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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Is this hourly rate too high?

213 replies

Question285 · 28/02/2025 09:25

I’m looking for a cleaner for a couple of hours weekly. I budgeted £18-20 per hour, but I’ve received a quote of £25 per hour. This is an independent cleaner, albeit with a proper set up. AIBU to think that this is a lot?

I’m in the NW in a reasonably affluent area, but it’s not London. Also, we live in a very normal family home. It’s not a job with an NDA in a mansion.

I’ve checked some local sm groups and it seems that £25 per hour is not unheard of, so I don’t think she was trying to put us off.

I understand overheads, tax etc. come out of that, so she’s not left with £25. But I can’t help thinking that I earn less than that gross in a role that took the better part of a decade to train for. It also comes with a lot more responsibility and less flexibility than a self employed cleaner has.

Is this where things are because of minimum wage increases? I’m not saying they were a bad thing, people should be able to live off their wages. But it seems that middle earners salaries have not kept up if for a low skilled job you can earn as much as a high skilled worker.

OP posts:
Clocloxx · 28/02/2025 11:17

In Ireland it's about 12 to 15€ a hour so that's about that's about 10 to 12 pounds

YoshiIsCute · 28/02/2025 11:18

Question285 · 28/02/2025 11:15

That’s highly unlikely as a PP explained as it wouldn’t make financial sense for her. But if she is set up as a ltd company, at this level of income she would probably pay herself a wage that is not liable for NI.

Edited to add that in that case she’s not technically self employed either.

Edited
Show quote history

If she is running it through an LTD company, and paying herself a wage that is not liable for any NI, she has been very poorly advised by her accountant, because that is stupid from a long term / retirement planning perspective....

And it's really that not that uncommon, if she is a good cleaner in high demand, to be running it through a LTD company(a few posts above @Tryingtokeepgoing even mentioned her cleaner does that!)

YoshiIsCute · 28/02/2025 11:22

Anyway, all the ins and outs of how this cleaner is set up are irrelevant really. As with any business, they are free to charge what they like, for whatever reason they like, and the market determines if they can attract business at that rate. Supply and demand.

OP has already said she has done some research and £25/hour is not unheard of in her area - so, the market is willing to pay that rate for cleaning services.

Whether anyone thinks that rate is "fair" or justified has nothing to do with it.

And I imagine if you tell a cleaner (or any business!) "I don't think I should pay you that rate because it's the same as what I earn and I don't think you can justify charging that" - they will tell you to take your business elsewhere or do the job yourself!

MrsBennetsPoorNerves · 28/02/2025 11:24

I think it's expensive. I've been researching recently for my dad, and most cleaners around here (East Midlands) charge around £17 per hour. A few charge a bit less, a few charge a bit more.

Obviously, this particular cleaner is free to charge whatever she likes, and if she has enough clients who are happy to pay her at that rate, all power to her. In your shoes, though, I would probably be looking at alternatives to see if I could get a comparable service from another supplier.

LindorDoubleChoc · 28/02/2025 11:24

Yes, £25/hour seems high. Have you shopped around a bit? That's the obvious next step OP, if you really are looking for a cleaner.

Anyotherdude · 28/02/2025 11:25

I’m in the South East just outside London, and we pay £15 to the cleaner plus £5 an hour to the franchises, so that sounds a lot!

Ineedanotherholidaynow · 28/02/2025 11:26

Is she using her own products or yours? And she will have other business related overheads to pay such as insurance too

Original poster
Question285 · 28/02/2025 11:33

Ineedanotherholidaynow · 28/02/2025 11:26

Is she using her own products or yours? And she will have other business related overheads to pay such as insurance too

She’s using her own products, but I don’t think they’re anything particularly fancy (eco friendly or expensive) or at least she hasn’t mentioned it.

OP posts:
Badbadbunny · 28/02/2025 11:39

Question285 · 28/02/2025 11:33

She’s using her own products, but I don’t think they’re anything particularly fancy (eco friendly or expensive) or at least she hasn’t mentioned it.

Show quote history

Rather than keep going on about it, just make a choice. Pay what she wants or don't. It's that simple. You can't change what she charges. You clearly think she charges too much, so do it yourself or find someone cheaper.

Scoobyblue · 28/02/2025 11:44

I live in Central London and pay £18 per hour, paid direct to the cleaner with no agency involved. It was £16 per hour last year and we made the decision to increase it - she didn’t ask us. So £25 seems a lot to me.

Original poster
Question285 · 28/02/2025 11:45

Badbadbunny · 28/02/2025 11:39

Rather than keep going on about it, just make a choice. Pay what she wants or don't. It's that simple. You can't change what she charges. You clearly think she charges too much, so do it yourself or find someone cheaper.

Show quote history

Last time I checked Mumsnet was a forum for discussion and people can ask any questions they want. So I think I can ask people’s opinion and have a conversation without being shut down for ‘going on about it’.

But thanks for your input. I have read your posts and actually found some of your points informative and interesting.

OP posts:
Crikeyalmighty · 28/02/2025 11:47

My Gardner charges£28 an hour but I only need him for 2 hours every 3 weeks because he does a great job within the time. I don't begrudge him as he travels 12 miles to me

19kgofchocolate · 28/02/2025 11:47

there was a FB post on a local town site in Devon last week on this topic. Got very heated as the poster was being charged £30 ph and wondered if that was the going rate. Many people said if the cleaner was good and you are happy then pay it. Many others, including local cleaners, said £15 was more like it.

mym mum in the SE had a weekly cleaner that I paid for around 6-7 years ago. She left the property immaculate because she only did half the house (3 bed semi) in 3 hours, then the other half the following week. She told me she was putting up her prices to £20ph and I said I wouldn’t pay that. She left. We got someone else for £15ph for 2 hours a week. No, the house is not as spotless, because the new cleaner does not hoover the floor on her hands and knees with the upholstery attachment, but it’s cleaned to an acceptable standard.

cleaning is a NMW job. It’s unskilled (yes you can do it well), no qualifications, no barriers to entry, you don’t have to go to college to learn it, cost of products minimal really. I’m not sure why people think it’s NOT.

re the FB post, at £30 per hour, it works out to £47,000 pa, allowing for a 6.5hr day and 5 weeks off per year for sick/holiday. Less some expenses, £1k for insurance, mileage and products. That’s almost into the 40% tax bracket. I’m drafting my new cleaning business website as we speak.

babiesinthesnowflakes · 28/02/2025 11:50

It’s just basic supply and demand isn’t it. If enough people are willing to pay, why wouldn’t she charge that much.

YoshiIsCute · 28/02/2025 11:53

19kgofchocolate · 28/02/2025 11:47

there was a FB post on a local town site in Devon last week on this topic. Got very heated as the poster was being charged £30 ph and wondered if that was the going rate. Many people said if the cleaner was good and you are happy then pay it. Many others, including local cleaners, said £15 was more like it.

mym mum in the SE had a weekly cleaner that I paid for around 6-7 years ago. She left the property immaculate because she only did half the house (3 bed semi) in 3 hours, then the other half the following week. She told me she was putting up her prices to £20ph and I said I wouldn’t pay that. She left. We got someone else for £15ph for 2 hours a week. No, the house is not as spotless, because the new cleaner does not hoover the floor on her hands and knees with the upholstery attachment, but it’s cleaned to an acceptable standard.

cleaning is a NMW job. It’s unskilled (yes you can do it well), no qualifications, no barriers to entry, you don’t have to go to college to learn it, cost of products minimal really. I’m not sure why people think it’s NOT.

re the FB post, at £30 per hour, it works out to £47,000 pa, allowing for a 6.5hr day and 5 weeks off per year for sick/holiday. Less some expenses, £1k for insurance, mileage and products. That’s almost into the 40% tax bracket. I’m drafting my new cleaning business website as we speak.

The key to what you said is NMW (minimum WAGE). She is not earning a wage, she is a business charging a rate for services. Business owner, sole trader, freelancer, whatever. The point is she is not a salaried employee earning a WAGE.

A general rule of thumb is to times the equivalent hourly WAGE by 2 to 3x to get to what a self-employed person or business should be charging to cover all their additional costs (way more than £1000 per year - go back through the thread and read my posts and @Badbadbunnys).

So, the new minimum wage of £12.12 from April gives a self-employed equivalent of at least £24/hour.

VisitationRights · 28/02/2025 11:53

I think she should charge as high a rate as the market can support, if she can find someone willing to pay £25/hr (or more) then more power to her. I don’t think the rate is too high. She should be able to earn enough to support herself and her family and live, not just exist. If the rate is too high for you then you probably can find someone who charges £20 an hour. Neither you nor she is being unreasonable here..

babiesinthesnowflakes · 28/02/2025 11:55

19kgofchocolate · 28/02/2025 11:47

there was a FB post on a local town site in Devon last week on this topic. Got very heated as the poster was being charged £30 ph and wondered if that was the going rate. Many people said if the cleaner was good and you are happy then pay it. Many others, including local cleaners, said £15 was more like it.

mym mum in the SE had a weekly cleaner that I paid for around 6-7 years ago. She left the property immaculate because she only did half the house (3 bed semi) in 3 hours, then the other half the following week. She told me she was putting up her prices to £20ph and I said I wouldn’t pay that. She left. We got someone else for £15ph for 2 hours a week. No, the house is not as spotless, because the new cleaner does not hoover the floor on her hands and knees with the upholstery attachment, but it’s cleaned to an acceptable standard.

cleaning is a NMW job. It’s unskilled (yes you can do it well), no qualifications, no barriers to entry, you don’t have to go to college to learn it, cost of products minimal really. I’m not sure why people think it’s NOT.

re the FB post, at £30 per hour, it works out to £47,000 pa, allowing for a 6.5hr day and 5 weeks off per year for sick/holiday. Less some expenses, £1k for insurance, mileage and products. That’s almost into the 40% tax bracket. I’m drafting my new cleaning business website as we speak.

But would anyone in any profession (not just cleaning) only ask for NMW, if their skills are so in demand that they can charge far more than that? It’s just not how the labour market works.

Likewise, there are lots of jobs which require advanced qualifications but don’t pay well at all as there’s no shortage of people willing to do them.

Excited101 · 28/02/2025 11:57

I pay £16ph to my cleaner, and I put her wage up as I felt it was too low! She pays taxes etc, does a fab job- cleaning the oven when she sees it needs it, etc! I don’t know anyone paying anywhere near £25 and I know a lot of people with cleaners in London.

Embarrassinglyuseless · 28/02/2025 12:02

I pay our housekeeper £20 / hour. But I also pay her four weeks holiday a year, have paid her anyway on the very rare occasions she is sick or has a child care issue and can’t make it.
It probably works out about 25 / hour…

BeachRide · 28/02/2025 12:06

I pay my cleaner more than she asks for. She's invaluable.

JHound · 28/02/2025 12:11

If it’s too much for you don’t pay it and find somebody cheaper.

Don’t confuse you being unable to afford that price with the price being too high.

Cosyblankets · 28/02/2025 12:11

Question285 · 28/02/2025 10:34

I understand that and I tried to make the comparison as close as possible by giving my hourly rate before deductions and including holiday pay and employer pension contributions.

As an employee you still have to travel to and from work which is not paid and you can’t claim petrol or your car as business expenses. Most of what you’ve listed are tax free expenses, some of which can be for personal use too. I never said she ends up with £25 cash per hour. But neither does a salaried employee. And people choose to be self employed because of the flexibility, they’re not hard done by and deserving pity. People have a choice to either be salaried or self employed and there are pros and cons in both situations.

Show quote history

Travelling to and from work is once a day. If they've got say 3 clients in a day that is time they could be working
It's not the same

WitchesCauldron · 28/02/2025 12:16

Question285 · 28/02/2025 09:25

I’m looking for a cleaner for a couple of hours weekly. I budgeted £18-20 per hour, but I’ve received a quote of £25 per hour. This is an independent cleaner, albeit with a proper set up. AIBU to think that this is a lot?

I’m in the NW in a reasonably affluent area, but it’s not London. Also, we live in a very normal family home. It’s not a job with an NDA in a mansion.

I’ve checked some local sm groups and it seems that £25 per hour is not unheard of, so I don’t think she was trying to put us off.

I understand overheads, tax etc. come out of that, so she’s not left with £25. But I can’t help thinking that I earn less than that gross in a role that took the better part of a decade to train for. It also comes with a lot more responsibility and less flexibility than a self employed cleaner has.

Is this where things are because of minimum wage increases? I’m not saying they were a bad thing, people should be able to live off their wages. But it seems that middle earners salaries have not kept up if for a low skilled job you can earn as much as a high skilled worker.

£25 for a cleaner?? Is she Mary Poppins?? That's a joke

TheGoogleMum · 28/02/2025 12:18

I'm paying £18 an hour for mine but we don't live in London or the south east. There were more e pending options also!

thiswilloutme · 28/02/2025 12:19

Catza · 28/02/2025 09:51

It doesn't matter whether she cleans a 3 bed terrace or 7 bed mansion. The cleaning job is exactly the same. Yes, it's above what I earn as a professional but so what. You are free to start your own cleaning business if you choose to. My SIL is a cleaner. She is a qualified physio but a cleaning job works best for her in terms of flexibility. Cleaning for others is not "unskilled", just look at the numbers of complaints about poor clean on MN.

my DSis started her own cleaning business on being made redundant - she'd always kept her own home like a show home, she loves cleaning and is good at it. She makes a good income and yes, does love the flexibility of it.

I did not get those genes. I pay a cleaner who, like my DSis, loves doing it, watches youtube videos on cleaning hacks and follows cleaning gurus on Insta. She achieves more in a couple of hours than i would in a day - i simply can't achieve what she does in the time. Worth every penny.