Sometimes, spending a little can help save a lot – and that’s particularly true of hiring a house cleaner. It might seem like a luxury, but when you consider how much of your time – which is also highly valuable – it will save, it’s absolutely worth it. Just ask the 8.8 million people in the UK who regularly reap the benefits of a cleaning service.
Great reasons for hiring a house cleaner include having more time to do the things you enjoy and see the people you love, all while living in a less cluttered and cleaner home. Your mental health is likely to improve, because you’ll be less stressed. You’ll probably feel better physically, too, thanks to a more hygienic home environment. Poor indoor air quality, for example, which can be caused by pollutants like dust and mould, significantly affects human health.
What’s more, if you or an older family member are physically unable to clean your home, hiring a cleaning service could even be a necessity. But what if the cost of a cleaning service is more than you think you can afford? That’s where budgeting comes in.
What to know before hiring a house cleaner
Before hiring a cleaner for the first time, you’ll need to work out your home cleaning costs and then create a household budget. This will help you allocate your available resources efficiently. Working out what you can afford involves assessing your income, your existing expenses and your priorities. You can then make changes based on what you need and value most – such as more time to focus on what’s important to you, while leaving your house cleaning to the professionals.
4 steps to budgeting for house cleaning
1. Create a budgeting plan
To figure out how much cash you have available for house cleaning, you’ll need to do some basic household budgeting work. To help you with this, various household budgeting programmes and mobile apps are available, such as HyperJar, Snoop and Plum. You can also set up your own household budget spreadsheet. Whichever option you choose, you can use it to record your income from all sources plus your various expenses (rent/mortgage, utilities, food, etc.).
Start by tracking your income and outgoings for a month. Once you have a month’s worth of figures, you can work out your net monthly income by subtracting your expenses from your earnings. This will let you know how much money you have left over for other things – such as hiring a cleaning service.
Next, you need to consider how much you’re willing to spend. Could you manage £100 a month? Maybe even £200? At first, budgeting might be a bit stressful, especially if it highlights how little extra dosh there is to go round. But understanding your cash flow is the first step in getting a handle on your spending. Once you’re in control, you can start using your money for what you really want.
2. Assess your cleaning needs
Everyone’s ultimate household chore list is different. Your cleaning needs will be highly personal, depending on the size and nature of your home, your lifestyle and whether or not you have children – or pets. A good way to start is by considering what you’d prefer not to have to do. Would never having to hoover the hall, stairs and landing again make you happy? Do thoughts of scrubbing the loo or cleaning out the fridge keep you awake at night? If so, put those on the list.
Next, you need to think about frequency. What would work best for your household – a weekly light clean (think mopping, dusting and wiping down surfaces) or a monthly deep clean (washing windows, scrubbing the oven and cleaning the skirting boards)? Again, this will depend on your lifestyle, the number of people in your household, whether you have pets, etc.
A first-time clean will, naturally, take longer and therefore be more expensive. After that, however, you can adjust the service based on your changing needs and what your budget allows. Most cleaning companies and house cleaners are flexible and will tailor their services to fit your needs and budget.
3. Set a cleaning budget
To figure out how to fit a house cleaning service into your household budget, the first question you need an answer to is how much house cleaning costs. This can be a bit like “how long is a piece of string?”, as cleaning service prices aren’t fixed. There isn’t really such a thing as an average home cleaning cost, because it depends on so many variables, like the size of the home, level of cleaning required and the frequency of the service.
Many services and individual cleaners charge an hourly cleaning rate. Based on current Care house cleaning prices, the average hourly rate for a house cleaner is £20 to £40. Other companies might charge by size, with a basic fee that includes, say, the living room, kitchen and bathroom; then customers can add bedrooms, extra bathrooms, etc.
For an idea of what hiring a house cleaner might cost you, use Care’s home cleaning cost calculator to see what professionals in your area charge. You can also contact local companies for a personalised quote, so you know exactly what to expect. Many services also have rate estimate calculators on their websites, with dropdowns for kids and pets, number and size of rooms, type of flooring, etc.
Once you know how much cleaning might cost, you can go back to your household budget spreadsheet or budgeting app and look at allocating (or reallocating) funds to cover it. For example, if having someone come to do a weekly clean would cost you £100, allocate £400 a month in your budget for cleaning as a fixed expense. If you don’t have enough for a weekly clean, consider having a cleaner come fortnightly, or even just once a month, for a deep clean.
4. Make changes to your budget when necessary
It’s a good idea to review your budget at the end of each month, to compare your actual spending to your budgeted amounts. If you’ve deviated from your budget, figure out why. Was it for an unexpected expense, or a conscious choice? You can then adjust your household budget accordingly.
You should also evaluate your cleaning needs regularly, to determine whether your current cleaning service is cutting the mustard. This means asking yourself questions like:
- Are the results worth the expense?
- Should I have the cleaners come more/less often?
If you do decide to change the arrangements in any way, make sure you talk to your cleaner or service first. You might be able to find a solution together – especially if you need to cut back for budgeting reasons.
Tips for reducing your house cleaning costs
Cheap house cleaning services that do a quality job are hard to find. If you want the benefits of hiring a house cleaner but can’t stretch your budget for it every month, here are some tips for reducing home cleaning costs:
Don’t be afraid to negotiate
Enquiring about the possibility of discounts is perfectly acceptable. You can suggest paying upfront for a lower price, or ask if referring a friend or committing to a service would get you a discount. Your cleaning company or independent housekeeper might also offer payment plans or special packages.
It’s important to establish a good relationship and know how to communicate with your house cleaner for great service every time. Paying on time, avoiding last-minute cancellations and being open and honest about your needs can also pave the way for better rates and more flexibility.
Prioritise cleaning tasks
You might not always need all – or the same – areas of your house cleaned professionally every time. You can alternate which areas you want cleaned each week, or choose to have only certain rooms, such as common spaces and the kitchen or bathroom, cleaned by a pro. These are ways to cut household expenses while still maintaining a clean home.
To help tailor your service to your budget, create a house cleaner checklist with your cleaner and determine your priorities. This will enable you to focus on those areas of your home that need attention first, or the most, and then to book services based on an hourly rate.
Reduce the frequency
If weekly cleaning really is too much of a stretch for your budget, you could opt for a less frequent but more thorough cleaning schedule. You can handle the daily maintenance cleaning tasks, but then hire a cleaning service to give your home a good going-over, say, once a month, to tackle any more intensive tasks. Do make sure you do a proper cost analysis, though, as occasional, lengthy deep cleans can sometimes be more expensive than shorter, weekly visits.
BYOS: Bring your own supplies
Your house cleaner might also offer a discount if you provide all the cleaning products and equipment. To save even more money, you could buy cleaning products in bulk, or even make your own – there are plenty of cleaning hacks out there that really do work!
The bottom line on budget home cleaning
A clean home is essential for good mental and physical health. Achieving it, however, can be costly in terms of your time or – if you choose to hire a cleaning service – money. If you’re busy working and/or looking after children or other dependents, hiring a house cleaner is almost certainly worth it.
The key things to remember are that your time and energy are valuable and that it’s OK to ask for help. Once you’ve acknowledged that, you just need to take a few simple steps to align your budget with your needs. Household budgeting helps you control your finances and prevent overspending. Paying for professional house cleaning from the funds you’ve determined you have available will save you so much time, energy and stress, you’ll wonder why you didn’t do it earlier!
