How Much Should I Tip My Cleaning Service?

Your home is where you spend the majority of your time, why not do everything that you can to keep it clean, organized, and enjoyable? Although it may not seem like much work to keep your home clean and clutterless, you’ll quickly realize the process can be tiring, especially if you live in a large space. One of the easiest ways to keep your home looking sparkling clean year-round is by investing in a professional cleaning service that comes to your home and takes care of the cleaning for you.

Professional cleaners can reach areas that you may not be willing to clean, aren’t afraid to get on their hands and knees to get things clean, and will provide you with thorough cleaning services that yield impressive results. Once you hire a cleaning person once, you’ll be hooked!

A potentially confusing aspect of hiring professional help is tipping. Knowing whether or not you should tip or how much to tip your cleaning service is a hot topic even for those who consistently invest in this service. Tips are never required and there is no hard-and-fast rule about what you should do in the scenarios, but there are many best practices that you should consider. We’ve outlined some key considerations to help you determine how much to tip your house cleaner.

Should You Tip Your Cleaning Lady?

Do you tip your house cleaner? It is not absolutely necessary to tip your cleaning person, however, doing so is an easy way to show your appreciation and gratitude. Many times, cleaners are working for other companies so they don’t get to keep the majority of their profits. By giving them a direct tip, you ensure they know that their hard work is appreciated and they get to pocket their hard-earned money.

Tipping consistently is another way to build a long-standing relationship with the individual who is cleaning for you, and they will likely go the extra mile every time they step foot through your door.

Put yourself in the position of your cleaning person and consider how you’d feel if you worked for hours without at least a small token of gratitude at the end. Cleaning services often get into the small nooks and crannies in your home that you do not want to clean. They also clean areas such as showers, bathtubs, toilets, microwaves, carpets, windows and other areas that often require extra time and attention. So, do you tip your cleaning service every time? If possible, yes, give them a tip every time to show your appreciation!

How Much to Tip a House Cleaner?

Now that you know you should aim to provide a tip when your home is cleaned, what about determining how much to tip your cleaning service? The question of how much to tip is often dependent on a host of factors such as the area of the country that you live, the baseline cleaning rates that you are already paying, and the quality of the work being done, to name a few.

Note that there is not anything that requires you to tip your house cleaners, but rather, it represents a token of your appreciation for a job well done. Consider the following factors to help you determine how much to tip your cleaning service.

Company vs. Self-Employed

As we briefly mentioned, the amount of money that each cleaner gets to take home should be directly related to the type of organization for which they work. For example, if you are hiring an individual, self-employed cleaner who operates 100 percent of the business, you should consider the fact that they will most likely already be pocketing the majority of what you’re paying them. They won’t need to factor in a percentage cut that goes toward the company as a whole or other cleaners on their team.

In the case that you’re hiring someone from a larger cleaning organization, look on their website to see if there is a tipping policy. Some companies have policies in place that prevent cleaners from accepting tips. In this case, the cleaner will likely respectfully decline the money. If not, you should tip maids from a regular cleaning service in the same way that you would tip a waiter or waitress, always factoring in that they are likely only keeping a small portion of the majority of your payment.

Quality of the Work

Of course, the amount that you tip should also reflect the quality of the work that was completed. As you’re hiring a professional cleaning service, you’ll expect professional results. Once the cleaning session has ended, feel free to take a look around your space and inspect the work that was completed. It goes without saying that you’ll want to be impressed by the results that you see — you should be able to tell a significant difference and the results should be better than anything you could have accomplished on your own.

Of course, the amount that you tip should also reflect the quality of the work that was completed. As you’re hiring a professional cleaning service, you’ll expect professional results. Once the cleaning session has ended, feel free to take a look around your space and inspect the work that was completed. It goes without saying that you’ll want to be impressed by the results that you see — you should be able to tell a significant difference and the results should be better than anything you could have accomplished on your own.

If the cleaning person finishes their job, but you still see a layer of dust and film in some areas or you specifically asked the cleaner to clean the bathroom and they did a lackluster job, don’t feel obligated to give them an overly generous tip. It’s still okay to show your appreciation, but you don’t need to shell out extra money for a mediocre job with poorer results.

On the other hand, if the cleaner did an outstanding job and went above and beyond, how much you tip them should be reflective of your gratitude. Tipping high-quality cleaners well can show them that you appreciate their time and attention to detail. It will also improve the chances of them doing a great job for you again in the future.

Size of the House

Another way to determine how much to tip your cleaning lady is by factoring in the size of the space being cleaned. Some people who live in a small, one-bedroom, one-bathroom condo or apartment may not feel obligated to tip a huge percentage of the overall cost as the entire job didn’t take a lot of time or effort. This is also the case if you only ask the cleaner to focus on certain areas or tasks within your home — maybe you recently cleaned your bedroom and you want assistance with the kitchen and bathrooms.

On the other hand, if you live in a massive space that will take hours to thoroughly clean, consider tipping your cleaning person more generously for all of their hard work. Cleaning can be a physically laborious and draining task, a little bit of extra money in the tip will show your appreciation and create a positive relationship between you and the person who cleaned your home.

State of Your Home

The state of your home when the cleaner arrives will also determine how much to tip your house cleaner. Maybe you recently hosted a huge holiday party or your kitchen is going through a renovation that has caused dust and grime to accumulate in other areas of your home. Whatever the state of your home may be, your cleaner should be tipped accordingly.

If your home is already a huge mess and it will be a large ask to clean it from top to bottom, consider tipping a bit more generously than you usually would. While you don’t need to tip this generously every time, doing so when your home is particularly grimy can go a long way in thanking your cleaner!

Some families invest in regular professional cleanings every 2-3 weeks. If this is the case for you, chances are high that not a ton of dust and grime has had the chance to accumulate. Those who invest in professional cleaning services more frequently may not need to tip as heavily as their space is already somewhat clean and organized.

Same vs. Different Cleaners

Let’s face it, it can be tricky to find a cleaner that you love and trust. It could take a few attempts to secure a cleaning person who understands how you like things to be cleaned. Once you find an individual or a company that you genuinely love, you should determine how much to tip your cleaning lady accordingly.

For example, let’s say that you found a reputable cleaning service in your area, but each time you hire them, you choose a different person. If there is a different person appearing each week, you should always aim to provide them with a generous tip that reflects their work. Just because they work for the same company doesn’t mean that they shouldn’t be tipped each time.

On the other hand, you may have struck gold with one cleaner in particular and you don’t want anyone else to clean your space. In this case, you may not feel it is necessary to provide them with a large tip with every service. Instead, you may find it more appropriate to tip a larger amount less frequently with the assumption that there may be a few times between cleanings with smaller or no tips at all. Having an open line of communication with your cleaner can help eliminate any frustrations or awkward feelings around this subject.

Requested Services

Not all cleaning jobs are equal, and the specific services that are involved in each session will undoubtedly impact how much money you should tip. Let’s say you just moved into a new home or condo and you need a cleaning person to help you come in and clean and organize your items.

Chances are high that your space was recently cleaned and scrubbed from top to bottom right before you moved in. The cleaner may not need to get on their hands and knees to wipe down every surface of your home. This will be less overall work for them as they are only lightly cleaning and organizing while they are there. In circumstances such as these, you may not feel the need to tip as heavily.

Other cleaning situations may demand a more intense, vigorous cleaning. Maybe you recently threw a family get together or had some of your old friends over for a game night. Or maybe it’s been 6 months since the last time you hired a professional cleaning service and every square inch of your home could benefit from a deep clean. In these situations, don’t be afraid to tip your cleaning lady a bit more generously to reflect the amount of work that was completed.

If needed, you can request specific services such as scrubbing your toilets, taking out the trash, doing laundry, and cleaning your kitchen appliances. Consider asking your cleaning person to take care of chores or tasks that you don’t have the time or desire to complete on your own.

Acceptable Forms of Tipping

Now that we’ve covered how much to tip a cleaning service, let’s discuss the acceptable forms of tipping. Should you aim to give them cash, write them a check, or even send them money digitally? We’ve broken down some options for you below.

For many cleaners, cash is the most preferred form of tipping, particularly if you are paying for a one-time service. This makes it easy for your cleaner to pocket the money and either spend it or deposit it directly into their bank account. If you don’t often have cash on hand, make sure to stop at the ATM before your cleaner arrives.

Tipping via platforms such as Venmo, Zelle, QuickPay or other digital methods is also becoming increasingly popular. Rather than accepting the cash and then putting it into their bank account, your cleaner can instead accept the money digitally and start using it as soon as it hits their account. This avoids the hassle commonly associated with carrying cash around as it is becoming less popular with time.

In addition to paying with cash or digitally, you can also consider gifting your cleaning lady something tangible as an added way to say “thank you.” For example, if you know their favorite restaurant or coffee shop, you can give them a gift card in addition to tipping your cleaning service. This personalized touch is an excellent and simple way to show your gratitude and that you value them not only as a cleaner but as a person.

How Much to Tip Your Cleaning Lady at Christmas

During the holiday season, you may be wondering “how much should I tip my cleaning lady at Christmas?” The holidays are a special time to show your appreciation for all of your cleaner’s hard work, especially if you have been consistently using them throughout the year. If you are able to financially, consider providing your cleaning person with a larger tip around the holidays. This is a small gesture that will go a long way in showing your appreciation. Put yourself in the shoes of your cleaner, it’s always nice to be shown gratitude around the holiday season.

In addition to extra money, you can also tip your cleaning lady via thoughtful gestures such as a homemade card or baked goods that they can enjoy. Think beyond finances and get creative with how you show that you care, it will go a long way!

The Bottom Line on How Much to Tip a Cleaning Service

Generally speaking, tipping is never required or expected when it comes to hiring a professional cleaner, but it is always a nice way to show your appreciation for their hard work. EuroMaids always recommend tipping anywhere from 15-20% of the overall cost, but as we covered in this article, there are many factors that you should consider when determining the amount that you tip.

The decision of when and how much to tip your cleaning lady is completely yours!

If you have any questions about tipping or you’d like to schedule a professional cleaning service yourself, our team at EuroMaids is only a phone call away! Please get in touch with us directly to learn more about our services and rates.