Most cleaning is priced by time, either by the hour or as a fixed price worked out from how long the job should take. So the short answer to what affects the cost of a cleaner is anything that makes the job longer or shorter: the size of the home, its condition, the type of clean, how often you book and what extras you add. This post goes through each one. For the figures themselves, see our current cleaning prices.
Size and layout
A one-bedroom flat takes less time than a four-bedroom house, but bedrooms are only part of it. Bathrooms and kitchens take the longest per room, so a house with three bathrooms costs more to clean than one with a single bathroom and the same number of bedrooms. Stairs, a separate utility room or a conservatory all add time too.
Condition
A home that is cleaned every week takes far less time than one that has been left for months. The first visit to a new customer often takes longer than the visits that follow, because it brings the home up to a level that is then easy to maintain. Pets, building work and a busy household all add to the time a clean needs.
Type of clean
Each type of clean has a different purpose and a different amount of work:
- Regular cleaning keeps a home in order, so each visit is shorter. See regular domestic cleaning.
- One-off and spring cleans take longer, because they catch up on everything at once.
- A deep clean goes behind, under and inside, with descaling and detail work a routine visit leaves out.
- End of tenancy cleaning covers the whole empty property, with the inside of the oven, fridge and cupboards available as extras, so it is usually quoted by property size.
If you are not sure which you need, our guide to which type of clean your home needs compares them.
How often you book
Regular visits usually cost less per hour than occasional ones. A cleaner who comes every week keeps on top of the build-up, so each visit goes further. On our own price list, weekly cleaning has a lower hourly rate than fortnightly, and catch-up or one-off cleaning costs more again.
Products and equipment
We bring the cleaning products and equipment. Other companies may include them in the rate, charge for them separately or ask you to provide them, so ask about this when you compare quotes, otherwise the cheaper-looking quote may not be.
Extras
Some jobs take long enough to be priced on their own:
- inside the oven, fridge or freezer
- interior windows and blinds
- carpet cleaning, which is not part of a standard end of tenancy price
- upholstery cleaning
- after-builders cleaning, which involves fine dust and debris throughout the property
Minimum visits and access
Most companies set a minimum charge per visit, because travel and setting up take the same time whether the clean lasts one hour or four. Ours is a minimum call-out charge per visit. Easy access helps too: a key or code left for the cleaner, somewhere to park and a home that has been tidied of clutter all mean more of the paid time goes on cleaning.
Company or private cleaner
A cleaning company’s hourly rate pays for things an individual may not have: insurance, training, replacement cleaners for holidays and illness, travel between jobs and an office to deal with. A private cleaner can be cheaper per hour but may offer less cover. Our post on whether to choose a low-cost cleaner or a cleaning company compares the two in more detail, and how a cleaning quote is worked out shows what we ask before we price a job.
To see what this means for your home, see Woking cleaning prices, call 01483 773531 or ask for a free quote.