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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To employ my 15 year old neice to clean for me?

46 replies

shinyshoes · 08/09/2009 13:33

I live in a small 2 bed terraced house. There are 5 of us. We both work DP full time and myself part time, the children have clubs during the week.
Over time my house has become what I consider a little filthy. The kitchen cupbords seriously need a deep clean inside and out, the skirting boards need serious attention as do bits of wallpaper that need reattaching to the wall.
As I will be spending the next few weeks slowly doing this my other jobs will need doing, the everyday jobs. So, I was thinking of asking my neice to come
in every Saturday to do some of the everyday jobs.

I have spoken to my sister and she seems to be ok with what I'm proposing which is
Hoover through the house = 25 mins
wash the tiles on the back of the cooker = 15 mins
polish/dust sides,mirrors,woodwork= 15 mins
mop my bedroom floor,toilet, bathroom = 15 mins
unload/load dishwasher = 5 mins
clean bath = 10 mins
clean bathroom sink = 5 mins
now that's about an hour and a half works but I said I'd pay £10. 00 for 2 hours work it might take her a while on her first few visits then it might take her hour and a half but this is what I consider to be at worst 2 hours.
there might be the odd thing now and again like bring The washing in or take it out.

What do you think? Is this too much for a 15 year old? Am I being unreasonable?

OP posts:
Disenchanted3 · 08/09/2009 13:35

I wouldn't do all that for £20

Disenchanted3 · 08/09/2009 13:36

but ive never been or had a cleaner so ignore me!

Kathrina · 08/09/2009 13:37

Great way of earning some money and a bit of responsibility along the way!

lumnag · 08/09/2009 13:37

I wouldn't do it for £50

ErikaMaye · 08/09/2009 13:40

If your niece is happy with it, and so's her mum, doesn't seem like a problem

alarkaspree · 08/09/2009 13:42

At 15 I would not have wanted to do all that cleaning for £10. I could have made £15 on a saturday night by babysitting which would have been much less hard work.

But there's no harm in asking, she can only say no.

hmc · 08/09/2009 13:46

It's a small 2 bedroom terrace folks, so hoovering and mopping of floors (specified) wouldn't be as onerous as it would in perhaps your larger homes? I could for instance hoover and mop in my parents 2 bedroom bungalow in 30 minutes tops, but it would take twice as long in my house.

I'm not sure £5 per hour is reasonable. If she achieves all of that described to a good standard I would up it to perhaps £7 or £8 per hour. Why should she be paid significantly less than a regular cleaner?

barbarianoftheuniverse · 08/09/2009 13:52

DS(16) is paid by small firm £12 for 3 hours of much harder work than that!

MorrisZapp · 08/09/2009 13:53

Sounds like a win/ win to me. Cash for your neice, a clean house for you.

If she agrees the pay is fair then go for it.

AboardtheAxiom · 08/09/2009 13:55

If niece is happy with it then go for it, I used to do this at that age for reatives, just saw it as extra spends money (and would have only been doing the same chores at home for nothing).

Original poster
shinyshoes · 08/09/2009 13:55

thanks for your replies.

I was going to pay her £10.00 for 2 hours work because it's what I consider a fair amount per hour for a girl of her age cash in hand. If she was to go and work in a shop she would get less as she's still at school(not sure what the min rate an hour is for a schoolgirl of 15).

I do give her the odd babysitting work to do but we seldom go out now and the only money she gets is pocket money from her mum and thats not alot as she's a single parent.

like hmc says I would consider giving her more if the standard was good. I have chosen to give her a months trial for her benefit and for mine, like some of you say it might be too much hard work.

what would you consider fair in the way of jobs to do and payment? The jobs that I would consider needed doing is hoovering through, dusting and the back tiles of the cooker.

OP posts:
stleger · 08/09/2009 13:59

If she doesn't want to do it I will post you my 12 year old dd2. She adores cleaning.

ADifferentMe · 08/09/2009 14:04

My 15 year old gets £5 an hour in a shop, £3.50 an hour for waitressing at posh hotel. I think it's a reasonable rate for her age (cleaners are a tenner an hour round here) but I'm not sure you'll get it to the standard you might want!

BitOfFun · 08/09/2009 14:09

I think it's fair. If you think she would be any good at cleaning that is. Minimium wage for a young person is less than a fiver I think, and just because you would pay a professional more, doesn't change the fact she is getting it tax-free, she is family, and she isn't very qualified or experienced.

Win-win.

whyme2 · 08/09/2009 14:18

Sounds a good idea to me. We pay dh's nephew to do our garden, and we gave him £30 for a whole days work!! (and feed him). He is 15.

claw3 · 08/09/2009 14:25

My ds 15 got paid £30 for a whole day's work too. £10 sounds fair to me.

ADifferentMe · 08/09/2009 15:44

BOF, no minimum wage until they're school leaving age! One local cafe pays kids £3 an hour. There are very strict rules on working hours/days, but they seem largely ignored.

scottishmummy · 08/09/2009 15:54

you are taking the piss.£20 for all that for if you both work get a cleaner pay the going rate and dont do it on the cheap for £20

scottishmummy · 08/09/2009 15:56

no it is only £10 you are paying for 2hour work.that is cheeky

BubbaAndBump · 08/09/2009 15:59

Depends where you live surely? To me that sounds tight, I used to earn almost £4 an hour and that was (ahem) 20 years ago.

BubbaAndBump · 08/09/2009 15:59

in London, forgot to add

Elliegant · 08/09/2009 16:08

yanbu, minimum wage under 18 years is £3.53 an hour. As long as your niece is happy to do it every ones a winner.

fanjolina · 08/09/2009 16:11

I think it's fine

nickelbabe · 08/09/2009 16:12

yanbu.
you might have to consider that it could take more than 2 hours to start with though, "training period".
you need to decide whether you'll tell her £20 flat rate for these jobs, or £10 per hour.
(she might end up taking longer to get more money)
i would tell her flat rate.
and make sure she has a sandwich and a drink thrown in.

perfectly reasonable payment. she could not equal that working for an unrelated employer.

mazzystartled · 08/09/2009 16:16

yanbu

i think its v well paid at £10 ph

although i think you've undrestimated the time it will take

i did worse jobs ( cleaning the sick off the rides at alton towers anyone?) when I was 15!