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Housekeeping

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

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Original poster

Londoners - how much are you paying your cleaners?

58 replies

EldonAve · 02/03/2011 13:24

My old cleaner wanted £8 per hour and needed 4 hours to do the work

Just met a possible replacement who wants £10 per hour and reckons the same work will take her 5 hours!

OP posts:

eandz · 09/03/2011 19:40

oh, and i'm nw london. (zone 2)

Original poster

EldonAve · 09/03/2011 20:11

wow £6 an hour is only just over the minimum wage
15-20 hours is a lot!
is she illegal?

OP posts:

littleducks · 09/03/2011 20:15

I think the 15-20 hours is a joke!

Original poster

EldonAve · 09/03/2011 20:50

dunno - 3-5 times a week is mentioned

OP posts:

TheGoddessBlossom · 09/03/2011 20:56

£42 for 3 hours. It's a luxury but one I can't do without. It is through an agency, last cleaner I had was cheaper, better, but always ill.....

cleanandclothed · 09/03/2011 20:57

£10 in central london, through an agency, don't have to pay if we cancel for any reason, comes for 3hrs once a fortnight, same cleaner all the time.

eandz · 09/03/2011 21:35

I don't know if she is illegal, but I do know she doesn't speak English. You can find cheap cleaners, but not sure what you get for the price. Although I have had on occasion used people I've found on gumtree who work for £6.75-7.00 per hour with a three hour minimum. I'll let you guys know my new cleaner turns out. And no, this isn't a joke so stop being jerk.

littleducks · 09/03/2011 22:20

Sorry, i honestly thought you were joking as it was such a good price, about the 20 hours per week, from the way it was phrased

Just cleaning or more like housekeeper type stuff too?

SofaQueen · 09/03/2011 22:26

Surprised by many of these rates. I pay £8 an hour and have her for 12 hours (2 times a week). West London.

eandz · 09/03/2011 22:37

I was hoping she would help me re-organize the place. I was thinking that with 15-20 hours I could get her to do some basic food prep,cleaning and laundry. I paid more for the other cleaners when they had documented childcare experience.

I'm not sure what her strengths are and I honestly have no clue if I'll have to show her how to do things. If she's able and willing and I trust her more, then I might ask her to do additional stuff like making grocery lists/menu planning but I would most likely raise her pay.

seimum · 09/03/2011 22:41

£30 for 4 hours (outer London - zone 6)

beautyspot · 10/03/2011 01:37

eandz - you're asking for trouble if your cleaner doesn't speak english. I had a Polish girl (through an agency) and after a few weeks had to let her go as we couldn't communicate. She had no idea what products were for what (bleach etc).

I'm amazed that people are paying £10 an hour for a cleaner as most of that will be cash in hand. That's an hourly rate of over £13 if they were taxed. This is getting out of control surely.

gooseberrybushes · 10/03/2011 02:44

For about 100 a month and the accompanying irritation of getting things wrong I don't think it's worth it.

If she can do it in two hours, so can I. Just pretend I'm the cleaner then ignore it the rest of the week until the "cleaner" comes again.

Original poster

EldonAve · 10/03/2011 07:18

beautyspot - I agree about the rates, cash in hand £10 an hour is more than I'm paying the nanny hence my

OP posts:

beautyspot · 10/03/2011 07:37

I think £8 an hour, cash in hand, is a very good rate and the very maximum I would pay. I'd tell the one that wants £10 and 5 hours to take a reality check.

UnlikelyAmazonian · 10/03/2011 08:55

I have to declare my earnings as I am self-employed so do a tax return. I don't mind if customers give me cash or a cheque as I write it all down and keep receipts etc.

I think of it this way: would I clean like a demon, sweating and scrubbing and providing all the products and sponges etc, for 6 pounds an hour? No I wouldn't. I would for ten pounds an hour though.

Also, and I personally think this is important, you are paying for a profound level of trust in your cleaner. After all, we have the keys to your house, we have access to all your valuables, we often have to be discrete about what we find lying about (confidentiality in a small town is very important) and many other issues.

beautyspot · 10/03/2011 13:36

Amazonian - so does that mean if someone doesn't pay you what you think you are worth then you are not to be trusted?! Sounds a bit like emotional blackmail pointing out that you have keys to peoples' houses etc etc.

UnlikelyAmazonian · 10/03/2011 16:27

No of course not beauty! It was 2 separate points: one, I think I am value for money at 10 an hour
And two, it is a job of significant trust imho.

BringBackGoingForGold · 10/03/2011 16:43

£8.50 an hour cash, 2 hours per week, zone 2. If she has or we have a 2-week holiday we pay her for one week of it, and a present over Christmas (although last year she also gave us a present, bless her). Often suffer middle-class guilt and think I'm not paying enough, but she's been coming for two years so I think I have to assume she's OK with it. She also often tells members of our household what a lovely house we have, so tidy, nice energy etc. I think it's totally worth it if only to have the bathroom and kitchen spanking clean once a week ? we are not slobs or dirty, but we're all lazy busy and housework just isn't a priority.

UnlikelyAmazonian · 10/03/2011 19:31

God reflecting on your post beauty, I am just appalled at your tone and attitude. How very patronising, misunderstanding and smug.

If anyone treats me like I am shit on their shoe (and only two have in three years) I ditch them. They reveal themselves to have all the same red flags that abusive men do.

atah · 10/03/2011 19:36

£10 per hour and she is crap!!

I have just washed my kitchen floor and she was supposed to have done it this morning - it was filthy!
Anyone recommend a good cleaner around notting Hill?

UnlikelyAmazonian · 10/03/2011 20:24

So sit her down and ask her what she is doing and what is she using and maybe stay home one day and watch her do it.

Yes she may indeed be crap
Or bored or resentful or hate cleaning.
If so then she wont be a good cleaner
If you are employing them you dont just say 'they are shit at accountancy'

So give yourself a bit of slack. Ask her if she actually wants to do to the job and what are her olife circumstances. Treat her like a human being ffs.

and if she is still shit or uncrooperative or lazy then try to find someone else.

Jeezus. you are all so lazy middle class with attitude.

UnlikelyAmazonian · 10/03/2011 20:27

You live in Nottinghill and you want a cleaner.

Start treating 'cleaners' with the respect you expect yourself.

Do you shit all over your bad clients like this or do you let them down gently?

Check your 'domestic goddess' out and go by word of mouth.

UnlikelyAmazonian · 10/03/2011 20:28

If she hasnt cleaned your floor to the standars you need then tell her.

Give her the option of telling you that she doesnt want to clean your floor anymore

God almighty

UnlikelyAmazonian · 10/03/2011 20:29

I am really gobsmacked at this. But then I am only a cleaner.

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