True Cost Guide Cleaning Services Clean Walls & Ceilings

How Much Does It Cost to Wash Walls and Ceilings?

Q: How often should you wash the walls in your house?

You should aim to wash your walls once a month . This way, you can avoid having allergens, dust, grease, dirt, or stains build up on your walls over time. If you pay for the cost of a housekeeping service , typically $15 to $40 per hour, you can save between 15% and 20% by adding on monthly wall washing instead of paying for a deep wall and ceiling cleaning once or twice per year.

Typical Range:

$169 - $465

Cost data is based on actual project costs as reported by 1,299 HomeAdvisor members. Embed this data

How We Get This Data

Homeowners use HomeAdvisor to find pros for home projects.

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When their projects are done, they fill out a short cost survey.

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We compile the data and report costs back to you.

Updated October 28, 2022

Written by HomeAdvisor.

If you’re planning to hire a professional to wash your walls and ceilings, you can expect to pay between $169 and $465, with an average price of $303. Your total cost will depend on your location, square footage, wall surface, wall height, and the condition of your walls. If you’re also looking to pay for the cost of deep cleaning your home at the same time, you can expect to spend an additional $200 to $400 on your total cost.

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National Average	$303
Typical Range	$169 - $465
Low End - High End	$75 - $907

Cost data is based on actual project costs as reported by 1,299 HomeAdvisor members.

Cost to Wash Walls and Ceilings per Square Foot

Professional wall and ceiling washing companies typically charge between $0.50 and $0.60 per square foot. Although, depending on your wall material, you could pay as low as $0.45 per square foot or as high as $0.62 per square foot.

Here’s how much it’ll cost to wash your walls on average:

Average Home Size in Sq. Ft.	Average Cost to Wash Walls
800	$400
1,000	$500
1,500	$750
1,800	$900
2,000	$1,000
2,500	$1,250

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Wall Washing Cost Factors

The cost to wash your walls can increase depending on several factors: your choice of cleaning products, ceiling height, additional cleaning services, and wall cleanliness. To ensure you understand the prices associated with wall washing, take a look at the cost factors below.

Type of Cleaning Products

You may be fine with your wall washer using typical household cleaning products. But you might instead want to have your home cleaned with environmentally friendly, nontoxic products. You’ll need to determine whether your wall washer uses these products and then see how much of an additional charge you’ll incur for using nontoxic cleaning products.

Ceiling Height

Does your home have particularly high ceilings that require the cleaning pro to be up on a ladder? Anything that involves risk or inconvenience will cost you a bit more. Pros may charge extra for high ceilings or difficult-to-reach spots, so you’ll need to discuss these added costs ahead of time.

Extra Cleaning Services

If it's been a while since you've dusted your ceiling fans or high shelving, you may want to ask if your wall washing pro will clean these areas for an additional charge. The average cleaning cost is $70 to $90 per ceiling fan. You may also want to pay for the cost of cleaning windows. You can expect to pay around $10 per window for this additional service.

It's crucial to discuss extra cleaning services with your pro ahead of time so you don't have a surprise bill at the end of your service.

Soil Level

If your walls and ceilings haven’t had a proper cleaning in years, especially in a room like a kitchen where dirt and grease can accumulate, then your first wall washing may be more time-consuming than you initially thought. Your best bet is to have a house cleaning professional come to your home ahead of time, perform a walkthrough, and give you a price quote after seeing your home. You can’t rely on a ballpark quote over the phone to gauge the amount of cleaning you may need.

DIY vs. Hiring a Pro to Wash Walls

If you’re up to the task, you can wash your walls yourself, but it’ll take time—not to mention strength and effort. You’ll need basic household items, such as a sponge, duster, ladder, and bucket. You also might need the following items, depending on the texture of your walls:

Mild dish soap
Baking soda
Hydrogen peroxide
White vinegar
All-purpose cleaner
Bleach

If you DIY your wall washing, you’ll save between $30 and $80 per hour on the cost of a professional cleaning service.

However, we recommend hiring a professional wall cleaning service near you to tackle your wall and ceiling washing. Pros come equipped to handle hard-to-reach places in a safe manner. Also, you can expect fresh and clean walls in no time.

Frequently Asked Questions

How often should you wash the walls in your house?

You should aim to wash your walls once a month. This way, you can avoid having allergens, dust, grease, dirt, or stains build up on your walls over time. If you pay for the cost of a housekeeping service, typically $15 to $40 per hour, you can save between 15% and 20% by adding on monthly wall washing instead of paying for a deep wall and ceiling cleaning once or twice per year.

What's the best way to clean walls?

The best way to clean walls depends on how dirty they are and what their texture is. Walls have different surfaces and textures that require specific cleaning products. Before you start washing your walls, research what they need and spot-test a small area. Generally, the best way to clean your walls is to mix a gentle cleaner with water in a bucket. Then, take a mop or sponge and gently scrub your walls up and down until clean.

Do you have to dry the walls after washing?

Yes, you have to dry the walls after washing them. Otherwise, they may dry with spots and streaks from the cleaning solution—or worse—stay wet for too long and attract mold or harbor bacteria growth. Make sure you take a clean cloth and dry your walls thoroughly.