Does anyone still have a cleaner?

Yes- £10/hour, 4 hours a week

Yup (but I should point out that we're lucky in that both of our jobs are pretty much recession-proof - in fact, for my H, who advises companies in financial difficulty (roughly, anyway), these are his boom times).

We're quite rural and pay £25 for 3 hours' work once a week.

Yes, £9.50 an hour, 3 a week. I really need her twice a week but she doesn't want to work any more hours.

Yep. We pay the cleaner 7.50 an hour then 2.75 an hour to the agency (paid quarterly)

Yes - 3 hours a week at £10 an hour.

Hi Hazel. Which agency is that? I could really do with sacking my cleaner and getting one who actually does the job well!!

Yup, £9.50 an hour through an agency in Central London. She comes twice a week for two hours, every now and then I think we should stop her then I look around the day before she is due to come and realise our relationship would seriously struggle without her.

£10 an hour for 2 hours a week. 2 hours is not enough but I can't afford anymore. I end up giving the bathrooms a quick clean later in the week and I hoover a couple more times in the week. Still, having her is better then nothing. I've also become quite friendly with her and she sometimes babysits for me too.

Yes, £7.50 an hour for three hours a week. It's a huge indulgence really but I don't care - plus it strikes me as pretty selfish to sack your cleaner just because "times are hard", unless you've nbeen made resundant yourself - presumably they are even harder for her.

Yes, twice a week. I consider it an investment in an argument-free marriage :-)

We do, and there are lots of things I would give up before the cleaner. It means we have our weekends to do what we want rather than cleaning.

We are in Essex and pay £8/hr to her and £3/hr to the agency.

No cleaner here, but I wish we did. I try to keep on top of things but it's just too too boring, and I can't bear hiring a new cleaner to find that they're crap / lazy / rude. Haven't had a cleaner since I sacked the one who told Mr G that he was too good for me ??

Waaaaaaaaaaaah! That's terrible!!

I haven't got one, but I want one desperately. I have looked in all the local shop windows for a local person, but can't find one. My Mother has offered to do it (she loves, loves, loves cleaning) but I couldn't do it, it wouldn't feel 'right' and I don't want her looking through my stuff ? she promised me she wouldn't, but you never know!!

Whilst H still has a job we still have a cleaner. We pay £9 an hour for 3 hours every other week - we're in York.

We pay £10 per hour and she does 8 hours a week for house and garden

Yes - £8 per hour for 2 hours per fortnight. Would really like her to come every week but cannot afford that.

We pay 9/hour. The cleaner we have now is brilliant. She does 6 hours a week which is expensive but with 3 kids and 3 dogs it means life is a little less stressful!

We pay £7.50 an hour for 3 hours a week.

I would cut back on other things before I get rid of a cleaner.

I am thinking of getting a cleaner. For those that already have them, do they come in while you are out, or not? i cant let people come in without me here, as the dog wont like it, but if i am sat there while a cleaner is doing my housework, i will feel like a right lazy moo!?

We pay £45 fortnightly for around 3 hours but they stay as long as they need so a bit longer if it's dirtier. They dust & vac everywhere and thoroughly clean kitchen & bathrooms. It's always spotless when we get home.

claires - they clean whilst we're at work, have keys, think this is usual but no doubt other places they clean have pets, perhaps you could be there the first few times until your dog got used to them?

Right ok. yes i guess being here would be ok for a while, she is a rottweiler though, so think i may be limited to amount of people willing to come?

Ah yes hence your avatar!

Why not agree a set weekly time for the cleaning and tie it in with a long dog walk?

? yes could do. actually i dont know why i an bothered about people thinking i am lazy, as most people know i am!!

Thanks for all your replies guys - i am thinking of starting my own cleaning firm but was worried about the recession but it all sounds positive -Thank you! ?

I've been looking for a cleaner for a while. I am so sick of doing a cleaning blitz and then watching the place get messy again thanks to two males who are incapable to cleaning up after themselves unless I nag - and I'm sick of doing that too!

Can anyone recommend one in the North Herts area...

If it makes you feel better I have a nap with the baybeh while the cleaner is here. Now that is bad.