House cleaners do the intimate work of taking care of our homes. A person who takes pride in providing such a personal, physically demanding service should be compensated accordingly. But how much?

Key Takeaways

1. Pay a living wage, which is typically $25.00-$30.00 per hour
2. Pay a minimum of three hours per cleaning
3. Create a written contract with an explicit cancellation policy
4. Add $5 per cleaning for paid time off
5. Pay extra for supplementary services and cleaning supplies

Should I pay a cleaner an hourly or flat rate?

While some house cleaners prefer a flat fee for cleaning a house or apartment, others charge by the hour. To understand fair pay for house cleaners, it’s important to understand that cleaners have chunks of time in their day that are unpaid, like travel time and picking up supplies. For this reason, if you are paying hourly, Hand in Hand recommends you pay for at least three hours per cleaning).

If you agree on a flat fee, calculate it based on an hourly rate for cleaning your home on its messiest day. For example, let’s say it takes a cleaner between three and hour hours to clean your home depending on the week. Set a flat rate of $120 every cleaning, which is $30.00 per hour for four hours.

A cleaner’s estimate may depend on factors like:

• The size of your home
• The frequency of cleanings (less frequent cleanings can take longer)
• The messiness of your household (hairy pets and/or messy children)
• The kinds of cleaning tasks involved

Invite prospective cleaners to your home so that they may provide a quote. If you can’t afford what they’ve requested, rather than negotiating down their rate, compromise on some of the tasks involved or the frequency of their visits.

Supplementary deep cleaning and “extras”

Discuss specifics upfront outlining deep cleaning tasks, which such as cleaning an oven or fridge or washing windows or carpet. Additional services should cost extra. If you later ask a cleaner to take on a new task, compensate them accordingly. You can reference our Domestic Worker Task List Worksheet for help clarifying expectations.

Benefits, bonuses, and raises

In most of the country, house cleaners don’t have formal access to paid time off. That’s why we recommend paying an additional $5.00 per cleaning appointment. Cumulatively, cleaners can use these funds to when the need to take sick days, vacation, or time to care for a loved one.

Giving an annual bonus and annual pay raise helps the cleaner support themselves and increases potential for them to provide services to your family long-term.

Other considerations

If you need to reschedule or cancel a cleaning appointment, make sure to provide  at least 48 hours notice. They’ll lose opportunities for other work if they’re holding the same slot for you. Commit to pay them for their time if you cancel with less notice.

Additionally, provide or pay for appropriate safety equipment, such as masks, gloves, and nontoxic cleaning supplies.

Details like these should be included in a written agreement you create together. Check out our sample work agreement to get you started.

Through our work, Hand in Hand has learned that domestic workers value, above all, appreciation for their work. Remember to say thank you.

Next Steps

1. Download our sample contract that details clear policies and expectations, including a cancellation policy, compensation for extra services, paid time off, and reimbursement for supplies.
2. Continue learning about how to be a fair employer.
3. Become a member of Hand in Hand.