is there an average hourly rate for housecleaners, just the usual sort of cleaning in a private house? what do cleaners ask for these days?

if you use a agency about £10 a hour

You might like to PM Godzilla.

She uses a cleaner who also doubles as a dog feeder when Mr and Mrs Godzilla are at work

It depends on how you employ your cleaner. With the agency I use it's £6 an hour paid to the cleaner, then a weekly fee paid to the agency that covers insurance fees and the like.

thanks for the replies, really helpful

My mum is a cleaner, not in the Sheffield area and she charges between £6.50 and £10. She goes to lot's of different houses and the better off they look the higher she asks (and they pay it!)