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Having a cleaner

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Comments

  • MrsE_2
    MrsE_2 Posts: 24,161 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    They only get paid for the hours they work which is two or three hours every other week (adjusted if either they or I are away).

    How does that work? Do you tell them or do they tell you whether it needs 2/3 hours?
  • katie1812
    katie1812 Posts: 530 Forumite
    Wow you do a lot! My husband has said lets get a cleaner but to me I think it's my house and I should look after it! I realise that work and children can make finding time to do a proper job difficult, but I work and have no children! I tend to clean the oven and hob every night just a wipe over and then every couple of weeks do it properly... I Hoover and dust once a week unless its particularly bad. Bathroom most days just a wipe and a thorough clean every weekend.
    To me having a cleaner is extra money spent that doesn't need to be... I just do a little most days when I get home from work and then a proper clean at the weekend.
    Married my wonderful husband on 8/9/12 :j
  • MrsE_2
    MrsE_2 Posts: 24,161 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    katie1812 wrote: »
    To me having a cleaner is extra money spent that doesn't need to be... I just do a little most days when I get home from work and then a proper clean at the weekend.

    I kinda agree about the money, but I work 5 days work in 4 days to look after my grandson on the 5th day. So I'm working extra long days, I cook proper meals everynight & make packed lunches. I get up early, by the time I get home, cook & clean up from cooking, I'm fit for collapsing on the sofa in front of the tv for an hour before bed. Sometimes I will have a bit of work (work) to catch up on:(

    On the day I have my dgs, if I can get a bit of time & (he's nearly 2) I will be doing a bit of working from home again.......

    My bf is very busy sat & sun, his weekend is taken up with his sporting hobby & children from sat late morn to sun early eve & he would rather pay half towards acleaner than share the basics.

    Im trying to work out will the pleasure I get from having all the bare basics done weekly be worth the financial trade off. I think it might. I will still have the shopping & cooking & daily tidying as we go, I will still have laundry & ironing to do at the weekends. I could do cooking & laundry if he does gardening or something.
  • katie1812 wrote: »
    Wow you do a lot! My husband has said lets get a cleaner but to me I think it's my house and I should look after it! I realise that work and children can make finding time to do a proper job difficult, but I work and have no children! I tend to clean the oven and hob every night just a wipe over and then every couple of weeks do it properly... I Hoover and dust once a week unless its particularly bad. Bathroom most days just a wipe and a thorough clean every weekend.
    To me having a cleaner is extra money spent that doesn't need to be... I just do a little most days when I get home from work and then a proper clean at the weekend.

    From my point of view, I hate cleaning and have no other vices so as long as I am earning more than I pay the cleaner then I'm quids in. To say that its extra money that doesn't need to be spent...well, you could say that about almost anything. And I'd rather spend my spare time doing things I enjoy, rather than cleaning.
    Sanctimonious Veggie. GYO-er. Seed Saver. Get in.
  • StevenMarks
    StevenMarks Posts: 268 Forumite
    I've always been wondering, with cleaners in your home what are the logistics of it? Do cleaners normally work around the people that live in the house, or do they expect the house to be empty of people while they're cleaning? I would like a cleaner (5 bed, 4 bath, >2000 square feet) but I work from home (via computer) and can't vacate the house for hours at a time.

    I live alone and tend to be at work on the days they come. When I have been in I move around to allow them sole access to rooms to clean; in office till they want to clean that when I move to lounge with laptop and then back to office.

    I've had mixed cleaning levels. Some are about what I would do if I could be bothered and some have been far better than I could ever manage.

    They also do all the ironing which has always been a better standard than I could do.
  • StevenMarks
    StevenMarks Posts: 268 Forumite
    MrsE wrote: »
    How does that work? Do you tell them or do they tell you whether it needs 2/3 hours?

    They tell me how long it took.

    Cleaning + ironing of good shirts and the number depends how many times I have been out to see clients.
  • jetplane
    jetplane Posts: 1,615 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    MrsE you already do more than enough. Get a cleaner there is nothing better than coming in from a long day at work to a nice clean house and you can raise a silent toast to your cleaner with a glass of wine :D

    I agree with your list, I would pay a one off fee to have my cooker steam cleaned though because it comes up like new and isn't such a big job thereafter.

    For your cleaner unless you have someone reliable and recommended I would use a company, they use their own products, send a replacement to cover sickness and holidays, are insured and accountable. Also if you contact a company and tell them what you want them to do they will advise on how many hours this will take. I've had company's come to my home to have a look before giving me a quote.
    The most potent weapon of the oppressor is the mind of the oppressed. Steve Biko
  • Takeaway_Addict
    Takeaway_Addict Posts: 6,538 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts
    paulineb wrote: »
    Its the law to pay people holiday pay even if they only work a few hours a week.

    Well you know this isn't quite true, what if the person is self employed?
    Don't trust a forum for advice. Get proper paid advice. Any advice given should always be checked
  • RazWaz
    RazWaz Posts: 1,070 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker
    My list is bigger than that, and includes emptying 2 litter trays, cleaning kittens food bowls, changing my bedding, taking out the bins and tidying up.

    After they came to look round my flat they said it will take around 2 hours to finish it all, so yours should be done in no time. I've gone for an agency, to avoid being an employer as it's too much hassle to me.

    I'm having them come twice a week because of personal preference (some jobs I can't do myself because of disability so can't keep things up the whole week) but it's the same list mostly, apart from a couple of things that are once a week on opposite days to even out the workload.

    I'm paying £12.75 an hour. I got quotes as low as £10 but they didn't include everything I needed.
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