If you dread spending your precious weekends doing household chores, but don’t want to employ a full-time, live-in maid, hiring a part-time cleaner may be the solution you’re looking for. You get to retain the privacy of your own home and free up time to spend on your hobbies and interests, while outsourcing onerous household chores to a part-time cleaner.
Of course, this privilege comes with a price, and you can refer to this guide to understand how much it costs to hire a part-time cleaner/ housekeeper/ maid in Singapore.
Read Also: 8 Self-Care Items And Services Worth Paying For
What Can A Part-Time Cleaner Do For You And How Much Does It Cost?
In general, part-time cleaning services can be arranged on an ad hoc basis or more commonly, on a regular schedule (e.g. weekly or biweekly). Each session is typically about 3 to 4 hours to allow the cleaner to complete their cleaning tasks.
Based on your needs, this can include vacuuming and mopping the floor, dusting and cleaning windows, cleaning kitchen surfaces and bathrooms, making of beds and other household chores. Laundry and ironing are typically charged separately while extra charges may apply for specific tasks or specialised services like cleaning of ceiling fans or washing of windows.
Typically, the rates are around $25 per hour in blocks of 3 or 4 hours; this will work out to around $75 to $100 a week or $300 to $400 a month for part-time cleaning.
On 1 September 2021, MOM formalised the Household Services Scheme (HSS) which started as pilot for companies to provide part-time domestic services, such as home cleaning, grocery shopping, car-washing and pet-sitting. The scheme was expanded in March 2023 to cover basic child-minding service and basic elder-minding services – however, due to low demand, the basic child-minding service will no longer be supported from March 2026.
These companies are allowed to hire female workers from Cambodia, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and Thailand, in addition to the existing approved countries (Malaysia, People’s Republic of China (PRC), Hong Kong, Macao, South Korea and Taiwan).
With this scheme, we can expect more companies to continue to provide part-time household cleaning services with foreign workers that are on par with full-time domestic helpers as well as supplement the supply of local freelance cleaners.
Should You Choose A Professional Cleaning/ Housekeeping Service, Part-Time Cleaning Agency Or Independent Cleaner?
There are three main sources to find part-time help for your household cleaning needs:
#1 Professional Housekeeping Service
Professional housekeeping or cleaning services operate on a company model and have a team of professionally trained cleaners on hand to meet your cleaning needs. The cleaners are salaried employees and received professional training or certification. This means that you can expect that your cleaning schedule will not be disrupted even if your regular cleaner falls ill. They may also provide deep cleaning services for a more thorough clean, such as for rental inspections or prior to moving in or out. In general, professional cleaning services are slightly more expensive but more reliable and professional.
Some professional cleaning service providers include:
- HomeFresh ($25 per hr for one-time/ trial session)
- Nimbus Homes ($25 per hr for one-time/ trial session)
- Helpling (from $26 per hr one-time/ trial session + $3.90 Platform Fee)
- Housekeeping by BUTLER (from $27 per hr)
- TotalCleanz (from $25 per hr)
- AuntieClean ($25-$33 per hr)
Things to look out for when booking these cleaning services include any add-on fees. It is advisable to try out the service with a trial session first before committing to a regular package. Also, check with the provider if you can request the same cleaner for regular sessions. Some providers also provide ad-hoc cleaning services for households that don’t want to commit to a regular package.
Part-Time Cleaning Agency
A part-time cleaning agency operates on a platform model and links up customers with freelance cleaners. The agency vets the cleaners and may provide training opportunities. Some agencies charge an additional agency fee on top of the cleaner’s hourly fee. Depending on the agency, there may not be any back-up cleaner at hand if your designated cleaner does not show up. However, like a matchmaking agency, a part-time cleaning agency allows you greater choice on your preferred part-time cleaner and greater flexibility in terms of timing.
Some part-time cleaning agencies include:
Independent Cleaners
Independent cleaners are much harder to find; you typically find them through word-of-mouth. They could be your neighbourhood auntie looking for extra income or a bored housewife/ domestic goddess who is willing to lend a hand. As they are not limited by agency or company rules, they may be willing to take on additional tasks such as cooking or babysitting. However, you would also run the risk that they may not show up due to illness or family issues. Note that some foreign independent cleaners may not be working legally as they are on social visit passes and not work permits.
You can try searching for independent cleaners through platforms like Carousell or Gumtree or ask through your neighbourhood auntie network.
Part-Time Cleaners Allow You To Outsource The Household Chores
Depending on your cleaning needs, it may be worth considering hiring a part-time cleaner if you can afford it and wish to spend your weekends enjoying a clean home instead of cleaning the house.
Additionally, if you are constrained by space, you may not have the option of hiring a full-time, live-in maid. Compared to a live-in maid, hiring a part-time cleaner can be cheaper while allowing you to retain your privacy at home.
Cost of hiring a full-time, live-in maid: about $1,000 per month
Cost of hiring a part-time cleaner to clean once a week for 4 hours each time: $300 to $400 per month
Read Also: How Much Does It Cost To Hire A Maid In Singapore?
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