10/09/2025
✨ The Truth About Cleaning Work (That Most People Don’t Realise) ✨
When people see “£20 an hour” for cleaning, the first reaction is often:
“That’s so expensive!”
But here’s what that really means for the person doing the work:
• We don’t get paid holidays.
• We don’t get sick pay.
• We don’t get bonuses, pensions, or bank holiday pay.
• After tax, insurance, cleaning supplies, travel, and wear-and-tear on our cars, that “£20” is closer to £13–14 actually in our pocket.
And for that, our bodies take a beating.
🧹 Lugging heavy hoovers up and down stairs.
🧽 Scrubbing ovens caked with 10 years of grease.
🚗 Rushing between clients with 2–3 hours of unpaid travel squeezed in.
A “6-hour working day” often means 8–9 hours away from home. By the end, our backs ache, our arms burn, and in summer, we’re dripping with sweat in houses with no air conditioning.
Yet we keep going — because people count on us.
And still, the requests come: “Can you do a full end-of-tenancy clean in 3 hours?”
The truth? That might barely cover the kitchen alone. But we push ourselves, because we don’t want to let people down.
Now let’s put this into perspective:
💅 A nail set: £50 in 45 minutes.
💇 A haircut: £150–200 in under 2 hours.
🍷 A bottle of wine: £30+.
🍔 A family takeaway: £70.
And yet the person who cleans your bathrooms, scrubs your floors, and makes your home peaceful to live in? Too often, people want to pay them next to nothing.
Here’s what many forget: cleaners are mothers, fathers, neighbours, and friends. We have the same hopes and dreams as anyone else. We want to take our kids for a pizza, plan a holiday, or treat ourselves to something small — but when we’re paid less than a living wage, even those little joys feel out of reach.
💡 So here’s what you can do:
• Pay your cleaner fairly. Remember, you’re paying for their time, travel, supplies, and skill.
• Be realistic with your expectations — a proper clean takes time.
• Show kindness: even a cup of tea, a biscuit, or a genuine “thank you” can make a tough day feel lighter.
Because behind every sparkling home is a tired body, calloused hands, and a hardworking human being.
👏 Please don’t forget that.
