner, but if I did, I think I'd go on outcome not hours. So if £75 is enough to end up with a clean house, and i did get a clean house for that price, I probably wouldn't care how long they were there. It seems unlikely someone could clean your sized house in 1 hour, but what is the resultant cleanliness like?

topcat2014 · 04/04/2026 10:10

Cleaning is not like paying for a tax return where there is a defined outcome, and it doesn't matter how long it takes.

It is a service where you pay for labour, and the cleaner needs to keep going for that time.

MN can be ridiculously tolerant to poor cleaners, but glad to see a united front here.

purpleygrey · 04/04/2026 10:08

how much of the house is she getting cleaned in 1hr ?

Piknik · 04/04/2026 10:07

I have exactly the same arrangement with my cleaner - as long as it takes for £70 in a four bed house. The quickest she has ever been is 2.45hrs but usually around 4. This price also allows me to add on things at no extra cost as long as it's reasonable. So things like: Can you clean inside the fridge today for example - things that don't need doing every time.

Original poster
BoldAmberCat · 04/04/2026 09:53

Thank you very much for all your responses. I will tell her that I’m not happy to pay £75 for one hour of cleaning and look for someone that I can employ on an hourly rate instead. The house has 4 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, an en-suite, a downstairs toilet, a kitchen and a lounge. Plus hallway and landing. I was expecting at least 3 hours of cleaning for £75

OP posts:
AlmondButterCrumpets · 04/04/2026 08:26

We pay £22.50 an hour for our cleaner.

Franjipanl8r · 04/04/2026 07:41

She’s not going be staying 7 hours next time to make up for the 1 hour last time is she?!

GranolaBaker · 04/04/2026 07:34

Of course it’s not ok. Going rate is £15 -£20 an hour, give or take, depending where you live. You’ve been ripped off both weeks. Terminate the arrangement now!

pilates · 04/04/2026 07:32

Yes you are 😳

Zanatdy · 04/04/2026 07:30

Absolutely not £75 for 1hr. I’d get rid, have someone who does a set time, and if they don’t get it all done, then can sort next time.

TheHellHoundBlackShuck · 04/04/2026 07:29

3-4 hours would be reasonable. Surely she can't have got the house clean in an hour?