If you’ve ever gotten a house cleaning quote and thought, “That seems like a lot for cleaning,” you’re not alone. But behind that hourly rate lies a world of equipment costs, local economic pressures, and the pursuit of something everyone values—reliable, high-quality service from someone you trust in your home.
Home cleaning has many benefits – from consistent cleanliness, to saving you time, to ensuring that easily-overlooked areas of your home get cleaned. But is it worth the cost?
In this article, we’ll break down the true cost of professional house cleaning in the Seattle area. We’ll share what your cleaner is really earning, how that affects service reliability, and how you can still make professional cleaning work even on a tighter budget.
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What do professional house cleaners in Seattle charge?
There’s a cost range when it comes to professional cleaning services in Seattle. It will depend on the size of the home being cleaned, the service requested, and of course the cost of people, equipment, and supplies.
On average, cleaning services in Seattle cost between $30-$80 an hour, with average visit costs of $118-$875 per. This, of course, changes based on the service requested. A standard visit will generally cost less than a deep clean, or a move-in or move-out clean. Those tend to be more intensive, and therefore will cost more money. Both due to the time needed, and the cost of materials.
What factors go into house cleaning costs?
Some factors in cost include the square footage of the home in question, as well as how frequently it has been cleaned prior. A larger home with more rooms will naturally demand a higher cost, and a home that isn’t cleaned frequently may demand more time to catch up.
Types of house cleaning
As referenced above, there are a few different types of cleaning services that are typically offered by a house cleaning company. Each company will be different and offer different rates and services, but generally speaking most companies at least offer three main services: standard cleaning, deep cleaning, and move in/out cleaning.
Standard cleaning
Standard cleaning is much like a maid or housekeeping service. Someone will come into a house and do the daily chores, such as tidying up, vacuuming, wiping down surfaces, dusting, mopping, sweeping, cleaning bathrooms, etc. Any of the maintenance a home needs to remain clean and hygienic is included in a standard cleaning service. Some companies will even offer to do loads of laundry, though that will depend on the company.
This type of cleaning can be a one-off, or it can happen on a recurring basis. Daily, weekly, monthly, etc.. Standard cleaning exists to keep the house clean and orderly so that the homeowner can focus on other things.
Deep Cleaning
Standard cleaning is mostly day-to-day maintenance, and doesn’t usually involve moving furniture, or cleaning off built-up grime in an oven or other such tasks. That’s when a deep cleaning service steps in. Deep cleaning can include things such as cleaning out a microwave, scrubbing an oven, cleaning the bathtub or shower, etc.
Deep cleaning doesn’t need to happen every single week, typically. Though some homes might need that level of cleaning regularly. Deep cleaning can be requested as a one-off service, or on a recurring basis, just like standard cleaning.
Move in/out cleaning
An extremely common reason to hire a professional cleaning company is to clean before you move into a new place, or to clean before you move out. When it comes to apartments, you want to have a professional’s touch to make sure you get your security deposit back. It also helps to provide a receipt if your landlord tries to charge you fraudulently for cleaning.
And when it comes to buying or selling a home, professional cleaning is equally important. If you’re moving into a new home, you’ll want a professional’s touch to ensure that all of the clean up from initial construction is done. If someone else lived there first, a professional cleaning can help to give you a fresh start. And if you’re selling a home, then having a professional clean it before a showing can make a huge difference. “Having a professionally-cleaned home to show is an absolute must,” said Freda Nkrumah of Redfin. “It can make the difference between a good showing and a great one.”
Either way, hiring a cleaner if you’re moving into a new place or moving out of an old one can save you many headaches, so you can focus simply on moving instead of cleaning.
What makes professional cleaning worth the cost?
Whether or not it’s worth the cost depends on you – what will you do with the time it saves you? Time is money, after all. If hiring a cleaner means that you can work more hours, spend more time with your family, or simply relax more – that is what makes it worth it.
According to a study conducted in 2023, an average person spends around 12,896 hours cleaning in their entire lifetime. So hiring someone to clean for you doesn’t just save you time – it can save you thousands of hours worth of time.
Want help making your home shine—on your terms and within your budget? Let’s talk. Get a quote today and find a cleaner you’ll want to keep around.
