Do You Tip House Cleaners? How Much Should You Tip?

Do you tip house cleaners? Do you tip a cleaning lady? How much do you tip? What is the tipping etiquette for house cleaning? It turns out the rule for tipping house cleaners depends on who comes to clean your home.

Should You Tip Your House Cleaner?

Many years ago I hired a cleaning service. At the time, I wasn’t sure whether or not I was supposed to tip and, if so, just how much I should give. So I did what anyone might do in my situation. I asked the Internet for help. I posted these questions to my website:

• Do you tip house cleaners?
• Are you supposed to tip a house cleaning service?
• How much do you tip professional house cleaners?
• Do you tip a specific amount or a percent of the overall cost of cleaning?

The rules for tipping house cleaners aren’t as straightforward as they seem. After a lot of research and many comments, here is what I learned—the complete guide to tipping can be found in the questions and answers below.

Do You Tip House Cleaners?

Is it customary to tip house cleaners? It depends on who you ask.

Tipping house cleaners depends on many factors, including how many people are cleaning your home and how often. It also depends on whether the person works for a large company or is self-employed.

I was surprised that most homeowners do not tip for cleaning services. It seems some folks provide a large tip around the holidays, and some never tip at all. Some people say you should never feel obligated to give a cash bonus, while others say you should always pay extra.

While searching the internet, I found variations in tipping etiquette for house cleaners. We know how much to tip a waitress or bartender. Why don’t we know how much we should tip house cleaners for cleaning our homes?

This post will guide you through the details.

How Much Do You Tip A House Cleaning Service?

How much do you tip a house cleaning service? If you are using a house cleaning service from a large company, it helps to know how much a standard tip should be. Believe it or not, the best way to find out is to email, chat, or call the cleaning company directly.

You can ask whether customers should tip and how much to provide. Large cleaning companies may give a dollar amount or a percentage of your purchased service.

Do You Tip Merry Maids?

House cleaners from big cleaning companies like Amazon and Merry Maids don’t expect tips, but it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t leave one if you are inclined to do so. The same goes for house cleaning services purchased through Groupon.

Unfortunately, just because a large cleaning company charges a lot for services doesn’t mean they pay their cleaners a lot to clean homes. Ask the company you hire about their tipping policy if you are unsure. Companies may tell you whether it is customary to tip and how much to give.

Merry Maids’ prices don’t include tips. So if you want to leave a tip, provide a cash bonus or ask if there is a way to add a bonus through the Merry Maids website or app.

How Much to Tip a House Cleaning Service?

Tip house cleaners and cleaning ladies the same way you tip your hairdresser or waitress. It’s always a good idea to pay a cleaning person for their hard work. Remember that most cleaners work for minimum wage, so please give something if you can.

The location of your home will also make a difference in how much you pay a house cleaner. A cleaner in NYC will ultimately receive a higher tip than a house cleaner in Chicago, Toronto, or Kansas City. It’s best to pay a percentage of the service rather than a flat rate. Similar to the way you would pay a waitress or server.

How Much to Tip Multiple House Cleaners?

How much should you tip multiple house cleaners? If a crew of house cleaners arrives at your house, tipping 15-20% of the cleaning service cost is a great way to show your appreciation. If service in your area costs $100, leaving a $15 to $20 cash tip for the entire crew is perfectly acceptable. You don’t need to tip each member individually, but it does help to provide smaller denominations—for example, two $10 bills rather than one $20.

Keep in mind that a professional house cleaning service or maid service may not pay their cleaning crews a living wage. If a house cleaner performs a good job, provide a cash tip or a prepaid gift card because you never know how much cleaning companies pay them.

Do You Tip a Self Employed House Cleaner?

Should you tip a self-employed house cleaner or the owner of a cleaning service? Does the tipping policy change for a self-employed house cleaner? Sometimes.

Tipping a house cleaning service is different from tipping an owner or self-employed cleaner. A self-employed house cleaner can set prices to the exact amount they want to get paid.

A self-employed cleaner or owner of a cleaning company can always raise prices to cover missing tips. They also earn the total amount for each home that they clean.

Tipping a House Cleaner Who Works for Herself

Tipping self-employed cleaners isn’t as important as tipping cleaners who work for large agencies, but it’s nice to provide a cash tip if you can.

Do you tip independent house cleaners? Yes. If you use a self-employed or independent cleaner to clean your home, you should consider saving up for a Christmas gift in addition to tipping each time they clean.

Do You Tip House Cleaners Every Time They Clean?

If the same cleaners arrive each week, you can tip them once a month. If you receive a different cleaner or group of cleaners each week, tip every time they clean.

Of course, this is standard practice. If you prefer to tip every single time your cleaning crew finishes, that’s perfectly fine too.

How Much Do You Tip for a One Time Cleaning Service?

Tipping depends on how often you get your house cleaned. If you hire a company for a one-time cleaning, provide a tip between 15% and 20% of the total bill. Present the tip in an envelope marked “tips” or hand it to the crew before they leave.

How Much to Tip House Cleaners?

How much do you tip for house cleaning services? I think the standard rates apply. What would you give your bartender or waitress? Most of us provide 15% to 20% tips, which is an excellent place to start. That means a $100 cleaning will cost you $115 to $120. If you need a little help calculating the amount, simply type the cost of your service and the tip percentage into this calculator.

When to Tip More

Consider the amount of work a cleaner might need to do inside of your home. If you keep your home neat with little dust and dirt, then you might not need to provide a big tip.

On the other hand, if you have lots of children dragging crumbs throughout the house and dogs and cats leaving fur behind, you should consider tipping more. If your home is cleaned weekly, it requires less work than a home that is cleaned less often.

How Much Do You Tip House Cleaners for a Deep Clean?

Deep cleaning involves more heavy lifting than a regular cleaning, so tip house cleaners for their extra work and effort. Tip house cleaners at least 15 to 20% for a deep clean, if not more.

As part of the deep cleaning process, a house cleaner will scrub appliances, dust the baseboards, polish the doorknobs, and clean windows. Show appreciation with cash tips for the additional work and effort involved.

How Much Do You Tip Move Out Cleaners?

If you fail to clean the dirt and grime, your landlord can keep your security deposit. A move-out clean helps you get your money back by making your former rooms look spotless.

If you are moving out of your house or apartment, you’ll need a move-out clean, which includes much more work than a typical cleaning and costs more too.

How much should you tip move-out cleaners? Usually, double your standard tip. If you typically tip $10, provide $20, especially if you left a real mess behind.

How Much Should You Tip Your Cleaning Lady at Christmas?

If you find a great cleaner who provides exceptional service and keeps your house sparkling clean, definitely tip them. Cleaning homes for a living isn’t an easy job, and everyone likes to feel rewarded for a job well done.

Your Thoughts

Do you have any thoughts on this topic? Do you tip house cleaners? If so, how much do you tip them? Please leave your comments below.

Remember, most of the time, tips are greatly appreciated. It’s highly unusual for anyone to complain about unexpected generosity.