House cleaners, housekeepers and cleaning services make life significantly easier, and they’re worth every penny. But in addition to their standard pay, should you tip them? And if so, how often and how much?<\/p>
According to Ken Doty, chief operating officer and cleaning expert at The Maids<\/a>, tipping is ultimately up to the customer. That being said, if you do tip, “a good benchmark is anywhere between 15-20%.”<\/p> Here, Doty and other cleaning experts give the lowdown on tipping house cleaners, housekeepers and other cleaning professionals. <\/p> Tipping a house cleaner<\/a>, cleaning service or housekeeper is a personal choice, and not surprisingly, different folks have different opinions. Nevertheless, more customers tip than don’t, according to Stanley Chen, owner at BerryClean<\/a>, a residential cleaning business in the San Francisco Bay Area.<\/p> “We recently analyzed the tipping habits of our over 10,000 clients and found that the majority of our clients tip their house cleaners<\/a>,” he says. <\/p> Again, though, tipping is not necessary or a requirement. Think of it more as an act of kindness and one way to show appreciation. “Professional house cleaners never expect tips,” Doty says. “But they’re always very much appreciated.”<\/p> Even if you don’t tip your house cleaner, housekeeper<\/a> or cleaning service every time, there are occasions when tips are more apropos, according to Doty, Chen and Delah Gomasi, owner of MaidForYou<\/a>. <\/p> Here are instances in which to consider tipping:<\/p> Without a doubt, the holidays are the most common time to tip housekeepers and cleaners. “Our cleaning teams consistently receive more tips from clients during the Christmas period,” Gomasi says. “When a cleaner has been working in a client’s home over the course of a year, the client is extremely likely to tip during the holiday period. Our cleaners see it as a holiday bonus<\/a>.” <\/p> (And if you consistently tip throughout the year, you may consider upping the amount during the holidays — more on this shortly.)<\/p> One of the most clear-cut ways to show you’re pleased with your cleaner’s service is to tip them, Doty notes. “If you’re receiving a recurring cleaning service that is providing good work, tipping shows you’re happy with their work and you appreciate their service,” he says. <\/p>Key takeaways<\/h3>
Am I supposed to tip a house cleaner or other cleaning pro?<\/h2>
When should I tip my house cleaner?<\/h2>
The holidays <\/h3>
Consistently good service <\/h3>
Deep cleanings <\/h3>