Are you someone confused about tipping your cleaning lady, too? You know that you have to give but are unsure how much or are confused about whether it is expected or not. Worry not. We are here for you.
Giving tips is never mandatory, but it is appreciated if you give some money. More than the money, it shows your appreciation for hard work and encourages the other person. It shows that you respect their work, and most of all, it develops a unique bond of appreciation between you and the house cleaning woman or whoever comes to clean your house. Of course, you want to have some sort of positive understanding between you and the person who comes to your house every day or every other day to clean.
The question of, how much? While it is a very personal choice, it can be decided on many factors, and usually, according to the norms, you are expected to pay 10-20% of the total cost of the work only. These things vary greatly by location, frequency and job.
How Much to Tip a Cleaning Service
How much to tip a cleaning service person can be a tricky and often difficult question, but it can be broken down into various factors, as we have done for you below. Based on this, you can easily decide how much your cleaner should be tipped.
One-Time or Deep Cleaning Services:
If you’ve hired someone for only one-time cleaning or service, they are in your house for a single-time job only; then you should follow standard protocol and give them 10-20% of the total cost of the work as a tip. This is more than enough and a very suitable way of thanking and appreciating the work.
Recurring Weekly/Biweekly Services:
Suppose you have a service giver who comes in weekly or every two weeks, and you’re wondering how much to tip your weekly cleaning lady. In that case, we suggest that you consider either special bonus tips at holidays or any small gifts at such events, like easter, Christmas, etc. or give them a tip every month. Just a small amount as a token of appreciation and care. Otherwise, of course, you can’t tip your weekly cleaner every day, but the monthly and holiday arrangement works best.
Independent vs. Company Cleaners:
Here, you have to be very careful and take care when it comes to tipping because usually, if you’ve hired an individual cleaner, then they might not expect tips as they would have set their rates accordingly. Still, if you’ve hired someone from a company, then they would be expecting and appreciate a small tip directly at the end of the work. And so you can manage what to tip and when by knowing whether or not your cleaner comes from a company or is independent.
Group Cleanings or Team Visits:
If you have a team or group of cleaners coming to your place and you’re wondering now how to tip this house cleaning service group/team, then you should always consider tipping them per person, as they have all worked equally and deserve some sort of token of appreciation for their work and effort. You can maybe make separate envelopes for all of them and put some tip money inside.
Alternatives to Monetary Tips:
It’s not entirely important that you have to monetarily tip the person who comes to clean your house. If you’re not able to, for some reason, there are other ways to show respect and encouragement. You can always reward them by giving positive reviews and testimonies or by referrals and recommendations to help spread the word about their service so that their business might grow.
Or you can offer them water or snacks during the work to show love and care.
You can help them a lot if you buy them supplies like gloves, masks or quality cleaners that they don’t or can’t afford.
Moreover, a simple thank you note explaining how satisfied or happy you are with their work is also a very kind gesture of appreciation and encouragement for your cleaning lady.
Situations Where Tipping Might Not Be Needed
As a person paying for the service, you should know exactly where or how your cleaning expert is coming so that you can decide whether to give them a tip or not. For instance, sometimes gratuity is a part of the service price, in which case you don’t have to tip the person; it’s already part of your payment. That’s why you should always carefully see the charges on your payment slip to make informed decisions about your tip.
Show Appreciation in a Way That Feels Right
Obviously, you’re paying an amount for the cleaning work already, but tips are something to show how satisfied you’ve been with the work of that individual. How happy you are with the way they took these tasks and made you feel comfortable leaving your home in the hands of a stranger and found it sparkly clean just the way you wanted it.
To encourage their hard work and dedication and to honour the care with which they have given top-of-the-line work. It’s a token of appreciation, a gesture of respect and hence should be taken as such when deciding an amount for a tip.
It doesn’t necessarily have to be monetary; it can be anything to make their life a bit easier or to reward them. A simple yet sincere thank you or a reminder that their efforts are seen and appreciated or just a simple offer of food and water when they continue to give you their best regardless of all situations or conditions every day can be the best way to offer your tip!!
FAQS
A sincere thank you, positive feedback, and referrals can go a long way in making cleaners feel valued without spending money.
No, tipping is not mandatory, but it is a thoughtful way to show appreciation for their hard work and dedication.
Yes, cleaners from companies often appreciate tips since their hourly wages may not be very high. A small tip after each visit or during holidays is a kind gesture.
A standard guideline is 10–20% of the total cleaning cost, depending on the quality of service, location, and job size.