Many people don’t enjoy cleaning their apartments, and life can get so busy that it’s often hard to make the time to properly clean all spaces. That’s why many people turn to professional cleaners. But how much time do their need to do the job?
It takes 60 to 90 minutes to clean a 1000 square feet (93 sqm) apartment, assuming the space is picked up and doesn’t require deep cleaning. Decluttering or deep cleaning can increase the time to 2–3 hours.
In this article, I’ll talk about how long a professional takes to clean an apartment and how they approach the task. I’ll also share insights on cleaning frequency and how to calculate cleaning hours as a professional cleaner.
How Long Does It Take To Clean an Apartment?
The time it takes to clean an apartment depends on the condition of the space. If the apartment is cluttered and filthy, the cleaner will have to spend time clearing surfaces before they can clean them. They may also need to apply additional treatments on very dirty surfaces.
On the contrary, a tidy and well-maintained home can take half the time of a filthy or cluttered home. If you keep up with minor cleaning tasks, you avoid needing a cleaner to do deep cleaning.
A professional cleaner should be able to get in and out in less time than it would take you to clean your apartment. Here are some rough estimates of the weekly time needed to clean an apartment:
- For a 1 bedroom and 1 bath apartment, they will usually take 1 ½ hours.
- For a 2 bedroom and 1 bath apartment, they will take around 2 ½ hours.
- For a 3 bedroom and 2 bath apartment, they will take around 3 hours.
If you want to know more about this and why check out my other article, Is Cleaning a Skill? Here’s the Truth.
How Do Professionals Clean an Apartment?
Cleaning professionals clean an apartment one room at a time and start with the most difficult room, usually the kitchen or bathroom. They work from top to bottom, pay attention to difficult-to-reach areas, and have all their tools ready.
When a professional arrives at your apartment for the first time, you will often see them perform one quick pass through all areas to be cleaned. They are assessing what needs the most attention to treat that area first.
In many apartments, this will be the kitchen and bathroom. You will often see cleaners treat toilets, showers, tubs, and sinks with a surface cleaner, then allow the surface cleaner to work its magic while they perform other tasks.
Allowing chemicals to sanitize and break up dirt and grime makes the task far more accessible and makes the cleaning session more effective.
How Long Does It Take To Clean a 1000 Sq Ft Apartment?
It takes 60 to 90 minutes to clean a 1000 square feet (93 square meters) apartment. The same area can take 90 to 120 minutes if deep cleaning is required. Heavily soiled rugs, carpets, or windows can increase the cleaning amount even more.
A truly filthy space can take 120 to 160 minutes if areas must be treated multiple times.
The key takeaway is that the more you can do to reduce clutter and items that the cleaner needs to work around, the less time the cleaning will take. Spending a little time preparing for a cleaner to come to your apartment can save you money and reduce the cleaner’s frustration.
How Often Should an Apartment Be Cleaned?
An apartment should be cleaned once per week. If you do some light cleaning daily, you can reduce that to once every two weeks. Deep cleaning only needs to be done once or twice a year.
The frequency with which you should clean your apartment depends on the type of cleaning you’re talking about. For regular, routine cleaning, once per week is a good schedule.
Deep cleaning is more infrequent, and the tasks that need to be done likely will dictate the schedule. Chores like washing walls, deep-cleaning rugs and carpets, and other demanding tasks can be done twice per year. I find that scheduling these deep cleaning tasks is best at the start of spring and fall.
Of course, a more thorough cleaning is in order if you are moving in or out of your apartment. This is to ensure that you are moving into a clean home or doing everything you can to receive your full security deposit back from the manager.
You can go two weeks between cleanings if you are on top of daily cleaning, wiping down surfaces, sanitizing sinks and bathroom items, and decluttering.
How Do You Calculate Cleaning Hours?
To calculate cleaning hours, estimate the production rate of the cleaner, which is the square footage they can clean per hour. You can use an estimate of 60-90 minutes per 1,000 sq ft (93 sq m). Multiply the hours by the hourly wage of the cleaner. The mean wage for cleaners in the US is $14.22.
The mean wage in more affluent states can be as high as 18.45.
Once you know the production rate, take the square footage of your apartment and divide it by the production rate.
Then multiply this number by 60 to get the number of minutes it takes to clean a space. In general, 60-90 minutes per 1,000 square feet (93 square meters) is a fair estimate and a standard benchmark, presuming the area isn’t filthy or already very clean.
Use this as an estimate only. Instead of only making assumptions, have a conversation with a cleaning professional first to determine the time and cost involved in cleaning the space.
Conclusion
The time it takes to clean an apartment can vary depending on several factors, including size, type of cleaning, and how clean it already is. The best way to understand the cost and time to clean your apartment is to request a professional cleaner give you an estimate.
From here, you can have a conversation with them about the frequency and items to be cleaned. You can discuss regular cleaning versus deep cleaning tasks and arrive at a schedule that works for you.
