A good home cleaning service gives you back hours each week. A poor match costs time, money and patience. Most problems come from a few avoidable mistakes made before the first visit. Here is what to check when choosing a home cleaning service in Singapore.
Not doing enough research
Start with reviews, but read them carefully. A company with strong ratings for office cleaning may not be the best fit for an HDB flat or condo, so look for reviews that mention home cleaning. Recent reviews tell you more than old ones, and the way a company replies to complaints shows how it handles problems.
Ask friends, family and neighbours who they use. They know your expectations and will usually tell you plainly what went wrong as well as what went right.
Before you book, find out:
- how long the company has been operating
- whether you can reach a real person on WhatsApp or by phone
- what happens if a cleaner falls sick or a session needs rescheduling
Choosing on price alone
Budget matters, but the cheapest quote is not always the cheapest job. A low headline rate can hide extra charges, or a session too short to finish your list.
Compare quotes on the same scope. Check:
- the hourly rate, whether it includes GST, and the minimum number of hours
- whether transport, supplies or weekend sessions cost extra
- how extra time is charged if the job runs longer than planned
- whether the price changes after the first few sessions
For reference, KleanSG’s regular home cleaning is generally $18 to $22 per hour, with a usual 3-hour minimum. A 2-hour minimum may be considered for smaller homes or lighter job scopes, case by case. Our part-time cleaner service is $23.98 per hour including GST ($22 before GST), with a 2-hour minimum.
A fair quote is one you fully understand before the cleaner arrives.
Not being clear about what you want
Each company defines “basic cleaning” differently. If you do not spell out what you need, you may assume something is included when it is not.
Walk through your home and write a short list by room:
- Every visit: for example toilets, kitchen surfaces and floors.
- Rotate: tasks that can alternate between visits, such as wiping cabinet fronts or changing bed sheets.
- Leave alone: areas or items you would rather handle yourself.
Share your home type, the number of bedrooms and toilets, and your preferred day and time. Photos help with unusual areas, such as a packed storeroom or heavily stained grout. Ask what falls outside the standard scope. High exterior windows, heavy stain removal and moving heavy furniture are often excluded or quoted separately.
Not discussing cleaning supplies
Ask who provides cleaning supplies and equipment, because practices differ. For KleanSG’s regular home cleaning and part-time cleaner visits, customers prepare their own supplies and equipment. For deep cleaning, move-out cleaning and post-renovation cleaning, KleanSG brings the equipment, supplies and chemicals as part of a separate quotation. For spring cleaning, supplies and equipment can be included if you request them.
If you provide the supplies, keep them in one place and check you have the basics: a vacuum, a mop and bucket, microfibre cloths, a toilet brush, and suitable cleaners for the kitchen, bathroom and floors.
Tell the cleaner in advance about:
- delicate surfaces such as marble, natural timber or lacquered furniture
- products you prefer or want avoided
- allergies or sensitivities in the household
- pets, and where they will be during the session
Not checking credentials
Ask for the company’s registered name and UEN, and check that the business is registered with ACRA.
NEA licenses cleaning businesses that clean offices, shops and other non-domestic premises. Cleaning private homes on its own is excluded from that licence, so a provider that only cleans homes may not hold one. If the company also does commercial work, ask for its licence details and check them against the list linked from NEA’s cleaning business licence page.
If you want part-time help with household chores, know MOM’s rule first: a foreign domestic worker may not work part-time for anyone other than her employer, even with her employer’s consent. For part-time household help, MOM points households to companies on its Household Services Scheme (HSS) list, so ask how the company provides its cleaners and check the list. Our guide Is it legal to hire a part-time helper in Singapore? shows how to check the list.
Also ask what insurance applies to the work and what happens if something is damaged. Coverage, limits and exclusions vary, so get the answer in writing. Then confirm the agreed scope, rate, hours and cancellation terms in writing too, even if that is a WhatsApp message.
KleanSG Services Pte. Ltd. (UEN 202136711K) holds an NEA Class 2 Cleaning Business Licence, is on MOM’s HSS company list and has served Singapore since 2021. You can check our licences against the official registers.
A quick checklist before you book
- Reviews mention home cleaning, not just offices
- The quote shows the rate, minimum hours and any extra charges
- The task list is agreed, including what is out of scope
- You know who is providing supplies and equipment
- Company registration and insurance details are checked
- For part-time help, you know how the company provides its cleaners, and you have checked MOM’s HSS list
- Scope and terms are confirmed in writing
If you want regular cleaning for your HDB flat, condo or landed home, see our home cleaning service for what a session covers and how bookings work. For weekly help with chores such as laundry and ironing, see our part-time cleaner service.
