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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Cleaner's increase

184 replies

PearlclutchersInc · 30/05/2022 08:21

My cleaner has just text me to say that her charges are going up by 35% to £15 an hour. I supply all the cleaning materials, its a 2 bed flat for which she cleans only one 1 bed and the rest - its new(ish) and she gets 3 hours to dot. There's 2 adults, one cat and we tidy up before she comes. She's not exactly over-worked

Eh? AIBU to ask how she arrives at that.

I feel really quite peeved. Don't see my employer giving me a 30-odd% rise any time soon. Happy to hear other views.

OP posts:
mogtheexcellent · 30/05/2022 12:56

our cleaners did a 2 bed house in 2 hrs bi weekly. Dust hoover and mop and thorough clean of bathroom and kitchen.

3 hrs for a fairly new house is excessive.

Beautiful3 · 30/05/2022 13:02

It's £20 per hour around here. £15 seems reasonable to me. I think she was under charging, and just wants the market rate. If youre not happy, you could get other quotes? You might find they're all charging similar?

Viviennemary · 30/05/2022 13:06

£15 per hour is quite reasonable these days. If she does a good job keep her if not think again.

ILoveYoga · 30/05/2022 13:06

We’re paying £15 an hour now. Gradual increase over the past 4 years from £10. I supply cleaning products and hoover as per her instructions. I’m not so thrilled with the latest increase as I no longer think they’re doing such a good job. Things constantly not being done, leaving early/coming late. I’d change if I knew someone was better. And yes, this latest increase irks me because I no longer think I’m getting the service I’m paying for

RosesAndHellebores · 30/05/2022 13:08

£15ph is entirely reasonable.
However 3 hours seems a lot once a week for a two bed flat which you tidy before she comes. What exactly does she have to do?

InChocolateWeTrust · 30/05/2022 13:09

Good luck finding another cleaner for under £15/hr. However I would say going forward ask for only 2 hours.

BunsyGirl · 30/05/2022 13:10

I pay £11 per hour including cleaning products. I pay for 5 hours but my cleaner always manages to get it done in 4 to 4.5 hours - which is presumably why she has never asked for an increase! We have a five bed detached house with three bathrooms plus downstairs loo so three hours for a flat seems excessive.

DixonD · 30/05/2022 13:14

Why on earth do you have a cleaner for a two bedroom flat? Especially when there’s two of you in it, and no children to make any mess?

I’ve got a five bed house and even I don’t have a cleaner.

Sarah3587 · 30/05/2022 13:15

She obviously wants market rates. Either you pay it or you find someone else or do it yourself.
if it’s only a couple of rooms do you even need a cleaner??
my husband works 50 hours a week, I work 30 hours and we have 3 children And a dog and our youngest has quite severe disabilities.
I don’t have a cleaner and I manage.
Life is tough.

ForestFae · 30/05/2022 13:15

DixonD · 30/05/2022 13:14

Why on earth do you have a cleaner for a two bedroom flat? Especially when there’s two of you in it, and no children to make any mess?

I’ve got a five bed house and even I don’t have a cleaner.

Very judgemental post. Maybe she’s disabled, maybe she has caring responsibilities for elderly parents, maybe she prioritises her free time and would rather pay someone else to to do it. There’s nothing wrong with having a cleaner.

Lolllllllllllll · 30/05/2022 13:16

£15 is about right where I live. Depends on the area. For £15 I supply products and expect my cleaner to work the hours I pay her. She has a quick ciggie and coffee if she does 4 hours but she doesn't arrive late and leave early.
My cleaner and I get on really well. She have worked for me for 12 years so we both must be doing something right.
I put her pay up from£12.50 to £15 at the beginning of the year.

PipeScatter · 30/05/2022 13:17

Adding to the weight of other PPs. £15 an hour is the going rate nowadays but 3 hours for a 2 bed flat, of which she only cleans 1 bedroom? That's crazy!

Our cleaner does our 4 bed house in 3 hours.

I used to have a 1 bed flat and the team of 2 cleaners they sent in used to do the whole place in about 45 mins, so 90 mins of actual work. It was a pretty small flat though!

123ROLO · 30/05/2022 13:20

I am in North East, our cleaners are £17.50ph. I think this is reasonable, they have their own supplies, they get a lot of cancellations, they have to travel, there's only so many hours of cleaning they can do, I'd imagine 5 hours a day. With all things considered, I imagine they make about £80 a day, but then obviously they don't work everyday, there is sickness, holidays etc. It probably equates overall to minimum wage.

I don't use them as a regular cleaner, I just get them in ahead of guests coming and I don't have time to do a big clean.

Hourly rates can be deceiving, especially if its Bank, 0 hour or self employed. I took a job A few years ago as a 0 hour support worker. I saw £12 an hour and thought that was good for a support worker.

The clients covered quite a large radius, I didn't drive, I was expected to use my own money for travel, going for coffee and lunch with clients then get it reimbursed end of the month. Even if the travel to see the client took 45 mins / 1 hour. I was only allowed 20 minutes allowance per clients, I was allocated 2 hours per client but only allowed to invoice per time spent with them, so for example if they decided they were tired after only 30 mins, I could only put that time down. If the client cancelled I could only get it reimbursed if it was within 24 hours, which was no where near enough time to rebook that slot. Then at end of the month I'd have to sit there for a couple of hours with all my receipts, scan these in, write what and who they were used for which took a couple of hours. I reckon I averaged £25/30 a day despite being out of the house most of the working day. So my £12 an hour wasn't really that.

I don't know If that was really relevant. I think my point is that even with £15 an hour, they probably aren't making that consistently every hour of working day.

welshladywhois40 · 30/05/2022 13:21

£15 an hour seems fine to me and I think it works out to be about £2 an hour so given the cost of living crisis - hard to begrudge. We have just increased our cleaners pay as we think they should get more.

The 3 hours to me is high I live in a small 4 bed house and they change 2 beds and clean in 3 hours

Cameleongirl · 30/05/2022 13:21

I agree with PP's that she's been undercharging - the lowest rate I've heard of is £12.50/hour. I also agree that you don't need that much cleaning for a 2-bed flat, what on earth is she doing for 3 hours every week - unless she's doing laundry and ironing as well?

I'd consider cutting down to 2 hours.

Seraphinesupport · 30/05/2022 13:22

£15 is normal BUT as an ex cleaner i used to do 2 hours for 2 bedroom houses, 3 and 4 hours for 3 or 4 bed. A 1 bedroom would need max 1hour for gentle cleaning and 2 hours max for a deeper clean. For 3 hours id expect all skirting boards, removal of items. all window sills and cupboards, is she doing that? if not shes too slow. pay her the 15 but reduce or get a new cleaner.

Lolllllllllllll · 30/05/2022 13:22

DixonD · 30/05/2022 13:14

Why on earth do you have a cleaner for a two bedroom flat? Especially when there’s two of you in it, and no children to make any mess?

I’ve got a five bed house and even I don’t have a cleaner.

This is such a pompous and reproachful post. Can you seriously not imagine why someone might still want a cleaner? I assume you don't pay to get your car cleaned or pay for any prepared meals .
I have a cleaner for 8 hours a week and I have a gardener for about four hours. It's just me and my husband and we don't even work. 😅. My house is lovely and clean.

Blossomtoes · 30/05/2022 13:24

NotSorry · 30/05/2022 08:26

cut her down to 2 hours - there is no way that a 2 bed flat needs 3 hours

This, it’s effectively a one bed flat if she’s not cleaning both bedrooms. Two hours should be ample.

MidnightMeltdown · 30/05/2022 13:29

Maybe it's because of petrol prices?

I don't drive so I don't know how much they've increased or whether it is enough to justify her price increase

Butchyrestingface · 30/05/2022 13:37

£15 ph sounds eminently reasonable to me.

Readtheroom · 30/05/2022 13:37

You try living off £15 an hour to pay for all food bills etc etc. Cleaning is a laborious job.

Likeli · 30/05/2022 13:38

Wow if I knew cleaners earned this much I wouldn’t have bothered going to university to become a health care professional.
Cleaners earn more than nurses nowadays.

LetHimHaveIt · 30/05/2022 13:40

Likeli · 30/05/2022 13:38

Wow if I knew cleaners earned this much I wouldn’t have bothered going to university to become a health care professional.
Cleaners earn more than nurses nowadays.

Judging from my last spell in hospital, a great deal are markedly more conscientious, to boot . . .

saraclara · 30/05/2022 13:42

Likeli · 30/05/2022 13:38

Wow if I knew cleaners earned this much I wouldn’t have bothered going to university to become a health care professional.
Cleaners earn more than nurses nowadays.

Again, cleaners cannot fit the same number of paid hours into a day as someone who is employed in one place. They have gaps, they have unpaid traveling time, they have traveling costs. They don't get sick pay, holiday pay or pension contributions, they have to find their own work.

By all means give up your job and take up cleaning instead, but you might be disappointed

InstaHun88 · 30/05/2022 13:47

YABU

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