“How much are you paying your cleaner?” It’s one of the most asked questions on UK forums, and the answers range from £12 an hour cash-in-hand to £30 or more through an agency — usually followed by an argument about who’s being ripped off.

The truth? Neither, necessarily. They’re paying for different things. As a local cleaning company serving Hampshire and Surrey for six years, here’s our honest breakdown of how much a cleaner costs in 2026 — including when we’re not the cheapest option.

How Much Does a Cleaner Cost in 2026? The Short Answer

In 2026, most people in the UK pay between £15 and £30 per hour for a domestic cleaner. Self-employed cleaners paid directly typically charge £15–£20 per hour. Cleaning companies typically charge £20–£30 per hour, which includes insurance, vetted staff, cover when your cleaner is ill, and all products and equipment.

London and the South East sit at the upper end of these ranges. One-off jobs like deep cleans and end of tenancy cleans are usually priced by the job rather than by the hour.

What You Are Actually Paying For

The £15 cleaner and the £27 cleaner are not doing wildly different wiping. The difference is everything around the wiping:

Insurance — If something gets damaged, a company’s public liability insurance covers it. With a self-employed cleaner, always ask to see proof — many don’t have it.

DBS background checks — Standard with a professional company, rare with individuals. It matters when someone is alone in your home.

Sickness and holiday cover — When a self-employed cleaner is ill or away, you simply go without. A company sends a replacement.

Products and equipment — Often yours to provide with an individual. Included in the price with most companies.

Your legal position — Few people realise this, but if you directly engage a regular cleaner, set their hours and provide their equipment, HMRC can in some cases view you as an employer, with pension and holiday-pay obligations. With a company, that’s our responsibility, not yours.

None of this means self-employed cleaners are a bad choice. Many are excellent, and for a simple weekly clean with someone you trust, £17 an hour can be genuinely good value. But when you see a £13-an-hour quote, ask what isn’t included — at that price, after travel and products, corners get cut somewhere.

Typical Cleaning Prices in Hampshire and Surrey

Rates in our area — Aldershot, Farnborough, Fleet, Camberley, Farnham and surrounding towns — sit slightly below London but above the national floor. Here’s what to expect:

General Cleaning — from £40 per visit, weekly or fortnightly

Flat & Apartment Cleaning — from £70

Deep Cleaning — £20 per hour with a two-hour minimum; most full deep cleans land between £180 and £350 depending on size and condition

End of Tenancy Cleaning — from £220, fixed price against an agency checklist

Oven & Carpet Cleaning — quoted individually, because condition matters more than size

A tip worth knowing: hourly pricing suits regular maintenance cleans, but for one-off jobs a fixed quote protects you. An hourly deep clean with no cap can drift — a fixed price means the surprise inside the oven is our problem, not yours.

Why a Cheap Cleaner Usually Costs More

We lose quotes to cheaper cleaners every week, and that’s fine. But three patterns come up when those customers later come back to us:

The two-hour clean that’s really 90 minutes — Unvetted hourly cleaners have every incentive to stretch or shave time. Companies can’t — our reviews depend on it.

The damage nobody covers — A scratched hob or a bleach-spotted carpet costs more than a year of the price difference. Always ask any cleaner for proof of public liability insurance — the good ones won’t be offended.

The vanishing act — The biggest complaint about cash cleaners isn’t quality, it’s reliability. No-shows before guests arrive, quietly quitting after a month. With a company, someone always turns up.

How to Spot a Fair Cleaning Quote

A fair cleaning quote in the South East in 2026 looks like this: a clear hourly rate or fixed price agreed before work starts, insurance and vetting confirmed in writing, products and equipment included or clearly stated if not, and no call-out fees or last-minute add-ons.

Below about £14 per hour in this region, be careful — that rate usually shows up later as rushed work, no insurance, or unreliability.

Bantha Cleaning provides fully insured, DBS-checked cleaning across Aldershot, Winchester, Farnborough, Fleet, Basingstoke, Farnham, and Camberley — with honest, fixed pricing on every job.
Book your clean today with a free, no-obligation quote. Click Here

FAQs About Cleaner Costs in Hampshire

How much should I pay a cleaner per hour in 2026?

Between £15 and £20 per hour for a self-employed cleaner, and £20 to £30 per hour for an insured cleaning company, depending on your region. London and the South East are at the top of those ranges.

Is it cheaper to hire a self-employed cleaner or a cleaning company?

A self-employed cleaner is usually £5–£10 per hour cheaper. A cleaning company includes insurance, DBS-checked staff, sickness cover, products and a complaints process. Which is better value depends on how much risk and admin you are happy to carry yourself.

How much does a one-off house clean cost?

For a typical UK home, expect £40–£80 for a standard one-off clean, and £180–£350 for a full deep clean depending on size and condition. One-off jobs are usually best agreed as a fixed price rather than hourly.

Should I tip my cleaner?

Tipping is not expected in the UK, but it is appreciated — especially at Christmas. If you use a cleaning company, a five-star review is honestly worth more to your cleaner than a tip, because reviews are what bring them work.

Does Bantha Cleaning offer fixed price quotes?

Yes. Every Bantha Cleaning quote is free and fixed before work starts, based on your property size and needs. You can also send photos of your property on WhatsApp for a faster, more accurate quote.

For more information about employment status when hiring domestic help directly, you can use the official HMRC employment status checker.