Find a house cleaner near Mountlake Terrace, WA

The best way to set up a consultation with a house cleaner during the COVID-19 pandemic is by using virtual, online tools. Start by performing an online search for local house cleaners. Message them to set up either a phone call or video call to perform a consultation. During this call, they can give you recommendations and may be able to estimate the cost of their services. Be sure to discuss whether they accept virtual payments and any precautions they can take to perform the job safely.

If you hire a house cleaner to clean the inside of your home, do not make physical contact. Stay at least 6 feet apart at all times, sanitize any surfaces after cleaning and wash your hands thoroughly. Exchange all payments digitally instead of with cash. When contacting a house cleaner, put a plan in place to ensure everyone's safety.

A house cleaner is generally not considered an essential service sector during the coronavirus pandemic. To find out which services are considered essential, visit your city and state government, and read their guidelines. A national list of essential service providers can be found on CISA’s Identifying Critical Infrastructure During COVID-19 site. This webpage lists 16 different infrastructure sectors considered to be essential. However, not all jurisdictions follow CISA’s definitions of critical infrastructure.

Not only do many house cleaners accept digital payments through platforms like Zelle, PayPal, Square Cash, Google Pay, Venmo and more, but this may become more common as the COVID-19 pandemic pushes more service workers to digitize. This means you can pay your house cleaner without making physical contact or handling money. 

If cleaning is absolutely essential during the current crisis, consult with the house cleaner beforehand to ensure a safe monetary transaction that complies with current government guidelines and recommendations for social distancing.

Yes, in almost all cases a house cleaner needs to enter your home. However, a cleaner may not need to enter your home if they are solely cleaning outside areas. 

There may be some cases in which a cleaner is necessary. If so, take precautions — avoid being in the same room, make no physical contact, sanitize any surfaces and pay through a digital service instead of using cash.

House cleaning is generally done in person, but some may be willing to offer remote services. If you find a house cleaner’s profile that states they’re offering remote services, contact the pro to talk about your options. 

If you’d rather hire a house cleaner to clean your home when the pandemic is over, you may be able to book an appointment at a later date. Start by comparing local house cleaners in your area side-by-side.

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.

Although some house cleaning and housekeeping duties might overlap, a house cleaner is charged with the top-to-bottom cleaning of a home. House cleaner duties typically include basic and deep house cleaning, such as washing and sanitizing countertops, floors, tubs, toilets, kitchens and more.

Housekeepers or maids are hired to lightly clean and maintain certain aspects of the home. This might include dusting, washing dishes, changing sheets, doing some meal preparation and restocking the client’s groceries and personal care products.

It’s also worth noting that a housekeeper or maid is usually one individual employed to a home (sometimes hired as a live-in), while a house cleaner is oftentimes accompanied by a team of cleaners. 

The national average cost for house cleaning ranges between $25 and $50 per hour, per cleaner. However, the cost of house cleaning services near you might be different.

House cleaning prices vary based on how many square feet your home is, how dirty your house gets and how often the cleaning service comes. And, prices can be lower in areas with a lower cost of living, higher in big cities or affluent regions.

Some companies charge a set amount — such as 5 cents — per square foot, with a minimum amount, such as $100. You may save money by increasing the frequency of your house cleaning visits. Often a company will charge you less per cleaning when you schedule more cleanings per month. The cost advantage rewards your loyalty, and also reflects the fact that more frequent cleanings make it easier to maintain a high level of cleanliness in your home. A housecleaning service may charge more for the first visit or for one-time services than for recurring cleanings.

To learn more about the cost of house cleaning, visit our House Cleaning Cost Guide.

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.