This is a question most of us would love to know the answer to, especially when we decide to hire a house-cleaning service. But it depends on many things, including how thorough the cleaner is and what you want cleaned.
A two-hour cleaning session is really only suited to routine cleaning and not intensive scrubbing or detailed work, which will take a lot more time. A cleaner might be able to refresh the kitchen and bathroom, dust accessible surfaces, and vacuum or mop the main living areas. However, completing all these tasks depends on the size and condition of your home. If several rooms need substantial attention and you only have two hours, you may need to prioritize your preferences rather than expect every area to receive a thorough clean.
What Can You Accomplish in 2 Hours?
You’re probably hiring a pro cleaner because you don’t have the time or inclination to do the housework yourself. Nevertheless, you might have some idea of what you could do in two hours and which rooms you would focus on. If your home is on the small side and not too cluttered, here’s what you might be able to do:
- Kitchen (30 minutes): Wipe countertops and cupboard fronts, clean the sink and taps, wipe the stovetop, clean exterior appliance surfaces, and sweep or mop the floor. Load the dishwasher and take out the trash.
- Bathroom (30 minutes): Clean and sanitize the toilet, basin, taps, mirror, shower or bath, and floor. Remove visible soap residue and replace towels.
- Living room (25 minutes): Dust accessible surfaces, straighten cushions, tidy obvious clutter, vacuum upholstery if needed, and vacuum or mop the floor.
- Bedroom (25 minutes): Make the bed (possibly with clean bedding), dust surfaces, tidy visible items, and vacuum or mop the floor.
- Finishing tasks (10 minutes): Empty all trash bins, spot-clean fingerprints, and check that the main areas of your home look presentable.
If you cut the time down by five minutes in the kitchen, bathroom, living room, and main bedroom, you’d have about 20 minutes available for a second bedroom or an office.
Of course, many homes also have hallways, and if this is what creates a first impression, you might want to include it in your two-hour breakdown, probably at the expense of another area.
What Do Cleaning Service Providers State They Can Do in 2 Hours?
When it comes to pro cleaning services, most make it clear that cleaning speed is going to depend largely on the size of your home as well as its condition. No cleaning services specify exactly what their cleaners can do in two hours, but they do give some guidelines.
Be aware that some cleaning services, like Molly Maid, charge according to the cleaning plan you sign up for rather than a time frame on site. So, be sure you know how each service charges before you decide which one to go with.
We compared four cleaning companies to give you an idea of what some services indicate they can do within two hours. Let’s dive in.
Homeaglow
Homeaglow indicates that typically its cleaners can do a light but focused clean of small spaces in homes within two to three hours. However, they don’t quote any specific time frames that relate to what cleaners are able to achieve.
To make it easier to achieve what customers want, they advise alerting cleaners in advance of what their priorities and expectations are. They also provide a chart that helps customers choose how long they should book in terms of what they want cleaned. This will help you prioritize the most important areas.
The chart specifies cleaners tackling a kitchen and one bathroom during two hours of cleaning. It states that adding a bedroom will increase the time frame to three hours. If there are two bathrooms and two bedrooms, increase the hours to four, and increase to six (or more) for more than two bathrooms and bedrooms.
They also identify what’s included in their standard cleaning service on their website, so you can assess the tasks per room and eliminate some of them if you feel they’re not necessary. That way, you’d be able to compromise and end up with a slightly-less-thorough clean of two hours for the kitchen, a bathroom, a bedroom, and common areas.
Homeaglow also offers a membership subscription that gives members substantial discounts. You don’t have to sign up to use the platform, but generally the benefits make it worthwhile.
It’s worth noting that they have a two-hour minimum cleaning time in the membership plan, but they also offer a free three-hour cleaning to new members, which could give you a good indication of what they can achieve. For instance, a two- to three-hour cleaning might include:
- Wiping down the outside of appliances, cleaning countertops, wiping the sink, and loading the dishwasher in the kitchen
- Wiping mirrors and washing and sanitizing the shower or tub, sink, and toilet in the bathroom
- Lightly dusting surfaces, wiping glass, and emptying trash bins in bedrooms and living areas
- Vacuuming and mopping accessible floors
If you aren’t a member, you’ll pay a higher price for the same cleaning services.
TaskRabbit
TaskRabbit gives an overall estimate in terms of how long house cleanings take. They state that small apartments will take between an hour and two hours to clean, medium homes from two to three, and large homes, anything from three to five-plus hours.
At the same time, it depends on the type of cleaning you need. Only standard cleanings will take one to three hours, irrespective of the size of the space. They define standard cleaning as “routine upkeep” that includes tasks like:
- Dusting
- Vacuuming
- Mopping
- Wiping surfaces
- Tidying (in a general sense)
If your home is larger than a typical small, one-bedroom apartment, you’ll definitely have to prioritize the rooms you need cleaned in that two-hour window.
TaskRabbit does have a one-hour minimum charge for cleanings, although cleaners (called Taskers) can set a two-hour minimum individually, so keep that in mind if you choose to book.
Thumbtack
Thumbtack states in its FAQs that a pro cleaner should be able to complete a standard home cleaning in one to three hours. However, they advise that larger homes will take three to four hours. And if you opt for a deep cleaning, it could take six to eight hours.
Unfortunately, there’s not much information available on what will be cleaned within these time frames. However, they say that a team of cleaners (rather than an individual) will ensure the job is done fast—despite also warning that cleaning bathrooms can be particularly time-consuming.
When it comes to minimum times for cleanings, it’s the cleaning companies or individual pros who work off the platform who will decide. They also decide whether there will be a flat minimum rate per visit.
TIDY
TIDY states that standard cleaning, which they define as “routine maintenance,” will take one-and-a-half to three hours for a three-bedroom house if done regularly.
It includes dusting all accessible surfaces and vacuuming, sweeping, and/or mopping all floors, depending if you have carpet or hard floors. It also includes:
- Wiping down the stovetop and kitchen counters
- Cleaning and sanitizing bathrooms
- Emptying trash cans and replacing liners
- Making beds
- Spot-cleaning any visible marks on walls and doors
TIDY also allows individual cleaning pros to set their own terms. Reviews indicate that minimums are often set to two to three hours, depending on job or property size.
Be sure to ask for a quote specific to your home, as individual cleaning professionals will make the final decision on price.
What Can’t House Cleaners Do in 2 Hours?
All four cleaning services compare standard or regular cleaning to deep cleaning, which of course demands more time and attention. They make it very clear that the latter cannot be accomplished in two hours.
Generally, deep cleaning will take at least double the time because cleaners will get behind, inside, and under everything. It involves more intense cleaning and removal of as much dirt as possible from all surfaces. This is why it’s not done as frequently as standard cleanings.
The interiors of ovens, fridges, and microwaves will usually be included in deep cleans and not in standard cleanings. Baseboards and interior windows may also be included. But it’s up to you to check what is included and how long it will take. In terms of time frame, all companies reviewed here state that it will depend on the size and condition of your home:
- Homeaglow says an initial deep clean takes at least six hours, though it takes longer for larger homes.
- TaskRabbit advises that deep cleaning can take anything from three to 12 hours.
- Thumbtack puts a six- to eight-hour time frame on what they term a standard deep clean.
- TIDY also puts a six- to eight-hour time frame on a standard deep clean.
Clearly, it will pay you to get an estimate that covers your needs specifically.
What Can You Do to Shorten Cleaning Time?
Aside from the size of your home, clutter can also make a difference in how long a cleaning takes, regardless if it’s quick or deep. A cleaner may need to move items before wiping surfaces or spend time clearing accessible floor space before vacuuming. Also, homes with pets, heavy foot traffic, or accumulated grime will undoubtedly need additional attention, and therefore additional time.
The number of rooms matters, but so does their condition. A smaller home that hasn’t been cleaned for several weeks is likely to need a lot more work than a larger home that is maintained regularly.
Should You Book More Than 2 Hours?
A two-hour cleaning visit may be sufficient to keep a small, reasonably tidy home looking its best. But larger homes and those that need extra attention will require more time. If you want a cleaner to tackle several bathrooms, clean multiple bedrooms, or deal with accumulated dirt and grime, extending the length of booking may be more practical than trying to fit everything into a short session.
Consider booking a longer visit if your home hasn’t been professionally cleaned for some time, you need a thorough first clean, or you have specific tasks that fall outside routine maintenance. On the other hand, two hours may be perfectly adequate if you focus on the kitchen, bathroom, and main living areas rather than expecting every room to receive equal attention.
Recurring cleaning can also make a difference. Regular visits help prevent dirt and grime from building up, making routine tasks more manageable. Once your home has been properly cleaned, shorter sessions will likely be enough to maintain it between visits, depending on its size and how frequently it is used.
Set Priorities Without Impossible Expectations
Two hours can be enough to refresh the most important areas of a well-maintained home, but it won’t be enough to deep-clean it. Decide what matters most. Allow for the size and condition of your home, and communicate your expectations before the cleaning. A clear plan will give your cleaner the best chance of delivering the results you want.
Ultimately, the right booking length depends on what you want to achieve. Be realistic about your expectations, communicate your priorities in advance, and consider whether spending a little longer at the outset could make subsequent visits easier to manage.
Remember that regular cleanings can help keep dirt and grime under control, making each visit more manageable as time goes on. The goal isn’t to accomplish everything in two hours. It’s to make those two hours count.