Do you have a cleaner?

MissAdventure

That would be the cleaners responsibility, as a self employed person, wouldn't it?

You must know it does not work this way.

No holiday pay, no sick or accident pay, and liable to lose benefits and get into big trouble if they work 'on the black'. 1000s of cleaners do, and end up with only basic State pension long term.

I wouldn't pry into someones business arrangements.

If I was able to do all that, I'd probably run a cleaning company myself.

I don't know that a shop assistant isn't pocketing my money, but I still need shopping.

I agree it's a little 'entitled' to refer so casually to the fact one has expensive cleaners, at a time when so many people cannot afford to heat their homes, let alone dust them! Yes, it's good to provide work for others, of course, but that doesn't alter the fact it is quite a luxury.

I used to have cleaners when I lived in a six/seven bedroom house, but now I only have four bedrooms, three loos, two staircases - still a lot but I just get on with it as it is all good exercise and anyway I probably do it better.

And before anyone observes that I'm 'entitled' because I have 4 beds/3 baths, I share this house with my husband, my autistic youngest son, and, for three days a week, with my eldest son and two grandchildren (because he left his wife earlier in the year and I've had to accommodate them). I'm very, very grateful to have this lovely warm house when so many are struggling.

The only time I had a cleaner was when I was living in Portugal and was a singer in the Gulbenkian. that meant being at rehearsals 3 days a week solfege another day and it was 2 hours in and out to Lisbon . It was a flat with communal marble stairs and 6 flats so each flat cleaned them once a week, so enacia came to mostly do the stairs, the big windows - we were near the sea so they used to get very salty and do the ironing. when it was hot was changing 2 or 3 times a day. She was very good at ironing and putting buttons back on etc as she went. I very much appreciated her and paid her a good rate and we got on well . But other than that have done my own stuff. Now living alone and mobility not good but I still have so many things to sort out since I moved. Do my own stuff at the moment but it is getting more difficult and so I intend to try and get more sorted out and then rather have one off cleaning where someone can come and give things a good sorting out and move things that I find difficult to deal with. I can keep things clean at the moment but tops of cupboards and being able to bend down and sort out shelves and stuff like that will be what I would like to get sorted. Whether I will who knows , just have to wait and see!

I used to employ a cleaner when I worked but felt I couldn’t justify it once I retired and am still relatively able bodied. I can see a time when my arthritis might get so bad that I would need help changing beds though. When my father was alive we employed a cleaner for his 2 bedroomed bungalow as I was still working, when he died and we had to empty his bungalow I was horrified at how dirty it was. I put me off cleaners. I’d rather do it myself, while I can, and know it is clean. It’s also valuable exercise.

I've never had a cleaner, despite having a demanding job and a child. I'm not keen on having someone in the house when I might not be there. I just do a few things at a time, and leave the rest for another day. I clean the insides of my windows now and again, but don't usually clean the outsides unless I can't see out! Who cares? Not me, I've go more interesting things to do.

£40 per hour for 2 people is pretty standard where I live.

Yes, but it’s got plus and minuses. I have a cleaner for two hours a week. I work from home. She has decided to be my friend. So spends too much time talking to me or on the phone or in the loo. So my suggestion is to decide clearly what you want, what is reasonable in the time you employ her for and set boundaries. I’ve had an ongoing issue with my expectations that she will clean the bathroom basin plug/trap. Apparently I am the only person who asks her to do this. My standard response to her complaints is :”that’s what I pay you for”. Be clear in your expectations.

What part of the world is paying their cleaners £40 per hour for a regular weekly house clean?

Cleaners are quite hard to come by in some areas.

Places with couples that both work, in a neighbouhood of similarly placed people, for example.

LovelyLady

What part of the world is paying their cleaners £40 per hour for a regular weekly house clean?

It’s £40 an hour for TWO cleaners

undines I agree it's a little 'entitled' to refer so casually to the fact one has expensive cleaners, at a time when so many people cannot afford to heat their homes, let alone dust them! Yes, it's good to provide work for others, of course, but that doesn't alter the fact it is quite a luxury.

The OP was in reference to cleaners.

Everyone decides how to spend their own money. We're prudent.

We don't eat meat (unless our AC,GC, GGC are round), we don't eat in restaurants (unless forced), we don't pub, we don't buy coffees, new Iphones, we live in the home we have since marriage 62 years ago.

We pay a cleaner & gardener, go on holidays, give generously to charity (Victorian, I know ). Others choose differently.

The world would be boring if people were identical. Would it be better if people only posted about illness, being a widow, or financial upset?

It’s not really a luxury if you are unwell, disabled, or simply very elderly, and unable to do the housework yourself

'JackyB' Your post made me smile. We have recently started having a cleaner in. Very early days. Once a fornight for 3 hours. Easy peasy for her I think. We have a 4 bedroom house but honestly, we only have her do the kitchen, downstairs loo, communal areas, ie hall, stairs and landing. As and when the other rooms are tidy enough and organised enough, her job will expand!!
I only did housework on a basic level with thorough jobs done sporadically. The worse it got, the more overwhelming and paralysing it felt. I'm not proud of that and we couldn't afford a cleaner when it was at it's worst. Poor hubby who worked hard and I was a SAHM. Anyway... here we are.
I did have an agency do a deep clean. Exorbitantly expensive in hindsight, better to individuals direct. They were ok to do jobs up to two steps up on a stepladder. They also supplied their own equipment and products.

I'm slowly adjusting to having someone in. It does mean I did some drastic clearing up and reorganisation before our lady started. It also means some of the effects of the clear up are permanent. As well as maintaining between visits, I'm now motivated to do some other clearing up and reorganisation around the house. Somehow, it's less daunting and home feels better.

I don't pay her direct, it's by bank transfer to her boss. As I'm aware she must earn very little I tip her direct, my choice. It's my little luxury, I don't drink, smoke, spend much on coffees out, etc and appreciate being able to employ her.

I should have included the upstairs bathroom in the above

I have two women who stay an hour and give them £40, That works out to two hour's work, so £20 an hour.

Always had cleaners, not wonderful but better then me doing it.

I agree it's a little 'entitled' to refer so casually to the fact one has expensive cleaners, at a time when so many people cannot afford to heat their homes, let alone dust them! Yes, it's good to provide work for others, of course, but that doesn't alter the fact it is quite a luxury
Why is it “entitled” to pay for work done in one’s house?
Is it “entitled” to have a plumber fix a leak under your sink?
Is it “entitled” to have your car fixed or serviced at a garage
Is it “entitled” to go to the dentist instead of filling your own teeth?
Or have a haircut?
Or have decorators instead of doing it yourself?
If nobody employed anybody to do the work that needs to be done, a lot more would be out of work. Cleaning can be made to work around school hours etc and can be an invaluable source of income. It’s nothing servile or obsequious, but well done, is something to be proud of.
Nobody is boasting just being open about paying a decent wage.
I cannot understand this Protestant work ethic which attributes such virtue in doing everything oneself or implies those who pay a cleaner or gardener should feel obliged to apologise for it.
Is this a hangover from the class conscious society of past centuries where quite humble households had a maid of all work because domestic appliances had not yet been invented ?
I must ask the butler and chambermaid when they bring my morning tea tomorrow.

That would be £20 each - 2 cleaners 😉

I enjoy cleaning my home and can do the tasks myself.

It isn't about having a'protestant work ethic', MawtheMerrier, just a genuine pleasure in having my own home and caring for it.

It enables creative thinking, keeps the weight off and promotes mobility. And I can go on strike and still not get paid.

I had a cleaner for a few weeks when I went back to work after 15 years and 3 children but, unfortunately, there was always smeared mirrors or gritty tops from powdered cleansers for me to reclean, so I decided to just do the cleaning myself. However, now that I'm 75 and finding housework and gardening getting too much for me to do by myself, I'm seriously thinking about getting someone in again. Alternatively, can do my own housework and have someone to keep my large lawn and "jungle" in order. So far in my retirement I have been live-in housekeeper and babysitter for my daughter, and carer for an invalid son, so I'd like to have a bit of free time now to myself now.

i have never had a cleaner, it sounds like a nice idea but what do you do when they are in your house cleaning your mess? do you hide in another room? do you go out?

My dh goes to the gym. I do whatever I need to do. I certainly don't 'hide'.

Ours does upstairs one week and down the next so, if I'm in, I would probably do admin type stuff somewhere else.

When my parents were very elderly a lovely lady came in for 2 hours a week to clean their house while I was caring for them. It was a tremendous relief for me and she got on really well with them and was also a great help in difficult times. She remains a friend to this day. She is a very jolly lady and nothing was too much trouble. My parents adored her.

I would if I could run to it. And a gardener.

MawtheMerrier

^I agree it's a little 'entitled' to refer so casually to the fact one has expensive cleaners, at a time when so many people cannot afford to heat their homes, let alone dust them! Yes, it's good to provide work for others, of course, but that doesn't alter the fact it is quite a luxury^
Why is it “entitled” to pay for work done in one’s house?
Is it “entitled” to have a plumber fix a leak under your sink?
Is it “entitled” to have your car fixed or serviced at a garage
Is it “entitled” to go to the dentist instead of filling your own teeth?
Or have a haircut?
Or have decorators instead of doing it yourself?
If nobody employed anybody to do the work that needs to be done, a lot more would be out of work. Cleaning can be made to work around school hours etc and can be an invaluable source of income. It’s nothing servile or obsequious, but well done, is something to be proud of.
Nobody is boasting just being open about paying a decent wage.
I cannot understand this Protestant work ethic which attributes such virtue in doing everything oneself or implies those who pay a cleaner or gardener should feel obliged to apologise for it.
Is this a hangover from the class conscious society of past centuries where quite humble households had a maid of all work because domestic appliances had not yet been invented ?
I must ask the butler and chambermaid when they bring my morning tea tomorrow.

"the lady doth protest too much methinks"
Cleaning ones own detritus is not a skilled job requiring years of training and knowledge. It just good housekeeping!
Your comments are completely OTT!