Cleaners..how much is the norm?

[Loopy12345]

Ladies, I need some insight please.
I’m a self employed cleaner, I have another lady working along side me when needs be-we split what would be a long haul for one person and do 5hrs each for example in a huge house.
I’ve kept my rates at 11ph for years, took a break, had kids etc and now im back full time again with new clients.
I happily will do all the cleaning asked of me and more, scrub walls if they are grubby, pull sofas apart to clean under cushions etc
So I’ve upped my rates as I’m using all my own products, hoovers etc
I’m upped my rate to 12.50ph in SE, around 45 mins from London
One lady is really unhappy with the price rise and I feel guilty now! I shouldn’t as I have to pay childcare etc and without upping my rate I’m really not making much after fuel, childcare, products etc
Sorry for the waffling!
What would you say is reasonable for a cleaner?

£12ph in the South West is normal for me. I was paying my cleaner £24 fortnightly for two hour slot.

I think £12.50 is fine for south east. I pay £15 which I think is a bit much but it's through an agency (so obviously you pay more) and I tried a few before this one and the cleaner is great, trustworthy, careful and I feel comfortable with her in my house while I am there. So am paying a bit more for that. I only have her some fortnightly though due to price if it were a little cheaper I would consider weekly.

Tbh great cleaners are gold dust so if you are good I think customers will be willing to pay more.

People always piss and moan about price rises. I'm in the north and pay £14/h for our cleaning lass, but I know she still charges a couple of her older clients £12 because they'll kick off and it's not worth the extra £2/week to be constantly resented while you're working for them. I'm lucky enough in cash terms that I've been badgering her to go up to £15 but she won't take it. All a bit Yorkshire!

Don't feel guilty. Money's worth less over time so price rises are inevitable whether they understand or not. They don't have to hire you, and remember you don't have to stay working for them if you've got potential clients to move to, to make up the shortfall...

Well no one likes a price rise! I don’t have a cleaner so have nothing useful to add. The bringing hoover thing wouldn’t be a selling point to me though, don’t most people already have cleaning supplies and hoovers in their house anyway, even if they pay for a cleaner?

I pay £10 an hour (east of England) but prior to current cleaner was paying £13 ph through an agency. That's with me supplying hoover and cleaning materials. I used to pay £25 for two hours in the south east sixteen years ago (also through agency) so your rates still sound cheap to me!

Very reasonable price OP, especially as you bring your own cleaning products and do a thorough job. Don't undersell yourself.

One lady is really unhappy with the price rise

She has options.

She can pay it or go with someone else. You don’t owe anyone a rate that doesn’t work for you.

I’m £13/hour and I’m nowhere near the SE.

don’t most people already have cleaning supplies and hoovers in their house anyway, even if they pay for a cleaner?

They normally have dirty cloths, (nowhere near enough of them or the right kind) empty bottles, and missing hoover heads. Or they have a dyson stick vacuum. Which doesn’t qualify as a hoover. Utterly useless. Oh and mops that are green from sitting outside. With their predecessors.

I bring all my own stuff so I know I can do an excellent job with clean equipment every time. I wash everything after every job and my hoover gets a proper take apart clean out every weekend. I’m not having anyone say I do a poor job due to their dirty equipment.

You are very reasonable.If she’s not happy leave her