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.

Generally, getting your house cleaned professionally can take several hours. The time it takes for house cleaners to complete their job depends on the size of your home, the number of bedrooms and bathrooms you have, the type of service you require and the condition of your house. It also might depend on how many employees are cleaning and the supplies they are using. If you get recurring cleaning services, the first visit might take a bit longer than the subsequent visits. 

When choosing the best house cleaner for you, ask for an estimate about how long their services will take.

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.

When searching for the best house cleaning service near you, consider the depth of your cleaning needs, your budget and the size and condition of your home. Read reviews from verified customers of any cleaning service that you’re looking to hire. Also, check out the reviewers’ photos and do background checks on reviewers to ensure they’re not employed by established cleaning firms or maid agencies. 

When viewing house cleaners on Thumbtack, you might see a Top Pro badge. This indicates that the service is one of the most popular and highly-rated professionals using the platform.

There are several things you can do in preparation for a house cleaning to improve the efficiency and quality of the job. If you’re unfamiliar with a cleaning service, hiding and locking away any obvious valuables lying around can offer great peace of mind.

Depending on the preference of the cleaner, you may need to lock up your pets before the cleaners arrive. Washing dishes and decluttering the house allows a house cleaner to do their job more effectively. And leaving special notes for the cleaners about certain areas in your home that need attention is also helpful.

Ask house cleaners near you about their tips to help you prepare for their services. 

Tipping between 15 and 20 percent is considered an appropriate tip for maids and house cleaners — just as it would with a barber, food delivery driver or taxi operator. During the holidays, you might want to consider tipping a bit more. 

It’s important to note that some housekeeping and maid services might include a tip within the service fee, which should be explained to you in the service contract. Talk to house cleaners in your area to find out what's included in their fees.

The frequency you should have your house cleaned depends on several factors, and the best professional house cleaner can give you a rough estimate of costs so you can budget how often you need someone to clean your home. 

Daily house cleaning may be necessary if you have a home with a large number of bedrooms with young children and kids, although other homeowners may benefit from weekly house cleaning. A weekly cleaner can clean the bathroom, kitchen, do laundry, vacuum and mop. An occasional deep house cleaning is most beneficial for people who have recently renovated a home or are looking to do a spring clean. 

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. 

A move-out cleaning is a service offered to people who are preparing to move out of their home or apartment. A move-out cleaning is a more detailed service than a standard cleaning and includes things like vacuuming, washing floors, cleaning baseboards, cleaning light fixtures, cleaning out the fridge interior, washing bathroom tile, cleaning the stove and even spot-cleaning the walls. 

There are several services offered by professional house cleaning companies, each suited for a different purpose. These services include:

• Standard cleaning, which is a basic cleaning typically done on a weekly or monthly basis;
• Deep cleaning, which is a detailed cleaning with more intensive work than a standard clean;
• Move-in and move-out cleaning, which is a detailed service preparing a home for residents moving in or out;
• Green house cleaning, which is a service that uses eco-friendly cleaning supplies and products. 

Aside from the type of cleaning services available, homeowners may also choose daily, weekly, monthly or one-time services.