
Professional housekeepers or maid services charge $25 to $70 per hour or $140 to $330 for a one-time basic cleaning visit. The cost greatly depends on the size of your home or apartment and the level of cleaning you need. Basic housekeeping typically includes vacuuming, dusting, mopping, sanitizing, and removing trash. Some housekeepers also offer more detailed services like making beds, doing laundry or dishes, and preparing meals.
Many housekeepers reduce their rates if you schedule ongoing service:
Tipping your housekeeper is not required but tipping 10% to 20% or $10 to $20 per cleaning is common. Consider tipping more if your housekeeper exceeds your expectations or goes above and beyond in some way. For ongoing housekeeping service, consider giving a large tip at the end of the year to show your appreciation instead of tipping a small amount after each cleaning.
Regular house cleaning involves common household upkeep cleaning like vacuuming, sweeping, mopping, general dusting, sanitizing the kitchen and bathrooms, and taking out the trash.
Deep cleaning involves giving in-depth attention to the parts of the home that are not taken care of with regular cleaning or areas that have been neglected. This often includes:
While many companies use the terms "housekeeper" and "maid" interchangeably, housekeepers typically provide a broader range of services than most maid services. Maid services typically include cleaning tasks like dusting, wiping down surfaces, vacuuming, mopping, sanitizing the kitchen and bathrooms, and removing trash. A housekeeper usually does all these tasks but may also offer other household management duties like doing the laundry, ironing, making the beds, caring for pets, preparing meals, and even childcare.
Most professional house cleaning visits are 2 to 4 hours, depending on the size of the home, the level of cleaning needed, and the number of cleaners doing the work. A typical three-bedroom, two-bathroom house takes about 3 to 4 hours if one housekeeper is doing a basic cleaning.
Many people schedule professional house cleaning once per month, or at least once every few months. Individuals with allergies may need more frequent cleaning. Most housekeepers offer weekly or monthly services at a reduced rate, and this schedule helps prevent your home from building up dirt, dust, and grime.
To prepare your home for a housekeeping visit:
In most cases, you do not need to be home when a housekeeper is cleaning, though some customers prefer to be home for safety and security reasons. Most housekeeping companies have standard daytime hours and allow you to provide a spare key or entry code so the cleaners can enter and clean while you are away.
Follow these guidelines when researching housekeepers near you to ensure your find the best fit for your needs and budget:
Consider asking these questions when choosing a housekeeper or housekeeping company:
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