Cleaning help - hourly or per room?

[JunieBJones (JBJ)]

Tell me, those of you who have hired cleaners/housekeepers or staff - or have had them... Do you pay hourly or by the job? Ie $10 per room or $10 per hour?
What have you found to be the most beneficial method?
How long approx does it take your help to clean and make up ONE room? This is from STRIPPED mode - ie linens and trash have all been removed.

 

[greyswan]

We've not hired anyone (yet) but it takes us 45 mins to deep clean a room between guests.

 

[JunieBJones (JBJ)]

US - meaning two people? She has been here two days and taken way way too long I think per room. Whether she is missing things or purposefully not cleaning them is yet to be confirmed. But things have been missed.
I have my own time line as well, but being ultra organized and having done it for 4 1/2 years... I am probably much quicker than she will be. so just wondering how long a cleaner should take? What do you think - if you hired someone how long per room? From stripped stage to made up and ready to go?

 

[Morticia]

When we can get help, we pay by the hour. It takes a slow housekeeper 45 minutes to do one whole room in a strip state. It took 'college girl' about 25 minutes. I think other than college girl every other person we have hired has only cleaned 4 rooms in 4 hours. We've done the other 3. I'm not thrilled with that.
However, that does inclue time spent cleaning common areas while guests are still packing up, so things did get done, but golly, they were slow.

 

[Morticia]

US - meaning two people? She has been here two days and taken way way too long I think per room. Whether she is missing things or purposefully not cleaning them is yet to be confirmed. But things have been missed.
I have my own time line as well, but being ultra organized and having done it for 4 1/2 years... I am probably much quicker than she will be. so just wondering how long a cleaner should take? What do you think - if you hired someone how long per room? From stripped stage to made up and ready to go?.

US - meaning two people? She has been here two days and taken way way too long I think per room. Whether she is missing things or purposefully not cleaning them is yet to be confirmed. But things have been missed.
I have my own time line as well, but being ultra organized and having done it for 4 1/2 years... I am probably much quicker than she will be. so just wondering how long a cleaner should take? What do you think - if you hired someone how long per room? From stripped stage to made up and ready to go?

OK, hubs would say, 'Give her a chance, she just started. Show her some techniques.' Like cleaning in a circle instead of bouncing from one area to the other. If she's missing stuff, maybe she doesn't know how important it is. Also keep in mind that most of us here are something of perfectionists when it comes to how clean things are. The general population is not like that. You'll have to train her to look at a room as a guest. 'Would you want to see that hair in YOUR shower when you got to your room?' That sort of thing.

 

[Piperman]

US - meaning two people? She has been here two days and taken way way too long I think per room. Whether she is missing things or purposefully not cleaning them is yet to be confirmed. But things have been missed.
I have my own time line as well, but being ultra organized and having done it for 4 1/2 years... I am probably much quicker than she will be. so just wondering how long a cleaner should take? What do you think - if you hired someone how long per room? From stripped stage to made up and ready to go?.

Hello, I just joined, so here goes my first post/reply.
We have a year round part time housekeeper and it took us four of five attempts to find someone who works as we do. We alot 1 hour per room on average and pay $12 per hour. We spent 2 weeks working with her to make sure she knew exactly what we wanted. Not all cleaning habits are the same, regardless of how good a person thinks they are. Cleaning a guest room is much more difficult than cleaning your own house. The biggest problem with outside help is the fact that many housekeepers feel "if it smells clean" it is clean. We limit the amount of commercial cleaners we use, so as not to overload guests with fragrance. Basically if it smells clean it is because it is clean, not fabreezed.
A good housekeeper to a B&B is like a good chef to a restaurant - They can make you or break you.

 

[Morticia]

US - meaning two people? She has been here two days and taken way way too long I think per room. Whether she is missing things or purposefully not cleaning them is yet to be confirmed. But things have been missed.
I have my own time line as well, but being ultra organized and having done it for 4 1/2 years... I am probably much quicker than she will be. so just wondering how long a cleaner should take? What do you think - if you hired someone how long per room? From stripped stage to made up and ready to go?.

Hello, I just joined, so here goes my first post/reply.
We have a year round part time housekeeper and it took us four of five attempts to find someone who works as we do. We alot 1 hour per room on average and pay $12 per hour. We spent 2 weeks working with her to make sure she knew exactly what we wanted. Not all cleaning habits are the same, regardless of how good a person thinks they are. Cleaning a guest room is much more difficult than cleaning your own house. The biggest problem with outside help is the fact that many housekeepers feel "if it smells clean" it is clean. We limit the amount of commercial cleaners we use, so as not to overload guests with fragrance. Basically if it smells clean it is because it is clean, not fabreezed.
A good housekeeper to a B&B is like a good chef to a restaurant - They can make you or break you.
.

A good housekeeper to a B&B is like a good chef to a restaurant - They can make you or break you.

Welcome! And, excellent point.

 

[seashanty]

When we can get help, we pay by the hour. It takes a slow housekeeper 45 minutes to do one whole room in a strip state. It took 'college girl' about 25 minutes. I think other than college girl every other person we have hired has only cleaned 4 rooms in 4 hours. We've done the other 3. I'm not thrilled with that.
However, that does inclue time spent cleaning common areas while guests are still packing up, so things did get done, but golly, they were slow..

i start them at $12 per hour
the one who has been with me 3 years gets $15 per hour,. she is the best cleaner and cares most about how things look.
it takes between 1/2 hour and 45 minutes to thoroughly clean a guest room ... depends on how dirty the room is and how nice a job is done. if coverlet has been soiled, stain on the carpet, etc. ... that has to be addressed and dealt with. i always want to be told if there is some kind of issue like that.
i have cheat sheets to refer to ... but still they forget things. i always go in the room to check if i haven't cleaned it myself. i even go back and check my own cleaning just before check in to see if i've missed anything.
today i'm solo and was flipping a room ... noticed the baseboard behind the bed and in a few places was FILTHY.

so, stop everything, wiggled the bed out from the wall and it did not want to budge, to clean back there. yuck. then i notice a hall light has a couple little bugs in it and i can't get the cover off so it goes on my list for my son to remove for me next time he's here. (meanwhile, i hope a guest doesn't notice) mini blinds don't look too great in that guest room. endless, endless ....

 

[greyswan]

US - meaning two people? She has been here two days and taken way way too long I think per room. Whether she is missing things or purposefully not cleaning them is yet to be confirmed. But things have been missed.
I have my own time line as well, but being ultra organized and having done it for 4 1/2 years... I am probably much quicker than she will be. so just wondering how long a cleaner should take? What do you think - if you hired someone how long per room? From stripped stage to made up and ready to go?.

us= Jim or me doing it - and that includes stripping beds and towels in 45 mins. It took a bit to get that point, tho' We haven't written out what we do and we'll probably do that before we hire someone, so they can have a written guide... and it's a guide for us, too... no one can say, "you didn't tell me that"

 

[JunieBJones (JBJ)]

US - meaning two people? She has been here two days and taken way way too long I think per room. Whether she is missing things or purposefully not cleaning them is yet to be confirmed. But things have been missed.
I have my own time line as well, but being ultra organized and having done it for 4 1/2 years... I am probably much quicker than she will be. so just wondering how long a cleaner should take? What do you think - if you hired someone how long per room? From stripped stage to made up and ready to go?.

Hello, I just joined, so here goes my first post/reply.
We have a year round part time housekeeper and it took us four of five attempts to find someone who works as we do. We alot 1 hour per room on average and pay $12 per hour. We spent 2 weeks working with her to make sure she knew exactly what we wanted. Not all cleaning habits are the same, regardless of how good a person thinks they are. Cleaning a guest room is much more difficult than cleaning your own house. The biggest problem with outside help is the fact that many housekeepers feel "if it smells clean" it is clean. We limit the amount of commercial cleaners we use, so as not to overload guests with fragrance. Basically if it smells clean it is because it is clean, not fabreezed.
A good housekeeper to a B&B is like a good chef to a restaurant - They can make you or break you.
.

Hello, I just joined, so here goes my first post/reply.
We have a year round part time housekeeper and it took us four of five attempts to find someone who works as we do. We alot 1 hour per room on average and pay $12 per hour. We spent 2 weeks working with her to make sure she knew exactly what we wanted. Not all cleaning habits are the same, regardless of how good a person thinks they are. Cleaning a guest room is much more difficult than cleaning your own house. The biggest problem with outside help is the fact that many housekeepers feel "if it smells clean" it is clean. We limit the amount of commercial cleaners we use, so as not to overload guests with fragrance. Basically if it smells clean it is because it is clean, not fabreezed.
A good housekeeper to a B&B is like a good chef to a restaurant - They can make you or break you.

Welcome to the forum!
We look forward to hearing more from you. Jump on in...

 

[trishany]

Our person comes in once weekly and we pay hourly. She's a blessing. I know the bedrooms and the bathrooms are spotless after she cleans. She's here for three hours.

 

[Samster]

US - meaning two people? She has been here two days and taken way way too long I think per room. Whether she is missing things or purposefully not cleaning them is yet to be confirmed. But things have been missed.
I have my own time line as well, but being ultra organized and having done it for 4 1/2 years... I am probably much quicker than she will be. so just wondering how long a cleaner should take? What do you think - if you hired someone how long per room? From stripped stage to made up and ready to go?.

us= Jim or me doing it - and that includes stripping beds and towels in 45 mins. It took a bit to get that point, tho' We haven't written out what we do and we'll probably do that before we hire someone, so they can have a written guide... and it's a guide for us, too... no one can say, "you didn't tell me that"
.

I assume that my dh knows how to clean. He does not. He says to me, "I'm the Village Idiot and that should be your starting point with instructions". haha! I would have a written checklist for each room if I hired someone to clean the rooms. They are all different.
It takes me almost an hour by myself to do our largest suite (550 sq ft) which includes a full kitchen and large bathroom with a 2 person jetted tub and steam shower. It used to take me 1.5 hours. If my dh cleans the jetted tub, the time is really cut down for me!!
Our 2 regular rooms take me about a half hour each for a flip, if I don't encounter an issue. Like swapping out a comforter or having to strip all the pillow protectors unexpectedly.
Here, I would have to pay by the hour because the rooms are so different.

 

[hawley]

US - meaning two people? She has been here two days and taken way way too long I think per room. Whether she is missing things or purposefully not cleaning them is yet to be confirmed. But things have been missed.
I have my own time line as well, but being ultra organized and having done it for 4 1/2 years... I am probably much quicker than she will be. so just wondering how long a cleaner should take? What do you think - if you hired someone how long per room? From stripped stage to made up and ready to go?.

Hello, I just joined, so here goes my first post/reply.
We have a year round part time housekeeper and it took us four of five attempts to find someone who works as we do. We alot 1 hour per room on average and pay $12 per hour. We spent 2 weeks working with her to make sure she knew exactly what we wanted. Not all cleaning habits are the same, regardless of how good a person thinks they are. Cleaning a guest room is much more difficult than cleaning your own house. The biggest problem with outside help is the fact that many housekeepers feel "if it smells clean" it is clean. We limit the amount of commercial cleaners we use, so as not to overload guests with fragrance. Basically if it smells clean it is because it is clean, not fabreezed.
A good housekeeper to a B&B is like a good chef to a restaurant - They can make you or break you.
.

Welcome to the forum.

 

[Penelope]

US - meaning two people? She has been here two days and taken way way too long I think per room. Whether she is missing things or purposefully not cleaning them is yet to be confirmed. But things have been missed.
I have my own time line as well, but being ultra organized and having done it for 4 1/2 years... I am probably much quicker than she will be. so just wondering how long a cleaner should take? What do you think - if you hired someone how long per room? From stripped stage to made up and ready to go?.

Hello, I just joined, so here goes my first post/reply.
We have a year round part time housekeeper and it took us four of five attempts to find someone who works as we do. We alot 1 hour per room on average and pay $12 per hour. We spent 2 weeks working with her to make sure she knew exactly what we wanted. Not all cleaning habits are the same, regardless of how good a person thinks they are. Cleaning a guest room is much more difficult than cleaning your own house. The biggest problem with outside help is the fact that many housekeepers feel "if it smells clean" it is clean. We limit the amount of commercial cleaners we use, so as not to overload guests with fragrance. Basically if it smells clean it is because it is clean, not fabreezed.
A good housekeeper to a B&B is like a good chef to a restaurant - They can make you or break you.
.

Welcome to the forum!!!

 

[Samster]

US - meaning two people? She has been here two days and taken way way too long I think per room. Whether she is missing things or purposefully not cleaning them is yet to be confirmed. But things have been missed.
I have my own time line as well, but being ultra organized and having done it for 4 1/2 years... I am probably much quicker than she will be. so just wondering how long a cleaner should take? What do you think - if you hired someone how long per room? From stripped stage to made up and ready to go?.

Hello, I just joined, so here goes my first post/reply.
We have a year round part time housekeeper and it took us four of five attempts to find someone who works as we do. We alot 1 hour per room on average and pay $12 per hour. We spent 2 weeks working with her to make sure she knew exactly what we wanted. Not all cleaning habits are the same, regardless of how good a person thinks they are. Cleaning a guest room is much more difficult than cleaning your own house. The biggest problem with outside help is the fact that many housekeepers feel "if it smells clean" it is clean. We limit the amount of commercial cleaners we use, so as not to overload guests with fragrance. Basically if it smells clean it is because it is clean, not fabreezed.
A good housekeeper to a B&B is like a good chef to a restaurant - They can make you or break you.
.

Welcome to the forum! Very wise words there about a good housekeeper.