How much does House Cleaning cost?

House cleaning cost guide

About 2-3 hours a day an average American spends on home cleaning; over the week it equals the entire working day! However, more and more people all over the country start considering professional house cleaning services. There are almost 100,000 of house cleaners in California and about 70,000 in Florida. It’s essential to find a reliable and professional home cleaner in order to kill two birds with one stone: get a clean home and save several hours a day for your family.

Here you will learn about:

• Average cost of the house cleaning services
• Cost-related questions
• Specialized house cleaning services
• Information to check when hiring a house cleaner
• Other frequently asked questions

House cleaners tidy up homes in every possible aspect of it. They can help you keep your book collection dust-free and at the same time ensure that your vents and roof are clean and bright. A house cleaner is a profession that can include all kinds of cleaning services depending on your needs and requirements. On average, house cleaners charge about $40/hour, while the majority of the market offers fall between $20/hour and $65/hour. The top sharks of the business provide services at $80/hour and guarantee exceptional cleanliness for your home. The total amount most homeowners spend on home cleaning services is $95-$230 per project.

Cost-related questions

What factors influence the cost of a house cleaner?

Generally, house cleaning services are provided on an hourly rate, however, for large areas, per-foot charges may apply (they are applied to spaces more than 1,500 square feet). If you sign a contract, you are likely to get about 15-35% discount on all services because the company or individual will come more often to clean your home.

Among the cost influencing factors the most significant are:

• Cleaning frequency
• Variety of surfaces to clean
• Number of staff members (the more people you hire, the smaller will be the per-person charge)
• Kind and number of pets in the house (about 10% higher cost for cats and dogs owners)
• Requests for specialty cleaning (see the list below)

How long do I need a house cleaner for?

Standard homes with 2-3 bedrooms and 1-2 bathrooms require about 2-3 hours to be cleaned. Smaller homes and apartments can fit into 1-2 hours period. Larger buildings require more work. On average, homeowners hire house cleaning services for 1-4 hours 1-2 times a week. If you need any specialized cleaning, such as refrigerator cleaning or wardrobe washing, be ready that the total time may go up to 6-7 hours per visit.

Should I hire a company or an individual?

Here you can find pros and cons of cooperation with a house cleaning company and an individual to help you make the decision.

• Services difference There is a significant difference between hiring a company and an individual. Large cleaning companies always provide a contract which states what your cleaner has to do. This means that anything on top of the basic package will be possible only with extra payment. Individual cleaners, even those signing official contracts, usually offer more versatile services, such as clothes folding and ironing, meals cooking, sometimes even childcare.
• Availability No matter what happens to your regular house cleaner, a company will always send you a replacement, so your home will always get cleaned according to the schedule. In case of individual cleaners, be ready that if they get sick or need a vacation, you risk staying without the service at all.
• Personalization With an individual home cleaner, it’s significantly easier to set the right tone and contact to ensure that you hire a good person. It will be harder to do if you sign a contract with a large company that can send you a different cleaner every time.

Do I need to provide cleaning supplies and/or equipment?

Most house cleaners provide their own cleaning supplies and equipment, only 29% of cleaners require additional supplies. However, this is always negotiable. If you need your cleaner to use a particular kind of detergent or air sprayer, you can always discuss your needs.

The difference in price for house cleaners who provide the supplies and those who do not is $10-$15/hour. The average hourly cost of the housekeepers with cleaning supplies is about $30-$35/hour; maids requesting provision of supplies charge around $15-$20/hour.

Does experience influences the price of services?

Yes, as in any other profession, experience influences the cost of home cleaning services. Individual house cleaners with under 5 years of experience charge $15-$18/hour; with the experience of 6-10 years in the industry - $20-$24/hour; with the experience of 11-15 years - $25-$30/hour, and with more than 15 years of experience about $30-35/hour. For the house cleaning companies, the rates will be about 15-29% higher.

Specialized house cleaning services

Besides the basic maids’ services, the notion of house cleaning can also include a number of additional home care services. The cost stated in every question is the average one, while the final estimate will depend on the scope of the service you need and the kind of house cleaner you hire.

How much does carpet cleaning cost?

The average cost of the carpet cleaning services is $150; with the deep cleaning service addition, it goes up to $210. Except for the basic vacuuming, you will receive professional washing and deep cleaning for every piece in your home. Find out more about the deep cleaning pricing in our cost guide here and learn the benefits of deep carpet cleaning.

Can house cleaners clean my chimney?

It is a rare service for house cleaners, yet some companies do provide chimney and fireplace cleaning. The average cost of a one-time service equals $150-$200. The cleaners will remove leaves, debris, and soot from the chimney to prevent fires and carbon monoxide poisoning.

Do house cleaners offer siding cleanup?

Siding cleanup isn’t also a common service, but large companies can often offer even home exterior cleanup. The cost of such service varies between $200 and $400 and depends on the square footage of your home exterior.

Is window cleaning included into house cleaning?

The answer is yes, most companies include window cleaning into their contracts, while individual cleaners provide this offer only if it is discussed beforehand. In case window cleaning is not a part of your contract, be ready that the cost for the cleaning of all windows will be about $200. Make sure to tell your cleaner that you want both interior and exterior parts of your windows to be cleaned.

Can I ask my house cleaner to clean my roof and gutters?

As a rule, house cleaners can offer seasonal maintenance for rain gutters and roof. This is a one-time service that costs $170. However, it’s advised to cooperate with a company and, in this case, to ensure that you receive licensed and experienced cleaners.

Is ducts and vents cleaning included into the house cleaning services?

Basic vents cleaning is a standard element of the house cleaning services. However, if you want the whole ventilation system to get cleaned, you will need to request a team of experts. The average price of ducts and vents cleaning is $325.

What other services can be included in home cleaning?

Many house cleaners also provide additional services, such as cabinet cleaning for $21/hour on average. Attic organizing/basement cleaning is offered by about 37% of all house cleaners and its price makes $20/hour. Pet cleanup is even more common among house cleaners, about 42% of all service providers can offer to clean your pet at $19-$25/cleaning.

Information to check when hiring a house cleaner

References

Whether you plan to hire a cleaning company or an individual, always check references of a particular house cleaner. Check them online, visit forums, or just ask your prospective cleaner to provide several references.

Experience

As you know, experience will influence the cost of the house cleaning services. Try to hire a cleaner with about 6-10 years of experience; this time is enough to know the business, and yet doesn’t demand the highest payment reward. Besides the total years in business, ask also how long a particular cleaner has worked in the same house (this demonstrates loyalty and expertise in work duties).

Background and security checks

Unless you want to deal with illegal employment, always verify your houses cleaner’s legal status. This concerns not only non-Americans but also locals and their work history.

Availability

Sometimes you can find a perfect house cleaner and then find out that they are not available on weekends or cannot fit you into their schedule. So make sure that you clearly state your interest in frequency and length of each cleaning.

Terms and duties included

Before you sign the contract, ensure that you and your potential house cleaner both agree on the terms of your cooperation; that the list of the services provided suits you, and that the cleaner is able to perform all of them. Always discuss even the smallest issues to dot the i’s and cross the t’s before the contract signing.

Contract

Always sign a contract with your services provider. This can help you protect your home should anything happens and at the same time guarantee you peace of mind in terms of official and legal cooperation with a house cleaner.

Other frequently asked questions

Do I need to stay at home while a house cleaner is working?

House cleaners prefer working in the environment without homeowners. This provides more freedom and relaxation in terms of duty performance. However, many home cleaners ask their homeowners to stay in the house for the first couple of times to ensure that they learn what goes where and which parts of the house should not be touched. So the general rule here is to ask your home cleaners what feels better for them and to follow this request.

How to understand if the house cleaner is not decent?

Unfortunately, many house cleaners are not decent while working and can eat your food or even steal your money! We have already discussed this topic, so have a closer look at how to identify if your home cleaner is stealing from you and what you can do about it.

Do I need to tip my house cleaner?

Tips are always welcomed in any business, and home cleaning is not an exception. The usual rates of 10%-15% are more than enough.

Bottom line

A house cleaner can become a valuable asset to the comfort of your home for some $20-$65/hour. While you have your house or apartment cleaned, you can meet with your parents or close friends, go to work and not to worry about your dwelling, or simply devote some free time to yourself!