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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask if money gets tight will you cancel your cleaner??

216 replies

Tootsey11 · 09/03/2022 13:09

I am a cleaner, and with prices of everything rising, I'm wondering if or when the cancellations will start coming.

Will you prioritise a clean house and cut back on other things?

At the moment I am not short of work, but may need to increase the hourly rate for my furtherest away clients. I'm holding back as I'm worried about pricing myself out. I charge between £10 and £11/hour. There are people in my area advertising cleaning for £8/£9 an hour.

If you have a cleaner, will you keep them on or needs must and get rid

OP posts:
Returnoftheowl · 09/03/2022 13:30

I was thinking of getting a cleaner, but now with the rise in cost of living I've had to put that idea on the back burner.

Hopefullyoneday12 · 09/03/2022 13:30

Fwiw my cleaner is £15 p/h and I would not pay more than that.

Original poster
Tootsey11 · 09/03/2022 13:31

I'm in Northern Ireland. £10-£12 is the standard rate here. I'm told I do a fantastic job and am offered new houses all the time. But am conscious of the fact that many will start to tighten their belts with everything going on.

OP posts:
istandwithukraine · 09/03/2022 13:31

Yes cleaner was the first thing to go unfortunately - furlough squeeze at first but then went back to work and was WFH more and can do a room a day in what would have been my commute

broccolibush · 09/03/2022 13:31

I’d give up so many things before I give up my cleaner. The peace she brings to me in knowing that she’ll sort out the house and I don’t have to get obsessed/upset as I have in the past is worth far more than we pay her.

DH was made redundant after the Brexit referendum and we had a lean couple of years. We kept her all through that, though she did offer to leave and come back when he was working again, giving up other luxuries instead.

BatshitCrazyWoman · 09/03/2022 13:33

I'm thinking of getting a cleaner! Used to have one pre-divorce. I think a lot of people will feel that other luxuries go before the cleaner!

Hoppinggreen · 09/03/2022 13:33

I would, sorry

TheOGWanKenobi · 09/03/2022 13:34

DH is a cleaner. Unfortunately there will be people cutting back on non essential expenditure but there are ways you can protect yourself. Market yourself (if it's reasonable travel time) in the more affluent areas, and also to commercial companies/facilities management companies. (Even in a recession, things like hospitals/food factories/schools/supermarkets etc will need cleaners). If you are OK with being an employee you can apply to cleaning companies who usually always seem to be looking for staff despite recessions, for the above types of clients, and like experienced cleaners. Obviously it will probably be minimum wage and zero hour contacts which is fucking shit (especially if you're a very good cleaner) but if you can work overnights you will get paid more.

I would look to maximise/increase your client base rather than put up prices for existing clients if your current "market" is wobbly. If that all makes sense, I'm a bit tired today.

BarbaraofSeville · 09/03/2022 13:34

Hopefully you will be able to keep as many clients as you need.

You might even want to consider increasing your rates. NMW is about to go up to £9.50 an hour so those charging £8/9 aren't even making that, especially considering that as a self employed person, you aren't entitled to holiday pay etc so would need to charge more like £13 an hour for the hours you work to account for this.

TheOGWanKenobi · 09/03/2022 13:38

The problem with people reducing prices is that you're basically all undercutting, leading to a Grapes of Wrath type situation (and the fucking government will love this of course). If someone offers you a fiver for an hours work, and you need to buy food for your DC, people will take the fiver. It's absolutely shit (and some people are fortunate enough not to have a clue about this kind of situation).

DH is also looking for longer shifts as the fuel costs involved in travelling for an hour job is going to wipe out wages.

lobsteroll · 09/03/2022 13:40

I would try to cutback on other things before getting rid of my cleaner. Reduce food shop where possible etc.

Both working and have nursery and infant school aged children so they cleaner once a week is a godsend. She's also brilliant at what she does. If I had a so-so cleaner that I thought I could do a better job myself then I would probably consider it earlier. But she's much better at cleaning than me!

User280905 · 09/03/2022 13:48

For as long as I'm working the cleaner will be the last thing to go. But if I'm short of cash because I've been made redundant or had my hours cut then I'd reduce or stop the cleaner. I couldn't justify paying for a cleaner out of reduced income if I'm also at home more.

WutheringTights · 09/03/2022 13:49

We would give up a lot of other things before we gave up our cleaner. We have a really decent buffer through so it would only be an issue if one of us lost our job, and there are other things we would do first, like me upping my hours etc. You have just reminded me that we should really give ours a raise though.

2bazookas · 09/03/2022 13:50

There will always be people who can afford a cleaner, and the best cleaners will never be short of work and can name their own terms.

BobHadBitchTits · 09/03/2022 13:51

My cleaner but her price up to £17p/h recently so I cancelled and found someone cheaper.

I'm considering cancelling altogether if I'm honest. I'm on maternity leave so it's not essential.

NoAprilFool · 09/03/2022 13:51

There are other things I’d cut first. I’d cancel if I had to, but hoping not to

Duracellbunnywannabe · 09/03/2022 13:52

That’s a low hourly rate. Average is £15ph in the NE. I probably will in September but that’s more because I’m a sahm and my youngest will be starting nursery.

TheLoneNameChanger · 09/03/2022 13:52

I would cut back on a lot of things before I got rid of my cleaner. DH is disabled so can't clean and having a cleaner means it doesn't all fall to me. Having a cleaner keeps me sane and gives me the time to have any life outside of housework/family/work.

I'd cut out meat from our diet, takeout and travel first. Maybe gym too. Will keep cleaner as long as I can.

Newnamefor2022 · 09/03/2022 13:54

My cleaner would be the last 'luxury' I'd let go!

user1483387154 · 09/03/2022 13:54

I would probably reduce it to every other week. this is one of the few luxuries I have, so yes would definitely be affected.

Whydoesthecatalwaysdothat · 09/03/2022 13:55

I don't have a cleaner but I think it depends where in the country you are.

SE here and cleaners are £15 per hour around here and seem to be in demand. I don't think I would be too worried here.

L40Postcode · 09/03/2022 13:57

If we need to cut back then our cleaners will be the first things to go.

However that’s because our cleaners (as they all seem to do) started off great, and now do as little as they think can get away with, arriving 5-10 minutes later each visit, leaving 5-10 minutes earlier than they’re supposed to.

We pay £18 an hour for them. If we had excellent cleaners I’d be looking to make cuts elsewhere.

Thoosa · 09/03/2022 13:58

I can’t cancel my cleaner as I can’t physically do much of it.

So there’s a thought for a target market.

GailTheSnail · 09/03/2022 13:59

My partner floated the idea of cancelling the cleaner when we talked about tightening our belts. I know he wouldn't be picking up the slack though so i quickly sank it

gwenneh · 09/03/2022 14:00

My cleaner is a luxury for me, and I'd let that go before things like the DC's activities I'm afraid. Between the increase in food prices and the increase in fuel, the budget is already getting stretched in places that aren't negotiable.