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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:
olderandwider · 28/09/2010 17:56

My cleaner seems happy with £8 an hour. I give her half pay for holidays, and she gets a good Xmas bonus. I will up it to £9 an hour next week - she hasn't had a rise for over a year and she is worth it!

LadyBiscuit · 28/09/2010 17:57

I pay £9/hour, holiday, sick pay and an annual bonus.

LittleCheesyPineappleOne · 28/09/2010 17:59

I pay £8 an hour to our cleaner and extra to the agency. Their rate is £7.50 to the cleaner but unsurprisingly they can't get anyone to work for that rate.

(Surrey)

jellybeans · 28/09/2010 18:03

£7 is more than minimum wage but not much at all for the hard work of cleaning. Imagine grafting for an hour and then being given a basket full of goods to the value of £7, you would not get much, is it worth it for such hard work? I would think £10 an hour more like it but there are probably people who would be forced to do it for £7 or minimum wage.

TondelayoSchwarzkopf · 28/09/2010 18:06

I pay £10 per hour. London. I think the competition for jobs in London tends to keep it around that level.

She is fantastic and I would pay more. I pay for 3 hours and she probably does a bit less than that but she gets everything done and a bit more.

As someone as said, it doesn't matter whether you think it's reasonable or not. It's the market what decides. (Thatcherite emoticon)

staranise · 28/09/2010 18:11

TBH, I don't earn much more than £7 an hour myself (often less) and I have a degree and lots of experience and lots of CPD. I also don't get holiday/sick pay etc and pay my own NI.

Not that my clearner necessarily has an easy life but I'm not convinced it's particualrly hard work - I think that TAs for example, who are paid similarly, have a lot more pressure and hassle than the average domestic cleaner.

pipsy76 · 28/09/2010 18:23

I pay the lady who cleans my house £11 per hour in East Anglia, I would like to point out that it unlikely that the tax man ever sees any of this cash!

pointydog · 28/09/2010 18:25

It's reasonable but it depends what the going rate is in your area, no?

coodles · 28/09/2010 21:47

£10 per hour here in East Anglia and I usually give a bit of holiday pay if she's away for more than one week.

And If I get a pay rise, I give her a pay increase as well.

nannyl · 28/09/2010 21:49

£10 / hour hear in yorkshire

worth every penny

salizchap · 28/09/2010 22:21

Have asked this in another thread, so sorry for repeating myself, but has the OP actually WORKED as a cleaner themselves? It is crappy work. I hated it with a passion, and if I had my way they would all be paid at least £12/h.

juneybean · 28/09/2010 22:34

I thought it was fair considering I only get £8 p/h in north east to be a nanny and even less if I work in a nursery.

muggglewump · 28/09/2010 22:39

Cleaning is physically hard work, and my job can be pretty grim at times, as it's in a Care Home.
I guess it's low paid because you don't need any qualifications to do it.

I don't mind as I work school hours, have a 16 hour contract and my direct boss and manager are really great to work for which makes all the difference.

MisSalLaneous · 28/09/2010 22:42

I pay my wonderful cleaner £10 an hour, and a good Christmas bonus. She regularly babysits for us, and although we've repeatedly said she could watch tv whilst ds sleeps, she always irons our clothes instead. We've accepted it now and appreciates it a lot. If I had loads of spare cash I'd pay her more. We pay her the same rate for babysitting as cleaning, as she's working hard all the time.

Laska · 29/09/2010 00:17

£10/hr for our independent cleaner in London.

hmc · 29/09/2010 00:22

I pay £8.50 per hour on the south coast. I do employ her for 14 hours per week though

Mumi · 29/09/2010 00:32

£10 per hour here also on the south coast.

Myleetlepony · 29/09/2010 11:11

Well, I'm paid £11 an hour as a self-employed cleaner, and I'm turning new customers away. I'm reliable, efficient, and fully insured. I'm in the South East. Agency cleaners get a fraction of what the agency charges of course, if you go to an agency you are going to pay their overheads.
If you get a self-employed cleaner bear in mind that they don't get holiday pay, sick pay etc.

Myleetlepony · 29/09/2010 11:12

Oh, and I declare my earnings to the tax man!

Heracles · 29/09/2010 13:02

Tenner sounds fine to me. I'd have one tomorrow but the place is currently too appallingly untidy to inflict on any poor bugger right now!

NoelEdmondshair · 29/09/2010 13:35

£7 p/h cash in hand sounds fair to me for unskilled labour. Doubt independent cleaners pay tax/NI.

Hmm at those who think it's "hard work" running a vacuum cleaner over the carpets, mopping the kitchen floor and wiping the bathroom over.

Sidge · 29/09/2010 13:52

Crikey I don't earn much more per hour than some of your cleaners, and I'm a nursing sister.

Original poster
gonaenodaethat · 29/09/2010 15:16

That's what I'm talking about Sidge. Compared to what other jobs get paid it seems like a lot.

And yes, to those who've enquired, as I mentioned earlier I have worked as a cleaner. Wasn't that hard!!

OP posts:
roxyhouse · 29/09/2010 17:58

£10 is definitely the going rate in the NE. Some agencies will charge you more than that, in fact.

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