House cleaners, housekeepers and cleaning services make life significantly easier, and they’re worth every penny. But in addition to their standard pay, should you tip them? And if so, how often and how much?
According to Ken Doty, chief operating officer and cleaning expert at The Maids, tipping is ultimately up to the customer. That being said, if you do tip, “a good benchmark is anywhere between 15-20%.”
Here, Doty and other cleaning experts give the lowdown on tipping house cleaners, housekeepers and other cleaning professionals.
Are you supposed to tip a house cleaner or other cleaning pros?
Tipping a house cleaner, cleaning service or housekeeper is a personal choice, and not surprisingly, different folks have different opinions. Nevertheless, more customers tip than don’t, according to Stanley Chen, owner at BerryClean, a residential cleaning business in the San Francisco Bay Area.
“We recently analyzed the tipping habits of our over 10,000 clients and found that the majority of our clients tip their house cleaners,” he says.
Again, though, tipping is not necessary or a requirement. Think of it more as an act of kindness and one way to show appreciation. “Professional house cleaners never expect tips,” Doty says. “But they’re always very much appreciated.”
Factors that go into tipping house cleaners
Even if you don’t tip your house cleaner, housekeeper or cleaning service every time, there are occasions when tips are more apropos, according to Doty, Chen and Delah Gomasi, owner of MaidForYou.
Here are instances in which to consider tipping:
The holidays
Without a doubt, the holidays are the most common time to tip housekeepers and cleaners. “Our cleaning teams consistently receive more tips from clients during the Christmas period,” Gomasi says. “When a cleaner has been working in a client’s home over the course of a year, the client is extremely likely to tip during the holiday period. Our cleaners see it as a holiday bonus.”
(And if you consistently tip throughout the year, you may consider upping the amount during the holidays — more on this shortly.)
Consistently good service
One of the most clear-cut ways to show you’re pleased with your cleaner’s service is to tip them, Doty notes. “If you’re receiving a recurring cleaning service that is providing good work, tipping shows you’re happy with their work and you appreciate their service,” he says.
Deep cleanings
For a one-time seasonal or deep cleaning that will be more labor-intensive than the typical recurring service, “you may consider tipping double,” according to Doty.
Gomasi adds: “For larger jobs, our cleaners can expect to be tipped upwards of $50-$60 for a job well done.”
Special cleaning or organizing tasks
Another instance to consider tipping: Special tasks, such as cleaning the oven or refrigerator or organizing the pantry. “A few months ago, I had our house cleaner clean out our fridge,” says Lisa Brady from Scottsdale, Arizona. “In addition to the extra fee, I gave a tip as well since they did a great job, and I know it took some time.”
Read more:
How much to tip a house cleaner, housekeeper or cleaning service
While there’s no hard and fast rule in terms of how much to tip cleaners, here are a few expert rules of thumb.
Tipping for house cleaning is generally between 10-20%
Whereas Doty cites the house cleaning tip range as 15-20%, both Chen and Gomasi give the range of 10-15%. Just as the case is with child care and pet sitting, there are a number of factors that will determine how much house cleaning will cost you — location, perhaps, carrying the most weight.
For instance, in New York City, where the average starting rate for house cleaning is $21.31 per hour*, and the cleaner works three hours, a 20% tip would be around $13 ($63.93 for three hours + $13 tip = $76.93 total).
In Orlando, Florida, where the average starting rate is $18.92 per hour* for three hours, your 20% tip would amount to about $12, using the same formula ($56.76 for three hours + $12 tip = $68.76 total).
Example tip chart for house cleaning
For quick reference, here’s a sample chart for flat cleaning rates with 15% or 20% tips:
| Flat Cleaning Rate | 15% tip | 20% tip |
| $100 | $15 | $20 |
| $200 | $30 | $40 |
| $300 | $45 | $60 |
| $400 | $60 | $80 |
| $500 | $75 | $100 |
Tips for cleaning services vs. self-employed cleaners and housekeepers
When professional house cleaners or housekeepers work for a company, they generally “never expect a tip,” Doty notes, as “they’re paid employees of a professional cleaning service” or agency. “The majority of larger cleaning services will tell you that it is not required or expected,” he says. Of course, that doesn’t mean you can’t tip.
It’s also worth keeping in mind, house cleaners and housekeepers who work for a company only get a percentage of the rate you’re paying, whereas they keep 100% of their tip.
On the flip side, Doty continues, “when you hire an individual cleaner who is not employed by a professional service, it is customary to tip anywhere from 10-20%, assuming the work is satisfactory.”
Tips go up during the holidays
Whether you tip periodically throughout the year or give a bonus in December, holiday tips should be more than the standard 10-15%.
“Tipping percentages increase during the holiday season,” notes Chen. “We see tipping rates go up to 25% during this time.”
Example holiday tip chart for house cleaning
For quick reference, here’s a sample chart of different flat cleaning rates with a 25% holiday tip:
| Flat Cleaning Rate | 25% holiday tip |
| $100 | $25 |
| $200 | $50 |
| $300 | $75 |
| $400 | $100 |
| $500 | $125 |
For more information on holiday tipping and bonuses, check out our holiday tipping guide.
Alternatives to cash tips
Remember, Doty notes, “tipping is entirely up to the customer” and not at all a necessity. And to that point, it is possible to show your appreciation even when you don’t have the extra cash.
“Every year, I give our house cleaners a big batch of cookies, a few Starbucks gift cards and a handwritten note,” Brady says. “I think this shows we appreciate them, and at the same time, it feels a little more personal, too.”
*Based on reported starting rates from caregivers listed on Care.com, as of July 5, 2024.