7 Reasons Why Cleaning Is So Expensive

Keeping your house clean can be a tedious task, especially if you work full time, have small children, or have pets. As a result, many busy homeowners hire professional cleaning staff to help reduce their stress and make life easier.

And anyone who’s hired a cleaning service can attest to the fact that they are not cheap. In fact, they can be pretty expensive. But what many people don’t realize is that there are a number of reasons why this is the case.

In this blog post, we discuss seven of the most common reasons why cleaning services cost so much money. By understanding these reasons, you can better decide if hiring a cleaning service is right for you and your family.

Picture of two people cleaning a house

Seven reasons house cleaning services are expensive

  1. The first reason is that cleaners need to make a profit. They have to pay their employees, rent space for their business, buy equipment and supplies, and pay for marketing and advertising. All of these costs add up, and cleaners need to charge enough to cover them.
  2. The second reason is that cleaners need to be insured. This protects them in case something goes wrong while they are working in your home. As you can see, there are a lot of costs that go into running a cleaning business, which ultimately get passed down to the consumer.
  3. Another reason why cleaning services are so expensive is that they often have to work around your schedule. If you need them to come at a specific time or day, it can often be difficult to accommodate everyone.
  4. Cleaning supplies aren’t cheap, they have to pay for all thier cleaning supplies and equipment they use to make your house sparkle.
  5. Most people who work in the cleaning industry are paid hourly. This means that the longer it takes them to clean your home, the more it will cost you.
  6. Transportation: Cleaning services have to travel to work, and with the price of gas and automobiles transportation expenses are costly.
  7. Wages are rising, when the government or society raise wages that cost is ultimately borne by consumers through higher prices for goods and services.

Why do house cleaners charge so much?

It’s no secret that house cleaners charge a lot of money. But many people are still wondering why they do. After all, it’s just a few hours of work, right? Well, the truth is that house cleaning is a lot more complex than it seems.

One reason house cleaners charge so much money is because of the high cost of supplies. Home cleaning products are not cheap, and they can add up quickly.

In addition, professional-grade equipment is often required to do the job correctly. This means that house cleaners have to spend a lot of money on supplies and equipment just to get started.

To get your house clean and smelling fresh takes an investment in products that not only work well but smell good. These are typically the best brands of cleaning products.

And you need specialized products for various surfaces, like stainless steel, porcelain, wood floors, marble, the list goes on and on. Here is a list of the staples house cleaners need to keep on hand:

  • Disinfectants
  • Degreasers
  • Chlorine
  • Polishes
  • Bleach
  • Floor cleaner
  • Tub and tile cleaner
  • Carpet cleaner
  • Stainless steel cleaner
  • Microfiber rags
  • Brushes
  • Buckets
  • Mops
  • Vaccuums
  • Brooms
  • Swiffer
  • Steam cleaner

The more varied products you choose for any reason, the more likely an increase in cost is expected.    

Another reason house cleaners charge so much money is because of the high cost of insurance. Professional liability insurance is a must for any business that provides services to others.

This type of insurance protects the business from lawsuits if something goes wrong during the course of providing its service. For example, if a house cleaner damages someone’s property while cleaning it, they could be sued for thousands of dollars.

The complexity of the cleaning job may require expertise and increase the cost of the cleaning job. For example, if you have a lot of hardwood floors, your house cleaner will need to use a different type of cleaner and may even need to rent or buy a particular machine.

The same goes for carpeted rooms – cleaners often have to bring their own machines and solutions in order to do a good job. These factors contribute to the overall cost of hiring a house cleaner.

All of these factors – the cost of supplies and equipment, professional liability insurance, and the physical demands of the job – contribute to why house cleaners charge so much money.

So next time you’re tempted to complain about the price of a house cleaning service, remember that there’s a lot more than meets the eye when it comes to this business!

How much does it cost to get your house cleaned?

When you want to know how much it costs to get your house cleaned, you must realize that prices vary. The cost to get your home cleaned depends on the size of the house, the condition of the house, the routine of the inhabitants, the type of cleaning, and if additional services are requested.

However, the average cost to clean a house is $100-$150, but again it depends on several other factors, such as if you opt for an hourly rate which on average is $25-$80 per hour, you may end up with an expensive cleaning.

Another contributing factor to house cleaning cost is the number of cleaners. The more cleaners you hire, whether hourly based or at a fixed rate, the higher the costs.

Professionals may differentiate their services in particular ways, so it is always advisable to ask about the details of each cleaning job before they start and check the prices for special requests.

House cleaning cost calculator

There are many online tools available to calculate the cost of house cleaning. The most basic house cleaning calculating formula is:

Add all the estimated times for cleaning jobs and divide it by 60 to get the time required (250/60= 4.16) and multiply the answer with the hourly rate (4.116*25=125). This formula is to calculate the hourly house cleaning cost.

If you want to calculate per square foot, you first need to fix a square foot rate. For example, if the per square foot rate is $0.10, multiply the total square feet to get the cleaning cost. (0.10*3000=300)  

What should it cost to clean a 3,000 square foot house?

The cost to clean a 3,000 square foot house is between $250 to $350. This is variable cost as several other factors such as specific cleaning products like disinfectants, cleaning type, and the cost of equipment to use.

How much to charge for deep cleaning a house

It takes almost 12-15 hours to deep clean a mid-sized house. As deep cleaning involves a more detailed-oriented cleaning activity, the cost may exceed the regular price.

However, on average, the cost to deep clean a house is between $400-$600. Calculating the rate for deep cleaning a home is highly subjective, so I suggest using an online cost calculator.  

Picture of a person cleaning floors

Types of house cleaning

Standard: This is the most common because and doesn’t include deep or detailed cleaning; for example, it’s unlikely to involve washing windows or baseboards.

It is also known as maintenance cleaning, and the idea is to do it periodically so that it is unnecessary to request a deeper job that could be more expensive.

Deep: A deep clean may include clearing out refrigerators, wiping light fixtures, windows, and even steam cleaning grout, making it a good option for an annual cleanup or after a home remodel when the dust is everywhere.

It is also ideal for houses that have been abandoned for a long time. We recommend that everyone should do a deep clean twice a year.

Moving: This service is recommended for when you move to a new home and do not have time to clean yourself. By having this done before you unpack you’re sure to start off on the right footing.

Typically, a moving-in cleaning includes wiping down all the exposed surfaces, kitchen drawers, and other regions. It also is a good way to sanitize your house of germs and environmental bacteria left by the former occupants.

For events:  This type of cleaning can help you clean the house before or after an important event. In other words, it is a complete cleaning that is done after a party or celebration that includes washing dirty dishes, cleaning the living room, and taking out the garbage, among other things.

If you held an event that left you too exhausted to clean up afterward, you could request this type of cleaning. Each of these services covers the cleaning of carpets, glass, floors, furniture, etc., in addition to all the advantages that the different cleaning methods offer.

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