Whether you need regular help or a one-off deep clean to kick-start the new year, here's how much hiring a cleaner should cost across the UK
Cleaning up after Christmas can feel like an arduous task—and one that many of us may struggle to find time for in the new year.
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A 2019 survey of 2,000 people by appliance maker Beko found that only half of us manage to set aside time each week for housework, with 40% blaming a busy work life.
Regardless of their schedules, many homeowners are still hesitant to get stuck into the cleaning, according to a study by gig economy platform TaskRabbit.
A poll of 2,000 consumers that they carried out in April 2021 found that 48% of people had simply found other excuses to put off cleaning.
The top five reasons why Brits avoid household chores according to the TaskRabbit survey were that they couldn't be bothered, they were too tired, they’d rather watch TV, the task was too large or overwhelming or they were too busy with work. Its research also found that some tasks were far more off-putting than others...
| 10 most hated household chores | |
| 1 | Cleaning the oven |
| 2 | Cleaning the toilet |
| 3 | Demoulding the bathroom |
| 4 | Cleaning grouting |
| 5 | Defrosting the freezer |
| 6 | Weeding the garden |
| 7 | Throwing away food past its expiry date |
| 8 | Dusting inaccessible places |
| 9 | Scrubbing the bathroom |
| 10 | Washing curtains |
The good news is that there are plenty of cleaners across the UK available to help those who are less than enthusiastic about picking up the hoover.
Average cost of a cleaner by location
Tradesperson marketplace HaMuch has compiled a list of rates for cleaners around the country and after crunching the numbers, we found the average hourly rate for a cleaner is £19, while the average day rate is £138.
But rates vary widely around the UK, with the costliest area to hire a cleaner being Cambridge, where the average hourly rate is £57 and the average day rate is £187.
This is not surprising as Cambridge was recently revealed to be the most expensive city to buy a house in outside of London by Zoopla's House Price Index.
10 most expensive areas to hire a cleaner
| Location in the UK | Average hourly rate | Average daily rate |
| Cambridge | £57 | £187 |
| South Cambridgeshire | £57 | £187 |
| Huntingdonshire | £47 | £225 |
| Dundee | £45 | £300 |
| Fife | £40 | £200 |
| Bournemouth | £34 | £110 |
| Stockton-on-Tees | £34 | £121 |
| Cheltenham | £31 | £238 |
| Gloucester | £31 | £227 |
| Stroud | £31 | £225 |
Bargain services
At the other end of the scale, Dover came out as the cheapest place to hire a cleaner, with an average hourly rate of £10 and a day rate of £75.
The latest figures from Rightmove have the average house price in the local authority at £254,243, lower than the UK average of £296,000, so this does make sense when the region's wider economy is taken into account.
Doncaster and North Lincolnshire, where house prices are also lower than the UK average, also featured in the 10 least expensive areas.
10 cheapest areas to hire a cleaner
| Location in the UK | Average hourly rate | Average daily rate |
| Dover | £10 | £75 |
| Dumfries & Galloway | £10 | £80 |
| Thanet | £10 | £90 |
| North Lincolnshire | £10 | £80 |
| Rochester-upon-Medway | £10 | £90 |
| Carmarthenshire | £12 | £80 |
| Doncaster | £12 | £84 |
| Gwynedd | £12 | £92 |
| Canterbury | £12 | £94 |
| Aberdeen | £12 | £100 |
Average cost of common cleaning jobs
Meanwhile, research from tradesperson marketplace Checkatrade put the average weekly cost of a cleaner for three hours' work at £45.
Interestingly, they say that independent workers are cheaper on average than cleaning agencies, while many cleaners will offer discounted rates if you're looking for a regular weekly service.
Checkatrade also pulled together some handy figures concerning the typical costs of the most common domestic cleaning jobs.
| Types of house cleaning costs | Cost incl. VAT (range low - high) | Average cost |
| House cleaning - agency (per hour) | £15 - £25 | £20 |
| House cleaning - independent (per hour) | £10 - £20 | £15 |
| Carpet cleaning (per small room) | £34 - £66 | £50 |
| Cleaning after building work (per hour) | £15 - £25 | £20 |
| End-of-tenancy clean | £79 - £199 | £139 |
| Window cleaning | £20 - £70 | £45 |
All figures are correct at the time of writing.
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Featured image: Natali _ Mis / Shutterstock