How Much Does House Cleaning Cost?

Many of us find ourselves so busy during the day that there is never enough time to clean the house. Minor issues pile up quickly. Before you know it, the house you spent hours cleaning up on your day off last month is an absolute wreck again. House cleaning might seem like a waste of money at first.  But, your time has value. You need to be able to enjoy your off time with family and friends, or just have an opportunity to get away. Also, it is a lot easier to recharge your batteries at night in a house that is clean. House cleaning prices are not as high as you might have imagined. The cost of house cleaning is likely well worth the investment if it means giving you time to enjoy your time off.

House Cleaning Services Prices

House cleaning cost varies according to the frequency of the cleanings and the condition and size of the home. House cleaning prices can be charged either by the hour, by the room, or a flat rate. One-time house cleaning rates are more than regular cleanings. The house cleaning cost for a 900 sq. ft. two-bedroom apartment ranges from $75 to $200. Cleaning 1300 sq. ft. single story house runs from $100 to $300. House cleaning rates for a 2200 sq. ft. two story house run from $150 to $400.

House cleaning prices for regular frequent cleanings are less per visit. This is because the regular cleanings are more maintenance than deep cleaning. With regular visits, your cleaning service can maintain a level of cleanliness to your satisfaction without taking as much time. Plus, there is a perceived discount for the regular business that these services need in order to properly budget costs. House cleaning rates for the same apartment listed above on a bi-weekly basis run $60 to $125 a visit. For the 1300 sq. ft. house, bi-weekly house cleaning prices range from $80 to $150. Bi-weekly house cleaning cost for the 2200 sq. ft. home runs from $110 to $180. Some cleaning services make it easy for clients to determine the cost of house cleaning with an on line calculator that takes into account the number and types of rooms, square footage, and frequency. They also factor in whether you have any pets, optional flat rates for cleaning blinds and appliances, and whether you want them to use environmentally friendly “green” cleaning solutions. Some companies offer other convenient services like meal deliveries. These services can be very helpful for homes with disabled or elderly residents.

Residential Cleaning Rates

Residential house cleaning rates are very different from commercial cleaning rates. If you want services for your home, you really should consider a commercial service. The scope of the service that commercial cleaning companies are used to offering is very different. Recognizing this, many commercial services will not accept residential clients. Likewise, companies that specialize in house cleaning don’t typically do well when they try to take on a business client. The most successful cleaning companies focus on one or the other.

Businesses have much different cleaning needs. For example, they have public bathrooms that often have to be cleaned in a certain manner according to state law. Certain areas of these businesses might be considered high traffic areas and need a more thorough cleaning and protecting than other area. Businesses typically need to be serviced more frequently, some as often as once every day. Residences do not have the same kind of foot traffic as businesses do, so the floors are cared for completely differently. There are no laws regulating how to clean the bathroom or kitchen areas like there are with businesses.

House Cleaning Estimates

Getting an estimate of house cleaning prices is increasingly easy. One way is to call several companies and have them visit and give you an estimate. As you are interviewing the cleaning company, realize that they are interviewing you too. They are trying to determine how dedicated you will be to keeping the house relatively clean in between visits. This allows them to better estimate how long it is going to take to clean your house during each visit.

As with any service, you need to get at least three estimates before making a hiring decision. This gives you a large enough sample size to determine an average price, and identify who is charging too much, or too little. Do not assume that cheaper is better. Often, you get what you pay for. Cleaning companies with solid reputations tend to charge a little more than average. Their reputation allows them to do this because they know some people are willing to pay a premium for quality services.

A new tool some companies now use is an online calculator. This will calculate the price for cleaning your house by factoring in size, frequency, number of rooms, and pets. While this information is useful, it does not replace a face to face interview.

House Cleaning Rates Per Hour

House cleaning rates per hour are usually calculated per “man hour”. That means if a home owner is paying for 6 man hours of cleaning and two cleaners show up, the entire cleaning should take only 3 hours to complete. House cleaning rates per man hour can be as low as $20, but generally average $30 to $50 an hour. New cleaning businesses just getting started tend to charge less in an effort to compete for clients and get their business up and running. They might keep these rates for their first clients in appreciation for their trust, or might raise their rates within three to six months as the business becomes more stable.

The amount of money you are going to pay in house cleaning cost can be directly related to the time you spend keeping the house up in between visits. The tidier the house is when the cleaning service arrives, the more time they can spend on deep cleaning the corners, nooks, and crevices in your home. Kitchens and bathrooms are notorious for collecting grime in hard to reach places.