How much does house cleaning cost in Australia?

Hourly rates versus fixed quotes

An hourly rate is the most common way regular house cleaning is priced. You pay for the time your cleaner is there, usually with a minimum number of hours per visit. A fixed quote is more common for one-off jobs such as end of lease cleans, where the cleaner estimates the whole job up front.

Hourly pricing is transparent and flexible: you decide how long to book and what to prioritise. The trade-off is that you need a sensible estimate of the hours. Fixed quotes remove that guesswork, but they usually depend on an inspection, a phone call or a quote request, and the final price can change if the property turns out to be in worse condition than described.

Ousie uses hourly pricing with a minimum per clean, so you see the total before you book, and the price you confirm is the price you pay.

Ousie’s current prices

Deep and end of lease cleans include products and equipment. For regular cleans your cleaner uses yours by default, or you can add the “cleaner brings everything” option when you book. These are Ousie’s standard list prices; you see the exact price for your address and hours before you confirm, and nothing is added at checkout. The services page always shows the current list.

For example, a 3 hours regular clean is $175 and a 4 hours regular clean is $227. A 4 hours deep clean is $306, and a 5 hours end of lease clean is $426.

What changes the number of hours

• Size: more bedrooms and bathrooms means more surfaces, and bathrooms take the longest per square metre.
• Condition: a first clean, or a home that has not been cleaned in a while, takes longer than a maintained one.
• Type of clean: a deep clean adds inside the oven and fridge, window interiors, skirting boards and grout, so it needs more hours than a regular clean of the same home.
• Pets: hair, paw prints and litter areas add time.
• Clutter: time spent moving things is time not spent cleaning.
• Your priority list: a focused list gets more done in fewer hours.

As a starting point, many people book the 3 hours minimum for a one or two bedroom apartment that is already in reasonable shape, add half an hour to an hour for a three bedroom home, and more again for larger homes, for a first clean or when it has been a while. You can change the hours when you book and adjust them after the first visit. If your cleaner needs more time on the day, they ask in the app, and nothing is added unless you approve it.

How to pay less without cutting corners

• Book regularly rather than in catch-up bursts. A maintained home needs fewer hours each visit.
• Declutter before the clean. Clear benchtops, floors and bathroom surfaces so the time goes into cleaning.
• Use your own products and equipment for regular cleans and skip the $15 supplies option.
• Give clear priorities in the booking notes so the hours go where they matter to you.
• Keep the same cleaner. On a repeat booking the same person comes back each time and learns your home, which makes every visit faster.
• Book the right clean. A regular clean booked for a home that needs a deep clean runs out of time; a deep clean first, then regular visits, costs less over a few months.

How and when you pay

On Ousie you pay after the clean is done, by card in the app or online, or in cash if you chose cash when booking. Nothing is charged when you book. Police-checked independent cleaners near you apply for your clean, you compare them and choose who comes, and you can message them in the app before the visit.