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Original poster

OK I'd like some quick answers - as many as possible before 2.30 this afternoon......how much would you be prepared to pay.......

37 replies

TheQueenOfQuotes · 20/11/2007 13:30

to

A) Drop off a small basket of ironing when you drop the kids off/pick them up at school and pick it up (ironed obviously) the following day - 24hrs later - so if you dropped it off in the morning you could pick it up the following morning, if you dropped it off in the afternoon you collect the following afternoon)

B) the same for a large basket

C) how much would you pay to drop ironing off in the morning and be able to pick it up ironed when you pick up the children in the afternoon - firstly for a small basket, secondly for a large basket??

Really need to get some extra cash coming in, and I rather fancy doing ironing, however I don't drive so making my services available to a "wider" market isn't really feasible at the moment. However I DO live RIGHT next to the school and a large majority of parents drive to pick their children up - so I'm thinking of starting off with school parents - as they could drop off and collect their ironing without a great deal of hassle.

So how much would you be prepared to pay???

OP posts:
snice · 20/11/2007 13:31

Most of the ones I've seen seem to charge by weight for general ironing then about £1 each fro work type shirts.

Meeely2 · 20/11/2007 13:32

nowt i LOVE ironing too much, but thanks for giving me an additional income idea!

GooseyLoosey · 20/11/2007 13:33

I pay someone a £1 a lb to do this for me. For me, it usually ends up about £10. I think its fairly common to charge by weight.

Anonymama · 20/11/2007 13:35

Would expect to pay someone about £5-6ph if it was cash in hand, so would need to estimate how long it would take someone (proficient with an iron) to do. Would perhaps pay a couple of quid extra if I wanted it back the same day.

This based on the idea that I'd pay a cleaner £8-10ph (depending on how good s/he was) to clean the house - as that includes travel time. I think if the work is cash in hand (i.e. people are avoiding paying tax), then the price should reflect this. Would pay 10-20% extra if it were a legit business, IYSWIM.

That all said I only iron shirts & trousers for DH's work, and live in jersey cotton. Offspring look creased, but clean The type of mums who might pay for ironing service might also be the type who have the funds to pay more - so perhaps you should see what competitors in the domestic services sphere are charging locally.

HTH

Hekate · 20/11/2007 13:36

My immortal soul.

I hate bloody ironing.

Make sure you charge by weight. Or you'll have folks squeezing their entire wardrobe into a small basket!

Original poster
TheQueenOfQuotes · 20/11/2007 13:36

how do they weigh it?? I've only got my kitchen scales (very small) and my bathroom scales - only really work with someone stood on them.....

OP posts:
whoops · 20/11/2007 13:38

I saw a thing for weighing bags somewhere the other day you could use one of those to weigh

Original poster
TheQueenOfQuotes · 20/11/2007 13:38

Anonymamma - I'm sure that most of the parents as DS1's school (and the one up the road where he'll be next year and where I'll distribute flyers should the school next door prove relatively successful) has money to spare.......well at least if the location of their holidays, the age and type of their cars, and the areas they live in are anything to go by LOL.

OP posts:
whoops · 20/11/2007 13:39

like this

snice · 20/11/2007 13:39

You use the sort of things fishermen use to weigh fish IYKWIM

Hekate · 20/11/2007 13:41

Are they digital scales?

Step on them without the clothes, step back on them with the clothes. you + clothes - you = clothes.

Original poster
TheQueenOfQuotes · 20/11/2007 13:41

ooo thanks for that link whoops.......not too expensive (although more cash than I have at the moment - currently have £1.10 to my name ) so I think I'd have to use the bathroom scales to start with

OP posts:
VeniVidiVickiQV · 20/11/2007 13:42

Can you not charge say 50p an item and £1 for shirts or something?

Far simpler that way.

Flame · 20/11/2007 13:42

Bathroom scales - weigh self, then weigh self holding basket of clothes (put em in your own basket that you have already weighed yourself with so you know the weight of the basket) - subtract the weights...

Original poster
TheQueenOfQuotes · 20/11/2007 13:42

Hekate - yes they're digital - I wouldn't look too daft doing it that way to start off with would I???

OP posts:
Niecie · 20/11/2007 13:43

I have an ironing lady who charges about £7 an hour. She can do at least 10 shirts for that. I think she is a bit of a bargain though - I think I would charge more if I were her but I have already persuaded her to put her charges up once! Included in that is some of her time to drop off and pick up. Not sure how much but she doesn't live far away and sometimes she drops off and picks up on the way to other jobs

Original poster
TheQueenOfQuotes · 20/11/2007 13:44

actually I don't know why I'm worried about looking daft.......I usually look daft racing into the playground thinking I'm late.......only to find that I'm either a) VERY late and DS1 is practically the only child left to be picked up or b) that I'm actually about 10 minutes early

OP posts:
GooseyLoosey · 20/11/2007 13:45

Bathroom scales would be fine. Put empty basket on, look at wieght. Put full basket on. Same principle as you getting on really.

Tbh, I don't expect accuracy to the nearest ounce. As long as I think she is being honest, that's fine by me.

She's a mum a know from the school gates too and I think its a great idea.

Good luck

VeniVidiVickiQV · 20/11/2007 13:45

Say 20p for a childs item of clothing?

They take just just a minute to iron. Could earn yourself about £12 an hour doing that.

Hekate · 20/11/2007 13:47

No you wouldn't look daft at all!

Original poster
TheQueenOfQuotes · 20/11/2007 13:48

right I'm off downstairs to weigh myself (eek do I really want to do that ) and then weigh my own pile or ironing that I have downstairs.....

I had thought of charging individual items, but given that I'm not offering a collection/delivery service I figured people will just want to drop and run (so to speak) - I can see working out prices more time consuming.

OP posts:
bodiddly · 20/11/2007 13:52

we pay a company per hour ... it is surprising how much they get done in an hour. Our weekly bill is probably £12.00 - £15.00 and that includes for a kingsize and a single duvet cover and pillow cases as well as clothes for 3 people.

VeniVidiVickiQV · 20/11/2007 13:52

I wouldnt have thought so, because you could count them once dropped off, and advise on collection how many items. They could easily verify this themselves either on the spot, or after they had got home.

Much less embarrassing for you too

Original poster
TheQueenOfQuotes · 20/11/2007 13:58

I suppose VVV - but then it would be much quicker for me just to weigh it (hadn't thought of the weighing option before now) than to have to go through and work out prices......also what do you do about "larger" children's clothes, or smaller adult clothes??

I'm currently wearing a 12-13yr Tesco children's fleec .......DS1 (7) has one identical thats 9-10yrs....so there's not a lot of size difference - where do you find a "cut off" point......

OP posts:
GooseyLoosey · 20/11/2007 14:18

Should say that the lady who does my ironing adds an extra cost for more ironing intensive items such as shirts. Not a lot - I think she charges 50p a shirt over and above the weight.

Put 10lbs of ironing in a bag and weigh it and decide how long it would take you and how much money you would want for it and then work out how much a lb you would need to charge.