is this normal for a cleaner?

[Starrycolors23]

I think I’ve found the most amazing woman but I need to know if this is normal and I’ve wasted many years of my life by not having a cleaner. DH thinks it’s expensive though so I want to know your opinion…

Cleaner charges £13 an hour but if she gets distracted stroking my dogs or something takes longer she will stay longer than her time and won’t take extra for it.

We have a 3 bed semi, all big bedrooms. 2 adults and 2 dogs in the house - no kids. One bedroom used as a study, the other is a guest room so barely touched.

Every week she:

• changes our bed, washes all the sheets, irons them and returns them to cupboard
• does any other washing I haven’t done and puts my clothes away (she asked permission first)
• typical cleaning so always mops the floors, vacuums, dusts
• does any washing up from food I’m eating or drinking during her time (I’m wfh)
• she loves cooking so brings me something every week, I’ve had brownies, muffins, cheesecake
• she cleans all the tops of my cupboards in the kitchen, all my tall ceilings etc because spiders like to hide there.

So is this typical of all cleaners? I think she is a gift.

I am in South East if that’s relevant.

I think she sounds good, our cleaner/housekeeper does 6 hours split over 2days house 1600 sqft in which time she cleans whole house does my ironing and bed sheets, I refuse to iron hubby or babies clothes and if time will wash outside windows or other bits that need a deep clean. £14 SE England.

I am a cleaner and do all that except bring food.

I don't know why anyone would think it's intrusive if the customer is ok with it?

I’ve had 3 - all were from same agency and did 3 hours

Lady 1: very thorough cleaner. Would always be there for 3 hours and would find jobs to do.

Lady 2: less thorough cleaner but amazing at tidying and organising. Often would be there less than 3 hours but her pace was much quicker than the first one. Our house always looked amazing after she’d been.

Lady 3. Sometimes only stayed 1h30, never did extra jobs off her own initiative. Did a shit job quite frankly. I sacked her and the agency off after a month as I felt she was properly taking the piss.

I really liked my first two but they got more secure, better jobs so can’t blame them for leaving at all. The third put me off having someone else.

She does a lot when you factor in sheets

We have similar, 4 hours and same cost, but not the same extra stuff

Your DH needs to value your cleaner more. Or maybe he'd like you to pay him £13 an hour to do the work?

Thought not.

She’s sound marvellous! Ours is £15ph and does change the sheets but wouldn’t dream of putting a wash on and absolutely hates ironing so won’t do that. But she’s a lovely lady and I like the way she pouffes up the cushions and makes the pillows look nice!

"D"H thinks it's expensive?
If you didn't have her, who would be doing the work thay she does?

Please ask her if she will adopt me.

I was with an elderly client in her flat when her new cleaning company arrived. They hoovered the middle of the floors (not up to the walls) dusted a sideboard (didn't lift anything, just went around ornaments) and wiped the tiny kitchen countertop. When asked if she could take the bin bag out she said to phone the agency as this would be extra. This was called a 'maintenance clean' and cost £32. She was only in the house 30 minutes. You have a bargain OP!

She sounds great! Our cleaner is similar, just does what needs doing. She gets a lot done in 3 hours though. Happy for her to take control but I understand not everyone would be comfortable with that.

You have won the lottery OP! I would be holding on to her forever

She sounds amazing! And her hourly rate is cheap. I also thinking cleaning a property that size in 4 hours is reasonable.

We had an amazing cleaner like that. It took her 5 hours to thoroughly clean our 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom flat - cleaning behind furniture, wiping skirting boards and the tops of cupboards, cleaning the windows inside, dealing with London limescale, anything she noticed needing doing that wasn't a weekly task eg descaling the kettle, washing cushion covers, changing water in vases etc not just a superficial clean. She also changed the bedding, did all the washing and ironing (including formal shirts) in that time. She would also run errands if needed. We were 2 adults who were rarely home with no DC nor pets at the time.

She charged £11 an hour but it was around 20 years ago

She moved away and I have never found anyone as fast or as good since.

I would say you are getting a bargain doing all those things in 4 hours at £13 an hour!

If you can afford more, give a little more. She’s a good one

Wow she sounds incredible!

We are midlands and pay £14 per hour for 4 hours which I think is a bargain. For comparison purposes we're in a 4 bed 2 bath (3 adults permanently resident and 1 student occasionally plus 2 cats). House is around 1600 sq ft I believe.

Our cleaner doesn't change beds or wash/iron, but does do a fairly thorough clean throughout each week in those 4 hours plus will do a little extra job each week, e.g. clean fridge, clean windows in a couple of rooms etc...

Yours sounds amazing - I'd hang onto her and be clear to DH he's getting a good deal.

[quote Starrycolors23]@KarmaStar it’s a non issue I suppose, I wanted to know more of peoples opinions. However DH thinks it’s expensive for what it is but I think it’s a bargain because I think she goes above and beyond… so trying to gauge what is normal![/quote]
If he thinks it's expensive, ask him to get a quote for someone (a man) to power wash the driveway or for someone (a man) to do the garden or for someone (a man) to clean your carpet. I guarantee it won't be anything like £13 a hour.

That's incredible and not normal.

Mine was £10 an hour and did floors, surfaces, washing up if left over, toilets, bath and cleaned the hob.

No washing, no beds, no bins, no putting clothes away, nothing that's not scrubbing/dusting/mopping. Def no cupboards or high corners.

Hold onto her for dear life