How much do you pay for a cleaning lady? Is this a good price?

[twoisplenty]

It's through an agency, I haven't got any names of good cleaners through personal recommendation unfortunately.

It will be £13.50 per hour.

How many hours (for an average house) would it take someone to hoover, dust and do bathrooms? Is there anything else I need to ask to be cleaned?

I have tried to clean this place regularly, but failed. I give up! Originally I was going to have piano lessons (always wanted this!) but I think I shall teach myself instead. To have a clean home suddenly seems Very Important.

TIA

haven't had a cleaner for well over a year but paid £8.50 an hour privately

That's a lot. Are you in London?

Ask them if that is one 'person' hour or they'll be sending a team.

I pay 30 quid for four hours, but up north.

Thats a lot. Where are you?

£8 an hour, not through an agency. I'm in London.

My cleaner does our 4 bedroom house in 3 hours - sweeps and mops all floors, cleans kitchen including oven, cleans bathroom, does a bit of dusting and tidying as she goes along and does windows and woodwork once a month-ish.

£8 an hour, in London.

Thats a lot £8 hour here in outter london. In fact there was a man advertising for £6 an hour on netmums in my area the other day! But £8 is the average

ours is £9 to cleaner and ? £3 to agency. But cleaner gets £10/ hour from me cos she's great, and always stays over her time!

It depends where you are. Sunny Surrey is up to £12 per hour when you add in the agency charges...

we pay £15 for two hours - to do downstairs. IMO £13.50 is way too much - unless it's for two cleaners.

£8 an hour in London. 3 hours to do a 3 bed house (vaccuming, kitchen, bathroom, dusting and a bit of ironing). My cleaner is paid in cash tho'. Agencies are always going to be more expensive, because of the tax, VAT and on-costs.

I pay £10 an hour in Brighton. Some cleaners charge a little bit more I think here.

I pay £8 to cleaner and £2 to agency in Surrey. She does 3 hours a week and is fab.

Maybe try and get somebody locally rather than going through an agency? Would save you a lot. Our local netmums is usually good for this.

I'm so pleased I didn't pick up the phone to ask them to do it then. No, I don't live in London, I am in Derbyshire.

I shall have to think a bit more and do some hunting around for a cleaner then.

£8 per hour or even £10 per hour sounds the norm then it seems. I suppose as a last resort I could put an ad in the shop, and set my own hourly rate.

Thank you everyone.

You also need to factor in who supplies all the cleaning equipment - I've had some that like to bring their own and some that want it provided and if I'm buying cleaning products I expect to pay a lower hourly rate.

Tangle, give them a bottle of Stardrops when you have to provide cleaning fluids, it is only around 70p and it does EVERYTHING!

I haven't got a cleaner, am of anyone who has! My friend pays £7 an hour cash in hand for hers and we are in the NW.

£7? Makes my £13.50 quote unbelievable. So pleased I haven't taken them up on it.

I've never had a cleaner before, but getting desperate.

Just check though twoisplenty, if they're sending round 2 people at that rate, it's quite good value!

I've had a friend of a friend for £9 an hour who didn't clean well at all. Then an agency for £13.50 who are fantastic! I can't afford to keep them for long at that price though!

Oh it was a zombie thread!

I use local company in Manchester and they charge £12/hour. They coming in teams of two usually so job is done quicker, they hold keys and are fully insured. Basically if you have someone coming to clean for £7 it cannot be a company but perhaps a cleaning individual who trying to make some extra cash in hand. Do you guys ever ask your cleaners if their service is insured? Do you check if they've got rights to work in the UK? These things are really important - imagine your house burned due to your cleaners activities who wasn't insured...ups
Would the cleaner be reliable? Most people think he/she would... unfortunately the answer is NOPE. I can ensure you that someone who clean for £7/hour cannot afford to be insured so play safe, don't go for the low rate but for the value and always screen the cleaners or cleaning company before you let them into your premises ;-)

£13.50 through an agency is cheap!

We're between cleaners atm and usually employ privately for around £10-£12 ph. Local agencies/firms charge £18-£25 ph. I'm not in the SE, so can't even blame that as a premium.

Crikey! We're being ripped off here! Pag, £12 ph inc agency charges in Surrey?!