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Cleaner Cost

How we estimate cleaning costs

Every figure on this site is an indicative estimate from a transparent model — not a quote, and not scraped market data. Here's exactly how it works, so you can judge it for yourself.

Pricing assumptions last reviewed August 2026. See methodology.

Why we can show all of this

Cleaner Cost doesn't sell cleaning, take bookings, or earn commission from providers. A cleaning company has a reason to keep its pricing vague until you enquire; we don't. That's why we can publish the entire method below — every assumption, rate band and limitation — and let you judge the estimate on its merits.

1. Start with cleaning time

We estimate how long a clean takes for one cleaner, starting from a base for the common areas, then adding time per bedroom and per bathroom:

  • Common areas (kitchen, living, hallways): 1 hour base
  • Per bedroom: 0.5 hour
  • Per bathroom: 0.6 hour
  • Apartments: ×0.9 (usually a touch quicker)

2. Adjust for the type of clean

Different cleans take longer. We multiply the base time by a factor for the clean type:

  • Regular: ×1
  • One-off: ×1.35
  • Spring: ×1.5
  • Deep: ×1.7
  • End of lease: ×2.1

3. Adjust for frequency

A home cleaned weekly stays cleaner, so each visit is a little quicker; a one-off first clean is dirtier and takes longer. This only meaningfully affects a regular maintenance clean.

4. Add extras

Optional extras (oven, inside windows, inside fridge, cupboards and so on) each add a set amount of time, which flows through to the cost.

5. Apply an hourly rate for the area

We multiply the estimated time by an indicative hourly rate band for your location:

  • Higher-cost metro (e.g. Sydney, Canberra): $45–$65/hr
  • Capital-city metro: $40–$60/hr
  • Regional: $35–$55/hr

6. Apply a minimum call-out

Cleaners rarely attend for less than a minimum fee, so we floor the estimate at $90 for recurring cleans and $120 for one-offs. The result is shown as a range, not a single number.

What we don't account for

  • The actual condition of your home (grime, clutter, neglect).
  • Specific provider pricing, packages or promotions.
  • Suburb-level differences beyond the city rate band.
  • Specialist tasks like carpet steam cleaning or exterior windows.

Why real quotes differ

A provider quotes on your specific home and scope, their costs, and their availability. Treat our estimate as a sanity-check on whether a quote is roughly fair — then compare it against any quotes you receive.

How we check these assumptions

We sanity-check the model against publicly published Australian pricing — wage-award floors, marketplace cost guides and cleaners' own published rate cards. For common jobs, our estimated ranges land inside the real market ranges from these sources. They're independent reference points, each with its own method and vintage:

Keeping it honest

The assumptions above are versioned (currently v1.0.0) and reviewed periodically. Over time we aim to replace assumptions with anonymised real-world data — see our approach to building a real pricing benchmark. We never publish figures dressed up as more precise than they are.

Using our figures

Cleaner Cost is an independent, non-commercial cleaning-price resource with no stake in what you pay. Journalists, researchers and writers are welcome to cite our estimates or link to this methodology — a link back to cleanercost.com is all we ask. For questions or data requests, email hello@cleanercost.com.