Highlights
Most pros charge between $30 and $50 per hour.
Professionally cleaning larger homes over 3,000 square feet can cost more than $600.
You'll need to purchase cleaning supplies for about $40 to $50 per month if you go the DIY route.
Let’s be honest. Cleaning the house is no one’s idea of a party. If you’re looking for flawless floors and clean-as-a-whistle countertops, a professional house cleaner may be just the thing to free up your time and make your home shine. House cleaning prices range from $120 to $235 on average, but costs can be as low as $90 for areas under 1,000 square feet. The total cost to hire a house cleaner will depend more or less on your home size and the amount of cleaning required, so read on for a polished perspective on all the details.
| Low Cost | Average Cost | High Cost |
|---|---|---|
| $90 | $170 | $600 |
House Cleaning Cost Factors
Every home is unique, which means cleaning every home is a little bit different. Your house’s size, layout, and the number of people that call it home will all affect your specific what you’ll pay. How the house cleaning company determines their prices will also run the gamut. Here are a few scenarios to estimate your price.
Cost per Square Foot
The cost of a house cleaner may come down to small details like the exact square footage of your home. Simple to standard cleans will cost between $0.05 and $0.15 per square foot, whereas deeper cleaners can cost up to $0.20 per square foot.
Not sure about the square footage of your home? The average size of a home in the U.S. hovers around 2,500 square feet, so this means you'll pay anywhere from $125 for a basic cleaning to $500 for deeper cleaning in the average-sized home.
Cost per Bedroom
Square footage aside, some cleaning companies set their prices based on how many bedrooms you have in your house. This pricing model is particularly helpful if you live in a big city where apartments are the norm. Multi-bedroom homes will up the overall cost. For example:
1-bedroom home cleaning cost: $75–$130
2-bedroom home cleaning cost: $100–$180
3-bedroom home cleaning cost: $130–$220
4-bedroom home cleaning cost: $200–$230
Need your bedroom cleaned but not the rest of the house? For companies that offer cleaning services for individual services, you'll pay between $30 and $80 per bedroom.
Cost per Bathroom
Professional house cleaners also need to know the number of bathrooms in your home to determine the house cleaning cost by the hour or square footage. As we all know too well, cleaning a bathroom often takes up much more time than other rooms. Each additional bathroom will add between $10 and $40 on top of your total cost to clean a house. For example, if you're quoted $110 for a two-bedroom home with one bathroom, you may pay around $130 for a home with two bedrooms and two bathrooms.
Hiring a service to only clean your bathroom will cost $70 to $170, depending on the complexity of the clean and the size of the room.
Type of Cleaning
Cleaning experts are there in our messy times of need, whether we need a weekly tidying up or an annual deep scrub. You can even call in professional cleaners if you're moving out of your house or apartment and want to leave it shiny and new.
Standard Cleaning
Standard or basic cleanings are best when you set up regular weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly services. They will cost between $75 and $175 per visit, depending on the size of your home and the number of bathrooms. The service may include sweeping, vacuuming, dusting, as well as basic disinfecting of kitchen and bathroom surfaces.
Deep Cleaning
Whether it's been a minute since you gave your home a good spring cleaning or if you are about to throw the holiday part of the year, a deep cleaning can be invaluable to making a fresh start. Deep cleanings cost $200 to $400 on average. The full package may include window washing, cleaning behind furniture, and polishing hard-to-clean surfaces.
Move-Out Cleaning
Move-out cleaning prices are similar to deep cleaning, but can cost up to $500 for larger spaces. Keep in mind that cleaners will rarely offer service to empty a home, though you can hire local movers or call a junk removal team for anything left behind.
Number of Cleaners
The house cleaning cost per hour plays a large role in how companies estimate your quote. The average hourly rate falls between $25 to $50 per cleaner, highly dependent on the complexity of the clean and whether you hire through an agency or directly with an individual. The average cost per hour, however, falls around $50 an hour.
For a standard clean, a company will often send two people to clean your home, which translates into $100 an hour on average for the whole clean.
Location
The cost of living always plays a role in the cost of home services, and cleaning is no different. Rates change based on the local living wage, the demand for cleaners, and the size of the standard home. You may pay less in a big city when cleaning a small apartment, but you may pay a higher hourly rate to account for local prices.
Keep in mind that if you live in a rural or hard-to-reach area of the country, your cleaner or company may charge a basic travel fee to account for the trip.
Additional Cost Factors
The fact is, different house cleaners and cleaning companies will charge differently for various cleaning services. Considering the average cleaner’s hourly rate, here’s the deal on what some specific elements will set you back:
| Cleaning Service Type | Average Cost |
|---|---|
| Window cleaning | $4 – $10 per window |
| Refrigerator cleaning | $10 – $40 |
| Carpet cleaning | $75 – $200 |
| Baseboard cleaning | $25 – $75 |
| Laundry | $5 – $20 per load |
| Cleaning cabinets | $20 – $50 |
| Polishing or waxing floors | $25 – $50 |
| Dusting | $10 – $30 |
| Oven Cleaning | $20 – $40 |
Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products
Prefer eco-friendly cleaning products in your home? Clearing companies will often offer this service for between $10 and $100 extra for these products depending on the size of your home and the extent of the job.
Tipping
If you are hiring cleaners through a company, clarify with the office whether tipping is expected or common, and if it goes to the cleaners themselves. If so, or when working with an individual cleaner, a 10% to 15% is kind for a job well done. Tipping your house cleaner is also a lovely gesture after deep cleans or around the holidays.
What Are the Costs for Different Types of House Cleaners?
If you’re looking for someone to give your home a sparkling clean makeover, you have a few options. You can hire house cleaners who are either cleaning as a side hustle or building their own small cleaning business. You may also choose to go with a fully established professional cleaning company.
Hiring an Independent Cleaning Contractor
Expect to pay an individual house cleaner $12 to $25 per hour, depending on their experience level. You may be able to negotiate on prices, especially if you have a personal relationship with them.
Not only are individual cleaners usually cheaper to hire than companies, but they’re also typically more flexible when your schedule changes on a whim. However, experience levels can vary, and individual contractors aren’t always guaranteed to have insurance, so be sure you’re doing your research to find a reputable house cleaner who’s bonded, insured, and trained in the type of cleaning you need. And you know what? Reference and background checks are always a good idea.
Working With a Professional House-Cleaning Company
Professional cleaning companies charge between $25 and $80 per hour. Most will require a signed contract before getting to work, and last-minute schedule change accommodations aren’t guaranteed. On the plus side, established cleaning companies generally come with a reputation and experience and have plenty of online reviews to back them up.
Home, Clean Home: Live-in Cleaning Services
Live-in housekeeping services can be a game changer for your home and your lifestyle. But they can add up to $30,000 to $60,000 per year, and that’s not including your cleaner’s living space or any included meals or per diems. Typically, live-in housekeepers will perform lighter cleaning services, but they’ll obviously clean more often than a weekly cleaning service would. They may also receive deliveries for you and bring in the mail, but that’s all up for discussion.
Our advice: Before you hire a live-in cleaning pro, negotiate responsibilities and agree in writing so everyone is crystal clear on what exactly their duties will be and what’s most important to you.
Star Treatment: Daily Home Cleaning Visits
Yes, the dream (perpetually pristine sheets, crumb-free floors, and the delightful daily absence of fingerprints on doors and cabinets) can be yours, but no surprise—it comes with a hefty price tag. The cost to hire a full-time or daily house cleaner generally falls between $1,200 and $2,500 per month if you’re talking visits five days per week. What impacts your wallet most? Things like where you live, the size of your home, and your cleaning needs and preferences.
Not Too Shabby: Weekly and Biweekly Cleaning
Busy schedule? Aversion to mops? Spring for weekly or biweekly cleaning services that allow you to make room for “me time” without beating yourself up about your bathroom tile. After all, there’s just nothing like coming home from yoga class (or cocktails!) on cleaning day to find your home simply humming with hotel-level orderliness.
Let’s say you’d rather not spend your weekends taking out the trash and emptying dust-filled vacuum bags. If budget permits, weekly or biweekly cleaning is a solid option that can vastly improve your home style and quality of life. Weekly cleaning services cost anywhere from $75 to $200, while the biweekly option ranges a bit higher, from $100 to $250.
How Much Does It Cost to Hire a House Cleaner in Your Neighborhood?
Great news! The cost to hire a residential cleaner near you doesn't vary much by region or state, with most areas close to the national average of $170. That being said, house cleaning costs may be higher based on the living expenses in a given area. It’s also true that cleaning costs may inch up in areas that tend to have larger homes with multiple bedrooms and baths rather than more compact apartments and condos.
Cleaners with different experience levels will also charge differently. Here are some examples of house cleaning costs around the U.S.:
| City | State |
|---|---|
| Seattle | $120 – $140 |
| Los Angeles | $115 – $220 |
| Denver | $115 – $225 |
| Dallas | $120 – $220 |
| Chicago | $90 – $185 |
| Atlanta | $125 – $235 |
| New York | $115 – $235 |
| Miami | $90 – $180 |
What Will It Cost Me to Clean My Own Home?
It depends on what you value most. If time is on your side, you may choose to clean your house yourself to save the dollars and cents, or you can lighten your workload by trying to get the whole family involved in the fun. Chore charts, anyone?
By taking on the task yourself, you can put music on your headphones, dance like no one’s watching while vacuuming, and save hundreds of dollars. But cleaning your own home, like dusting your vaulted ceilings, can also wipe away hours of your free time. What matters most to you?
On the plus side of self-cleaning, you won’t need to pay yourself the hourly rate (unless you decide to treat yourself for a job well done). Yet you'll still need to purchase cleaning supplies for about $40 to $50 per month. And it’s worth noting that often, cleaners bring their own products, which can effectively reduce your costs.
“What is your time worth? That’s the number one question I ask our customers,” says Asya Biddle, Angi Expert Review Board member and manager of The Dustbusters, a family-owned and operated janitorial company in Williamsport, PA. “If you’re in a position where you can hire a house cleaning professional, like anything else, you will get what you pay for. If you're unable to hire a house cleaning professional,” Biddle continues, “a great way to keep the house clean and not waste a Saturday is to divide the house cleaning duties into Monday through Thursday chores for anyone in the home. That way, it stays clean and you have your weekends free.”
DIY vs Hiring a Pro
Let's say you pay a team of house cleaners $200 for bi-monthly visits, but take care of the straightening and dusting in between. When you cut out the price of cleaning supplies that you no longer have to buy, you'll only pay about $150 more than to do it all yourself. And as we noted above, accounting for the value of your time can make hiring a local cleaner more than worth it.
Frequently Asked Questions
First, search online for a house cleaner near you and check out their website or social media pages. You can also call them to ask about their specific services. Find out how much they charge and consider your own budget. If they’re the right fit, set up an appointment to get the ball rolling.
If this is your first time hiring a cleaning service, it may be good to do a bit of research beforehand so you know what to expect from the experience and get tips on hiring the right cleaning service for you.
Yes, and yes. A professional cleaner, whether solo or more corporate, should be delighted to share the news of their happy customers. Our advice: Don’t skip this step.
Additionally, before you hire a house cleaner, make sure they’re insured and bonded for full protection.
Whether or not a cleaner brings supplies also sometimes comes down to their preference. Some cleaning services require the homeowner to supply cleaning products and a few basic materials (sponges, paper towels, rags, a mop, and vacuum, for example), but others bring everything they need to get in, get cleaning, and get out.
You can always ask whether or not they bring their own cleaning supplies, and if so, make sure you’re comfortable with what they use. If you prefer organic or natural products, for example, you may need to supply them or pay a premium.
