For homeowners who have the time and energy, cleaning their house can be a therapeutic experience they enjoy taking on. For those with full or part-time jobs, families or medical conditions, cleaning can be an exhausting and time-consuming chore.
If you’re hoping to have a cleaner and tidier house but struggle to find the time or energy required to carry out all the necessary cleaning jobs, then hiring a cleaner might be a really good option for you. Cleaners will carry out a variety of domestic cleaning jobs in the home, taking some of the weight of your to-do list off your shoulders.
Our guide covers the process of hiring a domestic cleaner, how much cleaners will charge to clean a home, what will affect the cost of cleaning a home, how you can save money and the best way to find a suitable cleaner for your property!
Topics
How Much Does It Cost to Clean a House?
The cost of having a house cleaned does depend on the size of the house, the level of cleaning required and the time it will take to get the job done. You will probably find that cleaning costs are cheaper than anticipated, but the prices can fluctuate depending on whether you hire through an agency or an individual cleaner.
The table below takes a look at the common cleaning jobs in the UK and their estimated cost per hour.
| Type of Cleaning | Estimated Cost per Hour |
|---|---|
| Average house clean | £10-£20 |
| Window cleaning | £20-£25 |
| Floor cleaning | £10-£15 |
| Upholstery cleaning | £10-£15 |
| Carpet cleaning (per room) | £25-£50 |
| Oven cleaning (per appliance) | £40-£60 |
| Cleaning after building work | £20-£25 |
| End of tenancy cleaning | £50-£150 |
The average house clean is likely to cost between £10-£20 per house, depending on whether or not you hire an independent contractor or through an agency.
As window cleaning requires a bit more labour and equipment, the cost for window cleaning per house is more expensive at £20-£25 per house.
Floor cleaning is very affordable and will cost an estimated £10-£15 per hour.
Upholstery cleaning is also an affordable cleaning job and will cost an estimated £10-£15 per hour.
Carpet cleaning is a more expensive cleaning role due to the equipment needed and labour involved. The estimated cost per hour for carpet cleaning per room is £25-£40.
Oven cleaning is also an expensive cleaning job due to the labour involved and will cost an estimated £40-£60 per hour per appliance.
If you’ve had some cleaning work done and need a clean-up afterwards, the estimated cost per hour is £20-£25.
If you plan to move out of your rented flat, you can always hire a cleaner to do an end of tenancy clean to ensure you pass any landlord inspections and secure your deposit once you’ve moved out. The estimated cost per hour is £50-£150 per hour.
Use HouseholdQuotes to quickly and easily search between cleaner quotes and find the best offer for you when it comes to cleaning your home!
What Affects the Cost of House Cleaning?
A few factors will need to be taken into consideration when it comes to the final cost of hiring a cleaner.
Independent Cleaner or Agency Hire
There are advantages and disadvantages to hiring an independent cleaner or hiring one through an agency.
An agency hire is likely to be more expensive with the estimated cost of hire between £15-£20 per hour. Whilst this is the more expensive option, it also comes with the security that if you’re unhappy with the job done the agency could offer you another cleaner or even a refund.
An independent cleaner is likely to be more affordable, with estimated hourly rates of between £10-£15 per hour. Hiring independently does come with less security than hiring through an agency as you will be relying solely on the good character of the cleaner.
The choice comes down to your individual preferences and whether or not you would feel comfortable paying a little more for a bit more security.
Type of Cleaning Job
Your final cost will definitely be impacted by what kind of cleaning job you want done.
If you’re looking to go for a general house clean you can expect prices to be around £15-£20 per hour and this will likely include dusting, hoovering, wiping down surfaces, cleaning toilets and potential tidying.
You will need to speak with any potential cleaning hire about what is included in their hourly rate.
Some cleaning jobs such as cleaning after building work, end of tenancy cleaning and carpet cleaning can take a little longer to do. The longer a cleaning job takes, the higher the final cost will be.
If you’re looking to keep costs low, we recommend you avoid the ‘deeper’ clean jobs such as carpet cleaning or after building work cleaning.
Current Condition of House
If your house is relatively tidy and clean and you are hoping to hire a cleaner to help maintain that standard, then the cleaning job shouldn’t take up too much time and so the final cost should be relatively affordable.
If your current home is quite unclean and will require more in-depth cleaning, then the job could take longer, and this will make the final cost more expensive.
Location
London prices will differ from the cleaning prices for the rest of the UK and can be an extra £5-£10 per hour to hire a cleaner.
Make sure to bear this in mind if you live in London and are thinking of hiring a cleaner.
How Can I Save Money on House Cleaning?
Cleaning is a great DIY job. Local supermarkets will have a wide array of cleaning products available for any of your cleaning needs.
Cleaning your house yourself will eliminate the need for a cleaner entirely and save you the cost of hiring one. Regular cleaning ensures there’s no need for a deep clean as you’re maintaining a good level of cleanliness.
However, if you can’t maintain cleaning the entire house by yourself, even doing some cleaning jobs – such as dusting or hoovering – in small but regular doses will help lower the cost of needing a cleaner as the job won’t take them as much time to complete if the house is already in a good condition.
Some bigger jobs, such as carpet cleaning, will be carried out with special chemicals and equipment for the best results. You can make sure to use a specific carpet cleaner on any spills or stains beforehand to try and lift some of the dirt and cut you the costs of labour.
If you own quite a large home, it might be best to speak with your potential cleaner about weekly cleaning appointments. Some agencies and cleaners will work out a weekly cost rather than hourly and this could end up saving you money in the long run.
You can also be selective about which rooms you want to have cleaned. Instead of asking for a whole house clean, you can select one to three high priority rooms for cleaning and leave out the rooms that tend to remain in good condition.
This will cut the costs of labour as fewer rooms will be cleaned.
We recommend looking at three or four quotes from any agency or independent cleaner before hiring someone. HouseholdQuotes gives you the ability to easily search quotes from reputable agencies and cleaners to find the right hire for your home!
What’s Involved in Cleaning a House?
You can hire a domestic cleaner for a regular clean or a deep clean, depending on the condition of the house and the level of cleaning work you want done.
If you’re hoping to hire for a regular clean this is usually carried out on a one or two weekly basis, but you can negotiate the frequency with any agency or independent cleaner beforehand.
A regular clean usually involves each room of the house and includes a general tidy and clear away, cleaning the bathroom and its appliances such as the toiler, shower and sink, cleaning the kitchen by wiping down surfaces and cleaning the hobs. They may also hoover the floors and dust your surfaces but won’t typically clean the windows or engage with more intense cleaning practices.
The cleaner will make sure you’re aware of what cleaning jobs will be included in their price and what won’t. If there’s a specific job you would like done that isn’t on their schedule, you can always request this though it may come at an additional cost.
A deep clean is more intensive and is usually carried out every three to six months to really spruce up the house and keep it in peak condition. This is more expensive than a general clean as it takes more time and labour.
A deep clean usually involves removal of limescale and mould from kitchen and bathrooms, oven cleaning, window cleaning and potential polishing too.
How Do I Find a Domestic Cleaner?
Seek recommendations from family, friends and neighbours. Cleaners are going to be within your home, usually for up to five hours at a time and you want to make sure you feel comfortable with the individual in your home.
If you can find recommendations from family, friends or neighbours, you will be able to trust the individual and their reputation.
All of the quotes on HouseholdQuotes’ website are from vetted and reputable cleaning agencies and cleaners, so you can be sure you won’t run into any difficulties with rogue traders.
Use our site to easily compare quotes from qualified cleaners and find the best person to clean your house on your terms!
Ensuring the Cleaner is the Right Fit
It’s a good idea to make sure you have a list of questions ready to verify that the professional you are hoping to hire is the right fit for you.
- Ask them for a written quote. With a written quote you can see exactly what cleaning jobs you will be paying for. Make sure to ask if them if there is a minimum number of hours per session and if they will be supplying their own products and equipment.
- Ask for their experience.
- For their references. If they’re able to provide you with references you can be sure of their ability and may even be able to see some of their previous work.
- If they hold public liability insurance. This could protect you if the cleaner is hurt or their equipment is damaged whilst in your home.
Final Checklist
Use the checklist below to make sure you’ve got everything you need in place as you begin to search for the domestic cleaner for your property:
- Decide what kind of cleaning service you need—are you looking for regular weekly cleans or monthly deep-cleans?
- Decide which rooms of your property require cleaning. If you’re working to a lower budget, then choose only one to three rooms to be cleaned.
- Decide whether or not you want to hire through an agency or work with an independent cleaner.
- Use HouseholdQuotes to potentially save 40% on your project quote and find the perfect experienced cleaner for you!
Frequently Asked Questions
How Much Does Professional Carpet Cleaning Cost?
If you’ve recently had a big spill or stain of food or drink on the carpet, then a store-bought product may not be enough, and you may also need to invest in a professional carpet cleaner. HouseholdQuotes has a useful guide covering the costs of carpet stains so you can see just how much you should expect to pay for carpet cleaning.
If you own a three-bedroom house, most carpet cleaning companies will charge around £200 to clean the bedrooms, two reception rooms, plus your hallways, stairs, and landing.
If you only need to clean the carpet in one room, you should expect to pay approximately £20 for a small bedroom, £27 for a large bedroom, £30 to clean the carpet on your stairs and landing, and roughly £35 for a large reception room.