For those of you who have cleaners ...

[ImJustMadAboutSaffron]

... can you tell me how long the visit is, what they do, what they charge? I know it might be a bit "how long is a piece of string".

I've returned and found windowsills not cleaned, cat fur behind furniture and it really annoys me.

I've had one fortnightly for a few years and the original one left and the replacement is not as good. I'm thinking of getting rid of the cleaner, as she allegedly stays for two hours and as I WFH one day a week I can use the commuting time to do it to a higher standard. But I feel a bit mean ...

2 hours isn't long at all. And it is important to discuss with your cleaner what you want doing and let them know the priorities. If cat hair behind furniture and dusting window sills ARE your priorities then tell her, but obviously that could mean something else won't get done as she won't have time.
I think it's important to be realistic about expectations. I would rather have certain jobs done properly than everything done half-heartedly.
Also I agree with a pp that it's good to check that your clients are happy with your work and let them know you'd rather they say if something is getting missed.
And don't be afraid to leave a list, in fact it's helpful.
Around here (Yorkshire) it's anything from around £15 per hour.

[quote Ponchek]@ImJustMadAboutSaffron that's £22/hour?!!! [/quote]
I was clearly in the wrong job for all my working life!
😳

Agree the hourly rate is extorniate. Op are you going via an agency? Normally cleaners rates are between 10-15 pounds an hour. 22 is excessive.

For £22 an hour I'm guessing OP using an agency..... I'm always wary of agencies as they charge extortionate prices but the cleaners themselves won't be on much more than min wage ie not enough to care to do a good job. If you can find a local self employed, highly recommended (try your local fbk pages to enquire) cleaner I can almost guarantee you'll get a better quality of service.

@MissDynamite23

We pay our cleaner £35 which is a flat rate to clean the house. No hourly requirement. It’s a three bed one bathroom terrace. In reality it means she rushes round and misses things but in theory it’s the whole house cleaned, dusted, vacuumed and mopped. I’d expect at least 2 hours cleaning but she was disappearing after 1-1.5 hours. We tidy beforehand, and I usually change the sheets the day before myself, and it’s not a clutter filled house.

She recently took on some additional cleaners and the new lady that does our place is so much better! I want to say to her that I only want this new lady now but am worried about offending her. I’d have gotten rid of her ages ago but couldn’t bring myself to do it as she’s too nice.

One price for the job regardless of time will always likely result in a rush job.

Tell her you've decided to do the cleaning yourself, thanks.

Then get another cleaner for max £15/hr and pay £30/week for 2 hours.

I live in a modest 3 bed terrace and would struggle to clean the entire house throughly in 2 hours, especially if it's only done once a fortnight. I could dust surfaces / hoover / mop and clean the bathroom but I wouldn't have time for extra things like moving furniture.

I think maybe you need to pay her for more hours or have her come more frequently if you want a better standard. You may have had an amazing cleaner before who was fast and focussed on what you needed but they are not ten-a-penny.

Don't have one now but last one in large four bed/four reception three and a half bath house: four hours weekly, £50. I provided all cleaning stuff.
Her very first clean she did a spring clean: all furniture moved, all pillows off sofa everything done. Then after she cleaned almost all - she didn't always do all the bathrooms (one was a guest one rarely used) but did a good job with the rooms she did. Thorough but a bit slow, even though she was always moving and no breaks.
I did once have a young Polish woman trained at a hotel who was amazing - in the same time she not only did the whole house but also would clean out the cupboards, pick flowers from the garden to put in vases! She was less reliable though and occasionally didn't show up, snd eventually just disappeared with me owing her £20!
My very first cleaner was good but had real blind spots. But dealt with my builders well and was very reliable.
I'm going to be trying a new one soon - been doing my neighbours for a couple years. Word of mouth best.

2 hrs a week, £25, she hoovers and dusts, cleans the bathroom room and kitchen, changes 2 beds and mops all the hard floors

@MakeThingsRight

My brother's in laws arrived at his in the middle of the day... The cleaner was asleep in his bed 🤣🤣🤣 they also used to notice wine missing from a bottle in the fridge 🤔 I just don't think I'd trust anybody now.

Lol this happened at my Uncles house he arrived home and the cleaner was in, went through to the bedroom and his wife's side was warm, asked whether she'd been home during the day but realised cleaner had been snoozing in the bed. They got another one!

3hrs a week. 5 bed house and she dusts and hoovers most the rooms (sometimes not one of them if DH is in a meeting and can't vacate his room for her to do). Three bathrooms all cleaned thoroughly plus kitchen the same (she'll wash up a few bits from breakfast if we've not got to it yet or put drying up away if it's on the draining board). All hard floors downstairs hoovered and mopped. If we've had guests she'll make up the guest bedroom but we do the other rooms. Until recently we had coloured padded tiles on the living room floor because of our small child and every couple of weeks she'd lift all the tiles and clean under them etc. It's all to an excellent standard, she's very particular.

Frankly I don't know how she does it all in three hours, she's a miracle worker (we've offered to pay her for more time but she always says she doesn't need it!). She's £13.50 an hour.

10 hours a week (in 2 sessions) to clean a largeish 5 bedroom house (although 2 bedrooms are spare and so need less cleaning). She does the whole house twice plus changes beds once a week plus some ironing. Also we’re messy which probably means things take longer.

She works very hard in that time. If things aren’t being done but your cleaner is busy all the time, it may be that she needs to spend longer. Alternatively she may be spending more time on things you care less about and less on the things you care more about, in which case talk to her. Am often struck on MN by the number of people who aren’t happy with their cleaners but who present the only option as sacking them rather than discussing things with them.

If it’s just not working out, it’s fine to say so. Make sure you give her reasonable notice.

3 hours twice a week £15 an hour
She is brilliant
4 bed detached house
I hate cleaning and work 60 hour weeks

@womaninatightspot
This is outrageous!! What made him check how warm his wife’s side of the bed was though?! Was he suspicious??

2 hours a week here- £12 per hour, £3 to agency. Not the best, but it gets done.
Downstairs floors hoovered and mopped, utility, kitchen (good job) plus one other eg bathroom, patio door glass…

My cleaner really dislikes every other week cleans - she told me that they're much harder than weekly because things build up so dust/sinks etc need more attention rather than just a 'going over' if she can keep on top of it with a weekly clean. She charges more for these because often people onle want a short time so she feels like she's having to work twice as fast. She also adds on an hour if she's not been the week before, so for instance after Christmas she will come for 4 hours rather than our usual to allow for the build up

I'm in the south west and pay £24/week for 2hrs. It's a 4 bed, 3 bath house and she does all bathrooms, kitchen, all floors (sweep, mop, hoover) all dusting, windows, mirrors etc. we have 2 toddlers so she also tidies toys. She'll also do the oven when it needs it. I think we're really lucky, she is fab

3 hours to: hoover/mop hard floors and vacuum throughout, plus clean utility and three bathrooms. She also dusts the drawing room and our bedroom. House is large.

3 hours on a Friday to do additional dusting, the bins and ironing. She also empties the dw and wm on Fridays.

I pay £13.50 ph in Surrey.

5hr £60. 4 bedroom, 2 bathrooms

4 hours once a week. Does kitchen, downstairs loo, living room, hall and conservatory plus bathroom. Fair amount of tidying due to young feral children.

I’m thinking of changing to 2.5 hours twice a week as deep clearing doesn’t happen anyway. So might as well be surface clean twice a week.

Large Victorian property. 2 x 4 hours a week. £17.50 per hour.

Monday: downstairs including the laundry , kitchens, bathroom and basement. Thursday: upstairs starting with the kids rooms, bathrooms, linen cupboard. Beds are changed once a week.

My 14 son does his own room, noboby ventures in there. 19 & 16 daughters are shameless and leave it to Maria. Maria is almost part of the family and no shrinking flower, she'll give the girls what-for if they deserve it.

House is too big to start cleaning all the window-sills or washing down walls. That's only done if we skip a routine cleaning day. I mean, back-in-the-day it took a domestic staff of 6 to keep it all clean and do the laundry.

London, 3 hours, once a week, £45 for a 3-bedroom (smallish - about 1100sq ft) house. She cleans thoroughly, is really good at her job.

OP - my 10 hours a week costs £140 to the cleaner plus pension and NI etc (I employ her but her other clients have her a s self employed).

@Yerroblemom1923

For £22 an hour I'm guessing OP using an agency..... I'm always wary of agencies as they charge extortionate prices but the cleaners themselves won't be on much more than min wage ie not enough to care to do a good job. If you can find a local self employed, highly recommended (try your local fbk pages to enquire) cleaner I can almost guarantee you'll get a better quality of service.

Yes it is a local agency.

I have a cleaning business and for one particular client. I clean 3 bedrooms top to bottom, 2 bathrooms, 2 toilets, kitchen including all appliances. Clean outside cupboards and open to clean handles as well. Clean cooker, dining room table, dust all surfaces, clean all remotes hoover and wash all floors that takes me 4 hours.

@Ladyli

I have a cleaning business and for one particular client. I clean 3 bedrooms top to bottom, 2 bathrooms, 2 toilets, kitchen including all appliances. Clean outside cupboards and open to clean handles as well. Clean cooker, dining room table, dust all surfaces, clean all remotes hoover and wash all floors that takes me 4 hours.

How much do you charge if you don't mind me asking?

I live in France I charge 24 Euros per hour, I get taxed on that and at the end of the tax year my clients can claim back 50% on their tax bill.
I do a thorough job and love what I do!