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Original poster

What to do about window cleaner

85 replies

GlummyMcGlummerson · 09/06/2020 09:34

Had a card through my door advertising window cleaning by "Steve". Been looking for a window cleaner for a while and thought great! I text the number to ask for a price explaining I'm in a 3-bed semi with 10 windows in total etc. He replied to say he'll "come round tonight at 8pm to have a look" Confused. I said "sorry what do you mean" - he wants to come inside the house to check the layout! A window cleaner!! I've said no and I'll just leave it. I'm a single mum with 2 kids, I don't let anyone in the house unless they're family or friends.

WWYD - this is dodgy right? And not normal? Do I report him?!

OP posts:
AJPTaylor · 09/06/2020 12:49

Oh and women are perfectly welcome to come clean my windows at the same rate. Have never actually seen any. They are all Tony, Kev, Gary or were Steve.

WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 09/06/2020 12:54

Apologies for having windows and paying someone to do it. I don't have a cleaner so couldn't comment on the relative cost.

Sorry, absolutely no criticism of you was intended for choosing a service and provider at an acceptable price to you. I was just blown away at what seemed like a very high cost to me. I don't have a cleaner or a window cleaner, but I was just going on the frequent threads on MN about cleaners and the relative discrepancy in their rates.

I would not ask my cleaner to get up on a ladder outside my house, that's why I have a window cleaner.
His hourly rate is a bit more than hers but not by much, he's usually here for 40-50 minutes and he brings equipment with him and pays for his own products.

I wasn't criticising you or anybody in the least for having a window cleaner and nor was I suggesting that the jobs of an indoor house cleaner and a window cleaner would overlap (although 'Steve' seems to think that they would).

As somebody who has neither (couldn't afford them - not because I morally object to them), and has only casually observed window cleaners working on neighbouring and relative's houses, I'm just amazed that their job is seen as significantly more important or difficult than that of a cleaner (who routinely does a far wider variety of tasks) to the extent that they deserve a significantly higher hourly rate.

WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 09/06/2020 13:04

Oh and women are perfectly welcome to come clean my windows at the same rate. Have never actually seen any. They are all Tony, Kev, Gary or were Steve.

That's my point, though. Jobs like a window cleaner tend to be done by men whilst jobs like a cleaner tend to be done by women. Nobody is saying that these jobs aren't fully open to both sexes, but whatever the reasons, jobs widely seen as 'men's jobs' invariably seem to be paid better than those seen as 'women's jobs'. Do we really think that domestic carers and nursery workers would still be paid the same as they currently are if 50% of the people doing these jobs were men?

MadFerretWoman · 09/06/2020 16:05

We had a window cleaner who acquired a new colleague to assist. At the time my husband was a prison officer and recognised said colleague as an ex client! 😀. He mentioned this to him... they never came back... I reckon they were seeing if there was anything worth stealing...

AJPTaylor · 09/06/2020 16:09

I don't think that window cleaners are actually paid more. I doubt they earn much over the course of the year. By the time you take out the winter months, the non payers, the drumming up of business, the cost of a van and equipment it's probably more stable to do house cleaning tbh.

KeepWashingThoseHands · 09/06/2020 16:12

I have a window cleaner. Not once has he been in the house as he has eyes and can count how many windows there are and I told him. At a guess your guy also cleans lots of other houses in your area so unless you live in a 10 storey house with one window on each ie. very atypical layout I'd be wondering why he needs to come in.

I'm large 4 bed detached and think it's £15 in an expensive part of the country.

Alsohuman · 09/06/2020 16:12

@AJPTaylor

I don't think that window cleaners are actually paid more. I doubt they earn much over the course of the year. By the time you take out the winter months, the non payers, the drumming up of business, the cost of a van and equipment it's probably more stable to do house cleaning tbh.
I don’t think they are either. Our window cleaner charges £10 for 12 windows. By the time his van, ladders, equipment, pretrol, etc are factored in, that seems pretty cheap to me.
fruitpastille · 09/06/2020 16:36

Mine is also £16 for an ordinary house but with a conservatory plus he has to go over a bit of flat roof to access the back. I'm more than happy to pay that each month for someone who is reliable and organised. He even texts the day before to warn me. He did actually come in when he did the quote but that was on my invitation so he could see the back easily.

CaptainMyCaptain · 09/06/2020 17:22

Mine costs £10 for a 3 storey house with the pressure thingy. And it's often a woman who does it.

SuperficialSuzie · 09/06/2020 17:26

Could he have meant that he was coming inside your back garden to look so you didn't get taken by surprise?

Mytimetogo · 09/06/2020 21:34

Out of interest, what's the going rate for a wondow cleaner, per window/full glass door? I was a bit surprised when I had the quote for ours today! He didn't come in BTW, just walked around the house.

ASandwichNamedKevin · 09/06/2020 22:24

@WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll
As somebody who has neither (couldn't afford them - not because I morally object to them), and has only casually observed window cleaners working on neighbouring and relative's houses, I'm just amazed that their job is seen as significantly more important or difficult than that of a cleaner (who routinely does a far wider variety of tasks) to the extent that they deserve a significantly higher hourly rate.

I suppose the danger I see with the window cleaner is the risk of falling off a ladder.
I guess a cleaner inside a house could be at risk of falling or tripping over things or using chemicals.
I don't think my window cleaner's hourly rate is much more, he charges £15 though is probably here less than an hour, the inside cleaners charge £14 per hour.
I'm not in London, though friends there reportedly pay slightly lower rates for house cleaners.
I think the window cleaner is less important in the scheme of things as it's only the outside of the house! The house cleaner needs more varied skills.

I agree with your point about lower paid jobs being more likely to be carried out by women but don't know what the solution is.

NewtonPulsifer · 10/06/2020 00:05

My window cleaner is a woman. She also does gutter, fascia and soffits cleaning as well as clearing guttering.

When she quotes, she does it via satellite software that allows her to measure the approx amount of windows and guttering so she doesn’t even need to visit new clients to quote.

As others have said, coming inside to look at windows is bizarre.

Lollypop4 · 10/06/2020 00:17

Ours is £10 for 9 windows, 3 doors.
Ours does need to come through house as we are terraced but, the quote was based on how many windows and doors i told him

2bazookas · 10/06/2020 00:50

contact local police asap.

He's using windowcleaning advert as a very feeble scam to get inside houses and see what they've got to steal who lives there, is there a dog, and what the window and door is like.

Do NOT let him in.

2bazookas · 10/06/2020 00:50

window and door security

TwoShades1 · 10/06/2020 02:17

If he wanted to look from the outside then fair enough. He probably wants to see the number/size of windows and if there are any issues with access or reaching some windows. I can’t see why he needs to be inside unless you want the insides cleaning too?

Euclid · 10/06/2020 02:29

Surely people can't come inside your house at the moment.
Some window cleaners also clean the inside of the windows, so perhaps this is what Steve thought. However, even if you wanted the insides cleaned, I would not let a window cleaner or any other tradesman inside my home unless he was highly recommended by neighbours. Any dodgy person can have a card printed with a mobile number that is untraceable. Bring back the days when workmen had landlines!

TreeTopTim · 10/06/2020 04:49

Sounds dodgy, like he is using this as a front to get inside houses. There is no need for a window cleaner to be inside your house.

timeisnotaline · 10/06/2020 04:53

I don’t think window cleaners are paid more. I struggled to get a cleaner who would do 3 hours, they wanted 4 or 5. Window cleaners take up to an hour maybe and then aren’t being paid as they go to their next gig.

Gunpowder · 10/06/2020 05:08

Our window cleaner is £30! (4 bed semi) This seems excessive given this thread. Aargh I was going to change him pre corona as he can’t reach the second floor windows at the back but feel a bit guilty doing that now. Aargh.

WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 10/06/2020 07:39

Our window cleaner is £30! (4 bed semi) This seems excessive given this thread.

Wow - £30 for him to clean some of your windows?!

DuckALaurent · 10/06/2020 07:45

Wow well dodgy @GlummyMcGlummerson!
Tell him no thanks.

My window cleaner has never been in my house and I wouldn’t let him either. He only does the front due to access. £5 for a mid terrace.

Gunpowder · 10/06/2020 07:53

Yes! WeBuiltThisBuffet I thought it seemed a bit steep but on reading this thread it seems loads.

Weebitawks · 10/06/2020 07:59

Yeah we had a new window cleaner. He just needed to come and have a look outside when we weren't even home to give us a quote.

You did the right thing.

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