Has anyone hired a Cleaner?

caprikid1

biggest problem is reliability and finding a good one.

We are in the same situation and we have cleaner for 4 hours every 2 weeks.

We also have a mature garden and have a couple of gardeners come in for 4 hours each.

Even with the above we still cut the lawns and all the hedges etc . Its an old house.

If we became time rich and cash poor we would not hessitate to reverse the above.

DullGreyGuy

Albermarle said:

DullGreyGuy said:

Albermarle said:

We can not employ a cleaner direct for cash etc as we need a a proper invoice.

A cleaner paid in cash can give you a proper invoice, you can even write the contract such that its self billing (ie you raise the invoice for them)... many contractors are on self billing terms. 

Thanks for the clarification. I doubt though that the cleaner we have would leave the agency, but useful to know in case things change in future,

Normally their contract, and yours, will say you still need to pay the agency fee were you to hire the same cleaner they provided within 6 or 12 months of then agency doing the introduction.

Misslayed

Emily_Joy said:

Misslayed said:

I've had the same Angel sorting my house out for 25 years. We pay her £16/hour, she comes for 2 hours every other week (soon to be upped to 3 hours). Kitchen and bathroom left immaculate, all floors washed and carpets hooved. Any remaining time is dusting, whatever else she spots needs doing. 

Do you really mean that you haven't changed the salary for 25 years?... 

Here near Birmingham you would be lucky to get one for £25/hour, and everyone I know would top up the salary of the cleaner with inflation fearing they will leave otherwise.

We also had not so good experience with cleaners in Nottingham - one day early afternoon we happen to be home and our cleaner appeared out of blue saying that she came to pick up some cleaning products that she needs to clean another house because she run out of them. We were caught by surprise as all cleaning products were supplied by us.

Good Lord no! But what I paid her 25 years ago isn't really relevant. We also give her three weeks paid holiday every year, and we've continued to pay her while she's currently off sick recovering from major surgery. We're no worse off, we just have more dust. 

SieIso

Thanks to everyone who gave feedback, much to think about now.