Being the middle class type that I am, I’m considering engaging a cleaner to keep Chateau North* in tip top order.

So, I need some guidance from the oracle that it STW:

Agency or private?

How much per hour is reasonable (I’m in south Manchester – I’m sure that will make a difference)?

How many hours per week for hoovering, dusting/polishing, cleaning the kitchen floor and surfaces and cleaning two bathrooms?

Cheers (and let the abuse begin)

OMITN

*Actually, a mid-sized terrace….

Posted 13 years ago

Posted 13 years ago

We pay our cleaner £25 for 3-4 hours per week. (North Manchester, so not as posh as you)

Oh, and we have 3 bathrooms. 😀

Posted 13 years ago

Captain – how much do you charge, and have you got any references ?

Posted 13 years ago

£7 / hr in Bristol.
3 hours should be enough for an Ean. Private has worked out OK for us, with references from friends.

Posted 13 years ago

I knew there would come a time when Flash would reveal himself in his true colours. So, ducky, how much?

Cheers all. Even Rooley with his excessive number of bathrooms (is there one for the dog, or something?).

Posted 13 years ago

You couldn’t afford me, darlings…..

😉

Posted 13 years ago

We hired ours privately (sadly we don’t have one any more though, hence house now unclean), although we looked at some agencies as well. Average for Yorks seems to be about £8 an hour and most wanted 2 – 3 hours to clean our small 3 bed semi.

Things to consider – do they bring their own cleaning equipment or use yours; if agency, is it the same cleaner each week (often they are not); what will they clean in the kitchen – a lot will not do the oven, hob etc.

Having a cleaner is lovely. sigh.

Posted 13 years ago

omitn, nope, it’s for the cat!

We’ve shelved plans for an en-suite. 4 bathrooms would be far too many! 😀

Posted 13 years ago

mrsflash – good thoughts.

I’m not sure Mrs North would allow anyone near the (her) cooker without a lengthy briefing*.

Rooley – 4 bathrooms? Do you live in a kibbutz (well, it is North Manchester)?

Thanks

OMITN

*Being a chuffing great Brittania range made apparently of the world’s most easily marked stainless steel….

Posted 13 years ago

lol, I am the same, I have stainless steel oven, hob etc and I didn’t mind at all that the cleaner left them alone 🙂

Posted 13 years ago

Agency, £8/hr. We have three kids and the muddiest dog ever and are an untidy lot. So have three hours, twice a week to do midlifetowers, which is 7 bedroom, three bath and six downstairs rooms. It’s a bit of a bonus that the cleaners are two 21 year old girls who prefer working in lycra and gym gear rather than an old dear in an apron. For the stainless steel range, I’m told baby oil is the thing to make them look good, but we got a spray of steel cleaner with our Mercury which is excellent, makes it look like new in minutes.

Posted 13 years ago

It’s a bit of a bonus that the cleaners are two 21 year old girls who prefer working in lycra and gym gear rather than an old dear in an apron. For the stainless steel range, I’m told baby oil is the thing to make them look good

the cleaners or the oven? 😉

Posted 13 years ago

maybe you should canvas the I have no job posts for cheaper alternatives and you could put something back into the STW community

Posted 13 years ago

yes, baby oil works a treat on the hob. can’t comment on its affect on the 21 year old cleaners though!

Posted 13 years ago

mikewsmith – I could do, but I’m not sure I want to have some hairy MTBer turn up at my house in his lycra with a bottle of baby oil in his hand and a glint in his eye….

😯

Posted 13 years ago

you can get polish or romanian cleaers here for 5€/hour. brilliant! i can be lazy and help the (black) economy…..

my aunt started cleaning for a few people a few yeasr back and has now made it her full-time job. got some-one else working for her too. earns alright although this is in relatively affluent suffolk.

Posted 13 years ago