To charge £10 an hour as a cleaner?

[shrunkenhead]

Just the above, really. Times are hard and have asked my boss if she has a house cleaner and she said she didn't but needs ones so volunteered my services.Am also advertising in my local area. Do you think £10 per hr is about right or too low? I am fully CRB checked and don't smoke so won't be bobbing off for fag breaks every ten mins.

I charge £9 per hour in the North West

Locally, I'm in east London, cleaners generally charge between £8 and £10 an hour. More if you go through an agency. My cleaner charges £7.50 but I give her £8.00, and a little bonus at Christmas. I think she doesn't charge enough tbh, so I prefer to give her a little more...

I was surprised at the high rate in Cornwall - £15 per hour. Does this reflect the seasonal nature of the job as we are always being told that the county has the lowest paid workers in UK?

Just outside M25 and pay £10ph and am happy to do so as I have a fantastic cleaner who works incredibly hard.

I pay 10 and this will change to 11 in 2014. It's hard work. YANBU.
(this is in London).

I pay that for ours. That would be the least I would expect (or be prepared) to pay. Anything less is taking advantage in my opinion.

My friend has her own cleaning business and she charges £10 an hour (in the Midlands). I think that is the average price for a cleaner these days.

iago People I know get their permanent house cleaned, not a holiday home so not seasonal. It's a very nice big posh house too! The £15 per hour does include changing beds and ironing, so maybe that makes a difference to the price?

Forgot to add, they pay an agency, not the cleaner direct.

I pay our cleaner £10 ph in London. She is amazing though.

I pay £18ph in Hertfordshire. I know it's expensive but I trust her and she does a good job...most of the time...

£18ph

£13.50 here in the Cotswolds. Pricey but she's the most brilliant cleaner I've had and I don't want to lose her. She's through an agency hence the cost.

YANBU.

My cleaner gets paid 11/hr. That's in London tho so will depend on market rates near where you live. As well as cleaning she also does tidying, making the bed etc.

Are you sure you want to take an additional dynamic into you working relationship of also being your boss' cleaner? Maybe best to clean for people you don't otherwise know, take out an ad in gumtree or mumsnet local boards, etc?

£18 ph ??
However good she is, that is a crazy figure. Have you worked that out as an annual salary? assuming a 37.5 hour week, if she also works for other people locally.......... 35K !!!!!!!!!!!!
And at a guess, unless she is with you through an agency, no tax deducted?

seems about right to me

I pay £10 in London, and there's a "minimum spend" of three hours per visit.

*DingDong8

It doesn't work like that when you have a business that involves traveling to and from various addresses.
You could halve that when you take into consideration business costs, holidays etc.

I pay £10 an hour and we're not in London. In fact, I recently increased it to £10.50 as she has been with us for years and never asked for an increase.

I agree - but only to some extent, as deductions from that total will depend so much on area and employer.
I live in a country village. My cleaner lives, and mainly works, in a very localised area so walks to most of her clients. She is very good, so is very popular. Upset her at peril.

I offer holiday pay, as do several of her clients......everyone has different tactics to retain excellent cleaners

However, the point of the post was only to express complete shock at the amount being charged - out of line with (I think) every other poster - and IMO excessive even for someone that you want to keep.
Unless, as stated, it is through an agency .....where one expects inflated rates because of the overheads.

Dingdong, I simply wondered what the going rate was, I don't feel £10 per hour is excessive and this has been confirmed by many mnetters so will advertise my services.
I wasn't expressing shock, just canvassing opinion.
Thanks for all your feedback

that's what I pay my cleaner.
she is good and worth it