How Much to Tip a House Cleaner
Work out the tip for a regular visit, a one-time clean or a deep or move-out clean, split it between the cleaners who came, and estimate a holiday bonus for a regular cleaner.
Published guides put a house cleaner tip at 10–20% of the cleaning price, and up to 25% for a one-time job. For a regular weekly or every-other-week cleaner, TIDY says a tip every visit is not expected and a holiday bonus of about one cleaning’s cost is the norm; the Emily Post Institute suggests up to one week’s pay.
Booked through a company? Ask whether tips are built into the price and how they reach the cleaner.
How Much Should You Tip a House Cleaner?
Start from the price of the cleaning: 10% for a routine visit from a regular cleaner, 15% for a one-time clean and 20% for a deep or move-out clean, with more for an exceptional job. Split the tip between everyone who came, and with a regular cleaner consider a holiday bonus instead of tipping every visit.
House Cleaner Tipping Guide
Recommendation Factors
This recommendation changes with the practical effort involved:
- Quality: a cleaner who did extra or went beyond the checklist deserves more
- A last-minute booking, an extreme mess or specialty cleaning calls for a higher tip
- A single deep clean or move-out clean usually gets a larger tip than a routine visit
- A cleaner who comes several times a week: a small tip each visit or a larger one once a week
- Booked through a company: ask whether tips are built into the price and how they reach the cleaner
House Cleaner Tip by Cleaning Price
The tip and total for common cleaning prices at 10%, 15%, 20% and 25%.
| Cleaning price | 10% | 15% | 20% | 25% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $100.00 | $10.00total $110.00 | $15.00total $115.00 | $20.00total $120.00 | $25.00total $125.00 |
| $150.00 | $15.00total $165.00 | $22.50total $172.50 | $30.00total $180.00 | $37.50total $187.50 |
| $200.00 | $20.00total $220.00 | $30.00total $230.00 | $40.00total $240.00 | $50.00total $250.00 |
| $300.00 | $30.00total $330.00 | $45.00total $345.00 | $60.00total $360.00 | $75.00total $375.00 |
| $400.00 | $40.00total $440.00 | $60.00total $460.00 | $80.00total $480.00 | $100.00total $500.00 |
What Published Guidance Says
Tipping amounts are customs, not rules. These are the ranges and findings published by etiquette authorities, consumer guides and surveys, with the date of each.
- Thumbtack (October 3, 2022): Cites the Association of Residential Cleaning Services International for 10–15% of the cost and says 20% is not uncommon; its table runs from $10–$20 on a $100 cleaning to $40–$80 on $400. A larger tip fits a one-time deep clean or move-out clean. Read the source: Thumbtack
- Thumbtack (October 3, 2022): For a year-end bonus it points to the 5–10% of yearly earnings most employers give: $150–$300 if you paid the cleaner $3,000 for the year. Read the source: Thumbtack
- TIDY, a property-management company (updated April 16, 2026): 15–20% of the service cost, or $10–$20 per visit for a typical cleaning, and 15–25% for one-time jobs. For recurring weekly or every-other-week cleaners, it says a tip each visit is not expected and a holiday bonus of one cleaning’s cost is the norm. Read the source: TIDY, a property-management company
- Emily Post Institute (undated; read November 6, 2026): Holiday tip for a housekeeper or cleaner: "Up to the amount of one week’s pay and/or a small gift." Read the source: Emily Post Institute
How this house cleaner recommendation works
- •Regular visit: 10% of the cleaning price, or 15% when the cleaner went above and beyond; a tip every visit is optional
- •One-time clean: 15%, or 20% for an exceptional job, with a fair range of 15–25%
- •Deep or move-out clean: 20%, or 25% for an exceptional job, with a fair range of 15–25%
- •More than one cleaner: the tip is split evenly and each share is rounded to a whole amount for cash
- •Holiday bonus for a regular cleaner: one visit’s cost, shown next to 5–10% of a year of visits
Example: a $200 move-out clean by 2 cleaners → 20% = $40, or $20 for each cleaner (fair range $30–$50).
This is a transparent editorial model, not an official formula from any platform. You can override the recommendation in the calculator above.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do you tip a house cleaner?
Thumbtack (2022) cites the Association of Residential Cleaning Services International for 10–15% of the cleaning price and says 20% is not uncommon. TIDY (2026) gives 15–20%, or $10–$20 for a typical cleaning. This calculator uses 10% for a regular visit, 15% for a one-time clean and 20% for a deep or move-out clean, and 5 points more when the job went above and beyond.
Do you tip a regular house cleaner every time?
It is not required. TIDY says a tip every visit is not expected for a weekly or every-other-week cleaner, and that a holiday bonus is the norm instead. Thumbtack suggests that if a cleaner comes several times a week, you might give a small tip each visit or a larger one once a week.
How much should you tip for a deep clean or move-out clean?
Thumbtack says a larger tip fits a single-visit deep clean or move-out clean than a routine visit, and TIDY gives 15–25% for one-time jobs. The calculator uses 20%, or 25% when the cleaner went above and beyond.
How much should you give your house cleaner for the holidays?
The Emily Post Institute suggests up to the amount of one week’s pay and/or a small gift for a housekeeper or cleaner. TIDY says a bonus of one cleaning’s cost is the norm for regular cleaners. Thumbtack compares it with the 5–10% of yearly earnings it says most employers give as a bonus: $150–$300 if you paid $3,000 for the year.
How much to tip a house cleaner on $200?
10–20% of $200 is $20–$40: $20 at 10%, $30 at 15% and $40 at 20%. Thumbtack’s table gives the same $20–$40 for a $200 cleaning.
How do you tip when more than one cleaner comes?
Work out the tip on the full price of the cleaning, then split it so each person gets their own share. Set the number of cleaners in the calculator and it rounds each share to a whole amount for cash.
Do you tip a cleaning company and an independent cleaner the same?
Thumbtack says the same 10–20% applies whether you hire an independent cleaner or a company, and suggests asking a company whether tips are already built into its rates. TIDY also suggests asking the agency for guidance.
Related Calculators
Written and maintained by the CalculateTip.io Editorial Team. Last reviewed by the CalculateTip.io Editorial Team. Rates shown are editorial guidance based on common US practice, not official rules — local customs and platform policies vary.
Sources: Thumbtack, "Do You Tip House Cleaners? A Guide to Tipping Etiquette" (October 3, 2022) · TIDY, "To Tip or Not to Tip: The Guide to Tipping Your House Cleaner" (updated April 16, 2026) · Emily Post Institute, "Holiday Tipping Guide" (undated; read November 4, 2026) · CalculateTip.io editorial guidance based on common US practice; local customs and platform policies vary