Imagine being a domestic cleaner at the moment

[MrsMingech]

We have just had to let our cleaners go. We could barely afford the luxury anyway, but the stress it took from us was immense.

But the prices of everything going up is just painful.

But how shit must it be to be in a trade such domestic cleaning? Surely it's one of the first things to go. So those who clean will get a double whammy. Their cost of living goes up and potentially their income goes down. Hit from both ends.

Same with things like taxi drivers and so on and so forth.

I get the impression that cleaning agencies are overstretched and can’t get the staff following Brexit. It has been difficult finding and keeping anyone for a couple of hours a fortnight for the communal areas of a block of flats. Is that sort of work particularly low on job satisfaction?

I've got rid of my cleaner but only because she wasn't as good as before if I'm honest and because we have a full time nanny (required due to our youngest having special needs) and she's a bloody gem so she helps around the house. I put the 2 together and figured best to save the money for now and see if i increase my nanny instead at some point in the near future.
Had she been good or had we had more normal childcare arrangements/costs i would have happily kept her on.

[quote NeedAHoliday2021]@TheHoptimist how do you figure that? Mine upped her charge to £38.50 a week and I said I’d round it to £40. I pay by bank transfer. She fills in tax returns. I guess you could call it a “tip”?[/quote]
Then it isnt a pay rise.
If she/he is self employed then they set their own rates. They dont take home the rate paid as they pay pension, NI etc

You can only give a pay rise to an employee
You can pay more for a service- not a pay rise

@ManyATime

I get the impression that cleaning agencies are overstretched and can’t get the staff following Brexit. It has been difficult finding and keeping anyone for a couple of hours a fortnight for the communal areas of a block of flats. Is that sort of work particularly low on job satisfaction?

Low on job pay.

If I were in a position to employ a cleaner (I can but dream about these things), I'd prioritise keeping them over and above things like meals out, takeaways or non essential shopping. If it got to the point of having to terminate the contract, it would be because I wasn't bringing enough in to ensure paying the fixed bills (council tax, utilities, travel costs to work). And survival is ultimately more important than feelings.

I’ve been looking for new cleaner as mine is ill and really struggled most full. If people increase their own work hours they need more assistance. Plus some people have a cleaner due to Ill health etc. One I’ve now got does Air B and B cleans too.

@TheHoptimist you’re being pedantic re language. The poster, like me, just means she’s paying her cleaner more than she was before and chose to do so without the cleaner asking, thus it was the poster’s choice.

@Easterbunnyiswindowshopping - selfish question here but we were thinking of getting a cleaner (can finally afford it).

Are there any "better" ways to do it in the current climate?

So would it be better for potential cleaner to be from agency or freelance?

Can we do "cash in hand" to help out?

As a novice am worried that may be naïve but if we want to employ a cleaner and "help" what is the best way to do this?

I can't get a cleaner for our office, so I don't think they're struggling too much for work around here at this stage. Businesses will always need cleaners.

Cleaners here are hard to come by and being paid a lot. But they may not be living in holiday let areas.

I agree OP. I think it's going to be a very tough year for all providers of discretionary services. Easier to cut back in these areas than electricity. Same for takeaway restaurants, taxi drivers, coffee places etc.

I'll give up a lot before our cleaner. So worth it. We've stopped eating out/takeaways.

I gave mine a pay rise. It isn't brilliant timing but in reality we are very lucky so I thought I would pass the luck down.

Is the going rate for a cleaner £15ph? Ours is much less and in London!

@Dingalingdong

I gave mine a pay rise. It isn't brilliant timing but in reality we are very lucky so I thought I would pass the luck down.

Yes I gave ours a pay rise a couple of weeks ago too.

@CremeEggThief

Well... I feel a lot sorrier for any cleaner in this position than for you or any others who employ cleaners.🤔

Which is exactly what the OP was saying. Hence the thread title and content.

IME most good cleaners have more offers of clients than they can take on at the moment, so will be readily able to replace clients who can't afford to keep hiring them. But probably there are areas where that's not the case.

We have just let ours go for the same reasons op. Well she will be going after her four weeks notice. But the £120 I used to pay her will now be going on our increased fuel bills and will only just cover it. Have just halved our virgin media package as well.

@Davros

£15ph, cash in hand, no tax paid? I don't feel sorry for them, they've priced themselves out of work

Don't judge everyone by your iwn standards!

yanbu, though as already pointed out brexit was a big jump in the opposite direction for people doing that sort of work.

Yanbu OP, such jobs are vulnerable to fluxes income and cost as was seen in the pandemic.
I am fortunate to have a rock solid income and will make cuts elsewhere before I stop having my cleaner. It would make my job harder if I didn’t have her. I’m not wealthy but very busy.

I love our cleaners (2 come together for an hour, £30 total) but I've just had to drop them down to fortnightly, that extra £60 a month makes a big difference to whether I can afford any 'extras' for the kids. Also cancelled swimming lessons - they can swim well so were only really going for fitness.

My cleaner has put her rates up. She's doing AOK.

@Dancer47

HI OP. I am one of them. Thank you for thinking of us.

Before Covid hit in March 2020, I was a self-employed domestic cleaner in large private houses. I had as much work as I wanted and often worked 7 days a week doing over 15 houses top to bottom, and in summer, did extra work like companion work and cooking for my clients.
As soon as Covid hit all my work stopped dead. I had made a loss in my first year of operation and a good profit in the next two tax years, but the loss in one of the qualifying years meant I got no support grant from HMRC. Now that Covid is over, no-one wants a cleaner. They have got used to getting by, and a lot of people don't want anyone in their houses except for family. It has changed people. Now with bills rising, people who would like a cleaner can't afford one any more. I do odd jobs now, Yesterday I painted a garage for £30. It took me all day. Tomorrow I am doing someone's fence. I have put flyers through doors within a 15 minute walk offering to do a list of odd jobs that I am good at. I live hand to mouth. I am 51.

Oh love, I know it's hard, but don't let people take the piss!! £30 to paint a garage?!?! That's just ridiculous! I know sometimes any money is good money, but get yourself known as the 'Odd Job Queen', not as the 'cheap lass'

From what I'm reading here do most people think because of covid and the war we will only see these knock on effects from now and it could last a few years?
Also would some of these services not be getting cheaper instead of dearer because less demand for them i.e cleaners and gardener's etc