A rough guide
Every home is different, but these are reasonable starting points for a regular weekly or fortnightly clean of a home that's kept fairly tidy:
| Home | Typical hours |
|---|---|
| Studio or one-bed flat | 1.5–2 hours |
| Two-bed flat or house | 2–3 hours |
| Three-bed house | 3–4 hours |
| Four-bed house or larger | 4 hours or more, or two cleaners |
Indicative hours for a regular clean (one cleaner)
What changes the time
These are the factors that make the biggest difference:
- Number of bathrooms – each one adds time
- How often you clean – fortnightly cleans take longer than weekly ones
- How tidy the home is – cleaners clean faster than they tidy
- Pets, especially if they shed
- Children and busy households
- Extras such as ironing, changing beds or inside the fridge
- Stairs, large kitchens and lots of hard floors
What a two-hour clean usually covers
In a typical two-bed home, two hours is usually enough for the essentials: kitchen surfaces, hob and sink, bathroom and toilet, dusting reachable surfaces, vacuuming and mopping floors, and emptying bins. It's unlikely to stretch to inside appliances, ironing or detailed jobs every visit.
Many cleaners rotate extra tasks – skirting boards one week, inside the microwave the next – so everything gets done over a few visits.
The first clean is longer
A first visit, or the first after a long gap, usually takes longer, because the home needs bringing up to a standard. Some cleaners suggest a longer first clean or a one-off deep clean before regular visits begin. Our guide to deep cleaning vs regular cleaning explains the difference.
Get quotes from local cleaners
Weekly vs fortnightly
Weekly cleans are shorter because there's less to catch up on. Fortnightly cleans often need an extra half-hour to an hour. Over a month, total hours can be similar – it's more about how fresh you want the home to stay between visits. See how often should you clean your house.
Deep cleans and end of tenancy cleans
One-off cleans take much longer than regular ones. A deep clean of a three-bed house can take a team of two or three most of a day. End of tenancy cleans are often priced per property rather than per hour, because the scope is set. If you're comparing hourly quotes for these, check how many cleaners and hours have been allowed.
See what's included in a deep clean and our end of tenancy cleaning checklist.
Making the most of the hours you book
A few habits help a cleaner do more in the time:
- Tidy surfaces and floors before the visit
- Agree priorities, so the important jobs come first
- Rotate extra tasks rather than expecting everything every time
- Make sure products and a working vacuum are available, if you supply them
- Keep pets out of the way
Hourly vs fixed price
Most regular cleaners charge by the hour, so the hours you book set the cost. Some companies quote a fixed price per visit based on home size. Either way, check what's included. Our house cleaning cost guide has indicative hourly rates.
