One Off House Cleaning

[ethandron]

Anyone ever had a cleaning company like Molly Maid come in and do your house from top to bottom as a one off, and if so, how much did it cost approx? Thanks.

[EcclesCake]

I once looked at using them as my regular cleaner. Before starting they insist on doing a deep clean and they reckoned on something crazy like 6hours at £15ph.........this was about ten years ago. They then wanted to visit for three hours a week.

Quite how I had been not living in squalor with my 3 hrs a fortnight was a mystery to me.

[ethandron]

Eeeee Eccles, you minger ;)
Due to not being very well, and having visitation from the foreign outlaws thrust upon us at fairly short notice, I'm just after someone to do the house, top to bottom, as a one off, as I have neither the energy or the inclination at present.
Me and him are quite happy living in our squalid midden as a rule but then when you look at it with fresh eyes.....

[EcclesCake]

I'd have a look in the small ads of your local paper or newsagents window (do newsagents still had ads in the window???) for an independent lady wot does.

I was horrified at what Molly Maids and the like wanted, they spent so much time assuring me of their insurance policy, staff uniform and providing their own products and very little time telling me what actual cleaning they would do in six hours!

Just tell them that it is considered rude in the UK to look into corners :-)

[silliemillie]

I had a "deep" from a local firm which cost me £90 for a 3 bed house. It was ok and looked clean but after they left I did find a few bits and pieces that they hadn't done properly, like dust in the corners & smears on mirrors.

Having said that, I was watching a TV program where the lady wanted a deep clean before putting her house on the market and it cost her £250, so best to have a shop around.

[ladybirder]

Deep cleaning a house is jolly hard work and I think £15 an hour is OK, I would't want to do it for less. You would have to clean all windows inside and out, wash all tiles in bathrooms and floors in bathrooms as well as descaling if necessary taps and shower fittings and cleaning the loo and behind it, same for basin. And the work needed in a kitchen could take 3 hours on its own easily, cleaning out fridge/freezer, oven, extractor hood, tops of units plus units themselves inside and out. All light fittings in the house washed and polished, curtains vacuumed, every piece of furniture pulled out to clean under and behind, pictures dusted, doors, architraves, skirting boards all wiped down. And that's just off the top of my head without starting on the bedrooms. I wouldn't want to do it that's for sure.

[silliemillie]

Lady birder - my deep clean was rubbish then as they didn't touch the insides of any cupboards or fridge, or oven, or extractor, didn't vacuum or move any furniture, said they were not insured to move anything, didn't vacuum curtains.

No wonder I was disappointed.

[Jennykenny]

About four years ago we rented a three bedroom large flat for six months while we looked for a house to buy, but as there was no inventory done when we arrived - it was clean but not brilliant - I didn't expect too many problems when we left.
I hired a rug doctor - the carpets were cream - and cleaned the whole place top to toe - took my time over it as we moved out into our new house a month before we were due to leave. Nevertheless the rental agents took £400.00 off our deposit to clean the place. I didn't fight it but felt totally screwed.
How much cleaning does £400.00 cover? Sorry I know this doesn't answer the question but just cheesed off.

[ladybirder]

millie what DID they do for you then? £90 seems cheap. The guys washing cars near me charge £120 for a full valet of a family-sized car!!

[silliemillie]

Ladybirder - they did the usual what you would do weekly yourself, dust, polish and Hoover. The only "extra" was windows (inside only) and tiles in bathroom, kitchen which are both half tiled.

It took 2 ladies 1.5 hours so 3 hours total so, £30 an hour compared to the £15 an hour Eccles was quoted from Molly Maids.

[silliemillie]

That's really good, I had a quote of £60 for my double oven alone.

[ladybirder]

Where we all live of course makes a big difference and nothing is cheap in the SouthEast. Helen £100 for a 3bed house is brilliant, no wonder you were pleased.

[ethandron]

Thanks for all your replies :)

[ummmm]

Eth...put a card in your local shop.