The average American spends six hours each week cleaning their home. In a society that is increasingly vying for your time, that can seem like an eternity.
So how can you claim back those valuable minutes? One way is to get the cleaning done for you.
Read on as we discuss the professional cleaner cost for residential properties.
Average Cost of Hiring a Cleaner
The professional cleaning cost has numerous factors that can bring it up or down.
However, the national average for cleaning a house, per hour, is $40 to $65 per cleaner. A three-bedroom home averages around $150 to $250, with $80 to $110 being the price for a standard apartment.
What’s Included in the Cost of Hiring a Cleaner?
If you decide to hire a company or private individual, you should always check what their basic service includes. While you may have an idea of what cleaning includes, it may not be that way for the company.
For example, you may expect windows to be washed, while that could be an added cost.
By knowing what is and is not included, you can grasp a much better idea of the yearly outlay. Factor in how often you may need to pay for extra services and see if it fits with your budget.
Below are some tasks which may be added to the standard service.
- Washing Laundry
- Window Cleaning
- Fridge Cleaning
- Oven Cleaning
- Cabinet Cleaning and Organizing
Additional Services
Professional cleaner pricing will increase if you require additional services and some larger tasks.
These are generally not included in everyday cleaning costs, as they take a lot more time or may require specialist equipment. Services such as this will be done less often.
Carpet Cleaning
Carpet cleaning takes and time and requires specialist equipment. Therefore, you will need to notify your cleaner in advance if this is a service you need. Luckily, it will not need to be a weekly occurrence.
Prices are generally quoted by the square foot. Depending on the size of the room, this could be anything from $25 to $70. This could increase if you have many rugs on the carpets that have not been cleaned for a while.
Air Duct Cleaning
General cleaners will probably not clean air ducts, and you may have to call in an HVAC specialist for this. This keeps the quality of the air in the home at a comfortable and healthy level. It also relieves strain on your system, making it last much longer.
This all depends on how many air ducts you have. You can expect to pay around $30 per duct. This can work out at $300 to more than $1000 for bigger properties.
Moving Out Cleaning Costs
The professional cleaner hire cost may differ if you are doing a final, moving-out clean. While the clean usually needs to be much deeper, many of the items in the house are often boxed and ready to be shipped. It is essential to clean out appliances and cabinets to get your rental deposit back.
A small studio apartment will probably cost you around $100. A four-bedroom house could be about $200 to $400, working upwards as the property size increases.
What Service Do You Want?
The first consideration when it comes to the cost of hiring a cleaner is to decide what type of cleaner you want. These fall into two categories: A cleaning company, or a private individual. Both have advantages and disadvantages.
A cleaning company will handle all of the relevant paperwork for you. They will screen employees and have a professional code of practice. This means you can expect consistency, from people turning up on time to the level of cleaning they perform.
The downside is that you may not get the same cleaner every time. As overheads are higher, costs from a company may also be more.
With a private individual, you can build more of a relationship. Adding extra hours and services can be more flexible. It is quite probable that they will also have a cheaper hourly rate.
The downsides are that they are less accountable. If they don’t show, or decide to get another job, you are left wanting. In addition, you are responsible for screening them and the interview process.
Insurance
If you choose a private individual or a company, you need to make sure they have insurance included in their professional cleaning cost. If not, you may be liable for any accidents that occur on your property, either to the employee or with items in the home.
Measure It in Time
An alternative way to measure the value of a cleaner is to measure it in time. A cleaner means you don’t have to do the job. Thus, you are effectively buying your time back.
For example, if your home costs $80 to clean, could you be doing something in that time that earns you more money? Or is the free time it affords you worth $80 of your hard-earned wage? This way, you can see how much value a cleaner will bring.
Finding a Cleaner
Once you know the cost and what you want, you can go about finding a cleaner. The best way is to start with recommendations from friends and family. They may know companies in the local area who provide excellent service.
After this, schedule a meeting with the company boss or individual. You can ask them any questions on how it will work. At this meeting, you can also discuss pricing and what is included in the cleaning cost.
How Much Does a Professional Cleaner Cost?
Once you know the professional cleaner cost and have your service provider, you can begin. It may help to be in the home the first few times to assist the cleaner in finding items and places. After this, you can stay at home or leave and enjoy your leisure time.
Detail Cleaning Services should be your first choice for a Maid Service in the Houston area. We have excellent online reviews to back up our proven track record.
Click here to get an instant online quote for your home.
