What Do You Pay a Cleaning Lady?
When it comes to hiring a cleaning woman or maid services, you would be surprised at what a game-changer it is in terms of keeping your house spotless and getting some of that oh-so precious free time back. But then again, one of the most common questions we all have can be: how much to pay a cleaning lady?
Well, like most things in life, there's no straightforward answer, and it depends on several important factors.
Independent Cleaners vs Cleaning Companies
Apparently, the first thing you do is decide whether you are actually hiring an independent cleaner or calling a cleaning company. Independents may charge whatever they want. Companies pretty much have their prices. But companies often include such extras as insurance, bonding, pre-employment background check on the people coming into your home and supplying a substitute if your regular person is out sick or on vacation.
Generally speaking, a good overall hourly rate to charge as an independent cleaner in your area should be at least $25-30 an hour. As an example, in the larger city of Seattle, an experienced, professional cleaner would charge $40-45 per hour. Some cleaners may prefer to charge a flat fee per home rather than charging by the hour. You can set a flat rate by determining how long your home should take to clean then multiplying that number times the going rate. Example 4 hours x $30/hour=$120 per cleaning.
If you hire through a cleaning company, the maids are probably paid near minimum wage. Here, good etiquette is to tip the cleaners $20-40 each per visit. This is mainly due to the size of your facility or the scope of work. Tips ensure that cleaners earn a living wage.
Factors Affecting Cleaning Service Rates
Beyond just the base rate, here are some other key cost factors for a cleaning lady:
How often you have them clean - The more often they come, the lower the cost per visit tends to be. Recurring is cheaper than a one-time cleaning.
Number of rooms/square footage - It just takes longer to clean a larger home, so it will cost more to do so.
Number of bathrooms - Bathrooms are one of the most time-consuming areas to clean in a home, so more bathrooms equals a higher cost.
State of the house - Very messy or clean ups that take place after a construction take longer and may have an extra charge.
Supplying - Who provides cleaning products and equipment. In case they are bringing theirs then they might charge high if they bring their stuff.
Special needs - To do laundry, dishes, window washing etc takes extra fee alongside the flat rate.
Experience and reputation of the cleaner or company - More experienced cleaners, the bigger the fee they may charge because of a proven reputation.
When hiring, have the cleaner come to your home, walk through your needs and expectations and give you an estimate. Be very clear about what you want done in each room and how long you expect it to take. Get all agreed upon terms in writing.
For example, one well-known Seattle cleaning service, Seattle Green Cleaning Fairy, has transparent flat rate pricing that depends on the number of bedrooms and bathrooms in your home. Extras like laundry, interior windows, and ovens cost an additional $25-40.
Tipping Etiquette
It's common to increase your cleaner's pay by a little bit each year-working an additional 50 cents to a dollar more per hour-if you're happy with their work. Another way to show your appreciation is with an annual holiday or year-end bonus equal to one or two weeks pay.
The standard tip for a cleaning lady is 15-20% per visit-like many service-related vocations. If the cleaning fee is $100, that would be $15-20. Ask first if the cleaning company has a no-tip policy.
If you hire an agency, therefore unable to tip your person directly, you may want to give a cash bonus or gift to your cleaning lady habitués for the good work done.