If you have a cleaner.... would you mind sharing how much you pay?

[Hattie11]

I'm considering starting up a business supplying services in the home and would be interested to hear what you would be willing to share what you pay, or perhaps how much you would be prepared to pay for these services?

general cleaning
general garden maintenance
deep cleaning
decluttering
home help - e.g. assisting with small tasks around the home, shopping etc

I have done my research with local businesses, just keen to get an idea what mumsnetters pay. It would be helpful if you could indicate which part of the country you're living in to gauge the pay. The services i will supply will be in London.

Where I am in London most cleaners charge 10 per hour

I have a cleaner who charges £8/hour. I'm in NW London. I've had cleaners in the past charging anything from £7 to £10/hour.

thank you, thats what i thought too.

sarahanduck - is your cleaner independant or via an agency?

Have just read some old threads about setting up cleaning businesses and found them really useful. If anyone reading this is going through the process of setting up a business and fancies having someone to share ideas with, i'd love to chat!

I'm in the Midlands and prices for cleaners really vary. Mine is fabulous, came highly recommended by a friend, and works for herself. She's a incredible £6 per hour. She comes for four hours (every two weeks), so is £24.

Several neighbours use an agency, and they pay £30-40 a time which is for one hour, but two women, so the equivalent of two hours.

Hope that helps?

Thank you CommsWhizz. I think working in pairs sounds like a good idea for all parties.

I am a cleaner, I charge £10 per hour. I'm in Sussex. My mum does cleaning too and gets £12 per hour, also in Sussex

I pay £10 an hour, East Anglia.

I am in the south east, within the m25. I pay £10 per hour to our cleaner, no agency. Between 6 and 7 hours a week. She cleans and irons and does things I ask her to do like make up a bed, clean inside the fridge, for extra money at the same rate.

I pay £20 per hour to a gardener, for about 15 hours or so work, twice a year. He takes the harden waste with him when he finishes.

I'm in surrey, within the M25, and pay agency cleaner £9 an hour. Then there was an agency fee of a couple of pounds an hour if I remember correctly. We're leaving the agency and the new non-agency cleaner charges £10 an hour. We have 2 hours a week and will do whatever in the house that fits into that time including ironing. (actually the agency cleaner won't do ironing which is part of the reason that we are ditching her)

I'm in the SW of England and I pay £10 an hour for a cleaner. Agency charged the same but I went private as it was through word of mouth and she cleaned for the local vicar :)

thanks guys, prices are all agreeable to my plans!

Moggle are there any other benefits/drawbacks using an agency has?

My biggest concern is how to retain the cleaners and prevent myself from becoming an 'introductory' agency.

Obviously I plan to pay well, treat them well, offer training etc. I'm considering annual work related bonuses etc.

I pay my cleaner £10/ hour in Oxfordshire. Seems to be the going rate around here.

The main benefit of an agency in my view was so that we could get a replacement in for weeks when our cleaner couldn't come. Over Xmas she didn't turn up for 2 weeks- even though we had discussed face to face that she would continue to come as normal. One week I could understand as it was the 27th but she didn't turn up the next week either and there was no explanation until I texted her to ask if everything was ok. After this I thought if she isn't going to even let us know she can't come, what's the point of being able to replace her, I couldn't work out what benefit we were getting from an agency now (it was useful when we first got a cleaner a couple of years ago, to be told what was 'normal' to expect from them, etc)
Shortly after Xmas I discovered our previous agency cleaner (who was brilliant and had left to nurse her sick dad abroad) was back in the country and cleaning but not through the agency so we decided to get her back. Hopefully it'll all work out.

Thank you moggle that's interesting.

I'm hoping to 'sell' the insurance aspect and crbs plus training. And also the fact we will supply all equipment.

I like the idea of an agency as it feels less like a personal relationship with an indivdual. I also like the idea that they have been checked out etc. And for the cleaners they should receive the benefit of being employed - holiday and sick pay etc. I am going to look for an agency cleaner once I am back off mat leave.

Another thread on here talked about cleaners bringing their own equipment/materials. I might be alone but I expect to provide the materials and tools for the cleaner to use.

HTH

In Belgium, we are obligated to use Service Cheques - means that no one works on black market, employees get their tax and NI paid etc. We pay 9 euros per hour, but the cheque means the cleaner actually gets "more" than that overall.

that sounds like a wise system portofino.

mrsmargo - you say you expect to provide the materials but would you be happy for the company to use their own - meaning less wear and tear on yours and no further costs for you?

Yes happy for a co to use their own but that won't really come into my decision as to who I use.

It might just be me, but I know on the other thread (think it is called something like small business idea, on my phone so cannot leave this msg) the OP felt that was going to be a strong part of the offering.

I guess from your point of view using your own equipment and materials probably makes for a more effective service. You know your materials and how they can be used and that your equipment works.