How much do you pay your cleaner??

merlot123

Badger_Lady wrote: »

Your house sounds a similar size to mine, if a rather different layout. I pay £18 for 2 hours and the cleaner comes round weekly. In his two hours, he:

- Vacuums the carpets on the top and middle levels
- Sweeps and mops the floor on the bottom level
- Wipes all the stair banisters and skirting rails
- Does our washing up and puts it away
- Cleans the bathroom / shower / toilet
- Cleans the kitchen surfaces / hob
- Dusts the surfaces in other rooms
- Does a bit of ironing on occasion if we leave it out ready

Things he doesn't manage in that time, and that I therefore do myself on occasion:
- Cleaning the cooker out
- Cleaning the microwave
- Defrosting the fridge
- Tidying up bedrooms
- Cleaning windows

Gosh, your cleaner does alot in the allocated time. I have a four bed new build similar size to yours, and I would struggle to do the top list in 2 hours. It can take me at least 4 -5 hours to do the list you have mentioned, and I have a very tidy home.

You are very fortunate to have found him.

I like the idea of employing a cleaner on a private basis rather than through an agency, the cleaner will get more than the min wage, and its not an easy job, it can be quite demanding physically especially if you live in a three storey home.

Lunar_Eclipse

CG77 wrote: »

Thanks everyone. I should probably have said we have called a couple. Both have said 2 hours, but they send 2 cleaners, bring all their own products (and hoovers etc), clean all appliances (inside and outside of microwave for example), and obviously send someone else if one cleaner is I'll for example. They have said £30 for the two hours for two cleaners, so maybe the 8ish per hour sounds about right as we'll be providing cleaning stuff of course.

I think that sounds like a good deal and I'd take it if was offered to me. Perhaps it includes cleaning products.

So they estimate it'll take 4 hours to clean. That should be a thorough clean in my opinion. I can get round mine within 3 and we have 4 reception rooms. My friend has 2 cleaners for 2 hours and a (very) large 5 bedroom house; it costs her £60/week with no agency (South East.)

Lunar_Eclipse

merlot123 wrote: »

Gosh, your cleaner does alot in the allocated time. I have a four bed new build similar size to yours, and I would struggle to do the top list in 2 hours. It can take me at least 4 -5 hours to do the list you have mentioned, and I have a very tidy home.
/QUOTE]



I'm intrigued by comments like this.

How long does it take you to clean a bathroom? I can do ours in 10 minutes, working at a quick pace. I don't clean every single tile on a weekly basis, but can make the mirror, sink, bath, shower, toilet, washstand and floor sparkle enough, within that time. Ideally it shouldn't be left a whole week though, my mum does hers daily but within about 2 minutes since it's almost a dust when tackled that often.

Washing up dishes takes forever, but cleaning a kitchen would also take about the same amount of time, excluding appliances. Again, I wipe the oven clean weekly (2 minutes) and give it a more thorough clean when it needs it.

As much as there is little debate as to whether a toilet/sink/mirror etc is clean or not, I'm wondering if some people are doing more of a deep, spring clean (nooks & crannies) on a weekly basis.

merlot123

Lunar_Eclipse wrote: »

merlot123 wrote: »

Gosh, your cleaner does alot in the allocated time. I have a four bed new build similar size to yours, and I would struggle to do the top list in 2 hours. It can take me at least 4 -5 hours to do the list you have mentioned, and I have a very tidy home.
/QUOTE]



I'm intrigued by comments like this.

How long does it take you to clean a bathroom? I can do ours in 10 minutes, working at a quick pace. I don't clean every single tile on a weekly basis, but can make the mirror, sink, bath, shower, toilet, washstand and floor sparkle enough, within that time. Ideally it shouldn't be left a whole week though, my mum does hers daily but within about 2 minutes since it's almost a dust when tackled that often.

Washing up dishes takes forever, but cleaning a kitchen would also take about the same amount of time, excluding appliances. Again, I wipe the oven clean weekly (2 minutes) and give it a more thorough clean when it needs it.

As much as there is little debate as to whether a toilet/sink/mirror etc is clean or not, I'm wondering if some people are doing more of a deep, spring clean (nooks & crannies) on a weekly basis.

It takes me 20 minutes to clean the main bathroom, I have very hard water and it takes time to scrub it clean. I also have grey and black towels in the main bathroom and in a white bathroom, black/grey towel fluff everywhere, again that takes time (I know I should change the colour of the towels, but they match the tiles:D). I do the bathroom every other day with two children and more toothpaste in the sink than colgate manufacture, it's essential to keep on top of it. Once a week I will also clean the wooden venetian blind in the bathroom (10 mins).

The ensuite would also take me 20 mins to clean, the shower screen is a pain with the limescale, I do have very toned arms though, its a great workout.

Dusting the lounge would take me 15 minutes, dining room 5 mins, hall 5 mins,but vacuuming takes me a good 45 minutes to do all the downstairs. The cats favourite place to sit is the fabric dining chairs, and they take me ages to get the hair off each day, and I do move the chairs and sofa each day as fluffy hair floats on top of the laminate.

I'm intrigued by your comment spring clean, I have never done a spring clean, not really sure what one does in a spring clean.

My husband says the vacuum cleaner is joined at my hip:rotfl: but I do have two children, two longhaired cats, an indoor rabbit and laminate flooring downstairs, nightmare.

Badger_Lady

merlot123 wrote: »

Gosh, your cleaner does alot in the allocated time. I have a four bed new build similar size to yours, and I would struggle to do the top list in 2 hours. It can take me at least 4 -5 hours to do the list you have mentioned, and I have a very tidy home.

I guess he's just very well practised at doing it for other people.

One of my lodgers once asked to take over the cleaning to help her pay the rent, so I suspended his service. The house got filthier... and filthier... and filthier until I had to raise the issue with her (the lodger). She claimed that it was impossible to do even half the cleaning in that time.

But of course, that kinda isn't my problem - I hired the old guy straight back again

Emmzi

my house is about the same size as yours but no kids (so never gets that messy). Once a fortnight 2 people 2 hours £50. All surfaces, clean kitchen, change beds, hoover, etc etc. They bring all their own supplies. And then they do bits of things if they have extra time - clean tops of picture frames etc. The wee jobs that aren't vital.

Best money ever spent.

Giddytimes

I hired a cleaner for my Mum's house, which is in the North West too. She charges 8 pound an hour and comes for 2 hours a week.

In that time she dusts and hoovers the living room, dining room, hall, landing and main bedroom, cleans the kitchen and bathroom wiping everything down and mops the floors.

I doubt you'll be able to agree a set price for what you want doing, but you will be able to agree the number of hours they work so there are no nasty surprises. I'd ask the cleaners how long they think it will take them and then agree to employ them for that number of hours every week/fortnight.
If you find they are unable to do everything in that time I'd then consider trying a different cleaner, or if you're otherwise happy with them increasing the hours.

Proc

If you're paying cash in hand for a cleaner then £10/hour is about fair. However, for that kind of money don't expect much in the way of skills, insurance, invoices or reliability. Also from my experience, this kind of person isn't a cleaner...I prefer to use the word a "tidier".

We pay £18/hour for a full day each week. However, she's properly registered as a business, pays taxes and invoices me appropriately. She's insured, and has an estate car full of tools and liquids that I never knew existed and makes metals, plastics, carpets, woods etc look gleaming. She doesn't say "no" to any kind of job (she's even done a spot of painting before and did a very good job) and she's so rigorous and hard-working that I reckon she could do the same job that three average cash-in-hand cleaners could do in the same space of time.

suejb2

Remind me -is this a Money Saving forum?

msb5262

suejb2 wrote: »

Remind me -is this a Money Saving forum?

It certainly is.
If I didn't have a cleaner, I would have lost my reason long ago! I am not particularly good at cleaning and I work long hours at a job which I do well and which is reasonably paid.
I'm on my own with three children and frankly would be on my knees if I had to clean as well as do everything else I do.
It's an essential household expense in my book...
MsB