To ask about getting a cleaner.

[surreygirl1987]

My husband and I both work full time as teachers, and as well as long days, often do work in the evening too. We have two small pre-schoolers. Neither of us are hugely domestic, and the cleaning is often neglected.

From the above, it sounds like we definitely need a cleaner. But how much will it cost? We have a reasonable household income but huge outgoings (mainly mortgage).

We live in a 5 bedroom 3 bathroom house (plus downstairs wc) so it's quite large (although not massive - it's around 1800 sq ft). Here are my questions:

A. How many hours a week or fortnight would we need?

B. We'd want bed linen changing too, as we are awful for putting off doing that. Do most cleaners do that as well or not? Or is it a bit of an unusual request?

C. Is weekly or fortnightly more cost effective?

D. How do you even find a good cleaner?

Many thanks in advance for any info.

We have a 5 bed, 3 bath plus downstairs loo. Our cleaner comes for 5 hours a week and does kitchen, bathrooms, hoovering and mopping floors, dusts, cleans all surfaces, hoovers the soft furnishings on a semi-regular basis, ditto washing inside of windows and internal glass, gives a selection of our youngest's toys a clean, changes bedding and puts them in the wash. Payment isn't comparable cos I'm in another country but I pay my parents' cleaner £18 an hour. I think it's the top end for where they live but she does a really good job in their cluttered house and my mum gets on really well with her so it's worth the extra.
I found my cleaner through a friend who also uses her and my parents' advertised on their local Facebook group with an introductory discount offer so I asked her to do a deep clean in their kitchen and bathroom and found she did was really good so we kept her on.

I have a 4 bed and my cleaner comes every week for 2 hours. Costs £30 per week. I still have to clean regularly but I never have to do my bathrooms or any dusting, just hoovering, mopping and cleaning the kitchen. I change the beds myself as well.

My house is a similar size. It's a busy house with kids, their friends and a dog!

My cleaner does four hours a week.

I have a 5 bed (sounds similar to yours) and 4 children (so they create a lot of chaos). I am also disabled so.cant do a lot myself although DH does a lot.and the children all have chores... (Which they do with varying degrees of reluctance )

I advertised for a home help rather than a cleaner and made it clear it involved things like tidying /laundry as well as cleaning.

She comes for four hours a week (2 x 2 hours) and it definitely really helps make a dent but probably we could do with her coming another couple of hours a week.

Similar house OP.

5 beds but 3 in use.

We're fairly tidy and she wouldn't have time for that anyway.

All floors hoovered and mopped.
En-suite, 2 x bathrooms and WC.
Kitchen, living room, dining room (not used).
She's offered to change beds but I've never got the linen ready.
She cleans handles, cupboards and fridge front as needed.
She might tidy the laundry room if she has time (god knows how).

The works like a dog for 4 hours every 2 weeks and we pay her £80.

She is worth every penny.

To clarify.. £20/hr, £80 per visit.

Thanks - this is so helpful!

We have a 5 bed, 3 bath and our cleaner does upstairs one week inc changing beds and a bit of ironing - 3 hours, and then downstairs and a bit of ironing the following week - 2 hours. £14.50 an hour and it forces us to keep the house tidy!

Your cleaner is not there to clear your clutter as they are not housekeepers. Housekeeping offers that and cost usually £22p/h upwards. Have a look on polo and tweed agency. The clients are high end and pay for what they want. £28 p/h

We have a 5 bed 3 storey house with 2 bathrooms & downstairs cloakroom/washroom.
We have a cleaner who comes 2 hours 1 week and does hall & stairs, main bathroom and floors in the living/kitchen/diner room we mainly live in at the back. Next week she comes 4 hours and does those plus 2nd living room/bathroom, wash/cloakroom & the 3 big bedrooms. She also deep cleans various things in the 4 hour days on rotation.
One bedroom is basically a box room at the moment & one is OHs study and a tip so she doesn’t do those as seems not worth it.
It’s £15 an hour which I think is super reasonable and we found her via a recommendation from a neighbour.
It’s 100% worth it and it also gives you a push to keep on top of tidying up. It would definitely be one of the last luxuries we would cut.