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 ...

Five hours, once a week, I pay her £85 as we've had her a long time and I like her.

She's good but not perfect.

You can’t expect your cleaner to get your house spotless in what amounts to 1 hour per week, even if you do pay her over the odds for it.

In my experience a weekly/ fortnightly cleaner does a "surface" clean only (4 bed house, 4hrs/ week £60).

I used to have a deep clean every 2/3 months instead - this would usually be 2 cleaners for 3 or 4 hours and they would do all those behind the furniture jobs etc. This would cost around £150.

I do a combination now - regular cleaner but every 3 or 4 months I arrange for them to do a deep clean and they usually bring someone else with them for a couple of hours.

Tbh the cost seems a little high but I assume this is paid to cover holidays too so really the hourly rate is more like £12/£13? £15 seems to be the average around here (London) but you pay more for agencies.

@Ladyli

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!

I actually love cleaning but I never get the time.

When I had a cleaner it was 3 hours once a week £40.00.

She would do all floors, surfaces etc but maybe not in a thorough way - so not hairs stuff on say bottom of chair legs but she'd do this about every other clean. Window sills same.

I did write a list of what I expected to be done in a week - e.g. bathroom cleaned properly so dirt didn't build up. Anything which required a proper deep clean or I wanted extra work done - I'd do a spring clean with cupboards emptied, cleaned, door cupboards properly cleaned I paid extra and gave her extra time to do this.

I find personally it helps to be clear and write your expectations down.

When I worked in a small office managing it I had no idea the cleaners were skimping on cleaning the toilet and had to be told by a company who came round so I ensured I told my cleaner what I expected so the dirt didn't build up. She was fine with that.

Ah sorry - it was 3 hours twice a month (I didn't need it every week!) and she would come in for an hour and a half twice a month to do top ups.

£40 for 3 hours and £20 for the other times.

@RockingMyFiftiesNot

I'd struggle to find time to clean cat fur from behind the furniture in my own home if only cleaning two hours per fortnight to be honest. Maybe give it a go yourself and see how much you can do In that time, then set out realistic expectations for the cleaner, and give them a chance to achieve those before you fire them.

This^

It is very easy to presume/assume that one could do better but reading this thread I am amazed at what people expect for a platry amount of money.

We would not not accept those demands in our own professional environments so why impose them on someone else?

4 hours a week; kitchen, living room, dining room, office; 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and cloakroom.

For this we get thorough kitchen and bathroom clean; dust & polish; internal windows; vacuum and mop hard floors.

She is our fifth cleaner, and the second best we have had. We make the house absolutely tidy for her; she then works her magic.