The Short Answer
On our estimates, a domestic cleaner costs about £18 to £30 an hour. A weekly 3-hour clean comes to £55 to £90 a week. Deep cleans cost more per hour, £20 to £35.
Agencies tend to sit at the top of the range and independent cleaners lower. If you hire someone directly and they aren't self-employed, you may become their employer, with the duties that go with it.
Cleaning rates
| Item | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Regular clean, per hour | £18 to £30 |
| Weekly clean (3 hours) | £55 to £90 |
| Deep or one-off clean, per hour | £20 to £35 |
| After building work, per hour | £25 to £35 |
| Oven clean | £40 to £80 |
We estimate a sofa clean at about £60. Carpets are usually a separate specialist job: see carpet cleaning.
Rates by city
| Place | Average per hour |
|---|---|
| London | £24 |
| Birmingham | £20 |
| Manchester | £20 |
| Leeds | £21 |
| Bristol | £21 |
| Newcastle | £18 |
| Glasgow | £25 |
| Edinburgh | £31 |
| Cardiff | £26 |
The same database put the UK average at £23 an hour, with individual rates from £15 to £78 depending on the job and the place. So is £20 an hour a lot? It's a little under that average.
What affects the price
What moves a cleaning quote:
- The type of clean. One-off and specialist cleans cost more than regular weekly cleaning.
- Size and condition of the home. Pets add time.
- Where you live. London and the South East cost more.
- How often. Weekly can work out better value than occasional catch-up cleans.
- Products and equipment. Some cleaners bring their own; others expect you to provide them.
It's common for a new cleaner to suggest a deep clean before regular visits start. That isn't necessarily upselling: it gets the house to a level that a weekly clean can keep up.
Agency, independent, or employing someone
Independent cleaners are often cheaper per hour, while agencies may have better availability. Some agencies charge a minimum fee to cover travel and equipment.
There's a third route that catches people out. GOV.UK says you're usually the employer of anyone who works in your home if you hire them and they aren't self-employed or paid through an agency. As an employer you must:
- check they have the right to work in the UK;
- have employers' liability insurance;
- register as an employer and run payroll, deducting their tax and National Insurance, even if you pay cash;
- pay at least the minimum wage: the National Living Wage is £12.71 an hour for workers aged 21 and over from April 2026.
GOV.UK also says you can't ask an employee to become self-employed. I'd use a cleaner who runs their own business (and can show it) or an agency, unless you're happy to run payroll.
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Frequently asked questions
How much should I pay a cleaner per hour?
On our estimates, £18 to £30 an hour for a regular clean, more for deep cleans and in London.
Is £20 an hour a lot for a cleaner?
It's a little under the £23 average in one trade platform's database of cleaners' rates when we checked in October 2026.
Do cleaners bring their own products?
Some do and some expect you to provide them, so ask when you book.
Am I an employer if I pay a cleaner?
Usually, if you hire them directly and they're not self-employed or paid through an agency, according to GOV.UK. Then you have employer duties such as payroll and the minimum wage.
How much is a deep clean?
About £20 to £35 an hour on our estimates. A cleaner may suggest one before regular visits start.
How we priced thisView sources (3, 2 official)
Rules come from the legislation and official guidance, read at source. Prices are our estimates: we check them against trade price data, retailer shelf prices and specialists' price lists, then build them up from their parts so the totals add up. Below are the sources behind the page; the trade price guides we only compare against aren’t listed. Where sources disagreed, we've said so. More on our method.
- Trade guideCleaner rates 2026, HaMuch. Checked 16 Oct 2026.
- OfficialEmploying someone to work in your home, GOV.UK. Checked 16 Oct 2026.
- OfficialNational Minimum Wage and National Living Wage rates, GOV.UK. Checked 16 Oct 2026.
