To cancel the cleaner?

[flamungo]

Have a very ordinary 4 bedroom house, three young DC (youngest is three and a half). Both work long hours but mostly from home, which makes things easier.

Have had same cleaners for 4 years, who do 5 hours a week. Just cleaning, no laundry or bed changes, house always tidy before they come.

They are lovely, but not brilliant and can be a bit random, we are very flexible when they come and understanding of frequent cancellations/ late notice. But they've also kept the same pay £12 an hour for the last two years (used to be £11). Just had a message that it's now going up to £16. I think that's top end of the market here but not crazy.

I don't think we can justify this, we're already stretched with everything else and I'm not sure I can justify spending that much on something my husband and I could do ? That said I feel bad - they're obviously feeling the pinch too.

From what you have said about being stretched to afford the new hourly rate, I think you should cancel them. Unless you would find it helpful to for them to come fortnightly instead of weekly?

£15 per hour is the norm where I live. I expect it's because of the rise in fuel prices and the general cost of living.
If you can't afford it then just explain that and cancel

Have you had a look round to see what others are charging?

Since I've worked from home I found having a cleaner more of a hindrance than a help, so I dash about doing it all myself between meetings etc. I then "pay" myself with a weekly treat for the work I've done.

5 hours is a lot for a 4 bed home - even if it’s big. Especially if you tidy first.

Cut it down to two hours and get them to do the basics?

I have a 4 bed home. I don’t spend anywhere near 5 hours a week.

My ds has a large 5 bed house. The cleaner does 2 hours and it’s always immaculate. Get better cleaners and reduce the hours,

£12 per hour seems a low rate for a cleaner

I think if you can easily do the cleaning yourself, and will do it without it detracting from leisure time or general household harmony then it’s a no-brainer. But if it’s going to turn you into one of those couples who squabble and bicker about who isn’t pulling their weight or get resentful of each other because of perceived different standards of cleaning, then the additional £20 the cleaners’ increased price is going to cost you is a relatively small price to pay to avoid that.

I’d have a proper firm conversation with DH first. Is he going to pitch in and do his share or is it going to end up being you taking on the lion’s share?

If you do cancel the cleaner, please give them plenty of notice, or pay in lieu of notice. It's unreasonable to withdraw their income without any warning

Also, make sure it's a joint decision, and agree in advance with your husband how the cleaning will get done. Make sure it doesn't all fall on your shoulders

Our cleaner is not the best either.

If she raises her rates, we'll be saying goodbye.

It's quite common it seems for cleaners to drop their standards after a couple of years with the same client. My husband and I don't want to have to manage or appraise her service, and if she did the job brilliantly in half the time we'd happily keep paying her the full amount.

Maybe ask them to clean every other week, and you and DH do it evrey other week. Although, I agree with others who say 5 hours is a lot for a regular sized 4 bedroom house.

@TonkaTruckduck I agree - we have to be out when they come and the time they turn up can vary by a couple of hours ?

@ComtesseDeSpair - I have that fear - we didn't have them during lockdown obviously and it was pretty challenging - though we were also in the horror of homeschooling.

So I've checked and we actually pay them for 5.5 hours - though they normally do about 5. I know £12 is low but I think in my mind We we're generous on the time. DH and I can do everything in about 4 and a half hours - but this is a more comprehensive clean that we do.

That said I don't think I can say to them to do the same stuff in less time. Think we may cancel and see how it goes.

On notice, they've given us 2 days notice of the rise.

I was thinking we would ask if they have other clients immediately available if not we'd give them a months notice.

5 hours sounds a lot if you're able to do some yourself.

Mine comes for three to my 5 bed 5 reception room house. Obviously she doesn't comprehensively clean everywhere each week. She always does floors and bathrooms and then alternates everything else depending on what needs doing.

I don't think her rate is unreasonable but I would cancel in your shoes. It doesn't sound worth it to you and it is a lot of money!!

Regardless of the rate that's a huge increase

I have 7 bedroom house and have cleaner 1 2/2 hours twice a week. I do bedrooms myself. Cleaner vacuums, steam mops wooden floors downstairs and cleans kitchen and main bathroom. I do ensuite and son cleans his shower room himself. My cleaner charges £12.50 but often cancels at short notice and leaves after just over 1 hour 10 mins. I am getting frustrated at so many cancellations and think I am going to find a new cleaner then cancel the one we have. We only had her since October. Before that we had brilliant one for 6 years. You could clean bedrooms yourself and just have cleaner for 2 or 3 hours a week to do floors, kitchen and bathroom. Then see how it goes.

She’s being very unreasonable in giving you 2 days notice. Ask around friends for a recommendation. A lot of cleaners will be losing clients now. We are all facing escalating costs but few of us will be getting a 25% pay rise.

I am in London and get cleaners through an agency every fortnight. The rate has just gone up to £16 per hour for a very small 3 bedroom flat. I think the price of everything has gone up.

If you can't justify the cost and feel you and husband can do the cleaning you are under no moral obligation to keep them.

I've just sacked my cleaner of 5 years because she became ridiculously unreliable. Some weeks I had to message her to ask when she was coming only to be told she wasn't coming this week because her kid was sick/her cat was sick/the car broke down/she was too tired etc.

So if you still want help you could move to 5 hours fortnightly, you do some they do the rest

It you could reduce to say 3 hours a week, they do the bulk you do the rest

I've just told my cleaner to put her rate up! The cost of living is crazy and she struggles on £15/hour with a family to raise. I don't think £16/hour is a lot...however!...my cleaner does my 4-bedroom home in 3 hours. Maybe get a better clearer and pay them a higher hourly rate but for fewer hours. Then give them a very tight brief about what you want and what level of cleanliness you are looking for. I would resent paying £16/hour for someone doing a half-arsed job.

If they aren't very good at their jobs or not the best as you put it I'd be cancelling. I understand the increase but if they can't deliver on what they promise.. then they shouldn't be charging too rates.

I'd Vance see how you get on, can always hire a new cleaner down the road whose better at their job!

5 hours is a lot a week. We have a 4 bed and two cleaners come for 2 hours once a fortnight. They don’t do everything of course on that amount of time. 3 of the 4 bedrooms, a couple of bathrooms. But it is enough for when I’m not well enough to do it and the rest gets done when I’m feeling up to it.

£16 per hour is really expensive, I wouldn't pay that. Cancel and find someone else cheaper, especially if, as you say, they aren't brilliant.

Sounds like they aren't that great. Agree 5 hours is too long and they are probably filling the time by doing things nice and slowly...
I used to clean chalets and was able to do the 5 bedroom one in 3-4 hours including changing 8 beds which took the most time.

12 pounds an hour is not much though and I can see why they've wanted to put the price up but if you can't afford it and they've been random with when/if they show up then cancel them. See how you get on doing the work yourself and if you then feel you still need someone look around for someone else, maybe doing fewer hours or once a fortnight, but expect to pay more than 12 per hour.