Housekeepers near you

Here are some tips to make sure you choose the best housekeeper:

• Verify their license and insurance: See what kind of business licensure the company has — and if they back their work with liability insurance. Requirements depend on your local area so be sure to do your research.

• Get several estimates: Contact a few different housekeeping services and compare prices. Make your expectations clear and ask for their estimates in writing.

• Read their reviews: A reputable housekeeping company will have positive feedback about their thoroughness, efficiency and responsiveness. 

• Look at their portfolios: Look for a portfolio of previous work with descriptions of services and before-and-after photos

• Find out if they have a guarantee: Ask if the housekeeping service backs their work with a guarantee in case you aren't satisfied.

• Ask important questions: Before you hire a housekeeper, ask how they set their prices, what their payment structure is, which services they offer, which products they use and their availability.

For more tips, visit Thumbtack’s Smart Hiring page.

In many cases, a housekeeper will work outside of normal working hours, but you should always verify their terms around off-hours work before you hire. Here are a few considerations you might encounter: 

• Higher rates: Housekeepers may charge higher rates for work done outside standard hours. For example, the general consensus is that housekeepers typically charge between 1.5 to 2 times their standard rate for weekend work.

• Availability: A housekeeper available for night shifts, weekends or holidays may already have steady weekday work, so booking them in advance may improve your chances of securing their services during these off-hours.

You’ll need to reach out to local housekeepers to understand how much they charge for their services. Here are a few factors that might impact prices:

• Experience: The more experience a housekeeper has, the more they can charge per hour. Experience can be measured in years, but also how much they have worked in certain situations. For example, housekeepers who have worked with larger households or high-end clients might charge more.

• Scope of services offered: Some housekeepers will only offer basic cleaning and organizational services, but others may provide more specialized services, such as the day-to-day running of your home, including errands and grocery shopping. The more services the housekeeper offers, the higher their rates may be.

• Normal working hours vs. holidays: Housekeeper rates may be higher outside of normal working hours, such as holidays, weekends or nights. You can typically expect to pay 1.5 to 2 times the standard rates. 

• Location: Hourly rates vary depending on location. Typically, cities with a higher cost of living will have higher rates.

Housekeepers may offer different services, but here are some things they commonly offer:

• Laundry services, including washing, folding and packing away clothes and linen — as well as possible ironing.

• Light cleaning of all areas inside your home, including vacuuming, mopping and dusting.

• Cleaning surfaces in bathrooms and the kitchen.

• Wiping down interior windows. 

• Changing bedroom linen and making beds.

• Grocery shopping and errands.

• Cooking or planning meals.

• Looking after children (some may offer nanny services).

• Ensuring your home is well-organized and maintained.

Housekeepers typically do not offer:

• Lawn mowing, maintenance and other garden-related tasks.

• Shoveling snow from your front door, stoop or driveway.

• Performing home repairs or doing heavy lifting.

Housekeepers, house cleaners and maid services seem interchangeable, but they are actually different services.

A house cleaner or maid service typically provides everything from basic tidying to deep cleaning, such as washing windows, scrubbing inside and outside appliances and sanitizing bathrooms and kitchens. You might hire them every week or as needed.

Housekeepers generally encompass a broader range of duties. They take care of lighter cleaning and upkeep tasks around the house. These tasks may include dusting, washing the dishes, changing sheets, cooking a few meals, walking pets and picking up groceries. But the main difference is that housekeepers are generally full-time employees of a single household. 

Choosing the right service for you depends on what you require. Do you need just weekly cleaning or a full-time housekeeper's services? If it’s the former, consider hiring a maid service or house cleaner.

Some of the biggest benefits of hiring a housekeeper include:

• Eliminating clutter: Your housekeeper will keep everything tidy and organized, so you’ll always know where to find what you need.

• Experiencing a deeper clean: From baseboards to light fixtures to ceiling fans, your home will sparkle like never before..

• Breathing cleaner air: With regular deep cleaning, you’ll likely notice less dust and fresher air, potentially reducing asthma and allergy symptoms.

• Maintaining your home’s value: Regular professional cleaning protects your floors, counters and other surfaces from wear and tear, which helps your home stay in great shape and hold its value.  

• Gaining more free time: While your housekeeper handles the cleaning, you can focus on work, family or other tasks.

• Avoiding physical strain: If bending, stretching and scrubbing is tough on your body, it might be best to leave it to a pro.

Deep cleaning a house goes beyond the surface level to clear out the dust, grime and gunk that’s collecting on the fan blades, hiding in the blinds, and built up inside the refrigerator drawers. Deep cleaning of a home or apartment costs more than regular house cleaning because it takes more time, effort, and cleaning products. You may choose to have a deep cleaning once or several times a year in addition to your standard cleaning services. You may have a one-time deep cleaning to prepare for company or to clean after a house party. Companies may charge an hourly rate or a price per square foot, or may offer you a flat rate after they have visited your home and estimated work time. The national average house cleaning price is $110-$150, with rates ranging higher for deep-cleaning services. Here are some examples of how a company may calculate their deep-cleaning prices:

• 10 cents per square foot (compared with 5 cents per square foot for standard house cleaning).
• $300 for a 3,000-square-foot home.
• $25 per hour per worker for deep-cleaning services.

There are many questions to ask a cleaning service before you hire them to make sure they’re the right fit. These questions might include:

• How much do you charge?
• How do you set your prices -- per hour or per square foot? Or, do you charge a flat rate?
• What is your past work experience? Can I see a list of references?
• Are you accustomed to working with different home or apartment types and sizes?
• Can you work with children or pets in the house?
• What types of cleaning products do you use?
• Do you bring your own cleaning supplies and products?
• How often can you clean my home?
• Is there anything you recommend I do (or don't do) to my home before you arrive?

For more tips on how to hire the best maid or house cleaning service, read our smart hiring guide.

A basic house cleaning typically includes tasks like carpet cleaning, wiping countertops, taking out the trash, doing the laundry and washing dishes. A deep house cleaning is a much more involved process, where all aspects of the home are given full attention for a cleanout. In a deep house cleaning, the cleaners will wet-wipe everything from door frames to light switch plates, making sure to also clean walls, windows, air vents, ceiling fans, furniture and more.

You may benefit from hiring a professional move-out cleaning service, depending on your budget, time frame and whether you will be getting a deposit back. Hiring a cleaning service takes the stress out of your move. But if you’ve had your house regularly deep-cleaned, or if your landlord will charge you for cleaning anyway, you can save costs by DIY-ing it.