For those of you who have a cleaner or are a cleaner can I ask a few questions ?

[cleancut1]

Hi I've just started up as a self employed cleaner . I have children and always have jobs where I'm juggling childcare and work it's very hard going at times.
I currently hate the job I am in which is retail and I work all weekend and can never do anything with the kids but took it due to redundancy.
I have been a cleaner in the past and a chamber maid. I've just set myself up its been three days and I already have five clients I was very shocked and pleased.
I'm charging 9-9.50 per hour depending on whether I'm using my own products.
I offered ironing separately but one customer has asked if I can do ironing within the two hour time slot.
Is this feasible , should I charge extra for ironing ? I've also been asked if I will change bedding within two hours not the same person is this something your cleaners do?
Should I charge extra for ironing/sheet changing ?
I'm in the West Midlands and my mom who works full time as a cleaner is also going to do work for me and we're going to work together once I have more clients. I only want to do part time hours four hours a day and will register as self employed by next month , I have take out insurance now too.

Can you enlighten me what does your cleaner do within two hours do they or you charge extra for extra jobs? I've already stated I will charge extra for ovens as doing my own takes me an hour unless they just wanted that done and a few small other jobs .

Can you help and are my prices reasonable ?
I am doing a one off blitz tomorrow and I'm charging £30 for a two bed house

Thankyou

Well one of my customers family members want me in now too so that's good!

If you are worried about them not wanting to give you feedback or instructions, how about providing them with a notebook?
A former cleaner did this, and it was really useful. Because it was her idea, it was a lot easier to write a list of jobs in the book than leaving her my own instructions.
And she would leave lists of cleaning things I needed (although I know you are using your own), or let me know when the mop heads needed replacing.
It definitely made me more open with the cleaner, and therefore happier with her work!

If you are worried about them not wanting to give you feedback or instructions, how about providing them with a notebook?
A former cleaner did this, and it was really useful. Because it was her idea, it was a lot easier to write a list of jobs in the book than leaving her my own instructions.
And she would leave lists of cleaning things I needed (although I know you are using your own), or let me know when the mop heads needed replacing.
It definitely made me more open with the cleaner, and therefore happier with her work!

I'd round it up to ten pounds an hour too. I have two hours a week, ironing takes up some of this every other week. That week they don't dust. I used to get three hours with ironing every week, but found cleaner left early without asking what other jobs to do. Said it was a one off, but I was miffed and docked pay. 30 for a deep clean would be very cheap but I think you know that now :) good luck

Just wanted to say OP that I'm in Sutton and have a cleaner who is fab and I pay her £12 per hour. Our previous cleaners were £10 per hour. Thought you'd like to check your prices locally!

I have had cleaners for about 17 years with a recent 2 year break (house move new area etc etc).

I pay £10 ph (in the south east near London).

I don't ask for ironing to be done.

The lady who cleans for me does 4 hours to clean house top to bottom inc wiping down all woodwork etc. It's a large 6/7 bed house with 3 large bathrooms utility and downstairs loo. So quite a lot to do.

I can clean the house in the same timeframe my self so that's how we decided on the time. She doesn't make the beds in that time. I do them myself at the weekends. And she doesn't do any washing/laundry.

For a one off blitz, you should probably look to charge a little more but for regular cleaning your rates etc sounds fine.

Where abouts do u live? We live in Manchester n I am looking for a cleaner!

Sorry I'm in Birmingham wish we lived closer :-)
I think I will put it up to £10 per hour everyone I've been to so far has paid me that anyway as like someone said the change part is annoying. See how it goes have a clean this morning to do .

You need to remember that your clients are paying for your time. So if they want ironing done that should be fine, if you are happy to do it, but within the allotted time, Same for changing beds etc.

I have employed several cleaners over the past 30 years, most have done ironing as part of their general clean and also changed beds.

I stopped asking them to do laundry as it occasionally went wrong (think cashmere in a hot wash) but in the past I have asked them to hang out wet washing.

I now pay £10 an hour for a 4-hour weekly clean. Largish 5-bed house, includes ironing maybe 10 shirts, changing one child's bed. Straightening up rather than full-on tidying. I buy all products as I prefer to use Ecover type stuff.

I'm in Birmingham and pay £10 an hour .
Its interesting - the first person I used used to take about 3 hours to do what my current cleaner takes about an hour and a quarter to do. I guess the first one must have done something more thoroughly - to be fair I was always here and she worked the whole time - but the present person does everything I want her to in much less time. I was a bit frightened of my first one but my current one is great, and more than happy to do whatever I ask to fill another half hour - bit of ironing or tidying out a cupboard or making beds or whatever.
I think the key is to let them see you work non stop for the time, and point out that you can get more cleaning done if everywhere is tidy, or that you dont mind washing up or whatever, but that's going to take half your time so you wont get so much else done.
I like the idea of a priority list - see how far you get.

Thankyou I worry that I'm to slow I did a three bed house today the kitchen was very though and had a lot of units which client wanted all wiped down and in between the doors the whole house top to bottoms took me 2 1/2 hours I did do some dishes aswell.
Customer text me after and said she was very happy as she told me before hand to just do everything and we would see how long it took.
I did want to get it down to two hours for her but it took longer hopefully I pick up the pace as I go along.
At home I'm really fast but at the customers I like to do everything on the list so it seems to take longer at other peoples than my own home.
Just get worried if I'm to slow I will lose clients but don't know how I could be faster without cutting corners

That doesn't sound slow to me!
My house is bigger, but I only ask her to do some of the rooms.
If you can do everything in a 3 bed house in 2 1/2 hrs, I'd say you are working pretty fast.

My cleaner doesn't do dishes at all. Haven't asked her to do beds or washing either. Or ironing - have a separate ironing lady.

I leave a list of things that need doing with my cleaner.

My cleaner (though an agency) comes for 4 hours a week at £13 an hour, she provides all cleaning products and a steam cleaner etc. We have a 3 bed, 3 bathroom house, fairly large rooms - she just cleans, no washing up, tidying or bed changing, but does iron 5 shirts in the time.
A previous agency I used had a list of all possible jobs and you had to tick which ones you wanted them to cover, they would then tell you how long it would take. Was quite good as knew exactly what my expectations were

Thankyou and I'm glad I'm not slow then I thought I was .
Also how much would be reasonable to clean out kitchen cupboards this client has asked but the kitchen is brand new mad literally has the most cupboards and drawers I've ever seen
Should I charge by the hour or as a whole job she said she would like them done with the fridge separately each month before I do the rest of the house .
Sorry for all the questions

Well, if she's having them done each month, then I can't really see there will be a huge amount to do.
Funnily enough, that was one of the jobs my cleaner has started on in the "spare 1/2 hour" after she's done the 'standard weekly cleaning bits", but mine haven't been thoroughly cleaned for a LOT longer than a month , so it's a bigger job.
I would say that you are unsure at the moment how long you think that would take, so she can either pay you for - say - an hour and you'll see how far you get, or if she prefers, you can do them all and not how long it takes you, and then she can pay you for the hours it takes. wonders why all cupboards would need cleaning out more than annually. That is, of course if you have the time to do that, and aren't booked to go to another client straight after the first job.

Yes back I think your right just charge by the hour or see how long it takes whichever way she prefers and I don't know why her house was quite clean anyway so I really had to work harder if that makes sense to make it look cleaner
I faced my nemesis which is mirrors all the wardrobes in the house have mirrors so cleaned them all I've never been the best at mirrors but I've mastered it after today.
I've always cleaned but used to do offices before and hotels houses are different so I'm still learning thanks for all the replies very helpful