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Original poster

Cleaners increase in hourly rate

515 replies

user1478790138 · 16/10/2021 00:14

Hello

First thread here so pls be gentle.

We have a largeish house in the Nottinghamshire, 6 BR, 4 BA and a fairly large ground floor, 2 children and dogs. Have had a pair of cleaners who come twice a week (initially three times but then it was to hectic for us) for several months now and paid £12ph, they want to increase it to 13.5 now. They do the cleaning and tidying, of which there is a fair amount but I don’t limit them time wise. Not sure now how to react, we’ve had them since March, somehow an increase of 100+ quid a month seems a bit steep in such a short period of time? What would you do??
Thank you

OP posts:
gamerchick · 18/10/2021 06:12

@Pinkfluff76

I don’t know who these people are who say £15 p/h is average! I live in Surrey which is expensive and cleaners are £12-£13,50 an hour even the cleaning company’s. Of course some are £15 but that is definitely not the norm. And of course they should tidy. It’s ridiculous to say you must tidy first! What’s the point then?! They get paid per hour and tidying is easier and more pleasant than cleaning so quite frankly it’s a win for them!!
Perfect example of someone who looks down on cleaners. Cleaners are entitled to set their own rates and tasks are agreed from the start. Don't like their rates? then clean your own shit up Hmm
RachaelN · 18/10/2021 06:40

Tbh I would be happy that it was that cheap. Minus costs for products, travel, tax etc. What a good deal!
They need to earn a living and I think you would be hard pressed to find anyone else that reasonably priced.

antsinyourpanta · 18/10/2021 07:20

They get paid per hour and tidying is easier and more pleasant than cleaning so quite frankly it’s a win for them!!

Its not really a win if they are required to tidy and clean the whole house without being given a set time limit. It would be impossible to plan other jobs round that.

ElectriciansMate · 18/10/2021 07:22

As a gp receptionist who gets paid under ten pounds an hour, I refuse to pay my cleaner more than ten pounds an hour. She accepts it. I tidy up before she comes. It’s up to her. She wants the work. She can go elsewhere. I can’t afford to pay her more.

MrsRobbieHart · 18/10/2021 07:36

@ElectriciansMate

As a gp receptionist who gets paid under ten pounds an hour, I refuse to pay my cleaner more than ten pounds an hour. She accepts it. I tidy up before she comes. It’s up to her. She wants the work. She can go elsewhere. I can’t afford to pay her more.
Urgh
antsinyourpanta · 18/10/2021 07:50

As a gp receptionist who gets paid under ten pounds an hour, I refuse to pay my cleaner more than ten pounds an hour. She accepts it. I tidy up before she comes. It’s up to her. She wants the work. She can go elsewhere. I can’t afford to pay her more.

I don't understand why your wages are relevant to her charges? (Plus its not a like for like comparison because usually the cleaner is SE and not getting the benefit of paid employment - holidays, pension, sick pay etc) I earn around £12 ish an hour, I think. Sometimes I go to a physio who charges £45 for less than an hour. I don't ask her to make it £12 because that's what I earn!Confused I just spread out my visits to make them affordable.
I don't have a cleaner.

MrsRobbieHart · 18/10/2021 07:55

@ElectriciansMate

As a gp receptionist who gets paid under ten pounds an hour, I refuse to pay my cleaner more than ten pounds an hour. She accepts it. I tidy up before she comes. It’s up to her. She wants the work. She can go elsewhere. I can’t afford to pay her more.
I wish I had her number. She needs someone to show her the math on this. She’s probably not even hitting minimum wage.
ohthestruggles · 18/10/2021 08:00

@ehb102

I just put my cleaner up to £15 per hour because she is reliable, works hard, takes the initiative and has worked for me for years. She makes my life so much easier, and as an employer it is my job to look after my staff. I lost a great gardener on the grounds that he was a contractor and needed to tell me of a price hike. It didn't work like that, he took new business and ghosted me after five years. I now pay £10 more an hour, which I would have been happy to pay to him if he had asked. Lesson learned.
IME they set their rates, if you're happy to pay it great, if not then the 'employment' ends. I wouldn't increase my cleaners hourly rate. Which is £12.50 btw. I make sure the place is tidy before she comes which includes making sure the floor space and surfaces are clear of clutter, leave out her supplies and fill the mop bucket. She always gives the dog a biscuit and sometimes washes and refills her bowls.
gamerchick · 18/10/2021 08:02

@ElectriciansMate

As a gp receptionist who gets paid under ten pounds an hour, I refuse to pay my cleaner more than ten pounds an hour. She accepts it. I tidy up before she comes. It’s up to her. She wants the work. She can go elsewhere. I can’t afford to pay her more.
You get a buzz telling people there are no more appointments, try again tomorrow don't you?

How much you earn is bugger all to do with paying for a service. Hmm

MRex · 18/10/2021 08:15

People seem to think a cleaner would prefer for them to tidy up more than they want a decent wage per hour and payment for all time spent working. Consider your own work; would you see earning 33% less and less variety of tasks as a good thing?

MrsRobbieHart · 18/10/2021 08:20

I wouldn't increase my cleaners hourly rate.

She always gives the dog a biscuit and sometimes washes and refills her bowls.

You’re trolling, right?

MrsRobbieHart · 18/10/2021 08:21

and fill the mop bucket

Before she comes??

ohthestruggles · 18/10/2021 08:34

@MrsRobbieHart right before she comes I fill the bucket so she can just get cracking and why would I increase her rate unless she specifically said 'I'm putting my rate up?' Confused definitely not trolling. Was what I said so outlandish?

ohthestruggles · 18/10/2021 08:38

She always gives the dog a biscuit and sometimes washes and refills her bowls.

She does these things of her own accord, she sees things that need done and if she has time, she will just do them. I didn't specifically tell her before hiring her to wash dog bowls and give her a biscuit 😂

MrsRobbieHart · 18/10/2021 08:38

The water would be cold, surely, by the time she was ready to mop? Confused mopping is done last.

Also, the jusxtaposition of “why would I give her a bit extra when she goes out of her way and does extra things for me and my dog” has gone completely over your head, hasn’t it?

MrsRobbieHart · 18/10/2021 08:39

She does these things of her own accord

Exactly. But apparently you need to be directly asked before you will consider doing anything extra.

RosesAndHellebores · 18/10/2021 08:39

@ElectriciansMate indeed your cleaner can go elsewhere if she doesn't like it. Usually a refrain from a Dr's receptionist when yet again a practice has screwed up a referral, prescription request, lost blood test results, etc.

May I also note that if my cleaner were as rude as some of the receptionists at my practice, she'd have been dismissed.

MrsRobbieHart · 18/10/2021 08:41

Loads of my clients pay me extra. I’ve never asked for it. I always refuse the first time and they insist on paying the extra. They say various things like “you’re worth it” “I’d be lost without you” “you work hard enough for it”

Thankfully none of them ever fill the mop bucket for me. 😂

ohthestruggles · 18/10/2021 08:42

The water would be cold, surely, by the time she was ready to mop? mopping is done last.

She does a room at a time and changes water regularly, why this so hard to fathom I'm unsure. I'm good at my job too, my boss doesn't give me extra to my peers of the same position just because some of us do a bit of a better job. I employ her for two hours and told her to fill them. She isn't staying an extra 15 minutes to so these things. She gets a present at Christmas, don't worry. 🙄

ohthestruggles · 18/10/2021 08:44

Loads of my clients pay me extra. I’ve never asked for it. I always refuse the first time and they insist on paying the extra. They say various things like “you’re worth it” “I’d be lost without you” “you work hard enough for it”

You truly are the greatest cleaner in the world then. If someone tells me I'm good at my job I usually just reply that I'm doing my job, that I'm paid for. I wouldn't give my cleaner extra because we agreed a rate and she's happy for it. Also don't have endless money to be giving her extra for doing her job. Hmm

symi · 18/10/2021 08:48

Hi OP. I’m in London and pay ours £15 per hour. This is the average rate in London (if through an agency you pay more though). She does 6 hours every a week. This is a 6 bed house over 4 floors. But... I sound never expect her to pick stuff up or tidy, I have 4 DC, aged 12 to 18 (but even when they were little I wouldn’t have expected a cleaner to pick up after them) Confused While she is downstairs, I go around upstairs and make the beds and empty bathroom bins, clear surfaces, bring any cups down, etc. She does not do any of our laundry or ironing as I’m not comfortable with that. The kitchen is always clean and I would never leave dishes out or have not wiped the surfaces before she comes. I also wash all the cats’ (5 of them)! dishes and change litter trays as this is unpleasant for some people.

So the 6 hours is vacuuming (inc 3 flights of stairs), lightly mopping (wood) floors, dusting and wiping over bathrooms.

MrsRobbieHart · 18/10/2021 08:49

You truly are the greatest cleaner in the world then

You clearly don’t understand the point of my post. It was a reflection on my clients, not me.

If someone tells me I'm good at my job I usually just reply that I'm doing my job, that I'm paid for.

But your cleaner is doing more than her job. And not being paid for it. Apart from getting a bucket of like warm water to clean with.

MrsRobbieHart · 18/10/2021 08:49

*luke

ohthestruggles · 18/10/2021 08:53

But your cleaner is doing more than her job. And not being paid for it.

She is doing her job, by filling the two hours that I pay her for. Confused if I had completed my work in 11.5 hours I wouldn't just leave, because my shift is 12 hours. I would find other things to do for the half an hour, and wouldn't expect to be paid extra for it. She is using her initiative. Boiling water isn't luke warm by the time you have hoovered and dusted one room, btw.

MrsRobbieHart · 18/10/2021 08:57

Grin She’s so lucky. Having you to help her. You’re a very generous ‘employer’