How Much Do Cleaning Services Cost?

The cost of cleaning services depends on a variety of factors, including the size of the house, the scope of work, and the market where the home is located. Costs may also vary based on how messy your home is before the visit, and whether you hire a company or an independent contractor. In general, though, expect to pay between roughly $117 and $235 for a house cleaning.

Are Cleaning Services Worth It?

Whether hiring a house cleaning service is worth the price depends on how much time you would have to spend cleaning a space yourself. If you can earn more than the cost of cleaning in the time it would take you to do the job yourself, it may be worth hiring a professional. Likewise, if you hate to clean and would rather spend the time relaxing, you may be better off hiring a cleaning service that fits within your budget.

What Is Included in a Basic House Cleaning?

Most cleaning services let customers decide what is covered in each cleaning. That said, a basic house cleaning typically includes dusting, vacuuming, and mopping floors; cleaning bathroom mirrors, toilets, baths, and showers; and wiping down kitchen counters, cabinet doors, appliances, and sinks. Many cleaning services also wash and dry dishes and do laundry, though these services are not usually part of basic house cleaning.

How Often Should My House Be Cleaned?

Most houses need to be cleaned at least weekly or bi-weekly, depending on the number of family members, their cleaning habits, and whether they have pets. If you have a busy home with multiple children or pets, you may need to clean more than once per week. For tidy homes with few residents, a bi-weekly cleaning should suffice.

Best Cleaning Services of 2023

The best cleaning services can take the stress out of keeping your home clean and mess-free. Not only do cleaning companies offer one-time and recurring appointments, but many let customers choose from specialized services like organization, sanitization, and move-in/move-out cleaning.

Dusting, vacuuming, and mopping are just a few of the services you can expect from these cleaning companies. Regardless of the type of cleaning service you’re looking for, top providers have a wide range of offerings, flexible pricing and scheduling, and professional staff. We've rounded up the best cleaning services to help you find the right option for your home.

Best Overall: TIDY
Best Budget: MaidPro
Best Eco-Friendly Cleaning: EcoMaids
Best for Specialized Cleaning: Merry Maids
Best for Local Services: Care.com

Best Overall: TIDY

Key Specs

Eco-Friendly Cleaners: Yes
Bonded and Insured: No
Notable Feature: Digital to-do list for customization

Why We Chose It

TIDY stands out as the best cleaning service overall because of the company’s easy online booking, flexible cancellation policy, and range of services for homes, offices, and rentals.

Pros & Cons

Pros

Provides cleaning services tailored to vacation rentals
Scheduler matches clients with the best professional for their needs
All cleaning professionals pass a thorough background check

Cons

Job insurance is not included but can be purchased separately

Overview

TIDY is an online platform that connects customers with certified cleaning professionals via an online appointment management platform and mobile app.

Services are available in almost 200 cities across the U.S. with locations in more than 100 countries, and clients can hire professionals to clean their homes, offices, and rental properties. TIDY’s cleaning professionals must pass a thorough background check, complete TIDY’s highly selective certification process, and use green, non-toxic, and pet- and baby-safe products.

In addition to ensuring housekeepers and other cleaning professionals are well-trained, TIDY makes it easy for customers to communicate their needs. The platform includes a free digital to-do list feature, so you can share everything from how the cleaners can get into your home to how they should make the bed or do laundry; as a client, you can also request before and after photos and set priorities.

TIDY also makes it easy for vacation rental owners to integrate booking channels and property management systems, so cleanings are scheduled automatically. Users can also automatically connect their TIDY account to platforms like Slack, Email, SMS, and other tools.

Keep in mind, however, that TIDY does not include insurance in its standard pricing—instead, you’ll need to pay for optional job insurance to cover things like theft and damage claims.

Best Budget: MaidPro

Key Specs

Eco-Friendly Cleaners: Yes
Bonded and Insured: Yes
Notable Feature: Local deals and flexible prices

Why We Chose It

For customers on a tight budget, MaidPro makes it easy to choose exactly what you want the company’s cleaning specialists to focus on and how much you can afford to pay for each visit.

Pros & Cons

Pros

Specialists work with customers to build a service that fits their budget
Priority Clean option lets customers choose which parts of the house are cleaned
Customers can skip a cleaning with just two days' notice

Cons

Charges cancellation fees for appointments within two business days

Overview

MaidPro is a top cleaning service that’s available nationwide and in Canada. In addition to being bonded and insured (including worker's compensation), MaidPro follows a 49-step checklist to ensure its cleaning services are effective and eco-friendly.

Cleaning professionals not only use eco-friendly products, but they also employ green routing to cut back on travel distance and choose more sustainable equipment. What really stands out about MaidPro, though, is the flexibility of pricing and availability of local deals, even for those on a tight budget.

Local teams work with customers to create a budget-friendly service based on the size and condition of each home as well as the frequency of service.

There are no contracts, and customers can choose from weekly, biweekly, monthly, and one-time appointments—plus morning or afternoon arrival times. Like TIDY, MaidPro has a mobile app that makes it easy to submit feedback and ensures your service is top-quality.

Best Eco-Friendly Cleaning: EcoMaids

Key Specs

Eco-Friendly Cleaners: Yes
Bonded and Insured: Yes
Notable Feature: Color-coded system prevents cross-contamination

Why We Chose It

Treehugger readers can count on EcoMaids to use environmentally friendly and all-natural products that are allergen and toxin-free—plus, you won’t catch them greenwashing practices that aren’t actually safe for the environment.

Pros & Cons

Pros

Uses cleaning products that are environmentally friendly and all-natural
Color-coded cleaning system reduces the risk of cross-contamination
Fully bonded and insured

Cons

Fewer locations than some other top services

Overview

Many of the best cleaning services advertise their use of environmentally friendly cleaning products. EcoMaids goes above and beyond by only using cleaning products that are certified by Green Seal and EPA Safer Choice—and there’s no greenwashing, so you know its products are truly eco-friendly.

What’s more, all of EcoMaids’ cleaning products are allergen and toxin-free and its cleaning professionals use a color-coded system to prevent cross-contamination.

Customers can choose from everything from apartment and house cleaning services to deep cleaning and disinfecting, move-in/move-out cleaning services, and commercial cleaning. You can also schedule a one-time cleaning, which is perfect if you’re prepping your house for a party or want to clean up after a renovation project.

EcoMaids is fully bonded and insured, and staff members follow a 64-point cleaning checklist and bring all of their own cleaning equipment and products.

Best for Specialized Cleaning: Merry Maids

Key Specs

Eco-Friendly Cleaners: Optional
Bonded and Insured: Yes
Notable Feature: 24-hour cleaning guarantee

Why We Chose It

Merry Maids stands out because its professionals offer holiday cleanings, organization, and move-in/move-out services in addition to standard housekeeping.

Pros & Cons

Pros

Offers a wide range of service options
Checklists detail how Merry Maids will clean each room in a client’s home
Available in over 500 locations across the U.S. and Canada

Cons

Some customers report poor communication

Overview

Founded in 1979, Merry Maids is a well-established company that offers a wide range of cleaning services. In addition to house and apartment cleaning, customers can choose from more advanced options like detailed cleanings, enhanced disinfection, specialty cleanings for walls and windows, packing and unpacking, and kitchen appliances.

Beyond that, Merry Maids provides organizational services, holiday cleaning, and move-in and move-out services for both tenants and landlords.

When it comes to individual cleaning appointments, Merry Maids follows room-specific checklists that clients can view before scheduling a cleaning.

If a client isn’t 100% satisfied with the cleaning service, they can contact Merry Maids within 24 hours and a cleaning professional will return and correct the mistake for no additional fee. Like many top cleaning services, Merry Maids’ cleaning professionals are trained, bonded, and insured.

Best for Local Services: Care.com

Key Specs

Eco-Friendly Cleaners: Optional
Bonded and Insured: Varies
Notable Feature: Quick view of cleaner experience and hourly rates

Why We Chose It

If you prefer to hire a local independent contractor rather than a cleaning company, Care.com makes it easy to find experienced housekeepers that fit your needs.

Pros & Cons

Pros

Background checks all contractors
Clients can choose whether service providers bring their own supplies and equipment
User interface is intuitive and easy to use

Cons

Does not provide consistent professionals and services like dedicated cleaning companies

Overview

Care.com is an online platform that connects users with local professionals in a range of service areas, including child care and senior care.

Care.com allows users to connect with local individuals and companies that can provide housekeeping and cleaning services in their areas. To get started, customers can create an account, search for professionals based on specific needs, and hire them through the platform.

Care.com connects customers with third-party cleaning professionals, but the platform conducts background checks on all caregivers, including a Social Security number trace, a national sex offender public website search, a multi-jurisdictional criminal database search, and a federal and county criminal records search.

The website also makes it easy to see how much experience each service provider has, what they charge per hour, and other details needed to make an informed hiring decision.

Final Verdict

TIDY, our best cleaning service overall, earns high marks because of the wide range of services, easy booking process, and flexible cancellation policy. The company also excels because of how seamlessly it manages vacation rental properties by integrating with a number of booking platforms.

Compare the Best Cleaning Services

Company	Eco-Friendly Cleaners	Bonded and Insured	Notable Feature
Best Overall: TIDY	Yes	No	Digital to-do list for customization
Best Budget: MaidPro	Yes	Yes	49-step cleaning checklist
Best Eco-Friendly: EcoMaids	Yes	Yes	Color-coded system prevents cross-contamination
Best for Specialized Cleaning: Merry Maids	Optional	Yes	24-hour cleaning guarantee
Best for Local Services: Care.com	Optional	Varies	Quick view of cleaner experience and hourly rates

Guide to Choosing a Cleaning Service

Rates

Cleaning rates depend heavily upon the type and amount of cleaning you need. Some cleaners charge hourly, while others offer flat rates for different services (daily cleaning, deep cleaning, cleaning by room, etc.) that can be determined during a quote for your home.

Cleaning Services

The best cleaning services offer multiple options for customers to choose the right type of cleaning for their home. Common services include move in/out cleaning, apartment cleaning, house cleaning, disinfecting, holiday cleaning, housekeeping, specialty cleaning, and one-time cleans.

Customization Options

Most cleaning services allow customization for the specific cleaning tasks you need. For example, you may opt for basic living room and kitchen cleanings, but opt to do the dishes or clean the appliances yourself to save on cleaning costs. If you want a more detailed service, you may choose to add options like wiping down baseboards, cleaning windows, or dusting ceiling fans.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Much Do Cleaning Services Cost?

The cost of cleaning services depends on a variety of factors, including the size of the house, the scope of work, and the market where the home is located. Costs may also vary based on how messy your home is before the visit, and whether you hire a company or an independent contractor. In general, though, expect to pay between roughly $117 and $235 for a house cleaning.
Are Cleaning Services Worth It?

Whether hiring a house cleaning service is worth the price depends on how much time you would have to spend cleaning a space yourself. If you can earn more than the cost of cleaning in the time it would take you to do the job yourself, it may be worth hiring a professional. Likewise, if you hate to clean and would rather spend the time relaxing, you may be better off hiring a cleaning service that fits within your budget.
What Is Included in a Basic House Cleaning?

Most cleaning services let customers decide what is covered in each cleaning. That said, a basic house cleaning typically includes dusting, vacuuming, and mopping floors; cleaning bathroom mirrors, toilets, baths, and showers; and wiping down kitchen counters, cabinet doors, appliances, and sinks. Many cleaning services also wash and dry dishes and do laundry, though these services are not usually part of basic house cleaning.
How Often Should My House Be Cleaned?

Most houses need to be cleaned at least weekly or bi-weekly, depending on the number of family members, their cleaning habits, and whether they have pets. If you have a busy home with multiple children or pets, you may need to clean more than once per week. For tidy homes with few residents, a bi-weekly cleaning should suffice.

Methodology

To select the best cleaning services, we looked at the scope of services and geographic availability offered by 10 services. Each company was evaluated based on factors like whether team members are subject to background checks and whether the company takes steps to reduce the environmental impact of cleaning. Finally, we considered the customer experience by comparing the ease of booking, cancellation policies, and satisfaction guarantees available through each provider.