How much does house cleaning cost?

Before you hire a house cleaner, it's a good idea to learn about the average prices for house cleaning in your local area. This will help you avoid paying too much when you hire one.

The average house cleaning cost is $15 to $45 per hour, while a standard 3-bedroom home usually costs between $120 to $400, but your cleaner might charge more or less. The cost of house cleaning services depends on where you live, what kind of tasks you need, and how long it’s likely to take. This may also depend on whether you want a deep clean of your home.

This house cleaning cost guide will break down everything you need to know about house cleaning rates in the US based on our data from thousands of house cleaners and completed cleaning tasks. By the end of this guide, you’ll have a clear idea of the price you can expect to pay for common cleaning tasks, whether it be daily or weekly house cleaning costs. Plus, you’ll know how to get started with hiring a house cleaner.

House cleaning prices for different types of cleaning services

House cleaner costs depend a lot on the type of house, the tasks, and how much work is involved. We’ve reviewed all our recent house cleaning tasks posted in the marketplace to give you approximate price guides for each.

The average hourly rate of a house cleaner depends on whether they’re employed (and their employer covers their expenses/tax/super) or they’re self-employed. An estimate of cleaning services in the US for employed house cleaners is between $15 to $45 per hour.

Unless you’re planning to employ your house cleaner full-time (not likely!), these rates won’t apply to you. You’ll be engaging your cleaner as a contractor to come into your home for a few hours once off or on an ongoing basis every week or so. This means they’ll need to charge you higher rates because they’re covering their own expenses, including:

• Their wage

• Tax

• Defined-contribution plan

• Insurance

• Travel expenses

• Cleaning supplies

• And more!

A lot of the time, your cleaner will need to charge you double or triple the standard rate to cover the costs associated with running their own business. This means you can expect to pay around $75 to $120 per hour for a house cleaning contractor. So, when setting your budget for a task, remember the approximate number of hours it might take, and then multiply it by at least $40.

What factors affect the cost of cleaning a house?

As you can see from our house cleaning price list above, the cost of different services can sometimes vary by hundreds. Here are the factors that might increase or decrease the price of your house clean:

• If it’s a minor task that’ll take a few minutes or one that might take a full day

• The number of bedrooms

• The number of bathrooms

• How many m2 is your home

• How detailed the clean is (expect to pay more if you need a deep clean)

• Any extras (like an oven, cabinets, windows, carpets)

• Whether you’ll provide the equipment and supplies

• Your location/suburb

• How difficult or easy it is to access and complete the job

• How urgently do you need the job done

• Whether you need the cleaning done on a weekend or weekday

How much does deep cleaning a house cost?

A deep clean will normally require extra time from your house cleaner, so you can expect to pay up to double their standard house cleaning prices. It may cost you at least $136 for a 4-hour deep clean on a 3-bedroom house. This would include all the usual basic cleaning tasks, plus things like: 

• Windows cleaned

• Shelves and cupboards organized

• Ceiling fans wiped

• Oven cleaned 

• Fridge/freezer cleaned

• Kitchen cabinets wiped, etc. 

A deep clean is advised for homes that need extra TLC, when you need a spring clean, or once a quarter between standard cleans.

Do I need to hire a house cleaner?

Not everyone wants or needs a house cleaner. But here are two main reasons you might choose to hire one:

• Making sure your down-time away from work is actually downtime

• Getting an extra pair of hands to finish a big or tricky job (like doing move-out cleaning!)

There are lots of other reasons to hire a cleaner, but overall, hiring a house cleaner will help you get more done in less time. And when you look at it that way, it’ll help you figure out what your house cleaner is worth paying.

What are the standard inclusions for house cleaning

When you book a cleaner for your house, a standard clean will usually take around 2 hours (depending on the size of your home) and include the following services:

• Vacuuming and mopping the floors

• Wiping down all furniture and main visible surfaces

• Emptying your trash bins

• Cleaning your shower, bathtub, and toilets

• Washing any dirty dishes in your kitchen sink

Tasks you can give to your house cleaner

You don’t have to stick to the standard clean if you need some extra help around the house. Other tasks you might request your cleaner to do include:

• Unloading the dishwasher

• Wiping marks off your walls

• Dusting cobwebs off the ceiling

• Changing the sheets

• Putting on a load of washing

• Hanging or folding clothes

• Picking up toys

• Organizing your linen cupboard

• Oven cleaning

• Microwave cleaning

• Fridge/freezer clean-out

What sort of services won’t a house cleaner do?

While some cleaners are pretty flexible, usually, they won’t do…

• Maintenance tasks - like re-grouting your bathroom tiles

• Renovation tasks - like painting the walls or updating your fixtures

• Jobs outside - like mowing, sweeping, weeding, de-webbing, or cleaning the gutters

You’ll need to hire a handyperson, painter, or gardener for those tasks. But if you’d like one person to take care of it all, you can always specify this when you post your task. You might be lucky enough to get a skilled house cleaner capable of helping with other tasks.

How to create your first house cleaning task

Ready to hire your house cleaner and create your first task? It’s easy! Just write out your task, post your listing, review your offers, and choose someone, and they’ll arrange to come and do your house cleaning. If you’re curious, read some more about how it works.

Here’s what you might include in your listing:

• Timing and budget

• Location

• Number of rooms/bathrooms and approximate sizes

• Type of house cleaning

• Deep clean or standard clean?

• Any issues with access?

• Is the job likely to be challenging or time-consuming?

• Equipment provided? 

• One-off task or ongoing work?

The more info you include, the easier it’ll be for your house cleaner to price up the job and make you an offer. Plus, they’ll refer to the info in your listing when they arrive to complete the task.

Finding a trusted house cleaner can be challenging, especially if you don't know where to look. You might spend the whole day searching for recommendations. At Airtasker, we make it easy for you to find an experienced house cleaner. If you’re looking for one to help with your holiday cleaning, our platform shows you trusted reviews from real customers to help you choose the right person for the job.