03/13/2026
Unpopular opinion… but it needs to be said.
Every few months someone complains that cleaning companies charge $50+ per hour, while they personally make $20–$30/hour at their job.
Recently someone even called me a Karen for explaining it. Apparently we’re just “charging $50 to clean a toilet.” 🙃
Let’s clear something up.
A service rate is not the same thing as someone’s hourly wage.
When a cleaning company charges $50/hour, that money covers things like:
• employee wages
• payroll taxes
• insurance and liability
• gas and travel time
• supplies and equipment
• scheduling software
• advertising and marketing
• training and quality control
• cancellations and slow weeks
After all that, the business owner isn’t pocketing $50/hour.
In fact, many cleaners are making $20–$25/hour, which is very similar to many other industries.
And here’s the bigger point:
If cleaning was truly “easy money,” more people would start cleaning companies and stay in the industry long term.
But most people who try it quickly realize it’s physically demanding, detail-oriented, and requires serious consistency.
Also… every profession deserves respect.
Nurses, cleaners, tradespeople, business owners we all play a role in keeping society running.
Comparing someone’s personal wage to a business service rate simply shows a misunderstanding of how businesses actually operate.
Curious to hear from other cleaners and service business owners:
How often do you have to explain this to people?
