
Professional House Cleaning Checklist
Cleaning houses is all about keeping things neat, tidy, and polished to perfection. Use this professional house cleaning checklist to keep your cleaning routine in tip-top shape, too.
If you like keeping your space immaculate and orderly, then a career as a professional cleaner can bring you joy—and an income. But how much do house cleaners make?
To be competitive and fairly compensated for your professional services, you need to negotiate your wages and contracts. This salary guide will cover cleaners’ average hourly and yearly wages, plus the factors that impact your income, how to maximize your earnings, and how to protect all that hard-earned money.
Roll up those sleeves! It’s time to get your hands dirty.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the mean annual wage for maids and housekeepers—who perform light cleaning like making beds and vacuuming rooms in homes and businesses—was $26,810, or $12.89 per hour in 2019. 1 As with any profession, annual salaries can vary:
States with higher annual salaries, property costs, and inflated market prices will also pay more for house cleaning services—especially those on the west and east coasts. For example, these expensive states pay the most for housekeepers:
In contrast, the southern states—Texas, Oklahoma, Alabama, and Tennessee —yield the lowest mean annual salary (between $19,190 and $22,780).2
Location is about more than just the geographical region, though. It also applies to neighborhoods with larger homes and wealthier customers, and those in metropolitan areas, so price accordingly.
The employment path you choose will impact your wages and other job factors:
As you see, there are plenty of factors that affect how much money you make in a year. But you have power over the rate you set. If you freelance, you can charge your clients an hourly rate or set a reasonable flat rate.
Before you do, ask for a full picture of the clutter you might be walking into before you agree on a price point on your house cleaning service. Factor in these specifics as you negotiate with a new client:
Once you’ve ventured out on your own, you’ll need a game plan for growing your cleaning business, including landing better clients and even bigger paydays. Here are the steps to follow:
You know how to keep things tidy, and under control—when it comes to houses, anyway.
The second you enter a client’s home, you’ve opened yourself up to potential accidents and mishaps. A lawsuit can really muck things up. To protect your business the way you conquer messes, buying general liability insurance should be part of your business plan.
It protects you by providing investigation and defense from claims, and paying for damages related to claims of:
With Thimble, you can opt for Cleaning Insurance that works when you do. Whether you need monthly, weekly, daily, or even hourly coverage, you’re only paying for what you use.
Just download the Thimble mobile app or click “Get A Quote” on the website, answer three quick questions and get coverage in less than 60 seconds. Best of all, get as many Certificates of Insurance as you need.
You work hard to leave your clients’ homes in pristine condition. So why not take care of yourself in the same way?
As you maximize your income and grow your house cleaning business, don’t forget to detail your own practices: negotiate a fair price point, maintain positive relationships with your client base, and buy insurance coverage to protect yourself from spills.
Sources:
Our editorial content is intended for informational purposes only and is not written by a licensed insurance agent. Terms and conditions for rate and coverage may vary by class of business and state.
Cleaning houses is all about keeping things neat, tidy, and polished to perfection. Use this professional house cleaning checklist to keep your cleaning routine in tip-top shape, too.
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