How much does a cleaner cost?

A clean home is uplifting, while a dirty one can feel upsetting. Whether you’re currently swamped with work deadlines or just finished a home renovation project, hiring a cleaner can make your home much better. But how much does a cleaner cost?

Cleaner costs per hour range from $20 to $60 per hour. This could still go up depending on the condition of the house, complexity of the task, frequency of cleaning, and type of cleaning service.

All these factors can feel overwhelming, especially if it’s your first time booking a service. With our price guide, you can find out exactly how much cleaners charge and make an informed choice for your own home.

Top factors that affect how much a cleaner costs

Numerous factors affect how much a cleaner is. If you want to know more about how much cleaners charge, we’ve listed the important factors to consider below.

Size and quantity of room

The bigger the room, the longer it will take for the cleaner to finish the job. Aside from size, quantity is another factor. The more rooms that need cleaning, the higher the cost of hiring a cleaner.

Type of room

Each room is different. Bathrooms usually take longer to clean than other room types. If you have more bathrooms at home, the longer and more complex the job will be, the more expensive the cost will be.  

Frequency of cleaning

When booking a domestic cleaner, you can decide to hire a one-off service by the hour or an ongoing weekly or monthly service. Domestic cleaner prices are usually cheaper if you opt for a continued service compared to one-off cleaning.

Condition

The condition of the room, commercial space, or house will also affect how much cleaners charge per hour. The cost of cleaning an office after building work would be different from your regular weekly home cleaning. If you have kids or pets at home, costs might increase as it will take more time to clean up stains, toys, fur, and other dirt accumulated in the home.

If the cleaning job requires handling harmful wastes or dangerous items, an additional fee is often charged to cover the equipment and safety handling of these.

Location

The location will also affect how much cleaners charge in Australia. If you live in New South Wales or the Australian Capital Territory, the cost to hire a cleaner is higher by around $5 to $10 due to the higher cost of living.

Level of cleaning

Aside from the factors mentioned above, how much do cleaners get paid for domestic cleaning would differ depending on the level of cleaning needed.

Basic, regular cleaning starts at $20 per hour while a more in-depth deep cleaning is more expensive and can go up to $60 to $90. While regular clean already covers the basics of tidying the house and cleaning sinks and counters, deep cleaning is more thorough, covering oven and window cleaning and limescale removal in the bathroom.

Different types of cleaning services and costs

There are different tasks involved in cleaning a house. How much is a cleaner per hour would depend on the tasks and scale of cleaning needed. To help plan your budget and avoid surprise spending, we’ve listed the estimated cost per task per hour.

Cleaning quotes from Taskers

Benefits of hiring a cleaner

There are many benefits to hiring a cleaner:

• Helps save money – Regular cleaning keeps your home in its best shape, preventing costly repairs in the long run

• Saves you time and energy – Hiring a cleaner saves you time and energy that can be allotted in spending time with your loved ones

• Keeps your home safe and secured – An expert cleaner has extensive knowledge on stain, dirt, and dust removal, keeping your home a safe, germ-free space to live in

• Keeps you and your family healthy – Hiring a cleaner help get rid of mould, dust, and other allergens that are hidden in tough to reach places

• Lessens stress – A cleaner helps lessen your stress in preparing and cleaning up in each life milestone through putting things back in order after parties and construction, moving in and moving out

Cleaning checklist

With the range of activities involved in cleaning, monitoring each task and each room can be a pain. Use the checklist below to help you stay on top of the cleaning services done in your home and to make the most out of your budget:

General home cleaning

No matter which room, general home cleaning involves three main steps.

• Organising the room – Organise the room by cleaning up clutter and putting it back in its proper place

• Dusting the items and walls – Remove dust and dirt through dusting and wiping the area with microfiber cloths. Be careful when dealing with gadgets and appliances and don’t forget the ceiling!

• Floor cleaning – Clean up the floors through vacuuming and mopping

Bathroom

• Sort through personal care products and makeup and discard expired items

• Clean up makeup brushes

• Clean the vanity

• Wipe the mirror

• Clean the tub, shower, and showerhead

• Replace the shower curtain

• Scrub tile grout with a grout cleaner

• Clean toilet and hardware

• Sweep and mop floors

• Wipe walls and baseboards

Kitchen

• Clean kitchen appliances – stovetop, oven, microwave, dishwasher, refrigerator

• Wipe the drawers and shelves inside the refrigerator and freezer

• Defrost the freezer

• Check the food and groceries in the pantry, fridge, and freezer and discard expired items

• Clear the countertops

• Remove grease from cabinet doors and backsplash

• Remove all items in the cabinets and thoroughly wipe the inside

• Clean the seals of the fridge/freezer

• Dust the exteriors, specifically high surfaces of appliances and cabinets in the kitchen –microwave, range hood, fridge, cabinets

• Clean, deodorise, and degrease the kitchen drain

• Clean kitchen sponges and dish rags

• Wipe walls and baseboards

• Mop floors

Feel like freshening up your home? Whether you want to have your whole house deep cleaned or just want to know how much cleaners charge, get a personalised quote in minutes when you put up a task on Airtasker.