Decent cleaning service in Zurich?

Accomodation, House and Garden
1
Hello English forum-ers,

I am a new resident in Zurich, having moved from London some months ago. I am looking for a decent cleaning service for a modest (2.5 room) apartment near Oerlikon. A few of the agencies I have contacted have been quite outrageously priced. Does anyone know of a decent and trustworthy cleaning service in the North part of the city?

Thank you!

2
Hello RobinHoodGirl

Just as a matter of interest... may we know roughly what range of prices you were quoted that were outrageous?

And: I know a completely trustworthy, English-speaking cleaner who lives just at the border of Zurich-Affoltern and Oerlikon. If you would like to, please PM me, and I can put you in touch with her.

3
Hi doropfiz,

For around 3 hours every two weeks, we were quoted CHF 160. Is this still outrageous? It is in comparison to cleaning rates in the UK. Perhaps that is the kind of rates we should be expecting here..?

Thanks for your advice.

4
If you employ a cleaner directly, then, as I hear, the lowest reasonable wage in Zurich is around Fr. 25 per hour, take-home pay after social security deductions. If you can afford it, then Fr. 28 or Fr. 30 or Fr. 32 really is fairer, especially if your home is luxurious. Some employers pay as little as around Fr. 20, but down in that range it becomes exploitative, methinks.

Obviously if you go through an agency, you'll pay considerably more, so the agent can take a fat slice.

If you mean Fr. 160 for 3 hours, then that's around Fr. 53 per hour, which, as I've heard, is par for the course. The poor cleaner, though, sees only a fraction of this.

5
Well how much do you make an hour? And were you expecting the cleaner to come to the UK or Zurich to clean your flat?

Is that 3 or 6 hours total? 3 hours into 160 is a little over 50 an hour, and per 6, is a little over 25. Considering cleaning products are expensive and environmentally correct...sounds about right. It's why an oil change is what it is, and why you aren't allowed to change it yourself.

I really cannot understand why wages are so low in the UK, and anyone that has moved from there, to here, and gets a pay raise, doesn't think the person cleaning their toilets deserves one as well.

Such Arrogance.

6
Oh, I hadn't seriously considered the possibility that an agency might have quoted Fr. 160 for six hours. If that's the case, I wouldn't feel comfortable entering into such a contract, unless the agent could demonstrate to me that he/she pays his/her staff at least Fr.25 take-home pay, which, if it is Fr. 160 for 6 hours, is hardly likely, I suppose.

It is a bit of work to employ a cleaner oneself, because of the legal obligation on the employer to pay the social security contributions into the correct government department. (By the way, paying cash on hand, with no pay-slips and no insurance for the employee is illegal, and considered a very serious offence.)

Here Cleaning Lady - Salary and Tax calculation you can see that Idgie has linked to the government department concerned, with the forms. And that he/she writes of an hourly wage of Fr. 29, meaning that as take-home pay.

7
Oh, just found this thread, which is even more detailed and very helpfu, I think, for someone new to Switzerland.

Towards the end of that thread, FriendlyKiwi and Nathu post some explanations of the specific steps needed, but it'd probably be helpful to read the whole thing, so that you've learnt the vocabularly by the time you reach their posts.

8
sorry, here's the link i accidentally omitted:

Contract for cleaner in Zurich in English?