How Much Does a Cleaner Cost?

How Much Does a Cleaner Cost - The Main Factors

As we’ve mentioned, the costs of hiring a cleaner will vary between businesses and private homes. You can hire cleaners through a larger cleaning firm or agency or use a uniformed cleaning service for hospitality establishments and public-facing companies.

Generally speaking, independent cleaners are a lower cost than using an agency. However, you will need to check whether their hourly rate includes cleaning materials or whether you will need to supply them on top. Agencies tend to include cleaning equipment within their pricing.

Other factors include the type of property. Of course, the larger the premises and the more rooms you need to be cleaned, the more time it will take, and the more expensive the costs.

Commercial cleaning can be higher priced since the jobs usually cover a larger floor space and might require specific jobs for businesses where there are tools and equipment to work around. These cleaning jobs also typically take place out of hours, and you will be quoted a premium if you need early morning or late night cleaning services to ensure there isn’t any disruption to trading.

Specialist cleaning services will also be higher priced and are usually a one-off – such as:

• End of tenancy deep cleans – costs range from around £80 for a small studio flat to about £160 for a standard-sized house.
• Carpet cleaning – depends on the type of carpet and the size of the room. Typical prices start at £35 for a normal-sized living room carpet but can be much higher for complete carpet cleaning in office spaces or for specialist jobs such as ornate or antique rugs.
• Deep cleaning – usually required to ensure a space is free from contaminants or pests. This service isn’t included in a general ongoing cleaning cost and will cost around £20 per hour.

Another consideration is whether you’re hiring a cleaner occasionally, for a one-off event or if you want them to come back daily, once a week, monthly or fortnightly. Regular contracts tend to be more cost-effective per hour since the cleaner will have ongoing work.

One-off bookings will usually carry a higher charge since the service isn’t part of a steady contract.

For deep cleans, you will also need to work out any other costs to ensure the property isn’t just usable but is in a fit state to provide a work environment or accommodation:

• Hot Water Tank Repairs might be essential if there are problems with the central heating or the property doesn’t seem to have hot water.
• Drain Repairs are vital if water isn’t draining properly or if any unpleasant smells don’t disappear after a deep clean.
• You might need to book a Locksmith Callout to ensure the locks have been changed and the security is suitable.

Other Cost Factors in Hiring a Cleaner

Properties in poor condition, such as a new home you have just moved into, or an empty office space being brought into use, will always cost more to clean correctly than a generally tidy home. This may also be the case if you have recently renovated or worked on home improvements and there is more clutter than usual, for example after kitchen wrapping and kitchen rewiring.

Additional cleaning equipment such as mould treatments, window cleaning and wall rinse will add to the price – although the ongoing price will reduce to normal once the space is in regular use.

Location will also be a factor since properties in London and the southeast UK tend to pay higher prices than elsewhere – there is around a 5% to 10% uplift in these regions.

Cleaning services also depend on whether you need general work (dusting, vacuuming, mopping floors, cleaning bathrooms) or if there are extra elements such as washing out fridges and cleaning sofas.

As a rough idea, window cleaning usually costs around £25 per hour, and you will pay the normal average for other works but increase the number of hours required.

Breaking Down a Cleaning Quote

The primary cost of hiring a cleaner is their time – so you need to know what their hourly rate is and how many hours they expect the work to take.

Remember that if you ask for additional tasks to be carried out, this will be added to your bill and could be charged at a higher rate if extra work or equipment is required or the job is outside of the usual remit.

It’s also essential to check whether the cleaning quote includes materials and equipment – if not, you will need to provide things like:

• Mops and buckets
• Vacuum and bags
• Cloths, bin bags and cleaning sprays
• Floor cleaner and toilet or kitchen cleaning equipment

The quote should indicate how many cleaners are required. For smaller homes, that would usually be one person but could be up to a team of professional cleaners for large properties or businesses.

If your cleaner provides waste disposal services, this will also usually be itemised on the quote. Usually, they will use your bins and recycling facilities but can offer to remove waste from the premises, particularly for businesses in urban areas with limited capacity to store bins.

What are the Pros and Cons of Hiring a Cleaner?

Let’s face it; one of the best advantages of hiring a cleaner is that you won’t need to carry out cleaning work yourself! However, there are lots of factors to weigh up when deciding whether it’s right for you.

Advantages of hiring a cleaning include:

• Upholding higher standards of cleanliness.
• Preparing for an event or celebration.
• Improved hygiene and reduction in allergens.
• Using a professional if you find cleaning physically challenging.

On the flip side, if you’re wondering how much does a cleaner cost, and those prices outweigh your budget, you might decide to hire an in-house member of staff for a commercial property or carry out the work yourself:

• If your business carries out confidential work and you do not wish to use outside contractors.
• To ensure jobs are done to your exact specifications.
• Reducing the cost of hiring a cleaner.

One of the biggest concerns is usually around security – but choosing a licensed, registered, and reputable cleaner will ensure the professionals that visit your premises will always be trustworthy and have appropriate background checks as required.

FAQs - Costs of Hiring a Cleaner

Here are the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about how much does a cleaner cost.

Do Cleaners Bring their Own Equipment and Supplies?

It depends, and it’s essential to clarify at the quotation stage, so you know whether these costs are built into the hourly rate or are an additional expense you need to cover.

Many cleaners provide options, such as using environmentally friendly products, or you can decide whether you’d prefer to supply your own cleaning materials.

How Much Should I Expect to Pay a Cleaner?

As we’ve explored, the average hourly rate is between £10 and £12 – but that is a basic average based on light cleaning duties in a typical residential home.

Prices will depend on how extensive the cleaning work is, what equipment is required, whether the property is commercial or residential, and where it is based.

One-off jobs will usually cost more per hour and be more intensive, such as a deep clean, post-tenancy clean, or cleaning a property that has not been in regular use.

Higher-end properties in London can pay £20 or more per hour for a cleaning service, and hotels or hospitality venues using uniformed cleaning teams can spend more again.

How Long Does it Take to Clean a House Professionally?

Most cleaners will ask how many rooms your property is and discuss the scope of the work before they can estimate how many hours are required.

A typical home will take at least two hours to vacuum carpets, sweep floors and wipe down bathrooms. That includes mopping or steaming floors, loading or emptying dishwashers (or washing dishes), emptying bins, dusting and putting away clean laundry.

If you have lots of ornaments or picture frames that require dusting, need laundry putting on, or want rooms to be deep cleaned, your cleaner would need at least three hours.

This generally depends on how many rooms are involved, how much of the property is hardwood or carpet, and whether you have children or pets that require more work.

Are Cleaners Checked for a Criminal Record?

Usually, yes. Agencies or cleaning firms will always verify that all staff have no criminal record and have a good character to work unsupervised at the client’s properties.

Premises such as hospitals, schools and care homes may have additional requirements, often requiring at least an enhanced DBS check, along with a minimum number of personal references.

Should I Inspect Cleaning Work Before Paying an Invoice?

There is a delicate balance between ensuring you are satisfied with the quality of the work and making it difficult for a professional cleaner to do their job. For a one-off deep clean or a specific task, you might want to have a look around and ensure that the jobs you have requested have all been ticked off.

It’s important to communicate if anything hasn’t been done to your satisfaction. Still, a professional cleaner will usually have excellent standards and ensure each clean leaves your property in the best possible condition.