Do you have a cleaner and how much do they charge?

I've always had a cleaner, and so did my Mum. Mum's lady was with her for 42 years, but they always called each other Mrs. . . .my splendid friend has been with me for about 15 years. She used to come for fours every week when I was working, and cleaned right through, changed the beds and did all the laundry and ironing. She has become a good friend, she helped me nurse my first husband and was my rock when he died. Now I'm retired and remarried to a man who 'does stuff' round the house ( he notices, I don't have to ask!) but she still comes once a fortnight for two hours to bottom out. I pay her £10 an hour and give her 2 weeks paid holiday a year (it used to be three when she did more hours). I did say I would pay her if she was ill too, but it's never arisen. She's self employed and charges some people more than me ( we're in the south west). I hate housework, I could never do without her completely.

I have three lovely ladies who clean my house, one dusts, one hoovers and one cleans the bathrooms, all in 40 minutes ie 2 hours of labour, for £22. Don't know how I managed without them!

There is a great website called Streetlife, it's postings by people in your local area when you join (free) and you can ask for recommendations, so you might find a local cleaner on there. You can also post on it asking about lost dogs, cats etc or look out for others. It's really worth a look (& I have nothing to do with it apart from being a member & have found it very helpful!)

Minimo. Synonymous gives good advice. Like Anya says it's a good idea to have a trial period and don't be afraid to say no the end of the time if that's how you feel.
I pay my cleaner £10 an hour for 2 hours and she does everything. I was lucky - a friend of my daughter's was starting up on her own so I got in first.
To answer Ana's question I live on my own and once a month is fine. I've never been one to pick up a duster or push a vacuum cleaner so my place has never been so clean!

My lovely cleaner charges £10 per hour. I found her by " asking around"
She is excellent and just comes for an hour a week. Some weeks she stays longer if we want her to. We started having a cleaner when I was unwell a couple of years ago and she makes life so much easier. I still do quite a lot myself but she does the difficult stuff moving furniture and washing floors.
She cleans the house in a rota. So efficient - ! apart from bathroom and loo which DH used to do but at 85 I think it is time he retired from that job so I do those.
I would really miss her if she left.
We live a a fairly remote area where wages are notoriously low so we feel £10 is reasonable

My house is too big and my arthritis too bothersome to NOT have a cleaner! I pay $100 per week, but she is here for over 4 hours and worth every penny.

I used to clean once a week for 3 hours for a very nice well off old person, I always did a thorough job & would sometimes make their lunch.
I charged £7.50 an hour but think the usual rate is about £10 but will cost more if you go through an agency.
Also, be careful, not all are as trustworthy as I was, some may not do a proper job or may even steal things.

Everyone on this thread is really lucky to have a cleaner (or cleaners). And I'm lucky too. My parents and parents-in-law always had cleaners and when we got married in 1969 we immediately hired a cleaner even though we had very little money. It was the norm.

From 1977 (when our first child was born) we had the same cleaner for over 38 years and when she retired (aged 78!) I was bereft. But we soon found another lovely person who advertised in our local corner shop and she is absolutely brilliant. Her rate is £9.00 an hour (for three hours a week) but we are planning to up this to £10 at the end of this month.

If any cleaners are reading this, please rest assured that those of us who employ and trust you are incredibly grateful for all your hard work. Thank you.

I have only ever used a cleaner when occasion has demanded it, ie after having babies/post surgery/moving house, so my experience is of agency cleaners. The last time we moved (to a rather grubby property) in a retirement town in the south west, I had huge trouble even finding a cleaner through an agency and ended up having to pay £60 for 2 people for 2 hours plus an agency fee, and then having to go over again everything they'd supposedly cleaned! Fortunately at present I can manage the cleaning myself.

I have tons of cleaning help for £10 ph, but I have a very big house, hate housework and lots of visitors and a dog and keep hens. As I have always employed a cleaner unfortunately my adult children do not clean, and sometimes live with us. Big mistake!
I have always employed someone who was recommended to me by word of mouth, - in other words was a friend or acquaintance's cleaner before she was mine and in 48 years of marriage have only ever had 4 cleaners, (not counting 2 who covered for a few short months when previous cleaners died).
I don't know how I would cope without and still be a busy breastfeeding counsellor.

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Reported.

I use Age UK who charge £11 an hour. My lady comes for 1.5 hours a week. I provide cleaning materials.

I have had the same cleaner for over 12 years and have her 3 hours one week and 4 hours the next. She does an hour's ironing alternate weeks. She is Portuguese and a hard worker. I pay £11 an hour and pay 3 week's holiday money a year. I couldn't manage without her.

I have never had a cleaner - my mother, my DD and DiL all do though ( not sure where I went wrong!) Now I'm retired I couldn't afford it . My mother of 93 has had the same cleaner for years and the cup of coffee and a chat is as important as the cleaning . She gets cash - £10 per hour for two hours a week and 3 weeks paid holiday, we provide all materials . My children pay more I think though .

When thinking about how much you pay remember the cleaner may have travelling time and expenses. Plus the wear and tear on her clothes. So it maybe not all profit.

I am using the regular cleaning of this agency Best London Cleaners. They charge £11 per hour.
It's really convenient to use an agency, because you'll get another cleaner sent if your regular one is ill. I don't like it when it happens, though. When another person comes, there is always a difference.. I really like the way my maid Maria cleans. She comes once a week for 3 hours, so it's not that big of a expense.

I used another agency prior this one, that charged £10 per hour, but they always sent a different cleaner, although I insisted on one particular. Believe me, it could be really stressful..

Husband and I manage together now - he's very thorough, and vacuuming hurts my back (my excuse, I hate cleaning!)
When I was working full time we had a cleaner once a week for 3 hours, she mainly did ironing. It was ages ago, can't remember how much we paid her, she was a lovely girl, we became good friends. As the children grew older she left and they took over.
I had got annoyed when one of them said "has the ironing been done yet?" and thought it's about time they looked after themselves.

My DH and I have 'discussions' on the need for a cleaner. He would like one but I am resisting.

We have many leaflets though the door, mainly from Eastern European ladies but I have no idea as to what could be achieved within each hour (if we went ahead it would be for several hours, I think).

I guess that an agency would come along and advise what could be achieved within a given time period and thereby give a cost, however, could those GNers who already have cleaners give some indication of what should be achieved in, say. one hour?

For example, how many rooms (I'll use 12 x 12' just for simplicity. This can be multiplied up or down for more accurate costings - I think!) be dusted, hoovered, pictures/mirrors/TV/audio and windows be cleaned in that time frame?

I could do two, possibly three rooms, but what is the usual 'time costings' for cleaners?

Would the same rules apply to kitchens (cleaning cupboards etc) and bathrooms? Should more time be allowed for cleaning bathrooms?

Thanks in advance for any rules of thumb. It may help with future 'discussions' with my DH!

My Mum has a lady coming in for 2 hours every fortnight, I think for £10 an hour. She does the kitchen, bathrooms, curtain hanging and whatever else is needed. When she started I assumed Mum would have her do the upstairs vacuuming, but no ... in the interest of safety (she is 87) we take our Dyson with us and I do the stairs and upstairs for her. I don't get paid ?

I wouldn't have a cleaner unless I was incapacitated/ill.

I used to be one and charged 10 an hour (cash).

I enjoyed the work, but it left me feeling rather.....servile?

I've just had a quote for £65 per fortnight. This is for 2 cleaners and covers everything from Windows to skirting boards. Should I quibble ?

NO!!!

I never felt 'servile' Because I love cleaning it was never a 'chore' I loved it when I left the houses and they were looking lovely.
Because I keep my own home like that I never got the chance to get stuck in with some proper cleaning.
I never worked for people I didn't like. If I found we didn't get on I would make my excuses and leave their keys, I had the keys to the 3 houses I cleaned.
I would love to get stuck in at my Daughters but she won't have me, lol.

My cleaner is also my therapist and counsellor. She gets an awful lot done when I'm not there. We call each other Mrs... Very formal.