Cleaner charging higher rate for garden cleaning

[user874158974267]

We've had this cleaner for a few months now. She charges £13/h for domestic cleaning (going rate here is £10-£12) And this week for the first time I asked her to clean our garden. Now she sends me text saying that she spent 1h cleaning the garden and she wants £20/h for that work.

Garden is small with artificial lawn. She had to sweep the leaves and clean the small patio area with a power washer. And she cleaned some garden furniture - a table and a few chairs. And she put some kids toys around the garden in a storage.

I've had my fair share of cleaners so far and was never charged extra for garden tidying and cleaning. And the extra seems too high (over 50% of her domestic cleaning rate).

I could just suck up the extra cost to avoid a hassle. But once the weather gets warmer I need this cleaner to clean the garden each week. So the cost increase for me wouldn't be negligible.

AIBU to expect a cleaner to do some garden cleaning (as per the requirement above) at the normal rate?

Cleaning the garden

And this week for the first time I asked her to clean our garden. Now she sends me text saying that she spent 1h cleaning the garden and she wants £20/h for that work.

This suggests OP wasn’t there when the work was done, and If she is anything like some of my clients leaves lists of what she wants done (which is fine btw) so I reckon there was no conversation about what OP wanted done so the cleaner arrived, saw the list ordering her to do the garden and thought- fine- but I’m charging gardening rate. If OP had wanted a rate for the work she needed to ask the cleaner what the rate was before deciding if she wanted the work done.

Off topic but genuinely curious. What plants or trees shed leaves in March?

Yabu

Yabvvu

Yabu

Yabu for having plastic grass. Naff and terrible for the environment

Now Margo, I think you know you ARE being unreasonable.

What plants or trees shed leaves in March?

Can't answer the question but I do know that my garden has loads of dead leaves and bits of tree at the moment that have blown in from other peoples gardens and fields nearby.

Maybe I need to get someone in to come and 'clean' my mud covered/water logged garden.

We've got a tree shedding leaves and tiny branches. I'm assuming wind has loosed stuff that dies back earlier but is stuck in the branches? Haven't seen it before (but we moved recently and have t had one of this type of tree before).

You are being tight on the money and plastic grass is a travesty!

I've had my fair share of cleaners so far and was never charged extra for garden tidying and cleaning.

Sure you have .

🧐 at it or a tit?

Not sure 🤔

I employ a gardener to supplement my own efforts, and one of the additional expenses he factors into his fees goes towards disposing of garden waste legitimately. ( have heard of householders being fined for the dumping of waste by less scrupulous operatives "cutting corners", as the work was done on their behalf)
This is in addition to the specialist equipment he brings with him, and as PP's have already said, working out of doors in all weathers is another consideration. His standard rate is £20 per hour.

YABVVVVU
Unless you also get your milkman to pop in and scrub the loo.
The window cleaner to pop in and make the tea.
The gardener to pop in and redecorate your bedroom.
While your on get your local mechanic to nip to the supermarket for you. I mean they will be driving there in a car so surely that’s part of their job.

Just read this again and can't believe the CFery.

My cleaner does go into the garden in the summer but that's to sit and drink a glass of Pimms with me after she's finished cleaning. I'm disabled and would be lost without her.

I think we can safely assume the OP won't be back.

My mum pays £20 and hour for her gardener. He's cheap too

You need to hire a gardener

Clean your own garden.

I think we can safely assume the OP won't be back.

Or that she has had a cleaner before because anyone who has would know that domestic cleaners are not gardeners.

she should have told you about the higher rate up front - the increase is probably because she's decided she doesn't want to do it.
Joys of being self employed - she sets her own rates.
Get a gardner for the outdoor work , and if you are peeved that you think you're paying over the odds for her regular rate, find someone else.

Yabu and a cf!

Put a roof over your garden and raise the fence to roof height.

Then it'll be indoors and cheaper to "clean".

This must be joke.

It’s not cleaning a garden, it’s maintenance.
What’s wrong with you?!!!

I’m a cleaner and at no point have I EVER had to reaffirm I’m cleaning inside the house not outside.

At the very least you should ask her if she’s ok with it and what her additional charge would be if anything at all before she did it.

Cleaning your garden 😂 Jesus wept.

tidying up and sweeping leaves etc is not domestic cleaning, it is garden work.

I hate household cleaning, but would happily potter doing this stuff in the garden for ages.

My guess is that she is charging you more for the garden because she doesn't liek doing it!

Must be the funniest thread this year. I power washed my patio today. I was chuckling thinking of this thread and my cleaners face if I’d asked her to pop out and do it.😂😂😂