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How much to tip cleaner?

(52 Posts)
Mamma66 Thu 08-Dec-22 09:40:12

I have recently started having a cleaner for 2 hours a week. I work full time and realised something had to give as I have health issues and was beginning to struggle. She is through an agency and the cost is £25 for two hours. I am guessing she is on minimum wage or thereabouts. She is divorced, lives alone and works very many hours in what is a physical job, so I think she probably doesn’t have much spare cash. I was planning on giving a card, box of chocolates or similar and a £25 tip as a thank you and Merry Christmas. But never having a cleaner before I have no idea what the going rate is. Does this seem reasonable? TIA

winterwhite Sun 11-Dec-22 12:17:19

£25 an hour for two hours seems incredibly little. I think I'd wonder about the agency.
Ours are on the expensive side but good and reliable. They come fortnightly and won't miss a week this year so I was thinking of just giving their normal amount but in cash.

4allweknow Sun 11-Dec-22 12:29:43

Through an agency and only £25 for two hours - you have a bargain there. Definitely add £25 to her chocs etc.

Macgran43 Sun 11-Dec-22 13:10:02

I pay my cleaner £12.50 an hour by bank transfer. At Christmas I give her a £25 M and S voucher. She is a treasure and so reliable.

crazyH Sun 11-Dec-22 13:17:37

Yes, I will be putting an extra £20 with their Xmas card !

Nannapat1 Sun 11-Dec-22 13:25:46

I have a cleaner for 3 hours per week. She started at £12.50 per hour but fairly recently her charge has gone up to £15 per which is paid in cash. I will give her £20 extra in cash (in a Xmas card) plus a bottle of prosecco.

Juicylucy Sun 11-Dec-22 13:32:36

My friend has cleaner she charges £24 for 2 hrs my friend gives her £20 tip. She gets bottles of wine from the others she does but re-gifts them as she doesn’t drink wine.

GoldenAge Sun 11-Dec-22 13:59:26

Agree with lots on here - always give a Christmas present of double of her weekly amount and then add a box of biscuits for her home/family. I also furloughed my cleaner during lockdown on full pay but just for four weeks - we then found a way round things - going out for a long walk on the day she came in, being extra careful etc., we were all OK.

B9exchange Sun 11-Dec-22 14:04:46

We have a new cleaner starting week, it seems a bit early to double her wages after only one week, I was just thinking of a card and present, but will she be expecting more do you think?

Norah Sun 11-Dec-22 14:17:55

B9exchange

We have a new cleaner starting week, it seems a bit early to double her wages after only one week, I was just thinking of a card and present, but will she be expecting more do you think?

Good cleaners, here, are scarce. Ours began late in a November, we still tipped double wages that December.

They've stayed with us, through covid and illnesses. It's a weekly service we have grown to expect, we want them monetarily satisfied.

Stella14 Sun 11-Dec-22 14:29:42

notgran

Our Window Cleaner charges £9 every 2 weeks. He came to-day and said I won't be back until the New Year now. We got the hint and gave him £20. He is very reliable and we would have tipped him anyway. The Post Lady who is lovely doesn't these days always deliver to us but we usually Tip her at Christmas so it will be a bit tricky making sure she gets one from us.

Wow! I only round my window cleaner’s fee if £7.50 up to £10. I’m sure he earns more money than my pension! If I employed a cleaner (I sleep with mine too and can get away with baking him some scones), I would give them a healthy tip though.

We don’t really handle cash. What do others do with their posties and Evri delivers?

newnanny Sun 11-Dec-22 14:56:49

I always give my cleaner a Toby Carvery voucher because she has often told me how much she enjoys going for one and her mean husband grudges her going. She has mentioned a few times he won't go as he hates spendingoney and makes a fuss if she goes out and spends anyonry. By giving her the voucher she can say to her mean husband I have to go or voucher will be wasted.

GrammaH Sun 11-Dec-22 15:02:31

Stella14 you are so lucky to have an Evri driver who warrants a tip! I've been waiting for over 3 weeks for a delivery , it's been "out for delivery" on several occasions but never made it. The last time I ordered something , not realising it would be handled by Evri, it ended up in the hedge.
We don't have a cleaner but double the weekly rate plus chocs or biscuits sounds right to me

pen50 Sun 11-Dec-22 15:49:52

When I had cleaners I used to give 4 weeks pay at Christmas. Can't afford them now, possibly because I used to give 4 weeks pay at Christmas.

silverlining48 Sun 11-Dec-22 16:11:06

That’s very generous pen. Have never had a cleaner til this summer and I plan to double her money for Christmas.

Julest Sun 11-Dec-22 16:25:00

I was always told half of a months salary (whatever you pay her) or I guess 2 weeks payments. That is what we give ours. She comes once every two week so we just double it on the last cleaning before Christmas. I think you give what you can afford though. My feeling is if we can afford a cleaner I feel I can afford to give her that extra money at Christmas but I do think it’s up to each individual. My father is very elderly and buys his cleaner a gift as she has been going to him for about 50 years - since well before my mum died and my mum is dead over 20 years now. I don’t think she cleans much any more but she won’t stop while he is still alive as she is now like part of his family 😊

Julest Sun 11-Dec-22 16:25:56

Not 50 years - 30 years!!!

songstress60 Sun 11-Dec-22 17:00:25

DO NOT give chocolates or flowers. To me they are a cheapskate gift. Give her double her wages or a gift voucher. If she is hard-up she will appreciate it much more. I always let it be known that I HATE chocolates as a gift. I am February born and I had tightfisted grandfathers who always gave me either a box of chocolates or tin of biscuits, and I know they were Christmas leftovers. If someone were to give me chcolates for Christmas I would always suspect it is something they had won in a Christmas raffle.

nadateturbe Sun 11-Dec-22 17:17:07

Chocolates and some money sounds nice.
Everyone is different in what they can afford.
My window cleaner and postman get £10. Hairdresser £20.

Warbler Sun 11-Dec-22 17:29:44

Has he got a brother?

Bijou Sun 11-Dec-22 17:40:46

I had to start having a help ten years ago. £10 then. She not only cleaned but helped in other ways like taking me to hospital. Five years ago her mother died and she had to look after her father. I found another lady via Neighbours. She comes one hour each morning not only to clean but to help me shower etc and I pay her £17 an hour. The first lady is now free so she deputises. They are both good friends and help me so much that I give them presents and wine on all occasions.

Roseflower5 Sun 11-Dec-22 17:56:43

It is nice to learn from others. Good advice, thanks to you all, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, until then, xxxxxxx

Dibbydod Sun 11-Dec-22 18:53:23

I had a cleaner for over 4 years , two hours every fortnight . I thought so highly of her I’d recommended her to friends so she had extra clients . I looked after her well , and every Christmas I’d pay her double and also buy her a surprise gift.
Then one day , for the first time ever , I’d had doctors appointment 15 minutes later than her due time on the same day she were calling . I’d sent her a text the day before to let her know that I had to leave @ 10am sharp and she replied with oh don’t worry “ I’ll be there long before you leave “ . But on the day she let me down very badly , I’d waited till last minute thinking she be here very soon , but there were no sign of her , not even a text to say she be late . The outcome were that I ended up completely stressed out and so late for my appointment that I were put the the last of the que and were very late getting back home . Instead of an expected apology , she sent me a stroppy text saying that she missed out on the job/money she earned because I shouldn’t have locked my door so she could have let herself in. Needless to say , I didn’t want her back again . Since then , I’d had another cleaning lady , but she were so very slow going about using a feather duster , also she wanted to chat at every given opportunity , and in the two hours of very little ‘ work ‘ and £30 worse off , so , for now , given up the idea of having a cleaning lady .

Feather Sun 11-Dec-22 19:13:54

Just for reference minimum wage for 23 yrs and over is £9.50 per hour.

kittylester Sun 11-Dec-22 20:09:51

We are giving ours the sack. She started off brilliantly but she has now started to employ people and has gone right off.

Normally, I would double her wages.

62dg Sun 11-Dec-22 21:04:08

I pay £35for 2girls for 45 min, so that’s a lovely gesture I feel. I’ve bought Xmas gifts for my girls as they do go above and beyond for me.