Cleaners - how many hours and how much £?

[Rainydaze]

I was just wondering how many hours you think it would reasonably take one cleaner to clean our house. Four bedrooms, one bathroom, one shower room, one downstairs loo, kitchen, living room, dining room, hallyway and landing. Wooden floors downstairs; carpets up (except tiles in bathrooms).

The reason I'm looking at getting a cleaner is because I find it difficult to keep on top of the amount of fur and general dust and (at this time of year) mud that the one large dog and two cats generate!

We are me, DP, teenage son and toddler daughter. Teenage son is good at making mess, but less efficient at dealing with it!

A lady cleans my neighbours' houses for £7 per hour. She said she could fit us in if we need it. It's more a question of could we afford it. I'm presuming this is a good rate. How many hours is reasonable, do you think?

Thank you! :)

I use to run my own cleaning business, its difficult to judge without seeing ur house but i would say three hrs a week, in that three hrs everything should be done properly, as in all floors washed and hoovered, bathrooms cleaned, everywhere dusted and kitchen surfaces, cooker top,sink etc cleaned, it will take longer if u wanted inside windows cleaned, u can always leave a list of things u want done each week. Hoovering dog hairs off sofa etc can be time consuming. Its very difficult to judge. £8 per hr is about right for a descent cleaner. Hope that helps x

£7 an hour is very reasonable depending on where you live

we pay £10 an hour (south east) for 3 hours
my cleaner does most of the house. she always does kitchen and bathrooms, and sitting room. doesn't always get all bedrooms completely done, but they're at least tidy and hoovered.

but she is very meticulous so it maybe takes her longer than other people because she does a very thorough job. also my kids room is usually very messy so she spends time tidying that as well as cleaning it

we have a 3 bed terrace

we have a cleaner just started last week because I can't cope any more. Anyway, she is £10 an hour (West Norfolk) and comes for 3 hours. We have a similar size house to your by the sounds of it. it is early days but last week she didn't even make it upstairs, but it was her first week and was being very thorough.

oh and I made sure the house was absolutely tidy so that she just cleans if that makes sense.

We have a slightly smaller house than you (one less bed, but the rest sounds similar). Our cleaner does 3.5 hours but that includes ironing and changing our bed sheets as well (and tbh normally she doesn't stay the full time, but then she's quite good, so I don't mind). I normally tidy the house, so she can get straight down to the cleaning.

So 3 hours sounds about right. £7ph sounds good. If that's not affordable, how about 2 hours a week, and have a basic list to be done every week, then some stuff, eg bedrooms, can get done every other week?

I have a cleaner who does 2 hours every other week. 10£ per hour. (tiny 2 bed flat)
every week would be ideal but I'm too stingy.

Yes, 3 hours a week sounds right, 4 if you need a bit more work (eg windows, ironing etc). 8£ is average I think (at least in London).

Rainy your house sounds very simialr tio mine

i pay £8 an hour for 3 hrs a week

But she is NON STOP for those 3 hours

If my kids were tidier she could prob do it in 2 1/2