What is the going rate to clean a house?

[geordiegirl1]

My friends son has asked me to clean his house once a week. I'm happy to do so for a bit extra money but am not sure what the going rate would be. Can anyone give me an idea of what to charge.

[andy-hughes]

It you are working for cash in hand, and there is no reason why would do any other, you should look at four hours once a week for £30 - that is more than generous. Maybe try for £35 if he will stand it.

[bednobs]

are you good? Will you supply your own materials?
i pay my cleaner £11 an hour and it takes her 3 hours a week to do my 2 bedroomed house. She also concentrates on 1 extra thing every week, such as 1 weeks she might do the blids extra well, or wash the windows or clean the inside of the fridge. £11 seemed a bit steep when i first had her but she is worth it. She brings all her own equipment and products.
If they have not got a cleaner now, then bank on extra time for the first few weeks

[craft1948]

My cleaner charges £10 an hour or £12 an hour if she uses her own cleaning materials.

[dotty.]

I don't know about £11 - £12 an hour when it is only 3 - 6 hours a week, they are not paying tax and national insirance on that and so it is all theirs, (unless they have more than the one job),

[kat1]

I charge £11 per hr, take my own vac & cleaning product. I move furniture,climb steps to reach lightfittings etc & pay tax/insurance,petrol etc.

[dotty.]

do you mean on a self empoyed basis then? I pay £50 a week out of my salary for petrol to and from work, I think as a self employed worker you can claim that against your expenses.

[kat1]

Yes i'm self employed dotty & claim back 40p per mile.

[geordiegirl1]

Thank you all for your advice. I was thinking of £5 or £6 per hour so I may ask for a bit more. I don't mind supplying my own materials. Bednobs thanks for that advice I was thinking of suggesting am initial longer clean as although the house is not too bad it does need bottoming first. Thanks again for all your help.

[dotty.]

ha ha, someone else who knows that 'bottoming' means, some folk I've come across have no clue

[ummmm]

Nope...

[bobbie22]

I know what bottoming means ==== a jolly good thorough clean

[andy-hughes]

A similar expressions is 'fettling' which is a Potteries expression.

A fettler is someone (usually women in the potbanks) who scrub off the surplus clay from cups and plates after initial firing. They take off the scraps that accumulate around mold seals, and use a wire brush.

Thus, the term locally means to give something a good scrub and clean - bottoming is also used around here.