What's fair?

[MyBabyJensenJared]

Let me preface my post by saying that I'm asking on here because I'm hoping that being cat owners more people will understand a situation that I'm . going to describe I'm not bashing anyone or any animals I'm just going to tell the absolute truth and I need advice please....

In a nutshell a friend of mine has confided in me that he has two cats that have destroyed his apartment. AND after having been over to see his apartment myself, I can agree that that is a completely accurate description. It looks like he just gave up trying to keep up with the mess a long time ago. It probably started with an un clean litter box that, once it no longer mey even the most basic of standards just became the root of the issue all ever the place.....& Just continued to snowball in escalate and now he's facing possible eviction.

But anyway.. here's where I need the advice..... We're both in this agreement to benefit so my friend is absolutely down for paying me to help him but::--- How much do I charge my friend to clean his place? Sorry if it's too graphic but considering the fact that I will have to clean something like an entire end of table literally covered in cat feces as well as the same off of the floor etc etc how much does one charge for this level of recovery?

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi, for an initial starting point, you might take a look at what people who do professional cleaning services in your area charge. Maybe additionally check on Nextdoor, and try a search engine search if you don't want to get into a direct conversation with one of these businesses.

Also if you were to register with Rover.com, which is free, you may see fees for cleaning. Care.com isn't free to register unfortunately although it would have been another possible source of info.

Anyway, this way you should have a good basis to provide your friend with an amount, and then work things out from there.

 

[MyBabyJensenJared]

I'd actually started registering for rover com a few weeks ago but there was some kind of $35-50 fee so since I was just trying to get on there to find information I didn't end up finishing out that process.

I'll try nextdoor next though & go from there! Thanks

 

[neely]

If I were you I'd probably charge an hourly fee since it's difficult to estimate a flat fee for the amount of time it would take to clean his apartment. Good luck!

 

[Furballsmom]

there was some kind of $35-50 fee

If you just click on the sign-up option at the top of the Rover.com page, it should let you do that for free (it did for me, but maybe it's dependent on the zip code, I'm not sure), and then you hopefully can wander around the site after putting in some options about what you want to do. Just sort of fake it out a little since you don't actually want a specific service, so that it then lets you look around.

 

[IndyJones]

I'm not sure exactly how bad things are but you probably need to hire professionals to deep clean the house.

Safety first: wear silicone gloves and a facemask to protect yourself from fumes/chemicals. Wear old clothes so that you can toss them out if they get gross. NEVER MIX CHEMICALS ESPECIALY BLEACH AND AMONIA OR VINEGAR this creates a gas that can kill you very quickly.

Rugs: first of all they hold oder and only a carpet cleaner/steamer such as a rug doctor can get down under to the foam pad which is where the stink is. You may have to tear up particulary nasty ones and replace them

Walls: again not sure how badly dammaged they are but you may need to spackle any holes or scratches and give a fresh coat of paint.

Tables and desks: scrape anything that has solidified off and wipe clean. Magic erasers work great for this kind of thing. Refinish if needed.

Sofas and chairs: upholstry cleaner and a steamer work well for these, you can also use an iron with a steam function, hover it above the sofa do not press if you don't have a steamer. Do not steam leather. Leather should be treated with a leather maitnence kit.

Bathrooms: fairly easy in most cases, magic eraser to remove heavy stains. Don't mix anything with toilet cleaner.

Hardwood floors: these can be tricky depending on the condition, in cases where the finish is undamaged, a mop and woodfloor cleaner should work. Damaged floors may need to be professionaly refinished.

 

[Kieka]

Since it's a friend, I would do supplies plus an hourly rate no less than you make for your regular job. That way the friend can help uf they want it to cost less or give you a cut off on what they can afford that you've both established in advance. But, if they need help in the future let them know next time it will be going rate for similar people but you'd bring your own supplies (as most of those services do).

 

[Margot Lane]

…and wear a full disposable body suit, along with the gloves. There is something called toxoplasmosis so make 100% sure you clean yourself thoroughly after all is done. (I’m sure you would anyway, but wow, this is a really heroic task). I find myself a little concerned for the cats (and your friend) after the cleaning occurs.

 

[MyBabyJensenJared]

Thanks for all the great info..! .... I've actually got the "how" part down pretty well, I just need to know what would be a fair rate say if I l go about it hourly, what should the rate be per hour? & If it's just one whole amount all together, what 's fair to ask for ?

 

[alysker]

Thanks for all the great info..! .... I've actually got the "how" part down pretty well, I just need to know what would be a fair rate say if I l go about it hourly, what should the rate be per hour? & If it's just one whole amount all together, what 's fair to ask for ?

I had a conversation with someone about something similar the other day. The interesting debate is, if it's a friend he should be happy to pay you the normal amount normal cleaners would make. Because why would he have to pay less for a friend? He should probably want to give you whatever you deserve. That was just an interesting topic to me because most of us expect to pay less if a friend helps out but that's a odd way of thinking sometimes. Not saying this is the case for your friend of course!

But to the money question, I'd make a plan of how long you'll have to be cleaning and look at what a normal hourly wage is for cleaning services. Plus of course the cleaning supplies since you'll probably have to throw away rags or sponges after a deep cleaning like this.

Good luck!

 

[iPappy]

I too would see what the hourly cleaning rate is in your area and go from there. If this friend is very close to you, perhaps a small discount could be done but this is not going to be an easy or quick fix, so make sure you charge your worth. A lot of people do appreciate favors, but IME if you do it once, it's expected from then on out. Make sure you set your boundaries for any future help, and stick to them.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi, I'm posting this again since I did a late edit on my post above and you may have missed it;

If you just click on the sign-up option at the top of the Rover.com page, it should let you do that for free (it did for me, but maybe it's dependent on the zip code, I'm not sure), and then you hopefully can wander around the site after putting in some options about what you want to do. Just sort of fake it out a little since you don't actually want a specific service, so that it then lets you look around.

 

[MyBabyJensenJared]

I was just kinda hoping to get personal opinions. Like. A number. What would "YOU" (anyone reading this post) accept as a fair payment for doing this job.?

 

[Kieka]

I was just kinda hoping to get personal opinions. Like. A number. What would "YOU" (anyone reading this post) accept as a fair payment for doing this job.?

Cost of supplies + whatever you make hourly at your regular job per hour worked

You already agree your time is worth whatever you make and you won't be able to work while cleaning. Supplies because you need to be paid for materials, if your friend is far away I'd in transportation costs too.

I am involved with billing for construction, time and material (and/or equipment) billing is always wisest in scenarios that are outside normal scope. That way you don't run a huge risk of loss and your client can set a limit based on max they will pay. If you aren't done when you hit their max, you can renegotiate for more money/time or walk away. Without knowing your market and photos of the exact condition, no one can give you a flat rate that you should charge because conditions matter significantly. And don't forget some liability contract that you are not liable for damages from cleaners properly used, unremarkable stains, etc.

 

[alysker]

I was just kinda hoping to get personal opinions. Like. A number. What would "YOU" (anyone reading this post) accept as a fair payment for doing this job.?

Personally I would make around 18 euros an hour right now in a normal job I went to uni for. At this moment I think the euro and the dollar are pretty close in numbers. I went to uni for 7 years though, I can imagine that cleaning gets a lower pay sometimes