Summary
A house cleaner makes customers’ homes clean and ready. The work happens inside private homes, alone or on a small team, following a checklist agreed with each customer.
The role runs on trust, because candidates are in someone’s home. Say how you check references and what your rules are for keys, alarm codes and pets.
Duties and responsibilities
- Clean kitchens, bathrooms, bedrooms and living areas using the checklist for each home.
- Dust, vacuum, mop, wipe surfaces, clean appliances and empty trash.
- Make beds and change linens when the customer asks.
- Use cleaning products safely and as labeled, and never mix them.
- Handle customer belongings with care and report any breakage right away.
- Lock up, set the alarm and follow each customer’s entry instructions.
- Tell the office about low supplies or requests that are not on the checklist.
Skills and qualities
- Thorough, with an eye for the spots people miss.
- Honest and respectful of customers’ homes and privacy.
- Organized, with a steady pace through a full day.
- Able to bend, kneel, reach and carry supplies.
- Good at following a written checklist.
- Clear, polite communication with customers and the office.
Typical requirements
- Reliable transportation to customer homes, or a company vehicle plan stated in the posting.
- Willingness to complete a background check, if you run them. Say so in the posting and follow your state’s rules.
- References from earlier work, if you ask for them.
- Ability to stand, bend and lift the weight you name in the posting.
- Minimum age that meets your state’s rules.
Requirements differ by state, city and employer. Check the licensing, age, safety and pay rules that apply to your business before you post. This page is a starting point, not legal advice.
Schedule and conditions
Most home cleaning is done in daytime hours on weekdays, and some customers want weekends or move-out cleans. Give the usual start time, hours per day and whether the job is full time or part time.
Travel between homes is part of the day. Say whether drive time is paid and how routes are set.
Nice to have
- Experience with residential or commercial cleaning.
- Familiarity with specialty or eco-friendly products.
- Comfort working independently with little supervision.
- A second language, if your customers need it.
Tips for posting this job
- Say whether you supply the products and equipment.
- Describe a typical day: how many homes, how many hours, how much travel.
- Explain how you handle keys, alarms and customer pets.
- Mention training and any trial period.
- State your service area.
Put your real pay, schedule and location in the posting. Candidates skip posts that leave them out.
Sample job post
Copy this, then change the words in brackets to match your business.
House Cleaner: [full time / part time] in [city or service area]
[Company name] is hiring a house cleaner to clean [number] homes a day for customers in [service area]. You will follow a checklist for each home, work [alone / with a partner] and get support from our office team.
Pay: [pay rate or range]. Schedule: [days and hours], [full time / part time], with drive time between homes [paid / not paid]. Start: [start date].
- Clean kitchens, bathrooms, bedrooms and living areas using each home’s checklist.
- Dust, vacuum, mop, wipe surfaces and empty trash.
- Use cleaning products safely and as labeled.
- Treat customers’ belongings with care and report any breakage right away.
- Follow each customer’s instructions for keys, alarms and pets.
- Requirements: [reliable transportation / company vehicle], [background check, if you run one], and the ability to bend, kneel and lift [weight].
- We provide: [products and equipment, training, uniform, other benefits].
Interview questions for a house cleaner
- Walk me through how you clean a bathroom, from start to finish.
- You break a customer’s vase while dusting. What do you do?
- How do you keep a steady pace when you have several homes in one day?
- A customer asks you to do a task that is not on the checklist. How do you handle it?
- Which cleaning products have you used, and how do you keep them safe to use?
- How do you feel about working in homes with pets?
- Which days and hours can you reliably work, and how will you get to each home?
Ask every candidate the same questions so you can compare answers fairly. HRGP keeps your questions, notes and scores with each applicant.
Questions and answers
What does a residential cleaner do?
A residential cleaner, or house cleaner, cleans private homes. The duties of a house cleaner include cleaning kitchens and bathrooms, dusting, vacuuming, mopping, emptying trash and sometimes changing linens, following a checklist agreed with each customer. They also lock up, follow entry instructions and report breakage or low supplies to the office.
Does a house cleaner need a license or training?
Most house cleaners do not need a personal license, and many employers train new hires on their checklist and products. Some employers run background checks or ask for references because the work is inside customers’ homes. Business licensing and background check rules differ by state and city, so check the rules where you work.
What should a house cleaner job description include?
List the main duties of a house cleaner, how many homes and hours make up a typical day, and how drive time works. Say whether you supply products and equipment, how you handle keys, alarms and pets, and what training you give. Add the pay, schedule and service area so the right people apply.
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