How Much To Tip House Cleaners
If your hectic routine does not allow you to clean the house yourself, or you simply want to treat yourself to a clean home without touching a mop, you can hire house cleaners. But then you may wonder if you should tip house cleaners and, if so, how much to tip.
Should You Tip Your House Cleaner?
Generally, yes, you should. Typically, you should tip the cleaners 15% to 20% of what you are paying them for their service. For instance, if the whole cleaning job costs $100, tip them $15 to $20.
One thing is clear, however: you should definitely tip house cleaners, just as you would your server at the restaurant or a manicurist at the nail salon. The amount you tip will depend on the size of your home, the state your house was in and how good of a job the cleaners did.
Below, we will take a closer look at how much to tip house cleaners and when.
Agency or Self-Employed Cleaner
When you hire a house cleaner, check who the business owner is. Are they self-employed, or do they work with an agency? Agencies take a portion of the cleaning fee, leaving the cleaners with less money than if you had paid them directly to clean your house.
Thus, it is good to tip cleaners that come from an agency. On the other hand, self-employed cleaners set their own rates and do not have to pay the agency a commission fee. Anyone who sets their own rates has likely picked an adequate sum for themselves, and so will miss a tip less than someone whose wage is determined by an employer.
Tipping Policies
When you hire cleaners from an agency, make sure you ask about the tipping policy beforehand. Some agencies do not allow the cleaners to accept tips, while others may include a mandatory tip in your final bill.
Quality of Work
Some cleaners go out of their way to make sure your home looks its best. If a cleaner does an exceptional job, tipping them is the customary way to show your appreciation. On the other hand, if a cleaner does an especially poor job, you may want to tip them less than you normally would, or avoid tipping altogether.
Your Home’s State
Suppose you had a filthy kitchen before the cleaner did their magic on it. In that case, a tip from your side would be a considerate gesture, as the job was more labor-intensive than the cleaner may have expected and they rose to the challenge.
Advice
Tip house cleaners appropriately if your house had not been thoroughly cleaned in a long time, and you know the cleaners would have had to put in a lot of elbow grease.
How Much Should You Tip House Cleaners?
As we have already discussed, you should tip 15% to 20%, depending on the quality of work and the state of your house. If you feel the cleaner did an exceptional job, feel free to tip above 20% — they’re sure to appreciate it.
How Often to Tip Cleaners
If you get your home cleaned regularly and tip every time, those tips can have a substantial impact on the total upkeep cost of your house. With this in mind, how often is it appropriate to tip house cleaners?
Requested Services
If you have requested a one-time service, it is nice to tip the cleaner. But if you have booked multiple cleaning sessions, you can choose the frequency at which you want to leave a tip.
Similar or Different Cleaner
Suppose you booked multiple cleaning sessions. Is the same cleaner coming to clean every week? If yes, don’t feel obligated to tip them every time. If a new person comes every week, it would be appropriate to tip them according to the quality of their service.
What Is the Acceptable Form of Tipping?
The most preferred and common form of tipping for cleaners is cash. If you have booked a cleaning session for the day, make sure you have cash at home.
Meanwhile, if a maid comes to clean your place every week, you can show your appreciation for their work in other ways. For instance, you can give them a gift card to a coffee shop or another small gift.
If you know what your cleaner likes, you may want to leave them a gift basket or a bottle of wine. Adding a personal touch when expressing appreciation makes your cleaner feel that you view them as a human and not just someone who cleans your home.
Final Take
It is good practice to tip your house cleaner if you have only requested a one-time task and they come from an agency. The typical tipping percentage is 15% to 20%.
Meanwhile, if you have a regular cleaner, or your cleaner is self-employed, you can tip them every once in a while or show your appreciation through a gift.
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