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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think that £7 an hour is a reasonable amount to pay a cleaner?

74 replies

gonaenodaethat · 28/09/2010 11:33

That's it really.
I've been looking at agencies and they all seem to charge closer to £10 which seems excessive to me.

I live in the North East by the way.

OP posts:
Libra · 28/09/2010 12:45

We pay £10 in Scotland.
I think I would feel exploitative to pay less than that.

ByThePowerOfGreyskull · 28/09/2010 12:48

we pay £8 per hour but she has been coming for ages and won't put her prices up she charges new clients £10 per hour
(because she won't put her prices up we are always extra generous with a Christmas bounes)

Lotkinsgonecurly · 28/09/2010 12:50

We pay £11 per hour here and even then I think its quite good. They work so hard, gosh I love my cleaners.

DastardlyandSmugly · 28/09/2010 13:02

I'm in South West London and pay £7.50 per hour.

paisleyleaf · 28/09/2010 13:08

I doubt a cleaner gets a full days work in at the one house. More likely that they have to travel for the odd hour here and there.
If I had to travel 15-20 mins to get to one hour's work at £7, then travel another quarter of an hour away again - I'm sure I wouldn't bother.
It could take you all morning to earn £14! Then by the time you've paid petrol you'd have to wonder if it was worth it.

paisleyleaf · 28/09/2010 13:12

...not to mention tax/stamp deductions

thisisyesterday · 28/09/2010 13:12

i am in south east and pay £10 an hour. i think it's pretty reasonable.

Original poster
gonaenodaethat · 28/09/2010 13:13

I didn't say that £7 an hour was excessive I said that I thought it was reasonable.

I think that £10 an hour is excessive. If you think about it it's WTE £17,020 even with 6 weeks unpaid holiday. There are no unsocial hours or weekends in there, and as for travelling to and from work, don't the vast majority of people who work have that? I'll bet most don't get paid for travelling time.

OP posts:
Original poster
gonaenodaethat · 28/09/2010 13:15

I'll stretch to £8 an hour.

Anybody interested? Grin

OP posts:
paisleyleaf · 28/09/2010 13:16

Maybe they can claim for petrol from the agency, like community carers. But that'd just be if they are working for an agency.

harassedinherpants · 28/09/2010 13:28

I'm in Hampshire and it's £10 - £15 an hour around here (small market town). Reliable cleaners are much in demand!

c0rns1lk · 28/09/2010 13:33

Cleaning is very hard work - have done my fair share over the years. What's the minimum wage? £7 an hour can't be far off.

EldonAve · 28/09/2010 13:33

I pay £8 - non agency

lindsell · 28/09/2010 13:34

I pay £10 an hour to my lovely independent cleaner, she's definitely worth it! Also know she works really hard to support her two children as she's a single mum. I would feel mean paying her less as she really earns her money. In London btw.

Have only had her for a few months so no idea what the going rate is for a christmas bonus - what do you all pay? (sorry for hijack op!)

PinkElephant73 · 28/09/2010 13:36

I pay my current cleaner £8.50 per hour, for 4 hours per week, I provide all materials and she has minimal travel time (10 mins walk from her home), but as you say no sick/holiday pay..

girlafraid · 28/09/2010 13:37

I pay £15 per hour to an independent lady who runs her own business. I could get it for less but she is fantastic and quite frankly I would rather pay someone a decent wage and give the job the dignity it deserves

millimurphy · 28/09/2010 13:41

It might not be difficult work, but it is knackering work if done properly! And if someone is prepared to put their hand down your bog and give it a good scrub, then £10+ an hour is reasonable, surely?

SeaTrek · 28/09/2010 13:56

£7/hr sounds extremely cheap to me.

I used to pay my cleaner (in the NE) £6/hr more than 10 yrs ago and I don't think that was very generous either.

I would expect to pay £10/hr for a cleaner, especially if they weren't there all day and had to move between jobs.

Bramshott · 28/09/2010 13:57

Yes, it possibly is reasonable (as in, it's above the minimum wage), but if you can't find anyone to do it for that, then you'll probably have to pay more.

geordieminx · 28/09/2010 14:08

Whereabouts are you?

lecohen · 28/09/2010 14:19

I pay mine £7.50/hour (although she has hinted to want more) but she is not through an agency and cash in hand...I know some others who are also private cash in hand at £6-7.50

I have to say though that some cleaners are not very good at all...even through agencies (as tried that route too) so it's not really about how much you pay.

I would pay more for a cleaner who is 100% reliable and excellent at her job.

Hope you find one you love

Original poster
gonaenodaethat · 28/09/2010 17:34

I'm in North Tyneside. Geordieminx.

And thanks lecohen, although I might end up doing it myself.

My lovely cleaner has had to stop due to illness. I paid her £7 an hour but I paid her for her holidays or if she was poorly as well. I also gave her £40 at Christmas.

I'm not tight and I'm not looking to exploit someone I just think that in comparison to what other people eg health care assistants, community carers, shop workers etc earn, that £10 an hour is quite a lot.

I've been a cleaner too, in hospitals and in student accomodation so I know what it's like.

OP posts:
staranise · 28/09/2010 17:43

I'm in SW London and pay £7.50 an hour direct to the cleaner.

sarah293 · 28/09/2010 17:45

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

muggglewump · 28/09/2010 17:47

I get £5.90, but I work in a Care Home and get holiday/sick pay.
I'd do a private job for £7 but only on top of what I already do, not instead of.
Remember if you don't use an agency, you won't have anyone to clean if they go off sick.