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.

Everyone I know is getting rid of Sky. Last time I remember most people started getting rid of health insurance. I work in a usually very busy book shop and we're starting to feel it all

@Cheesechips

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

£15 is normal and I'm in London. I think that is very reasonable.

[quote Vintagecreamandcottagepie]@Davros

How dare they charge £15ph eh? And not pay tax?

Brought their downfalls on themselves!

You ignorant muppet.[/quote]
How would anyone know if they pay tax or not? If I hired a cleaner I would just give them their money and not even think about anything else. I thought that was what most people did. They hardly make a fortune even if they clean for two or three people. Good luck to them.

I'm a cleaner and I've thought about the possibility of clients cancelling but to be honest I'd replace them straight away, in fact starting a new one this week. I've had to raise my rate recently and all clients were happy to pay. Not everybody will be feeling the pinch, plenty of money out there for some and those that are seem to be prioritising the service, going off this thread.

@Dovetail6

Not everyone is struggling. DH and I both work in high demand industries where recruitment is a struggle and have had good payrise/bonuses. Fixed rate mortgage and fixed energy tariff until 2023. WFH so little expenditure on fuel. It’s not a brag, but there must be more people in our position.

We’re in the same boat and know lots of people who are just as fortunate.

Our cleaner recently put her rates up and now charges £17.50/hr.

Not everyone lives close to the minimum wage level so will not be letting cleaners go. I doubt my London lawyer daughters will for example. If you earn a bit more than most people then higher heating bills does not have quite such an impact.

For the first time in my adult life we have the fullest employment I have seen and in my area (law) there is a shortage of good people with loads of experience. I have never known a time like it. I graduated in 1982 when we had THREE MILLION out of work which in 1982 was the worst for 50 years. Then I remember the 90s crash, the houses going right down in price, selling a flat for a 50% loss, interest rates up to 16%, the dot com boom and then bust, the 2006 credit crunch. I am not, however, saying times are not hard now - they certainly are for many.

We still have 18m more people in the Uk than when I was born so quite a few people needing jobs but unemployment is much much lower than I remember it in 1982 for example and we had no minimum wage at all then - you could pay what you like to employees. Now the minimum wage is £9.50 an hour = about £17,290 for a 35 hour working week. So a couple both on that on about £34,580 a year which is not dreadful.

"There were approximately 1.34 million unemployed people in the United Kingdom in the three months to January 2022".

@CremeEggThief

That'll be creme egg on your face on this thread then

[quote Vintagecreamandcottagepie]@Davros

How dare they charge £15ph eh? And not pay tax?

Brought their downfalls on themselves!

You ignorant muppet.[/quote]
Charming.
I've had cleaners on and off for over 30 years and I have many friends who have them. It's very rare to be able to pay by cheque (in the old days) or bank transfer, it's nearly always cash in hand, I wonder why. Ok, I don't know their tax situation and I don't care if they deliver a good service and we can get on together, but don't pretend this doesn't happen.

I agree with every word Xenia says and add that in London good admin staff are like hen's teeth at present.

Where I live in Surrey I reckon every person feeling the pinch re cost of living would be able to take in a couple of hours ironing over the weekends at £12.50 to £15ph, car valeting, gardening, etc.

I think things like nail bars/beauticians will be hit hardest.

@Davros I always pay my cleaners by bank transfer. Mostly over the last 20 years they have been Eastern European and in more recent times have wanted to apply for residency which requires audit trails re earnings, tax and NI.

Well I shall be looking for a cleaner next month and I will not take advantage of anybody on the basis that perhaps demand is down they will be paid an amount that they can live on.

Maybe times have changed in the last couple of years. I didn't have anyone during the lockdowns, then we moved after 25 years and I've had two since then. Both cash in hand which I didn't question. The first one was rude, unreliable and not a great cleaner which is unusual but people like that are always around in every walk of life. I had another break and then the newer one is very nice, hardworking but slow!!

We had to cut costs somewhere so instead of twice a week we had our cleaner for just the one day. She got very shitty and called me a few choice names.

It wasn't difficult to find a replacement.

There are a lot of ppl looking at ways to supliment their income and I pay over the odds. I was advised to change the locks though. The new cleaner, a guy in his fifties, seems to be able to do the entire house in one day. He's super friendly too.

I’ve always paid my cleaners by bank transfer. I think many won’t earn above the threshold but lots will need evidence of work to get universal credits. Lots of assumptions on this thread.

We have a cleaner once a fortnight for 3 hours paid for by a weeks of my carers allowance that i get for looking after my son, i am too bloody knackered being carer to said child to clean so we will cut back elsewhere to keep our cleaner on although im not sure where as we dont have many luxuries to cut back on, we certainly arent well off. I dont doubt she would be able to easily replace me though if i did have to let her go as she has a waiting list like most of the cleaners round here.

I pay my cleaner via bank transfer

They aren't cash in hand, and I suspect they will have to put their rates up.
They also lost all their clients during Covid.

As realised by most, I wasn't looking for sympathy in the slightest. I'm lucky to be very secure in my job.

I'm glad to read that some cleaners on here are inundated with work still, perhaps that will be the same for ours.

@Nothappyatwork

Well I shall be looking for a cleaner next month and I will not take advantage of anybody on the basis that perhaps demand is down they will be paid an amount that they can live on.

Take advantage how? What is that bit supposed to mean?

They aren't cash in hand, and I suspect they will have to put their rates up.
What does this mean? Clearly some, many in my experience, are cash in hand. Just because people don't like it being said, doesn't mean it's not true

@Davros

They aren't cash in hand, and I suspect they will have to put their rates up. What does this mean? Clearly some, many in my experience, are cash in hand. Just because people don't like it being said, doesn't mean it's not true

I didn't say it wasn't true. I know it's true.

I was just saying that I don't pay ours cash in hand.

I’m not sure I have much sympathy for cleaning agencies or cleaners. I have had absolutely terrible and overpriced service since relocating from the SE. Half of them advertise professional cleaners but send you people with no experience! Rude staff that explain you are lucky to have a slot with us because of the demand in the area. It’s these companies and cleaners that exploit the busy market that will be in trouble, decent cleaners who work hard and charge reasonable amounts should be fine!

@kaleidoscope123

I’m not sure I have much sympathy for cleaning agencies or cleaners. I have had absolutely terrible and overpriced service since relocating from the SE. Half of them advertise professional cleaners but send you people with no experience! Rude staff that explain you are lucky to have a slot with us because of the demand in the area. It’s these companies and cleaners that exploit the busy market that will be in trouble, decent cleaners who work hard and charge reasonable amounts should be fine!

I didn't use a cleaning agency for that reason.

I didn't know who they would send.

@CremeEggThief

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

Did you actually read the OP??

Sorry to hear struggling @Dancer47

Where are you

Are you on a local fb page

My local town is always having posts looking fir cleaners whether private or company’s

Or apply in a supermarket etc

Again near me always advertising

Tho obv depends on you area

Not just cleaners, anyone who provides a non necessity service I guess.

I know people who have stopped having highlights and are dying their own hair now. I always have dyed my own hair and am now trimming my own hair. Dh cuts his own with the dog clippers. I knocked the dog groomer on the head and do the dog myself.

I’ve stopped leg waxes and eyebrow reshape, am shaving my own legs and plucking my eyebrows.

I’ve stopped personal trainer sessions.

My cleaners have just increased their prices since they started working for me in 2019. They came right through the pandemic after the first few weeks(I'm disabled and they were an essential service to me, as my dh was working crazy hours as a GP at that point).

Luckily we can afford it, I'm delighted to pay more as they're incredibly good, very professional and go the extra mile. One of them got her husband to plumb in my new dishwasher when dh was away, and wouldn't take anything for it (I got him some of his favourite beers instead!). Walking into my lounge on a Tuesday lunchtime is one of the highlights of my week!! They've been amazing the last few weeks when my symptoms have been bad after a few difficult life events and have done more to help, I really couldn't do without them.