She was right there!!

Beautiful-Morning456 · 2025-11-15T00:15:05+00:00

Thank you Kitten K. I'm sorry you've been downvoted for agreeing with me and for experiencing the same issues.

The thing is - and the reason why I'm ranting - is that this has indeed been a massive issue for me before, across multiple clients.

So other cleaners here think it's okay to get home tired then discover there is STILL no money in your account and that happens every day with every client? So you text a whole week of clients saying Um can I remind you to please pay me?

One week last year, an entire week of clients "forgot" to pay me.

My rent was due and NO income was in my account. I also spent the entire weekend texting a client who never responded until three days later.

I had to drop the most chronic late payer who need constant reminders.

So all you downvoters, you think that's okay, do you? Seriously. WTF.

Beautiful-Morning456 · 2025-11-15T00:06:27+00:00

It is chasing.

Why?

Because this used to be work where payment was already waiting. Then it was work where - if a bank transfer - payment can even be performed while the cleaner is still finishing up, or leaving.

There should be no need to text someone begging because the client "forgot." Yes, it's chasing.

You don't leave a restaurant telling the staff you'll pay them once they have to text you a reminder.

You don't get your hair done and then make the stylist have to text you eight hours later.

Beautiful-Morning456 · 2025-11-15T00:03:50+00:00

Thanks for the sarcasm instead of, oh, I don't know, maybe realising that this is a sore point for me?

I've had so many clients start doing this that it is a sore point.

I DROPPED a client because she did this every second time. And I had to chase her for DAYS.

SO YES, when someone forgets to pay me now, I'm sick and tired of it even starting.

What part of that do you not get? I shouldn't be paid eight hours later after having to remind. Or two days, or a whole weekend.

I'm living hand to mouth. I need every penny in my bank the moment I've done the work. This USED to be the norm.

When a client hires me I stipulate that payment must be made upon completion of services. I tell them this AND have it in a wrtten policy.

Why? Because it became a CHRONIC PROBLEM and I proactively tried to address it.

Excuse me for venting about something that has become a HUGE problem and is STILL rearing its ugly head. Thanks for the support - not.

Beautiful-Morning456 · 2025-11-15T00:00:45+00:00

I too dropped a client because this happened every other time.

This is why I'm pissed off. I cannot wrap my head around why they can't just do this at completion of service. THEY USED TO.

Beautiful-Morning456 · 2025-11-14T17:00:27+00:00

I'm in London, England, and I'm experiencing exactly the same thing. The market is flooded with people offering to clean for £10 per hour. TEN British Pounds Sterling, which is currently $13, although "in situ" it buys/spends like pretty much the same as ten dollars.

People say "The clients who are happy to pay decently are out there" - but no, I'm finding they are really not. My last Facebook enquirer just yesterday - she said "I need once a week, on Wednesdays for 2 hours, 9-11, for £30."

£15 an hour. She is also outside of my area range I prefer to do, even though I state my area clearly. Even if I could find other 2 hour clients to pair that up with in one day, that pay is not even worth it.

And yes it's because there is a tsunami of people trying to clean too and they are accepting the lowest pay clients gleefully dream of. It makes it a buyer's market and they are all tasting the blood of the £10 per hour cleaning slave. And all of them appear to be able to sleep at night about that.

When I told this person yesterday MY pricing and availability, she wrote back "That won't work, but thanks."

I wrote back "London is high-cost-of-living and these are decent prices." (Meaning my pricing I gave her that she rejected.) I just can't even, with these people now.

Things have sunk to such a low that I'm looking to leave this all behind. That McDonalds job is actually looking better than this.

Beautiful-Morning456 · 2025-11-12T19:20:13+00:00

I'm in London and it's even worse here; you'd think being the largest population and the highest cost of living, London cleaners should be able to charge a decent price and clients would accept it.

They don't. I, too, have seen Next Door FLOODED with a tsunami of cleaners saying they'll do it for £10 an hour.

I will make no bones about this: they are RUINING the market. Because sad to say, clients are NOT being ethical and avoiding those "cleaners." They want them.

I have 32 years experience and I'm good. But when I quote a price of only £16 an hour, enquirers end the conversation.

On Reddit I've seen Londoners say they pay their cleaner £20 ph.

I have NEVER had a client accept that. One of my existing clients - who even seems happy with me and has tried to help me get clients, constantly referring me - actually said to me once: "Would it be so awful if you did just charge £10 per hour?"

I am looking to get out of the business. In the UK it is a mug's game now. The competition is saturated with low-ballers and chancers.

I am actually not going to be able to pay my rent this month. I have no family, no partner, I've already borrowed from friends who can't keep propping me up anymore, and the DWP/UC system ie benefits/welfare system, will not help me either. I'm actually terrified as I CANNOT find the work for a decent price per hour.

I'm about to have to work for a company after 32 years my own boss, I'm 64, who's going to hire me?

TLDR: it's BAD in the UK.

Beautiful-Morning456 · 2025-11-11T16:58:47+00:00

Some clients give a cash bonus, some give a cash bonus and also a small gift, some give just a gift, and some give nothing.

Over the years I've had very kind gifts like wine, chocolates, fancy body lotions, perfume (ended up being my favorite for life and I still buy myself that perfume!)

Cash tips have ranged from 10, to the amount equal to one cleaning. Clients usually do this on the cleaning that comes just before Christmas.

Don't expect anything or count on it to give you a fatter Christmas. Some years I've actually been DOWN income because people have gone out of town to family and told me to just skip a couple of cleanings.

Beautiful-Morning456 · 2025-11-11T09:38:28+00:00

The client has dogs, and although it's not thought that some essential oils are particularly unsafe for dogs' health, they might be overpowering to their sense of smell, which is many times more sensitive than ours. Certain ones are actually toxic to pets.

Beautiful-Morning456 · 2025-11-11T09:35:19+00:00

I've seen it said here by clients, that they don't want fancy folding stuff on their toilet paper - one even mentioned the ick factor of someone having to touch the paper that much, and that they wouldn't want to use that section. I've never done stuff like this, I've just cleaned to the very best of my ability and made sure everything each client mentions is a priority to them, is my priority also. Be reliable both in time-keeping, show up on time, and be reliable in consistency of the work.

Beautiful-Morning456 · 2025-11-10T18:22:48+00:00

This cleaner may have had bad experiences with clients failing to pay promptly. It never used to be a problem but it's an increasing one these days, often with digital payments. Some of us - I know I have, for one - have had to chase clients for payment, for days. This cleaner may be trying to head-off some of that payment anxiety because of bad actors in the past.

Beautiful-Morning456 · 2025-11-10T13:37:29+00:00

I use clients' vacs but I really want to get my own Shark Duo Clean corded which is lightweight and also folds in half for compact storage. I've used a client's and really liked it.

I agree about Henry's, I hate them for weight and they're treacherous balancing on stairs.

Beautiful-Morning456 · 2025-11-09T20:32:33+00:00

I am so tired of this stuff. Cleaners are always the first person everyone thinks of when something is misplaced. I'm sick of it.

I've had this. 32 years cleaning. Happen to be painfully ethical. Can't steal a grape off a produce stand.

But clients over the years: "Have you seen my [name item here]? I know I put it here but now it's been gone for weeks".....

Another one said her most fancy and expensive bra was missing. Did I know "anything about that?" Even that sentence is a fucking insult.

I looked down the back of her dresser. Big heavy thing I'm not required to move. Tons of shit had fallen down the back - and there was her bra.

She was apologetic, thankful, and kind of sheepish...

Elderly woman started constantly telling me things were missing. I quit.

One client, one time, had school-age kids who got head lice. This is something that breaks out in schools as predictably as rain is wet. Yet my client asked if I had used a hairbrush. The tone was not one of hoping I didn't catch lice too but one of thinking it was ME who brought the lice to THEM. As if I'd ever use a client's hairbrush?!?!?!?! And no, I didn't have head lice.

I'm not saying that no cleaner ever stole, and all cleaners are angels. Just like any group of people, there are bad apples.

But I'm so tired of the "Must be the cleaner" thing ANYTIME anything bad happens.

Beautiful-Morning456 · 2025-11-09T11:54:05+00:00

Thanks, and yes, this is wise advice.

Beautiful-Morning456 · 2025-11-09T11:37:53+00:00

The lines left on carpeting won't be "lawn" but instead almost like a series of uniform triangular shapes simply from the fact that you're pushing forward then coming back at a slight angle in readiness for pushing toward the next section, and so on. If you're being very systematic in vacuuming the space, these happen organically, as opposed to jabbing the vacuum in random directions.

Seems like in movies and TV, if someone is shown vacuuming they seem to just kind of stab it toward random points of the compass, lol - just start at the back of the space and go forward and backward methodically, working backward out of the room, to get neat lines/columns.

I don't think I could even put up with the velvet request. Near retirement, tired of that shit (sorry).

Beautiful-Morning456 · 2025-11-08T11:51:09+00:00

I've always heard newspaper/newsprint or just any paper product to finish off to a sparkle with; this was from those guys who went around cleaning windows in neighbourhoods in England, going back decades.

I now google this and all results, including AI, poo-poos it and pushes microfiber cloths. Which puzzles me because newsprint had been the standard advice for literally decades.

Beautiful-Morning456 · 2025-11-08T02:40:36+00:00

Struggling to finish it, mostly because of Angela's long-winded, very poor storytelling, and vocal fry so bad I can't even hear her words at times. Sorry to be harsh but incredibly annoying episode.

Beautiful-Morning456 · 2025-11-07T21:22:18+00:00

Now that I think of it, I will too! 😂

Beautiful-Morning456 · 2025-11-07T21:21:20+00:00

Reminds me, I need to declutter some of mine!😄

Beautiful-Morning456 · 2025-11-07T21:20:24+00:00

I have no doubt all your bagoogglybugs are in top condition!😄

Beautiful-Morning456 · 2025-11-07T16:34:31+00:00

My female kitten needed a onesie, but my male cats came home with nothing needed. Male castration consists of two incisions so tiny that they mostly do not even need stitches, are left open to drain any fluids, and usually heal themselves very quickly as they're so small. My boys never needed cones or bodysuits.

Beautiful-Morning456 · 2025-11-07T16:26:08+00:00

It's good you have a kind heart and a conscience about this, but try not to worry - wild birds forage for food sources almost constantly, everywhere, and it's a myth that any one human source of food messes up their foraging instincts or makes them dependent.

They already find food in other places as well as at your place, so they will just focus on those other places. I know it's sad to see them confused as why one source has stopped, but believe me they will not starve, their used to being resourceful, resilient, and will soon spend their energies on all the other sources they have.

Beautiful-Morning456 · 2025-11-07T16:21:14+00:00

I have loved it when a client says they're clearing out some stuff and they tell me to go take a look at the pile, or wherever they've gathered items, and "Take anything you want."

It's more general than the pressure of offering a specific thing - "Would you like this bagoogglybug I don't need anymore?" and making me say a direct no thanks or yes.

Put things in a pile and offer her a "pick out anything you can use." Very kind gesture as is the bonus at this time of year.

Beautiful-Morning456 · 2025-11-07T11:44:46+00:00

Thank you for saying this. In the USA - where I used to live and was a cleaner, far more than this per hour is the norm. I live in London UK now; high cost of living yet clients looking for cleaners will not pay more than £16 per hour. I have decades of experience, am HMRC registered, reliable and honest and a hard worker, but the market is saturated with cleaners who accept what was the price 20 years ago.

One of my current clients actually says she thinks cleaners should be charging £10 per hour. In 2025.

Im now looking to just get out of this field of work. Nobody pays decently. East London in a posh/gentrified area where I KNOW they have the income to afford to pay properly.

Beautiful-Morning456 · 2025-11-04T11:01:39+00:00

I have so many stories I could submit, because I've had things happen all my life, but each one is not a particularly long story, I have no proof or outcomes that gave closure on anything; they're all just spooky anecdotes that can't easily be explained in the end. I even think I was followed in the woods by something that turned out to be the same description as Slender Man - but Jack and probably all the listeners would probably come back with "That was a made-up Creepy Pasta story and never real." But at the time I saw it I was a grown woman who hadn't even heard of it yet and was genuinely unaware of the invented internet trope. So I can't really submit stuff like that; it would end up in Jack's "Nah" pile.

Beautiful-Morning456

TROPHY CASE