Cleaner Hourly Rates - to expect an increase?

[needabreak5]

If you have a cleaner, have they increased their rate due to cost of living? I’m thinking that some cleaners may be scared about increasing due to risk of losing clients for the same reason. Not sure whether we should offer a slight increase as her rate is reasonable for the area and at the moment we could absorb it but that might not be the same in a few months. DH thinks we should give small cash gift at Xmas and not offer to commit just in case. If you have a cleaner would you be able to pay more at the moment? If you are a cleaner can you sustain your current rate or are you thinking of increasing it?

We always give our cleaner a week’s money in a Xmas Card. We furloughed her and paid her 70% of her wages during furlough. I would never offer an increase in rate, wait for her to ask.

I adore my cleaner. She is a treasure and a friend. I paid her during Covid when she didn’t come too. I think if she puts up her rates again I will (very sadly) have to let her go. My income has fallen since Brexit/Covid/Ukraine war and we can’t justify a further increase in outgoings.

Thanks! I recall last xmas we gave a few hours worth in a card so was thinking around the same but she will take Xmas weeks off unpaid so basically just paying for the holiday, which we don’t do for other time she takes leave.

Mines put her rates up from £15 to £20 an hour. Have had to cut her hours as a consequence and am looking elsewhere.

That’s a big increase. Ours is £15 which is a good rate but has been that for a long time, but not sure how I’d feel or if we could afford £20

Ours have put their rates up a bit recently. It works out about 7% so not a huge amount. I can absorb it. If they want to increase again I’ll have to reconsider it. And if I lose any more work contracts the cleaner will be one of the services that’ll have to go.

I’ve been looking for a new cleaner. I haven’t had one for a year or so and the prices have went up. I used to pay £15 per hour, I was quoted £17.50, £19, then the highest quote I got was £24 an hour which seems huge!

Ours went from £15 to £17 which we thought was reasonable given the cost of things.
Last year we gave her £20 and a bottle of wine at Christmas. This year aiming for £25 and a bottle. She was very appreciative. She's lovely and we would love to give more but honestly we have to plan and budget to afford her and consider it a good use of money to free up time to spend together as a family when not working.

I put my cleaner's wages up right at the beginning of the energy increases because she was too worried about losing clients if she did it herself. I'll be encouraging her to put them up further but if she doesn't, I'll be giving her a further increase. Otherwise I'm not entirely sure how she'll cope. Prices are crazy!

Wow £24 an hour is a brilliant wage! That’s £48,000 pro rata.

I increased mine a few months ago without her asking and we’ll pay her over Christmas when she doesn’t come and give her a small bonus.

It also depends how many hours you pay as I see a fair few posts that seem to be lower hours for same number of bedrooms etc

We also do a Christmas bonus with cash

No, it really isn't because of all the non chargeable time, i.e. travel between jobs, buying materials, admin time, etc. It's very unlikely the cleaner will be working on chargeable work for 42 hours per week!

Honestly

It has gone up to £18 - £20 an hour where I am (North). PLI and all cleaning materials have risen. All costs have. However, a really good, fit, efficient cleaner can do a hell of a lot in one hour.

Our old cleaner retired at the start of the year - she was £13 per hour. We paid her through Covid and gave her £50 and a bottle
of fizz at Xmas.
our new cleaner is £16 per hour so I’m not planning on increasing her hourly rate any time soon - but will do the same for her at Xmas.

I have just put our cleaners rates up to £13 from £11. She didn’t ask but considering everything we felt it was the right thing to do

Not in the UK, in Aus. I have a fantastic lady, and she told me that she was increasing from $40 to $50 and hour. I had to tell her that I couldn't absorb that and that she was best finding a new client who could. It's so bloody tough with services, people obviously need to increase their prices due to the increased cost of living, but users of that service can't afford and ivrease due to cost of living.

I’m a pet sitter (not clearer) but similarly offer a service paid at an hourly rate. I am very cautious around the idea of putting up my prices to cover the increased cost of living as I don’t want to lose the business altogether, even though it would really help me out. I think a small cash gift at Christmas would be nice with a review in a few months. I’m sure they would hate to be priced out if the rise was unsustainable in the near future.

We aren’t in London mind, but I am wondering if we need to put it up again. Thoughts?

Give her a nice bonus at Xmas, maybe pass her number on to friends so she can get more work

We do give her a bonus. She has a lot of work. I just wonder what they are paying considering she seems so grateful we did what we did!

I have asked mine to put up her rates but she hasn't yet. She gets a decent Xmas bonus - a month's pay - which I calculate as part of her overall costs. I have lost staff before by not automatically increasing their wages. I won't make that mistake again.

Are these London prices? I clean holiday lets with a friend. She provides the stuff and invoices the clients and pays me £10 an hour.

That’s low imo