What do you buy your cleaner for Christmas?

[elliollie]

I've employed a cleaner for the first time this year. She only does too hours a week but she has changed my life! Should have done it years ago. I want to get her something for Christmas to show how much I appreciate her.
Would you buy her a present or give her a bonus? If it's a bonus, how much would you give her?

Clearly, I meant two not too

I'd give a bonus.... the amount depends on what you can afford.

I give a weeks money generally. Sometimes more, sometimes less depending on financial circumstances.

A new duster.

Sorry only being silly.

I gave mine a Seasalt ‘Box o Sox’ (seven pairs). I think they were on offer with 20% off so came out at £28. She genuinely loved them and is the sort of person who prefers presents to money. I suppose it depends on the cleaner and what you think she would prefer. A bonus or vouchers for her favourite shop would also be good.

Ours get a weeks clean as an extra bonus plus chocolates or processo. I don't know my cleaner good enough to guess about home decor or other items.

As per PPs, it depends on the cleaner.

I have a gentleperson's agreement with mine that I buy her posh toiletries (Clarins, Elemis etc). Stuff she wouldn't buy herself. If I gave her ££ it would end up in the family pot so it wouldn't be for her.

I had a marks gift voucher last year. It was most appreciated. It was 15 pounds but I thought that was rather generous.

I give mine an extra week's money, plus this year (was very new last year), a L'Occitane Xmas bauble gift. It was less than £10, but looks and smells good.

Cleaner here.
Appreciated gifts include :
Posh scarf!
Posh Smellies!
Nice photo frame!
Nice purse!
Always get paid for Christmas fortnight also.
Less appreciated but still nice to get gifts :
Biscuits
Chocolates
Wine
As the above 3 are assumed to be shared by family and dc!!

I give a weeks pay and a bottle of wine

Always cash - I usually give one week’s cash (roughly), and add something like a posh chocolate bar to the card.

Great thanks. I think I'll give cash and a bottle of something for her and her dh and maybe a selection box or something for her dc.

Depends on (1) how good they are, sounds like you've got a good one, and (2) their family/financial situation.

For good cleaners I've had who were single mums and struggling, I've gone for something nice for them as a treat (really nice chocolates, or a good quality hand wash/cream set (Molton Brown, White Co, Cowshed etc), plus between 1 week and 2 weeks' pay as a bonus. On the basis they need cash but spend it all on their family, so a nice treat makes them feel valued too.

For a cleaner I'm secretly hoping will leave, a supermarket box of chocs and 1 week's pay.

Always cash. She is wonderful and I never want to lose her, so give her £50.

Would it be ok to give a cash bonus if we use a cleaning agency? Our cleaner is fantastic, and it is the same one every week, but would she have to declare it to the agency - does anyone know?

I would def consider a cash bonus if I had an agency cleaner.

I am already thinking about it- but my cleaner I know is comfortably off and does it part time as a hobby! Maybe a nice bottle.

Cash chocolates and wine

Another who does a week's money.
I don't know her well enough to get a gift. Always hate it when people buy me something I don't like / won't use - it seems such a waste of money, which I still hate today, but found incredibly frustrating when I was short myself.

Same here my cleaner who is now my PCA and helps me with everything and she has changed my life so much for the better in so many ways.
I give her a weeks money(she doesn't get paid if she doesn't work) and usually something that she has mentioned she likes.

We give a month's salary. Our lovely cleaner is a very young single mum and she really does go the extra mile. I know if I asked her if she'd like a gift she'd say no, so although the cash I'm sure goes towards looking after baby, I'm hoping she has some leftover for her. Though perhaps after reading this, I'll be a bit more thoughtful and get her something just for her.

We used an agency until last year but pay the cleaner herself directly. I always gave her the cash in a Christmas card.

Our cleaner is single with adult daughter so she has the choice of eating the chocolate herself or sharing. Last year I added a chocolate santa for her grandson as the chocolates wouldn't work for a toddler.

I may look at the L'Occtaine baubles this year as well.

We give ours a week's money.
Does everyone pay over Christmas regardless?

For us it depends. Our cleaner takes the time off so we don't pay as it comes from her, not us.

A previous cleaner would come unless it was 24-26 or 31-1 but we normally declined as we didn't want to do a cleaner-tidy-up. In these cases we paid 1/2.

I made mine a chocolate hamper last year. Before she left each week we'd have either biscuit or some chocolate and a brew and I paid attention to what she picked, then made a hamper out of her favourites. Including some nice little festive treats and her favourite wine too. She seemed to like that! I don't know why, but I hate giving money as a gift, as I don't want to seem either tight or too extravagant.