Top House Cleaners near Chicago, Illinois

Common Residential Cleaning Services

There are many different services that a cleaning company can provide, including:

• One-time cleaning service - Service comes once to do the regular or deep cleaning tasks.

• Recurring cleaning service - The company comes at least once per month on a recurring basis to complete general cleaning, including kitchen, bathrooms, changing bed linens, dusting, and more.

• Deep cleaning - The company provides the general services plus cleans hard to reach places and completes often forgotten tasks, like under furniture, sanitizing trash cans, dusting lamp shades, cleaning baseboards, and more.

• Move out & move in cleaning - Service completes either a “broom-clean” service or more comprehensive cleaning based on landlord/contract requirements.

• Special event cleaning - If you are hosting a party or a larger event, the company will come and provide the required cleaning services. 

• Airbnb cleaning - Cleaning Airbnb, so it is ready and presentable for future guests.

• Refrigerator and oven cleaning - Appliances can sometimes be tough to clean, so a professional service can pick up spills and otherwise freshen up the oven or refrigerator.

These are just a few of the services offered by most residential cleaning companies. Keep in mind that every company is different, and some may have fewer or more services than what is listed here. Check out each company to see what they offer.
 

Residential Cleaning Cost Guide

Below are the average prices for the services offered by residential cleaning companies. Keep in mind that each company will have its own costs depending on its location, expertise, etc. As cleaning levels in homes increase, so does the cost. If you need clarification, reach out to any one of them, and they will answer your questions so you can ensure that the services are within your budget.

Apartment or small home:

• Standard cleaning - $100+
• Deep cleaning - $125+
• Move out cleaning - $100+

Medium-sized home:

• Standard cleaning - $150+
• Deep cleaning - $175+
• Move out cleaning - $150+

Cost by square foot:

• 1000 square feet - $80-$125 average
• 2000 square feet - $100-$200 average
• 3000 square feet - $150-$300 average

Cost by the hour - $25-$50 average

Individual services:

• Change bed sheets - $10 per bed on average.
• Wash and dry laundry - $5-$20 per load on average.
• Window cleaning - $4-$8 per window on average.
• Dust blinds - $20+ on average.
• Polish wood surfaces - $30+ on average.
• Clean interior of cabinets - $25-$40 on average.
• Refrigerator cleaning - $12-$50 on average.
• Oven cleaning - $15-$35 on average.
• Baseboard cleaning - $35+ depending on the extent of cleaning.

Tips For Hiring A Residential Cleaning Service

While many cleaning companies will complete similar services, you need to do a bit of research before you choose your go-to operation. Consider these tips:

Choosing Whether To Go With An Individual House Cleaner VS. Cleaning Company

Depending on your budget or needs, you may want to decide between hiring an individual house cleaner versus calling a larger company. Individual cleaners can often be found at a more affordable price, and although they may not have a set checklist of what services they will complete, you can typically tell them what needs to be done while they are there. There is nothing wrong with going with the individual cleaning technician, but if you do, make sure to get an agreement of the services and costs down in writing.

If you have a moderate to large-sized job and a lot of constant foot traffic, then you may want to go with a larger house cleaning service. This is typically a good option due to its many perks:

• They already have a written agreement of services offered.
• Larger companies are typically bonded and insured.
• They have more structured pricing models.
• The employees are subject to background checks.
• They have large cleaning teams.

They will cost a bit more, but the perks mentioned above may be enough to help you make a decision.

Ask About Warranties And Guarantees

If the information is not listed on the company’s website, then make sure to reach out to the company you are interested in and ask about satisfaction guarantees. For instance, you can inquire about what you can do if you are not happy with the cleaning or the company forgets to complete a task. Will they come back? Offer a free touch-up? Or is there no warranty at all?

How about if they break something while cleaning the home? Will they make it right and do so easily without argument, or is there a long, drawn-out process to replace what was lost? Make sure to ask these questions. If you have a lot of breakable items, then going with the insured cleaning company is probably a wise choice.

If You Have Questions, Reach Out

Whether you are picky about how your house is cleaned or you just like to know more about the process, do not be afraid to reach out to the company and ask questions. You’ll either speak to the individual cleaner or a representative at a larger company. Some questions you could ask include:

• How many years of experience do you have?
• What is your cleaning process?
• What are your hourly rates?
• Do you have a set rate for a cleaning visit?
• Do you charge hourly or by the service?
• What days and times are available?
• Can you come to do an estimate?
• Can you provide a rough time estimate?
• Do you clean synthetic carpet fibers?
• What additional services do you offer?
• What are your terms of service (fees for canceling, etc.)?

Make sure to also go online and read customer reviews so you can get a good idea of how the company performs.

Make A List Of Needs In Advance

Before you call up the service and just ask for an “overall cleaning”, you will want to think about what you really want the company to do. Before scheduling your service, take a walk around your home and see what is needed and where. Do you have one bedroom that only requires a light dusting and another bedroom that requires a deeper cleaning? Do you have pets that have made a mess of your floorboards, and you want those cleaned? 

By understanding what you require ahead of time, you will be able to speak clearly about your needs when the cleaners arrive. Plus, you can calculate the fees for your needs to see if they fit your budget.

Frequently Asked Questions

Below are commonly asked questions that folks have before hiring a cleaning company:

Who Provides The Cleaning Materials?

It is not unusual to assume that the company will always provide the cleaning materials, but that is not always the case. While many of the larger companies will bring their own supplies for their particular cleaning methods, it is a good idea to ask ahead of time, so you are clear on what is expected. 

Many companies that do not supply cleaning products will let you know which products are best, which are good for the environment, and what will work best for your particular needs. This is another reason why it is a good idea to know what parts of your house you need to have cleaned, so you can get the products you truly require and you won’t waste money on what you don’t need.

How Can I Prepare For Professional Cleaning?

In addition to making it clear and communicating with the company about the services you require, there are other quick tasks that you should take care of before the cleaners arrive. For starters, you should put away or carefully store any valuables or fragile items that you do not want to break or get misplaced while the cleaners are at work. 

Also, you should clear away any unnecessary clutter from the floor and against the walls so the cleaners can get to all of those spaces and clean them adequately. If you are asking to have your sink and countertops cleaned, then you should also put away loose dishes so the cleaners can have full access and do their best work.

How Long Does It Take To Complete These Cleaning Services?

The length of time it takes for professional cleaners to complete their services depends on the size of the house, the number of rooms, and whether you are doing the regular or deep cleaning. On average, a basic house cleaning for a three-bedroom house can take around 3-4 hours but it can be more for a larger living space. The process will be even quicker if you tend to each space on a recurring basis.

Individual rooms can be cleaned faster or take longer depending on their complexity or the number of items to clean. The kitchen can typically take 30-45 minutes, a bedroom about 45 minutes, and you can multiply that by the number of rooms you have to get an average time frame. This is why it is a good idea to have the cleaning crew do their work while you are out of the house. It is easier to stay out of the way, and you can come home to a sparkling clean home.