When you hire help for your Philadelphia home, there are three common ways to do it: find an independent cleaner yourself, hire a cleaning company, or book through a marketplace. Hometress is the third kind. We connect you with background-checked independent cleaning professionals, which puts us between the other two models and gives us a reason to describe both of them fairly.
This guide compares all three on the things that matter when something goes wrong: insurance, supplies, screening, price, cancellation terms, and who you call. It ends with ten questions worth asking anyone you let into your home, us included.
Independent cleaner vs. cleaning company: the short answer
The real difference is who carries the risk, not who holds the mop. Hire an independent cleaner directly and the checking is yours: their insurance, their supplies, the price, and any dispute. A cleaning company takes some of that on, on terms that vary from company to company. A marketplace like Hometress pairs you with an independent professional while we carry the booking, the published price, and the White Glove Guarantee.
- Independent cleaner you find yourself: can be the most personal arrangement, and every question in this guide is yours to ask and verify.
- Traditional cleaning company: one office handles scheduling and complaints. Insurance, supplies and terms vary, so read them.
- Hometress marketplace: independent pros, a published all-in price, supplies included, and one place to report a problem.
Who is insured, and what the policy actually covers
This is the question most worth asking and the one most often answered loosely. “Insured” can mean a policy held by the cleaner, a policy held by a company, or nothing written down at all.
Here is ours, in the exact words we use everywhere: Hometress carries general liability insurance that may cover damage resulting directly from a cleaner's negligence during your service. The exclusions and the claim process are in Section 5.5 of our Terms. That is Hometress's own policy. We don't describe it as every cleaner being individually insured, because that would be a different claim.
The specifics are summarized on our customer policy page, and they are the kind of detail worth asking any provider for:
- Report damage within 48 hours of the service, with photos of the item and the damage.
- Validated claims can be resolved by coordinating a repair or reimbursing the item's current value, which isn't always replacement cost.
- Normal wear and tear, pre-existing damage, improperly installed items, and fragile or valuable pieces not pointed out beforehand generally aren't covered.
- Our maximum liability for property damage per incident is the lesser of the fees you paid Hometress over the three months before the incident, or $500. That cap doesn't apply to proven gross negligence or willful misconduct, and it doesn't limit personal-injury claims.
Ask an independent cleaner or a company the same four things: who holds the policy, what it excludes, how fast you have to report, and whether there's a cap. If the whole answer is “we're insured,” keep asking.
Who brings the supplies, and what's out of scope
With an independent cleaner, supplies are whatever the two of you agree. Some bring everything; some expect you to have products and a working vacuum. Companies vary too. Ask before the first visit, not at the door.
With Hometress, supplies and equipment are included on every visit. Plant-based, low-fragrance products and HEPA-filter equipment are the default, not an upsell, and you can note a sensitivity or a preferred product when you book.
Scope is the other half of this question. Under our Terms, cleaners work from a standard two-step stool and don't climb ladders, they don't move furniture or objects heavier than 30 pounds, and exterior work isn't included unless it's on your booking. Several checklist lines carry a height note too, like “Dust Light Fixtures / Door Frames / Shelves (up to 9ft).” If your rowhome has tall ceilings, a fixture above that height isn't on the list, and it's better to know that before the visit than after.
Who shows up, and how they're screened
Hometress works with background-checked independent cleaning professionals: vetted local pros, not algorithm-matched strangers. On recurring plans we prefer to send the cleaner who already knows your home. For one-time visits we match you with the best-fit vetted cleaner available for your slot.
If you hire directly, the screening is yours to do: references, how long they've been cleaning, and anything else you'd want to know about someone holding your door code. With a company, ask how it screens and whether the person who arrives is the person you spoke to.
How the price is set
Independent cleaners set their own rates, hourly or flat, and it's worth asking what's included so you can compare like with like. Companies vary the same way.
Our prices come from a published catalog, and the total is all-in: you see the exact amount before you confirm, and there's no hourly clock to negotiate. Here is the math for a common Philadelphia home, a 3-bedroom, 1.5-bath rowhome in our Spacious size band, booked as a Standard clean:
| Line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Standard clean | $170 |
| 3 bedrooms | +$45 |
| 1.5 bathrooms | +$30 |
| Spacious home | +$30 |
| One-time total | $275 |
| Every 2 weeks (10% off) | $247.50, about $248 per visit |
That's $275 less 10%. Weekly plans take 15% off and every-4-weeks plans take 5%, and the discount applies from the first visit. You see the exact total before you confirm. The same home booked as a Deep clean is $360 one-time, and as a Move-in/out clean it's $395. Add-ons are priced one by one, such as Clean Inside Fridge at $35 or Clean Interior Windows (6 Max) at $60.
Cancellation and scheduling terms
This is where informal arrangements most often go sideways, for both sides. If you hire directly, agree on what happens when either of you cancels, and write it down, even in a text.
Ours are published. Rescheduling is free. For an advance booking, a temporary authorization hold is placed on your card when you confirm, and you're charged in full after the cleaning is finished. If you cancel:
- More than 48 hours' notice: no cancellation fee, and the hold is released.
- Between 24 and 48 hours: a $75 fee, charged to the card on file.
- Less than 24 hours: a fee equal to 50% of the total original booking value.
- The cleaner arrives and can't get in: 100% of the booking value.
Same-day bookings are paid in full upfront and aren't refundable once a cleaner is assigned. If we can't provide the service, you get a 100% refund in 3 to 5 business days. The fees exist because the independent cleaner reserved that time, and a late cancellation is income they lose.
Who you call when something is wrong
With an independent cleaner, it's a conversation between the two of you. That can go fine, but there's nobody else in the room. With a company, ask about its re-clean policy and how long you have to report.
With Hometress, you tell us. That's the White Glove Guarantee. Report it within 48 hours of the visit, with photos if you can. We review it against the checklist you booked, and the resolution is generally a free re-clean of the specific area or a partial or full credit or refund. Because we vet and stand behind the people we send, fixing a missed spot is our responsibility, not a dispute between you and a stranger.
One method, one checklist
An independent cleaner has their own routine, which is great when it matches yours. A company may have a checklist, and it's worth asking to see it. Our cleaners work one Hometress method: the same checklist and products in every home, so quality doesn't depend on who showed up.
The checklist is counted, not described. A Standard clean is 40 points, 10 each across the entire house, bathroom, bedroom and kitchen, from “Clean Entire Toilet / Behind Toilet / Toilet Handle” to “Wipe Down Door Handles and Light Switches.” Deep adds 10 more for 50, Move adds another 10 for 60, and Dream Home adds 10 on top of that for 70. Every line is on our cleaning checklist.
The honest downsides of each model
Independent cleaner. Every check in this guide is on you, and if your cleaner is sick or moves away, there may be no one to send in their place. There's also a tax question. IRS Publication 926 says a household worker is your employee if you can control not only what work is done but how it is done, and it sets the 2026 threshold for Social Security and Medicare taxes at $3,000 in cash wages to one household employee. If only the worker controls how the work is done, the IRS treats them as self-employed. If you're not sure which applies, that publication or a tax professional is the place to start.
Traditional company. You pay for the office, the scheduling and the backup, and terms, prices and staffing vary widely from one company to the next. Read their cancellation and damage terms as closely as you would read ours.
Hometress. We serve one Philadelphia territory today, so the ZIP check at booking decides whether we can clean your address. The scope follows the checklist you booked, so ladder work, heavy lifting and exterior jobs aren't included unless they're on your booking. Late cancellations cost money. Keeping the same cleaner on a recurring plan is a preference we work toward, not a guarantee. And under Section 3.4 of our Terms, you agree not to hire a cleaner we introduced you to directly, outside the platform.
10 questions to ask any cleaner or cleaning company
Use these on the phone, in a message, or with us. A good provider answers all ten plainly.
- Do you carry general liability insurance, who holds the policy, and what does it exclude?
- Who will actually come to my home, and have they been background-checked?
- Will it be the same person each visit, and who comes if they can't?
- Is the price flat or hourly, and what exactly does it include?
- Do you bring supplies and equipment, and which products do you use?
- Can I see the checklist for this type of clean in writing?
- What's out of scope: ladders, heavy furniture, inside appliances, exterior work?
- What happens if I cancel or reschedule, and what happens if you cancel on me?
- If something is missed or damaged, how long do I have to report it, and what's the fix?
- Do I need to be home, and how do you handle keys, codes and entry notes?
Common questions
Are Hometress cleaners employees?
They're independent. Hometress works with background-checked independent cleaning professionals.
What if something is damaged during a cleaning?
Hometress carries general liability insurance that may cover damage resulting directly from a cleaner's negligence during your service. The exclusions and the claim process are in Section 5.5 of our Terms. Report it within 48 hours of the service, with photos of the item and the damage.
What if a task on my checklist was missed?
Tell us within 48 hours of the visit. That's the White Glove Guarantee: we review it against the checklist you booked and make it right, generally with a free re-clean of that area or a partial or full credit or refund.
Can I request the same cleaner each time?
On recurring plans, yes: we prefer to send the cleaner who already knows your home. For one-time visits we match you with the best-fit vetted cleaner available for your slot.
Do I have to be home during the cleaning?
No. Many customers leave entry instructions or a lockbox or smart-lock code at booking, and if you'd rather be home, that's fine too. The booking form also has an optional arrival notes card with quick flags like “Use side entrance” and “Pet in the home,” plus room for a short note, and it's recorded with your booking.
Ready to hold us to the list? Start a booking: the ZIP check tells you whether we clean your Philadelphia address today, and you see the full price before you confirm. More answers live in our FAQ.