How Much Should You Tip Your House Cleaner?
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Hiring a professional house cleaner saves you time, energy and keeps your home looking beautiful. Rather than spending hours of time cleaning your home every week, you get to use that free time to focus on yourself.
The question is- if you hire a house cleaner, should you tip them? If so, how much should you tip them?
The practice of tipping
Tipping first arrived on the scene in Tudor England, during the Medieval period. If a servant performed exceptionally well, the master would reward the servant with extra money. This custom became known as tipping, and by the 17th century was adopted in establishments like cafes.
This practice of tipping was transferred from Europe to America in the mid-1800’s by Americans who wanted to be more aristocratic. However, it wasn’t until the Prohibition period in the early 1900’s that tipping became more popular in the U.S.
Hotels and restaurants, who were hurt from the lost revenue from selling alcohol, promoted tipping as a way to supplement wages.
Since then, tipping has become commonplace in the hospitality industry as a way to increase wages for workers and improve the overall customer experience.
Tipping in the cleaning industry
In contrast to the food service industry where tipping is generally expected during every service, tipping in the cleaning industry is less common and completely optional.
If you hire a cleaning service like Seatown Cleaners, 100% of tips go directly to your specific cleaners, so it can be a fantastic way to show your cleaners that you appreciate everything they do for you and your home.
Should you tip your house cleaner?
It’s up to you!
If you’re impressed by your service and have room in your budget, leave a tip.
It’s also fine if you prefer not to leave a tip, as it is not generally expected.
Tipping is a very personal gesture. A tip will always be warmly received by your service provider. Cleaning can sometimes for being a thankless job, and it’s tough work. Leaving your cleaner a tip is the best way to show them that you appreciate everything they do for you.
How much should you tip your house cleaner?
In the U.S. an average tip is anywhere from 10-20%.
In the cleaning industry, any amount is acceptable. A modest tip for your house cleaners falls in the range of 10-20%. A generous tip is 20-30%+.
Regardless of the amount you choose, it’s the gesture that matters most. Even if you only have a small amount to give to your house cleaners, it will be highly appreciated and well accepted.
If you don’t know how much you want to tip, feel free to ask your house cleaning service about their tipping policy and what they suggest for a proper amount.
How often should you tip your cleaners?
If you are a regular customer and you decide to tip your cleaners, you might be asking yourself the following questions:
“How often should I tip?”
“Am I expected to leave a tip for my cleaners every time?”
You should tip your cleaners as often as you can. If you have a frequent service done, like weekly or bi-weekly cleanings then it might make more sense to tip every now and then. On the other hand, if you have a service done every month then tipping your cleaners every visit might be better.
In the end, it depends on your budget and how frequently your home gets cleaned.
If you can afford it, tipping your house cleaners as often as possible is a great way to show your appreciation to them.
Is there another way to show appreciation to your house cleaners?
If you can’t afford to leave your house cleaners a tip, there are some other ways to show your appreciation to them.
Here are some suggestions:
- Tidy your home before your cleaners arrive.
- Leave a thank you note.
- Bake them cookies.
- Leave a positive review for the cleaning company (if you’re using an agency) on Google or Yelp.
- If you hire an independent cleaner, recommend them to Facebook local groups or Nextdoor. Positive reviews will help your cleaners get more clients and it is the most direct way to improve their professional reputation.
Consider supporting your local cleaning service by leaving a tip
Leaving a tip for a local service is a wonderful way to support your community’s individual workers.
Next time you’re booking a house cleaning appointment try to make room in your budget for a gratuity at the end.
