How many hours do I need a cleaner for?
+44 (0) 1452 447 109
Answer a few quick questions to estimate how long a regular clean of your home might take. Add housekeeping jobs such as tidying, laundry, ironing and changing beds, and see what the time would cost with Ellia. It takes about two minutes and you do not need to give any contact details.
Ellia is £25 an hour for every job and visits are at least 2 hours, so a visit starts at £50. Every estimate is for one regular helper who gets to know your home.
Our helpers work across Gloucestershire, north Wiltshire and South Gloucestershire, including Cheltenham, Gloucester, Stroud, Cirencester, Tewkesbury, Dursley, Thornbury, Malmesbury and Swindon. Anyone can use the calculator, wherever they live.
The calculator needs JavaScript to run. The examples below show typical times, or call us on 01452 447 109 and we will work it out with you.
Discuss your plan with Ellia
Send us your plan and we will check that we cover your area, talk through the time and priorities and let you know when a helper is free. Sending it does not commit you to anything.
Prefer to talk? Call 01452 447 109.
How many hours does a cleaner need?
Most homes need between 2 and 4.5 hours for a regular weekly clean with one helper. As a rough guide, a one-bedroom flat takes about 2 hours, a three-bedroom house with one bathroom about 3 hours and a four-bedroom house about 4.5 hours.
The time depends on how many rooms need doing and how big they are, how often your helper comes, where things are starting from and any extra jobs such as ironing. Your helper works through the jobs that matter most to you first.
Example cleaning times by home size
These examples use the same starting assumptions as the calculator: typical sized rooms, one helper and a home that just needs its regular clean. They are examples, not quotes.
Questions about cleaning time
How long does it take to clean a three-bedroom house?
A regular weekly clean of a three-bedroom house with one bathroom takes about 3 hours with one helper. With two bathrooms, allow about 3.5 hours. Larger rooms, pets, visits every two weeks or extra jobs such as changing beds and ironing add time. A first clean, or one after a gap, usually takes longer than the visits that follow.
What can a cleaner do in two hours?
In two hours a helper can usually give a one-bedroom flat its regular clean: the kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, living room and hallway, with dusting, hoovering, mopping and emptying the bins. In a bigger home, two hours works best when you pick the rooms that matter most and rotate the rest between visits. Two hours also suits housekeeping on its own, such as two loads of laundry, folding and an hour of ironing.
What can a cleaner do in three hours?
Three hours usually covers a regular clean of a three-bedroom house with one bathroom. In a two-bedroom flat it leaves time for extra jobs, such as half an hour of ironing or changing the beds. See what a house clean includes.
Should I book a weekly or fortnightly cleaner?
Weekly visits keep on top of things, so each visit can be a little shorter. Fortnightly visits cost less each month, but there is more to do each time, so they take longer. For a three-bedroom house with one bathroom, that might mean 3 hours every week, an average of £325 a month, or 3.5 hours every two weeks, an average of £189.58 a month. If the kitchen and bathrooms get a lot of use, weekly visits mean they are cleaned twice as often.
Can I include tidying, laundry, ironing and changing beds?
Yes. Your helper can tidy and put things away, change the beds, put the washing on, fold it and put it away and do the ironing, in the same visit as the cleaning or on their own. In the calculator, changing a bed adds about 10 minutes and each load of washing adds about 15 minutes of hands-on time. The machine runs while your helper cleans, so drying may finish after they leave. Find out more about housekeeping and laundry and ironing.
Do I need to tidy before the cleaner arrives?
No. You do not need to tidy before your helper arrives. If surfaces or floors usually need clearing first, add tidying in the calculator so there is time for it. Our helpers get stuck in, pick up the toys and put things back where they belong. Read more about our cleaners for families.
When might I need an initial deep clean?
A deep clean can help before regular visits start if things have built up, for a spring clean or before or after a move. It goes further than a regular clean: inside cupboards, behind and under furniture, skirting boards, doors and light switches. If only a few jobs have built up, the calculator adds extra time to your first visit instead and keeps it separate from the regular estimate. For bigger jobs we talk it through with you first. See deep cleaning and decluttering.
How much would the visit cost with Ellia?
Ellia charges £25 an hour for every job and each visit is at least 2 hours, so a visit starts at £50. Three hours is £75 and four hours is £100. For regular visits, the average monthly cost is the visit cost × 52 ÷ 12 for weekly visits, or × 26 ÷ 12 for fortnightly visits. So 3 hours every week averages £325 a month and 3 hours every two weeks averages £162.50 a month. You pay for one helper’s time, so the hours you book are the hours your helper spends in your home.
Is the estimate a quote?
No. It is a starting point. Every home is different, so we confirm the time and priorities with you before regular visits begin. The same helper then gets to know your home and how you like things done.
Where our helpers work
Our helpers work in and around Cheltenham, Gloucester, Stroud, Tewkesbury, Berkeley and Dursley, Thornbury, Cirencester and all of GL7, Malmesbury and Swindon with Royal Wootton Bassett, Purton, Cricklade, Wroughton and Highworth.
Not sure if we reach you? Check your postcode in the calculator, give us a call or send us your plan and we will let you know.
“I contacted Ellia because I didn’t need a carer, but I did need a bit of extra help at home. What I got was so much more than I expected.”
Catherine W., Cheltenham