How much does a cleaning service cost?

This is probably the first question most people ask when looking for a cleaner or cleaning service and I’ve answered this question hundreds of times as best I can, but the truth is like many things in life, there isn’t a clear-cut answer.

Price matters because it’s going to completely dictate the kind of cleaner or cleaning service you’ll be getting. Ultimately the end result of any home cleaning should be the same, a beautifully clean home right? Unfortunately like any other service whether it’s mechanics, builders, hairdressers or cleaners, you pay for what you get and the end result can be the opposite of what you’d hoped for.

Let’s dig in and I’ll explain the types of cleaning services and the pros and cons of using different types.

Large Nationwide Cleaning Companies

We’ve got the bigger franchise businesses, they’re usually at the higher end of the price point and this is due to them having to pay a percentage of their income to the franchise business at the top to cover their marketing costs and overheads. Their services are overall generally good, however,  their terms and conditions are very much set in stone meaning less flexibility in what can and cannot be done to meet the client’s needs. If you need to cancel at short notice chances are there will still be a fee to pay to cover the cleaner’s salaries for the time set aside for your clean. Their staff are generally directly employed and have all had to go through company training and background checks and are well-versed in the way the company wants things done, though this doesn’t align with what the customer needs, think checklists and timed tasks. The cleaners work in teams of up to three people in most cases and they don’t guarantee that have the same team each week so this can cause issues with continuity and having to explain to new cleaners each week what your pain points are. Prices aren’t available per hour but based on a recent quotation we had it equated to upwards of £33 per hour.

Cleaning Agencies

Another option is a cleaning agency, there are several in the UK and they’re mostly spotted as sponsored cleaning companies at the top of the Google rankings when you search for cleaners and usually lead with a low-cost price point.

Agencies advertise for cleaners on a self-employed basis, they’ll usually carry out a telephone interview only and once background checked, distribute jobs to the cleaners. Cleaning agencies are a more cost-effective option but come with their own set of drawbacks, firstly being that cleaners are all self-employed meaning that the agency has little control over reliability and continuity. The homeowner needs to provide all of the cleaning products and equipment needed to carry out the cleaning in your home, meaning you’ll need to make sure you’ve got exactly what they need, also responsibility for training and insurance sits firmly with the cleaner. As the homeowner, you’ll need to be comfortable with having a cleaner in your home that no one has actually met in person, this isn’t the end of the world but remember that this cleaner isn’t employed by a company. You can expect to pay a monthly agency fee in the region of £30-£45 a month and then the cleaner will need to be paid on top, usually between £15-£18 per hour depending on location and most cleaners will expect cash to be left out for them on arrival. If you know exactly what you want each week, you don’t mind who’s working in your house, you’re less worried about it being the same person every week and you’re happy to pay an agency fee and get cash out of the cleaner then this could be a good option.

Local Cleaning Services

Local cleaning service providers are usually started as one-man cleaners who’ve grown by reputation to provide local homeowners with a good reliable service. Using a local cleaning service can offer a more personalised and attentive service as they’re not tied up by corporate guidelines meaning that you’re likely to build a relationship with the business too. Most local businesses employ local staff directly and provide all products and equipment. They’re able to offer more flexibility if a change is needed last minute and will always try to help where they can. It’s often easier to verify the reputation and trustworthiness of a local cleaning service through local references and reviews, after all reputation is what their business is based on. As well as wanting to build strong community connections, local cleaning businesses support the local economy by employing staff from the area and contributing to the well-being of the community. Overall, using a local cleaning service can offer reliability, and a sense of community that may be harder to find with larger, non-local cleaning companies. Local cleaning services can charge either by the hour or by the job so you would need to discuss their individual prices directly but you can expect prices to range from £22-£30 per hour

Self Employed Cleaners

Self-employed cleaners are usually at the beginning stages within the cleaning industry, they’re generally (but not always) women who enjoy cleaning their own homes and see it as a great way to make money and fit in work around family life. Some may provide their own cleaning products whilst others may expect to use the customers. It’s important to check that any individual cleaner carries their own insurance, this is to protect both you and them in the event that any damage is caused to your property. All good individual cleaners will be able to provide references to potential customers and should be happy to offer a paid trial clean so you can test their skills. Good cleaners will usually have a waiting list and people will be happy to recommend them. The downside to this type of cleaner is that social media has made it very easy for anyone to think they can become a cleaner and that it’s easy entry and quick money, the truth is that there are many bad cleaners who lack skill, chemical knowledge and treat the customer as disposable, they think nothing of cancelling cleans last minute, ghost your messages and potentially cause damage and disappear. If this is the type of service you’re considering I would recommend following up on references, checking insurance details and asking a few research questions about their cleaning experience. Should sickness arise it could mean you’re left without your regular service and during holiday periods you may need to maintain your own home. Self-employed cleaners are usually the most cost-effective due to their lack of overheads and experience. Depending on location charges range between £15-£18 per hour but buyer beware, check and double check their credentials.

So now that you know what type of cleaning services are on offer, other things to consider are what type of cleaning you need, (told you there was no clear-cut answer to this), there’s regular cleaning, deep cleaning, one-off services, biohazard cleaning, end of tenancy, move out, move in cleaning, laundry services and full housekeeping, and this list isn’t exhaustive.

I hope at least that you’ve been able to understand why prices vary across the cleaning industry and that there’s usually something to suit your personal situation and budget, it just depends on what type of service is going to suit you and your needs.

If you’re in Chelmsford or the surrounding area and would like a free estimate we’re here to help you. However, if we’re not the type of service you’re after then we wish you luck with finding the one that works best for you.