10 Best Home Cleaning Services in NY of 2023

Using a cleaning service in New York has become the norm as many people are too busy to keep their apartments spotless. Find out who PropertyNest named among the best cleaning companies and services to use. Learn why we named them the best and if they might be right for you.
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If you spend a lot of time cooking, caring for children, ferrying your kids to ballet lessons and other activities, as well as paying your monthly bills, there’s little time for anything else.

It can be a huge relief knowing you can count on someone who will take care of your house every week, bi-monthly or monthly.

This means you’ll have more time for yourself and can focus your attention on other commitments.

The Best Home Cleaning Services in NY

  • Luxury Cleaning: Best Custom Cleaning Service with Affordable Pricing
  • MyClean: Best Cleaning Service that Specializes in Covid Clean-up
  • DLL Cleaning Services: Best Cleaning Service with Hands-On Owner
  • Maid Sailors: Best Cleaning Service that Offers a 100% Guarantee
  • Maid Marines: Best Cleaning Service the Offers Discounts
  • Maid First House Cleaning Service: Best Cleaning Service with English-Speaking Cleaners
  • Benchmark Cleaning Service: Best Cleaning Service for Carpets and Upholstery
  • Zen Home Cleaning: Best Eco-Friendly Cleaning Service
  • Genius Organizing: Best Decluttering Service
  • Busy Bee Cleaning Service: Best Cleaning Service for Moves

The Best Home Cleaning Services in New York

With so many options these days for professional cleaning services in New York City and the five boroughs, it may be hard to decide which one is best for your home.

Do your research and find the best cleaning service by looking at customer reviews. Once you find a handful, call up the professionals and ask them for their rates and what times they are available. We’ll let you on about what you should ask.

To make it easier for you, we did the legwork and named the top ten best cleaning services by category and choose those that came highly recommended based on customer reviews. Take a look and see which ones interest you.

Best Bespoke Cleaning Service with Affordable Pricing: Luxury Cleaning

Luxury Cleaning serves the New York area for home, apartment, and office cleaning since 2010.

It’s our top choice in this category because Luxury Cleaning makes your home look like it’s been treated by a high-end cleaning staff.

The women-only business performs deep-cleaning with thorough attention to the smallest of details and is renowned for their willingness to prioritize the things you want the most, like cleaning that dreadful baked-on oven or getting dog hair completely off your couch.

You can’t go wrong here.

We looked at customer reviews from a number of sites and most rated Luxury Cleaning five stars.

Despite the exclusive air they have, Luxury is very affordable as it goes up from $100 depending on which cleaning package and add-on services you choose.

All employees are bonded and insured and have had a full background check. There’s a 48-hour long training program and no contracts or admin fees, for example.

Pricing starts at $150 for a 1-bedroom apartment.

Pros
  • There are no contracts or administrative fees.
  • All employees are submitted to a 48-hour long training program.
Cons

The Best Cleaning Service That Specializes in COVID-19: MyClean

MyClean has grown its reputation as being the premiere cleaning services that specializes in reducing or eradicating COVID-19.

The professional cleaners strictly follow CDC (Center for Disease Control) guidelines and use EPA-registered cleaning products.

The company uses UV-C, a type of ultraviolent light that’s used by hospitals to sterilize hospital rooms.

Now used in homes, MyClean uses germicidal UV-C light with enough power to effectively eliminate 99.9% of bacteria and viruses both in the air and on surfaces.

The average-sized studio costs $99

The rates go up by how many bedrooms you have.

Pros
  • Certified results with UV clean
  • Eliminates Covid-19
  • Easy to use website for pricing and scheduling
  • Offers a clean guarantee
Cons
  • The focus seems to be mainly on decontamination

Best Cleaning Service with Hands-On Owner: DLL Cleaning Services

DLL Cleaning Services cleans both homes and commercial buildings or offices.

Exceptional deep cleaning and customer service are expected, as the owner and manager, Laura, often oversees her small support staff when cleaning to make sure your home is thoroughly clean.

Because she is building a quality business that’s only three years old—and yet already has numerous accolades—on many occasions you can find her cleaning an apartment herself.

Some of the unique things that DLL cleans are move in/move out services, oven and refrigerator cleaning, furniture treatment, wall washing, inside of cabinets cleaning and laundry services.

DLL has received 5 stars based on over fifty reviews on Google and has received an A rating from other sites. That’s because of the consensus that DLL cleans a house to make it a place you want to visit.

Pros
  • $20 off new customers
  • Last-minute jobs
  • 20-mile travel radius
  • Green cleaning
Cons
  • No instant quote.

The Best Cleaning Service That Offers a 100% Guarantee: Maid Sailors

Maid Sailors is known for its professionalism and its work ethic. Booking is easy and the staff is reliable and trustworthy.

But what they’re most known for is their 100% money-back guarantee. If a client is not satisfied, Maid Sailors will clean everything again for free.

Maid Sailors offers you standard fare as far as full-service cleaning companies go, which includes ala carte extras and deep cleans, moving cleaning, etc.

However, they made our list because of the hundreds of consistent stellar reviews from all their clients.

Maid Sailors also prides themselves in selecting the best experienced cleaning professionals to staff their company.

Pricing starts at $140 for a studio for a one time clean or $75 per hour with a 2-hour minimum. Costs go down with regularly scheduled cleanings.

Pros
  • Licensed, insured, and bonded house cleaners
  • Instant bookings online
  • Brings all their own supplies
Cons
  • Prices are a tad higher than other cleaning companies

The Best Cleaning Service with Largest Discounts: Maid Marines

Unlike other companies that tack on costs for cleaning certain home products or in and under every nook and cranny, Maid Marines doesn’t charge extra for cleaning inside microwaves, between window blinds and inside shelves, to name a few.

The company also uses eco-friendly, hypoallergenic cleaning products.

Maid Marines feature a staff of bonded, insured cleaning professionals who have been vetted, identified comprehensively and have passed a thorough background check.

But what makes Marines consistently rank high on various ranking websites is their discounts.

If you sign up for weekly cleaning, you get 30% every week.

If you want Marines bi-weekly, the company takes off 25%. And for monthly clients, you get 15% off.

Actually, discounts for more regular cleaning on the norm for cleaning services, but Maid Marines offered some of the largest discounts we've seen.

Pricing starts at $129 for a studio for a one-time clean.

Pros
  • Clear pricing structure
  • Discounts for regularly scheduled cleanings
  • Brings all their own cleaning supplies
Cons
  • Services only available for Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens

The Best Cleaning Service with English-Speaking Cleaners: Maid First House Cleaning Service

Over 100 five-star reviews helped make Maid First the top choice for many New Yorkers.

The consensus among customers, based on their ratings of Maid First, is that they provide excellent customer service.

The cleaning service is very responsive and accommodating to work with.

The team answers your emails immediately if you need to reschedule your appointment. The window for them to come to your house is always met with promptness.

If you are new to Maid First and reach out to them by phone, you will see that they are pleasant to work with and will guide you through the cleaning process.

And if you schedule an appointment via the company’s website, it will only take you under two minutes! Now that’s a New York heartbeat.

Maid First also do not offer contracts for long services. Customers can just book what services they need.

You are allowed to reschedule for free if it’s 24 hours before your appointment.

Have you ever hired a cleaning or maid service and was frustrated because none of the staff spoke English?

It happens a lot in a city full of immigrants. That's why Maid First takes care to employ cleaners and staff that speak fluently

Pricing starts at $100 for 1-bed, 1-bath, making this one of the most affordable options.

Pros
  • Online quotes and booking
  • Operational 6 days a week
Cons
  • Only serves Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn and Queens
  • $50 cancellation fee if canceled less than 24 hrs prior

Best Cleaning Service for Carpet and Upholstery: Benchmark Cleaning Service

Benchmark Cleaning Service, an owner-operated company in New York City, services the entire metro area and only uses environmental cleaning solutions and sprays that do not harm children and pets and your apartment.

A full-service house cleaning company, Benchmark is most noted for its carpet and upholstery cleaning.

Benchmark will use a dry clean method to clean your carpet if requested, but most homeowners choose what professional office cleaners use, which is Hot Water Extraction, also known as Steam Cleaning.

Carpet cleaning is not just about making the surface of your carpet look new; it gets it clean underneath the surface.

Steam cleaning is the gold standard in the carpet cleaning industry, and it works to agitate fibers in the carpet to remove dirt and allergens like dust, dander, and mold.

For upholstery cleaning, the Benchmark staff will identify your upholstery fabric on sofas, chairs and mattresses and choose a cleaning method designed exclusively for each piece of furniture,

Pros
  • Offers carpet and upholstery cleaning as additional services
  • Services go beyond cleaning such as watering plants, cleaning and putting away items
Cons
  • Price quotes by phone only

The Best Eco-Friendly Cleaning Service: Zen Home Cleaning

Zen Home Cleaning, is a cleaning service company that is eco-friendly and luxurious at the same time. The house cleaners’ goal is to not only ensure your home is clean but also to leave it smelling great.

The company uses natural gentle and non-toxic products from sustainable sources, and even have formulated a line of greenhouse cleaning products just for them.

Before they leave, Zen applies aromatherapy to your apartment, diffusing lemongrass, jasmine, lavender, and other scents. And you’ll be surprised by what they leave on your bed. You will feel like you are in a 5-star resort!

Zen not only gets five stars from its customers but has also been mentioned favorably in the pages of Daily Candy, 944 Magazine, The Wall Street Journal and more.

Starting price for a clean 400 sf apartment is $119 for a one-time clean.

Pros
  • Decontaminating fumigating service offered
  • Only green and non-toxic cleaning supplies used
  • Extra services like party staffing and eco-painting
  • Turn down service is resort-like
Cons
  • Only serves Manhattan and Brooklyn

Best Decluttering Service: Genius Organizing

A cleaning service that not only makes your apartment shine but also cuts your clutter.

Is your house so messy that you can’t remember where you put your bills? Are your dresser drawers overflowing with clothes and you can’t even open the drawers up?

Those who have clutter reduce efficiency. It takes longer to find things and that takes time.

Worse, you may have developed low self-esteem because you can’t have friends over because you are messy. This leads to embarrassment and studies have shown that being overwhelmed like this can cause depression.

Leave it to Genius. Among many other things, they offer full home organization and system development and file organization.

Many hire Genius to clean up their bedroom closets. Genius will work with you to reduce the attire you no longer wear in order to make room for what you do wear (and can’t find).

The best thing about Genius Organizing is that the company offers customization. You can hire them for one room or for your entire apartment.

A four-how-plus session costs $350.

The company has been featured in Time Out New York, Gothamist the Today Show, and has consistently received five stars on many sites.

Pros: Coverage area is more expansive than other companies. Genius services New York City, Brooklyn, Queens, Westchester County, Northern New Jersey, and Long Island.

Pros
  • Serves Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Westchester County, Northern New Jersey and Long Island.
Cons
  • Pricing can be high

Best Move-In/Move-Out Cleaning Service: Busy Bee Cleaning Services

New York City is a renter’s market. Buying an apartment in New York City is so prohibitively expensive that many people have to rent.

It’s almost impossible to save up for a security deposit to buy the apartment of your dreams.

So we move into an apartment and, at the end of our lease, we move out of it due to finances or because we found another neighborhood that we like better. And then we move out again, creating a vicious cycle.

We need so much time to bubble wrap and then box all our goods and essentials. Especially when our current lease is ending in like under a week and we have no time because we have full-time jobs.

We know we need to clean the apartment we’re leaving with spic and span or else we may forfeit our security deposit.

Busy Bee will help renters move out. They will also help you move into another apartment after discovering that the previous occupants left without cleaning and the space is full of dust.

Pricing starts at $135 for an initial cleaning for a studio.

Pros
  • Ensures you receive your security deposit
  • Speedy service to meet your goals of moving into a new place that’s been completely sanitized.
Cons
  • Price quotes only by phone

How We Decided

We looked at fifty of the most popular home cleaning services based in New York and serving the city and the five boroughs to find ten standouts.

We’ve poured over many blog sites that rank cleaning services and looked at those mentioned several times on each list to narrow down our search. Google reviews played an integral part in our survey.

Of the many sites we looked at, a few stand out: TimeOut, Home Advisor, The Best Rated and The Spruce.

But it was each company’s website that gave us abundant information about their services, including price quotes, accommodating times and even (more) customer reviews.

How to Choose the Right Cleaning Company

So you just can’t bother cleaning your apartment and have decided on hiring a cleaning service.

But what do cleaning services offer?

There are two types of cleaning services that housekeeping companies provide.

Standard Cleaning

Standard cleaning involves what you normally would do on a weekly or bi-weekly basis to maintain the cleanliness of your house.

That means vacuuming and mopping your floors, especially the kitchen where stains or spills happen regularly.

For kitchen cleaning, this means wiping down the outside of all appliances and wiping surfaces, as well as taking out the trash.

You may be asking why you would need a regular cleaning when these tasks typically are easy to accomplish and can be done in a short period of time.

True, but if you maintain the cleanliness of your house on a regular basis, you can free your home from dust, dirt, debris.

And if you are actively looking for a cleaning service, already this obviously means you can’t accomplish such tasks and need help.

Standard or Basic Cleaning Service Duties

  1. Cleans full kitchens and bathrooms
  2. Dusting
  3. Changing bed linens
  4. Washing dishes
  5. Vacuuming rugs and carpet
  6. Mopping kitchen and bathroom floors
  7. Mopping and vacuuming wood floors

There is also something called “Add-Ons” or Specialty Services

These specialty services “add on” tasks normally found only in a deep cleaning. Each add-on tacks on a cost. So, if you want your upholstered sofa cleaned and disinfected, this is an add-on.

Cost

Cleaning an apartment costs in the $100 range, from as low as $80 to as high as $180.

Professional cleaners usually charge hourly with an average rate of $50 per hour.

Your total costs depend on your square footage and the difficulty level of how much a service has to clean.

Deep Cleaning

Think cleaning inside of a microwave oven or dishwasher. A deep cleaning is like having all the add-ons that you want.

A deep cleaning of the entire apartment, which covers areas not usually covered by a standard cleaning, means getting rid of every piece of dirt and grime in your home.

Deep cleaning is different from regular cleaning because regular cleaning is more superficial and a deep clean is more substantial and more thorough.

Whereas a standard cleaning would wipe down a microwave oven, a deep clean would clean the inside.

Because deep cleaning covers more than a standard cleaning, expect to pay more.

The typical rate falls between $200 and $400.

But if you choose deep cleaning after hosting a party at your home or in preparation for an event, the price increases significantly.

Some companies eschew flat rates and charge by the hour, which ranges from $25 to $50 per hour.

Meanwhile, some cleaning services charge per square foot.

What Does Deep Cleaning Include?

For housekeeping companies, it’s standard practice to start with a deep clean in the beginning when you first hire one. They also suggest having a deep cleaning every six months or so.

For example, a deep clean may entail removing scale and soap scum from showerheads, taps, kitchen tiles, bathroom tiles, etc; and cleaning the inside and behind appliances to cut through grime build-up.

A deep clean may also include cleaning patio doors, washing interior windows, dusting all room details like lighting fixtures and door frames, silver and woodwork polishing, cleaning blinds, and upholstery, etc. in addition to the standard cleaning.

How to Find the Right Cleaning Service for Your Home

Now that you know what housekeepers clean, it’s time to hire the professionals.

It’s not going to be that easy.

After all, you are allowing people you don’t know in your home and you may have that fear that the housekeepers will see how much of a mess your apartment is, as well as all your private or intimate belongings.

In fact, many people clean their homes prior to their first professional cleaning so that the employees won’t think they’re slobs.

Don’t do that! You’re just giving yourself more work.

There are things you should do when you are ready to hire.

Do Your Research

Find sites that rank housekeeping services and look at how high they rank on a list or how many stars they have been given by customers.

Get Referrals From People You Know

It’s always easier if you ask friends, neighbors or co-workers to give you recommendations. You’re bound to get a few companies that you can check.

Identify Credentials

Do you really want a house cleaner who’s an alcoholic and is always a little tipsy when cleaning?

Get rid of any doubt you have by asking management if their team has been completely vetted, and whether or not they are bonded, insured, and come with excellent credentials.

Housekeepers should have high standards that allow them to clean as if they were cleaning their own apartments.

Going with a professional cleaning service will cut this work out for you.

Ask the Right Questions

Before you get a free estimate of services, take a moment to use this initial call to ask cleaning services questions that are important to you or to help you decide which company you’ll hire. These include the following:

  • What are your rates? Is there a flat rate or is the rate based on hours or by square footage?
  • Do you price match or give discounts?
  • How many housekeepers will clean my apartment?
  • How long does it take to clean my apartment?
  • Would you like us to leave our apartment or home so we’re not in the way while you clean?
  • If we stayed with kids and pets in the house, can you clean while you’re around us?
  • What are the products you use? Are they eco-friendly?
  • Do I need to prep the house before you come? Like, should I put dining chairs on top of a dining room table so you can easily get underneath it?

These are just the most popular.

Since it differs between each person on what they consider a priority to clean, your questions may be longer or more involved.

But don’t shy away from asking a ton of questions; the companies expect this and they want to tailor their visit to your likings.

Remember that the purpose of hiring a cleaning company is not just to spiff up your place or clean it from top to bottom but also to give you back your time, energy and peace of mind.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best cleaning service that specializes in COVID-19?

MyClean has grown its reputation as being the premiere cleaning services that specializes in reducing or eradicating COVID-19.

What is the best cleaning service for moves?

Busy Bee will help renters move out. They will also help you move into another apartment after discovering that the previous occupants left without cleaning and the space is full of dust.

What is the best cleaning service that offers a 100% Guarantee?

Maid Sailors. If a client is not satisfied, Maid Sailors will clean everything again for free.

What does a deep cleaning include?

A deep clean may also include cleaning patio doors, washing interior windows, dusting all room details like lighting fixtures and door frames, silver and woodwork polishing, cleaning blinds, and upholstery, etc. in addition to the standard cleaning.

How much is a cleaning service in NYC?

Your total costs depend on your square footage and the difficulty level of how much a service has to clean. Cleaning an apartment costs in the $100 range, from as low as $80 to as high as $180.

What is the hourly rate for a professional cleaner?

Professional cleaners usually charge hourly with an average rate of $50 per hour.
Augustine Reyes Chan
About the author

As a real estate professional, Augustine Reyes Chan has helped many buyers and sellers through the process of homeownership. He is an expert in the field of how-to for potential buyers, qualifying for a mortgage, and all that goes into car, homeowners, and renters insurance. Augustine Reyes Chan graduated from Columbia University with a degree in Bachelor's degree in Sociology.