how much money should someone charge to do light housekeeping?

Question

i'm thinking of doing some light housekeeping and i really don't know what i should charge people, so i would really love some input on this if its at all possible

Answer 1

in my area, housekeepers average $15-20 per hour. My sister owns her own business and makes $20 right now, and her clients supply all the cleaning supplies she needs, she gives them a list of what to buy.

Answer 2

Housekeeping Charges

Answer 3

Lots of factors will affect what you charge: will you use your own supplies? How far away is the job? Keep in mind also that all homes are not equal--a 2000 square ft. home with a retired couple is NOT the same as a 2000 square ft. home with 3 kids and a big shaggy dog!!
Secondly, you need to come to an agreement with the homeowners as to what you will do for the money, and how long you will spend cleaning. Find out what is important to them: do they really want extra attention in the kitchen, for example, and don't care as much about the extra bedrooms?
I charge by the job, not the hour, because sometimes I finish earlier and sometimes I take a bit more time. My minimum is $60, and depending on what is agreed upon that takes minimum 3 hours and maximum 4.I provide all my own supplies including my vaccuum cleaner, because I am partial to my cannister vac from Sears. I can get under beds, etc, with it, and if you ever tried vaccuuming carpeted stairs with an upright you know what I am saying!!
Here's what I do for the money: dust/ vaccuum bedrooms/living rooms/dining rooms. Remove cobwebs. Empty trash. Kitchen: clean counters, including under appliances. Clean fronts only of stove, fridge, dishwasher. Clean microwave inside and out. Clean sink, and wash flooring on my hands and knees. Bathrooms: clean toilet, outside also as needed (kids have BAD aim!!), scrub shower, windex mirrors, clean sink and vanity. Extra stuff: windows, inside-remove fingerprints. Upholstered furniture: vaccuum for crumbs or pet hair (Again, forget trying to do this with an upright cleaner!!) (oops, forgot to mention washing bathroom floor; again-on my hands and knees)
Someone else suggested that you compare prices with other cleaning services, not a bad idea except keep in mind that a company like "Merry Maids" charges $100 an hour and sends in a team of 3-4 people and do much less than what I mentioned. My mother-in-law checked on thier prices a few years ago, and that was the rate then in New York.
Hope I helped. Cleaning for other people is a real comittment and you need to decide if you're willing to be serious about it--that means showing up when you say you will and putting forth an honest effort. It is a good, flexible, and profitable job IF you choose to make it so!!

Answer 4

I think you have a great idea. If you still have the ambition to be part of the workforce, don't squelched that. I am a domestic. I would recommend putting up flyers. Not only in your local stores, but also on mailboxes or on the houses--like in the door handles--if it's legal where you live. Here in the States you can put flyers ON the mailboxes, but not IN them. I have tried Craigslist for a few years & I haven't gotten any response from them ads. I get a lot of business from ads in the local paper. I use the barter system to pay for the ad. I clean the office of the newspaper once or twice a year in exchange for the ad. But you may get TOO much business with the ad. It all depends on how much you want to work. And remember, you will be vacationing during the summertime, so you will have to be sure to let your potential clients know that when you make first contact. I think you will probably do well.

Answer 5

Well Usually people charge By the room. So usually about 5-10 dollars a room. You also have to think about how long you are gonna be at the house. You should look at the house before you do the job to make sure its *light* housekeeping

Answer 6

well, it really all depends on your definition of "light housekeeping" and how big the house is and how often you are going there.

my best suggestion, instead of playing guessing games, just open the yellow pages and start calling cleaning services. ask them what they charge for various sized houses and services and get a feel for your competition.
heck, even have some come to YOUR house to give you an estimate on what they would charge you and then you'll have a really good idea of your competitor's pricing.

studying your competitors is a key to running a successful business.

take care and happy cleaning!

Answer 7

Around here the going rate is about $15 per hour with a medium-sized house getting done in a few hours by a competent worker. If the worker does not understand the homeowner's language very well (so that they need to be very careful about giving explanations and directions) that worker would get about $10 per hour.

Answer 8

10. for light housekeeping. 15. for heavy

Answer 9

It depends on the size of the home(s) and what you're doing for them. The more you do the more you charge, the larger the home the more you charge. If someone has a 1500 sq ft home you'd charge more than someone who has a 1100 sq ft home. Call around to local 'maid' services and see what the going rate is for your area. Pretend to be interested in their services and see if you can get them to email or mail you a price list for various services.

Answer 10

I do clean houses for extra money, I do agree with most of the answers. I do a house just once a month so the gal gives me $50.00. It usually takes me about 2 1/2 hours to clean. Another gal I clean for she works along side by side with me. She cannot do the heavy cleaning like sweeping the carpet and wet mopping the floors. I get $40.00 for 2 hours. It depends how big the house is and how much dusting you have to do and also how much wet mopping.