How much does a house cleaner cost in the UK? 2020

Updated: Read our latest 2021 House Cleaner Price Guide.

Average price of a house cleaner in the UK

£10 – £20 per hour

What can I expect to pay for a house cleaner?

Want to hire a house cleaner but not sure of the cost? Read on to find out how much your cleaning expert will charge for regular visits, one-off cleaning services, deep cleans, and more. With the housework out of the way, you’ll have more time to focus on what matters in life.

Benefits of hiring a cleaning service

We all want a pristine home, but let’s be honest, scrubbing the floors or dusting for hours isn’t on the top of our list of priorities – especially when life is already so hectic! Whether you’re looking for a one-off clean or regular visits, hiring a house cleaner is a great way to keep your home in tip-top condition, giving you the time to focus on what’s important to you.

A house cleaner will be armed with the tools and knowledge to get rid of stubborn stains and keep your home germ-free. If you are looking for specialist services like oven or end of tenancy cleaning, Bark can help you find an expert for the job.

How much does a house cleaner cost in the UK?

There is no fixed rate for house cleaning, but to give you a general idea, we’ve put together a breakdown of the average cost based on the prices of local UK professionals:

Average cost (per hour) £15
Minimum cost (per hour) £10
Maximum cost (per hour) £20

What changes the price of hiring a house cleaner?

The cost of domestic cleaning services can vary depending on a number of factors. These include:

  • Type of cleaning service
  • Number and size of rooms
  • Condition of your house – deep cleaning vs. regular cleaning
  • Location

Type of cleaning service

There are lots of different cleaning services available based on the requirements for your home. Some cleaning services need more time, effort, and specialist equipment than others, which makes them more expensive per hour. To get a better idea of how much different types of cleaning services cost on average, see our handy breakdown below: 

Type of cleaning Average price (per hour)
Window cleaning £25
General cleaning £15
Floor cleaning £15
After building work cleaning £14
Fridge cleaning £12
Upholstery cleaning £12

Some cleaning services are normally charged at a set price instead of per hour:

Type of cleaning  Average set price 
Carpet cleaning (per room) £25 – £35 
Oven cleaning (per appliance) £45 – £60

Number and size of rooms

It’s no surprise that the more rooms you have, the higher the price of a house cleaner will be. Some rooms take longer to clean than others. Bathrooms are notorious for being a pain to clean as they get dirty so quickly, so the more bathrooms you have, the more you will pay. 

If you have bigger rooms, the cost per hour or set price will be higher. To give you an understanding of this, here’s how much a carpet cleaning service will cost on average depending on the size of the room: 

Room size  Average cost (in total)
Small  £25
Medium £30 
Large £35

Condition of your house

If you’ve neglected your home for too long, a house cleaner will charge more as they’ll need more time to whip it back into shape. If you feel like your home needs that extra little bit of TLC, you may want to hire someone for a deep clean, which is normally carried out every 3-6 months. A deep clean is more expensive than a regular clean, which is normally carried out every 1-2 weeks. 

A regular clean involves: 

  • Tidying the house
  • Cleaning the bathroom (toilet, shower, sink)
  • Cleaning the kitchen (wiping counters, cleaning hobs, removing rubbish) 

A deep clean involves: 

  • Removing limescale from shower heads
  • Oven cleaning
  • Window cleaning 

Deep cleaning is more expensive as it requires a more thorough job. 

Type of cleaning  Average price (per hour) 
Regular cleaning £10 – 15
Deep cleaning  £15 – £20

Location

Another factor to consider is your location. Like most services, expect to pay more if you live in bigger cities, like London. To give you a better idea, here is the average cost of a house cleaner in the big smoke compared to other parts of the UK. Find a house cleaner in London.  

Location Average price (per hour) 
London £15 – £20
Rest of UK £10 – £15

How can I save money on house cleaning services?

  • Regular cleaning – If you hire a cleaner on a regular basis you will keep costs down as you won’t have to pay a hefty fee for a deep-cleaning service later down the line.
  • Keep labour time at a minimum – If you want to keep costs down, be picky when choosing which rooms need to be cleaned, as this will reduce the labour time needed and total price. Bedrooms are fairly low maintenance, so you could clean these yourself to minimise costs.
  • Price packages – Some cleaners will offer discounts for regular weekly or biweekly visits – so don’t be afraid to haggle!

Need a break from cleaning? Let us do the legwork for you. Find a House Cleaner on Bark.com 

Four things to consider when hiring a house cleaner

It’s probably fair to say that people who enjoy cleaning – whether that’s the morning after an eventful party or simply the regular upkeep of your house – are in the minority. So for many, having a professional do the job for you is a godsend. But it’s not always as straightforward as it may seem, so to help you make an informed decision first time round, we’ve included Bark’s top tips for hiring a cleaner below.

Rubber gloves at the ready!
Rubber gloves at the ready!

Trust

Unlike hiring a plumber or hiring an electrician, who are generally brought in for one-off jobs, the majority of people looking for cleaners will want a regular service. This means it’s likely your cleaner will spend a large proportion of time alone in your home, making trust imperative. While initial contact may well take place online, don’t be afraid to ask for a face-to-face meeting to get a better feel for them.

Everyone’s favourite task!

Recommendations

So the meeting with the person you’re interested in hiring goes really well – but don’t take their word for the quality of the work they do. It’s important to seek out endorsements and recommendations from third party sources. Look particularly for testimonials on channels that aren’t run or owned by the cleaner – such as directories, listings, and Bark.com – to get the best, impartial insight in to their standards.

Price

Is your cleaner being vague about their fees? Then your ‘spidey senses’ should be tingling! Cleaning, as a service is largely charged by the hour and tends not to differ immensely from building to building, apart from if you’re looking for more complicated packages such as a deep clean, additional ironing services or for your cleaner to bring their own equipment. An upfront answer should therefore not be hard to come by.

Leave the equipment to the pros...
Leave the equipment to the pros…

Trial run

You may get on with your cleaner well; they may be both local and affordable but if they don’t clean your house effectively, then what’s the point? Inviting professionals for a trial session is commonplace and will help you when making your final decision. At the same time, you’ll be able to show them where things are tidied and allows time for any questions.

There’s plenty more info in our cleaning checklist. And for more Bark.com tips and insights, why not check out our other blogs?