Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At first we didn’t because it was the owner of a small cleaning business actually doing the cleaning. She took on a few employees, and another lady in her company now does our cleaning. We started tipping her rather than a raise since we don’t know if the raise would result in an increase in our cleaner’s pay. We’ve had the same person for many years and they haven’t raised their rates.

So you haven't offered a rate increase with the last two years of inflation?

Is there anyone who would actually do this -propose paying more?! I can't wrap my head around that. I run a business, and I keep my rates competitive. I'd love it if someone offered me more money without being invoiced.

Nope, I only tip at Christmas.

Yes, I tip every time. Our cleaner comes with her sister every other week and the fee is $180. I tip them $30 - $60 each week, plus I give them $300 - $400 for an end-of-year bonus. So I pay roughly $4,700 per year in cleaning fees plus another $1,700 in tips. We can afford it and they work hard.

Anonymous wrote:I tip the 2 cleaning staff $20 each after each monthly cleaning. I do not tip any differently at Christmas time. I know that I am not required to tip them and I pay quite a lot to the company for the monthly cleaning. But I figure that the cleaning staff do not make that much money and I am happy to not have to do the cleaning myself.

Similar thought, (sometimes $25 in cash), for bi-weekly cleanings.

We do provide an extra holiday tip at the beginning of December.

After months of self-cleaning during early covid 2020, and a not so great back, I am more than happy to pay someone else, above and beyond my stated bill.

I was like you and tipped 20 percent per cleaner when they came once a month. I'm now biweekly and will tip only at Christmas which will be the equivalent of a cleaning.

OP again - thanks for all your responses! Polarizing topic

I am going to keep tipping 20 percent. This was helpful!

No. I have one woman who comes on her own, and gets 100% of what I pay her. I feel what I pay is more than generous for my size house.

We use Well Paid Maids service which pays a living wage plus benefits, so I don’t tip- except for extraordinary service

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Asking because I have been tipping 20 percent on our monthly cleaning service. I assumed this was the norm but maybe not!

You are paying the service for the service. Why would you tip?

Yes, we have a service that comes once a month. A team of four ladies, and they usually do a great job. I’ll leave $5 or $10 for each of them for each visit, and $20 each in November and in December.

Yes. We use a service so it’s not like the cleaners are getting that payment. I leave a cash tip for each cleaner.

No. We've known the main lady for years and she either comes with two others or it's 3 different people. We give her a card at Thanksgiving with double our weekly rate in it. I assume she divides it up because she's a very nice person, but I really don't know.

We also paid her every week in 2020 even though we asked them not to come. None of our finances took a hit, I had time to clean myself, and it just seemed like the decent thing to do.

They ask for $80 for my 2 bedroom 2 bath apartment and I have been paying them $140. They didn’t clean as well last time. I will give them a list and see how it goes.

I tip a bit at Xmas. No each visit.
I pay more when the company tells me it is raising its rates.

I tip at Christmas but not each time she comes. It’s not a service - it’s just one person and I pay her directly.