How much do cleaners charge per hour in the UK?

Between £15 and £30 an hour in 2026. Self-employed cleaners sit at the lower end and usually expect you to supply products. Insured companies that bring their own equipment sit at £22 to £30. We charge £25 an hour with everything included.

Is £25 an hour reasonable for a cleaner?

It is mid-to-upper for the East Midlands and reasonable where the rate includes products, equipment, insurance and travel. Compare the total cost of a visit rather than the rate on its own.

How many hours should I book a cleaner for?

For a regular clean, allow one hour per bedroom plus an hour for the kitchen and bathroom. A three-bed home is comfortable in three hours weekly, or four hours fortnightly.

Do I pay the cleaner or the company?

You pay us, and we pay the cleaner. That means the insurance, the cover and the guarantee sit with the company rather than with an individual.

Should I tip a cleaner?

There is no expectation of a tip in UK domestic cleaning. Our cleaners are paid properly for the hour. If you want to recognise good work, a review helps them far more.

Cleaner Hourly Rate

House cleaning rates run from about £12 an hour cash in hand to £35 an hour through a national agency, and the four tiers buy very different things. This page compares what each rate includes so you can work out the real cost rather than the headline one. For the general question of what cleaners charge per hour, start with the pricing guide.

Derby Cleaners serves homes and businesses across Derby. Eco-friendly products are included, and every booking is covered by our 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Call 01332 480163 for a clear quote.

Pricing scenario

£25 per hour

Products, equipment and travel included

£25/hour standard rate No call-out fees Estimate upfront

01332 480163 View full pricing guide

The hourly rate is the wrong number to compare on its own. What matters is the rate multiplied by the hours, plus whatever you have to buy or do yourself.

A £15 an hour cleaner who needs your hoover, your products and five hours costs you more in total than a £25 an hour team that brings its own kit and finishes in three. Below is what each tier of the market actually gives you.

What different hourly rates include

ItemTimeCost

Self-employed, cash in handUsually no insurance, no cover if they are ill£12 to £18/hrYou supply products and equipment

Self-employed, establishedInsurance varies, always ask£15 to £22/hrSometimes brings own products

Local cleaning company (us)Replacement cleaner if yours is off£25/hrProducts, equipment, travel, insurance, cover

National agencyCleaner may change week to week£22 to £30/hrProducts often charged as an extra

Specialist (after builders, biohazard)£30/hr and upSpecialist equipment and disposal

Rates shown are typical UK ranges for domestic cleaning in 2026. Derby sits slightly below London and slightly above the regional average.

Common extras

How many hours for a regular clean
Two-bed home: 2 to 3 hours. Three-bed: 3 hours. Four-bed: 3 to 4 hours. Weekly cleans need fewer hours than fortnightly ones because less builds up.
How many hours for a one-off deep clean
Roughly double a regular clean. A three-bed deep clean is 6 to 8 hours, or 3 to 4 hours with a team of two.
Minimum booking
We ask for a two-hour minimum. Below that, travel and setup make up too much of the visit to do useful work.
No extra for evenings or weekends
We work 9am to 9pm, seven days a week, at the same £25 rate.

Why £25 an hour rather than £15

At £25 an hour we cover public liability insurance, employer's liability, professional eco-friendly products, commercial equipment, travel across Derby, and cover so your clean still happens if your regular cleaner is ill. A cash rate covers none of that, and the cost of any of those things going wrong lands on you.

We are not the cheapest hour in Derby and we do not try to be. What we do offer is that the hour is fully productive: the cleaner arrives with everything needed, knows the property, and works to a checklist rather than to the clock.

Hourly or fixed price?

For regular cleaning, hourly is almost always better value: your home gets tidier over time, so the same visit covers more ground. For end of tenancy and after builders work, a quoted total is easier to budget against, and we are happy to give one after seeing photos or the property.

What we never do is quote hourly and then discover extra hours halfway through. If a job is going to run over, we tell you before we start.

Have questions?

We are happy to help. Call us or send an enquiry and we will get back to you.

01332 480163 Get in touch

Cleaner Hourly Rate

What different hourly rates include

Common extras

Why £25 an hour rather than £15

Hourly or fixed price?

Related guides

Domestic cleaning service

Regular cleaning cost

Hourly vs fixed-price cleaning

Professional vs private cleaners

Pricing guide

You might also find useful

End of Tenancy Cleaning Prices

Cleaner Hourly Rate

Regular Cleaning Cost

Have questions?