How much does it cost to clean walls?

Reviewed by Adam Graham remodeling expert. Written by Fixr.com.

No matter how clean you keep your home, your walls will become dirty over time. Some become dusty when the rooms see little use, while others become coated with debris in well-used rooms like your kitchen. And for those who have children, keeping walls clean can be a constant battle. Professional wall cleaners can freshen up and give your home a clean look without the need to repaint. It also can be a good option when planning to repaint to prime the surface, making it ideal for paint application.

Professional wall cleaning services can run between $550 and $900, with the average homeowner paying around $600 to clean walls in a 1,200 sq. f., three-bedroom, one-bath home with painted or wood walls. On the low end, homeowners can expect to pay $400 for an 800 sq. ft., one-bedroom, one-bath home with drywall or plaster. They could also pay as high as $1,250 for a 2,500 sq. ft., four-bedroom, three-bath home with wallpapered or brick walls.

Cost to Wash Walls

Wall Washing Service per Square Foot

The cost to wash the walls in your home runs around $0.50 per square foot, though the price can range from $0.46 to $0.62 per square foot, depending on the material on the walls. This is one common way to price homes for professional wall cleaners as it can account for the amount of materials and time needed to complete the job. Higher ceilings, different wall materials, and wall configurations can cause the price to be higher or lower. However, you can see the average price below for some common wall square footage sizes.

Wall Cleaning Service Cost per Room

Another way a company may charge for wall cleaning is per room. On average, you can expect to pay around $85 per room for wall cleaning for a room with between 150 and 200 sq. ft. of wall space. You can spend as low as $70 per room to as high as $90 per room, depending on local labor rates and the amount of dirt on the walls. When companies offer this option, it is usually less expensive than pricing per square foot. However, it can be more or less than pricing by the hour, depending on the material being cleaned and the wall configuration. Below you will find some common home configurations and the average costs to clean them when being billed by the room. The cost includes bedrooms, bathrooms, and other common rooms in homes.

Cost to Wash Walls per Hour

Some cleaning companies may charge customers by the hour to clean walls. Labor costs can run between $25 and $35 per hour, depending on your area. For homes between 1,200 and 2,000 sq. feet, you can expect the job to take approximately two to three days to be completed. The total number of hours depends on the height of the ceiling, the configuration of the walls, and the materials from which the walls are made. This pricing method is often more costly than the per-room price but can be less than a per square foot price as long as it does not require ladder use.

Interior Wall Cleaning Cost by Wall Type

The material that your interior walls are made of affects the cleaning process and the cost in some situations. You can expect to pay between $0.46 and $0.62 per square foot, depending on the type of material. Different materials may require different chemicals or techniques to protect the surface and prevent damage to the wall. All types of wall materials can be cleaned. Cleaning the walls is a good way to provide a fresh, updated look that can be less costly than painting or refinishing.

Drywall Cleaning

Drywall is one of the most common wall surfaces and will cost around $0.46 to $0.48 per square foot to have cleaned. It is made of plaster mixed with fiber and is designed to be a smooth surface that is mildly resistant to water and mildew. Cleaning drywall is one of the quickest processes, thanks in part to its smooth facade and the ability to use any cleanser on it.

Plaster Cleaning

If the walls in your home are made of plaster, you will pay around the same $0.46 to $0.48 per square foot cost that you would with drywall. When done right, plaster should provide you with a fairly smooth surface though it will likely be more porous than drywall. The only issue that your cleaners may have when cleaning your plaster is creating more damage to damaged areas. Plaster tends to crack off, creating large blemishes. If there are any holes or cracks in your plaster, make sure they are repaired before cleaning the walls.

Wood Walls Cleaning

Wood wall cleaning can run between $0.48 and $0.51 per square foot. Wood walls and wood paneling are easy-to-clean though they may require a little more labor as they are not completely flat, smooth surfaces. There are not many limitations to cleaners that can be used on wood. Since wood walls are mostly flat, cleaners can use mop heads and other tools to make the job go more quickly.

Clean Painted Walls

You can expect to pay between $0.51 and $0.55 per square foot to clean painted walls. Cleaning painted walls takes a little longer and requires more gentle chemicals to prevent paint damage. The cost depends on the type of paint finish. Matte finishes such as flat and eggshell may require a little more labor, while painting with more sheen like semi-gloss takes less time and typically costs a little less. However, you will not see a price difference for the finish if paying per room.

Cleaning Wallpaper Walls

On average, you can expect to pay between $0.56 and $0.59 per square foot to have wallpapered walls cleaned. Cleaning walls that have wallpaper on them can be a little more challenging. While wallpaper is relatively durable, it can be damaged from rough scrubbing and harsh abrasives. The amount you pay depends on how much extra time the professionals need to complete the job as it requires more delicate work. You may also find the cost is higher because the professional will be limited to less abrasive chemicals, making the cleaning process longer.

Natural Stone Cleaning

The lack of a smooth surface makes it one of the more costly wall cleaning options, running between $0.58 and $0.62 per square foot. Natural stone is often rough textured on the surface and irregularly shaped. The additional cost mostly goes to longer labor times since the surface is not flat nor smooth. The wall material may also require additional scrubbing and stronger abrasives to get it fully clean.

Brick Cleaning

Brick cleaning costs the same as natural stone cleaning, running between $0.58 and $0.62 per square foot. The reason for the higher price is similar to that of natural stone. The surface is not flat and requires more scrubbing and strong cleaning products to get clean. Brick is very porous, which can require certain types of cloth to complete the cleaning process.

Ceiling Cleaning Services Cost

Adding ceiling cleaning to your overall cleaning cost can add $25 to $100 per room, depending on the ceiling's square footage. When you have your walls cleaned, you may want to consider the cost to clean your ceilings and freshen the entire space. Rooms with higher ceilings will be on the higher end even if the ceiling has less square footage since it will require a ladder to be moved around to get the ceiling. If paying by the hour, you can expect ceiling cleaning to add another one to three hours of labor, running an additional $25 to $105.

Factors that Affect the Cost to Clean the Walls

While most often cleaning walls is a pretty straight-forward process, some factors lead to additional costs. These issues usually result in harder to clean walls due to the amount or type of debris on them or could be the result of additional prep work.

Kitchen walls are usually more difficult to clean because they have a higher concentration of grease from oil splattering when cooking food. Grease can be very resistant to cleaning and may require extra time or special products. Plan for an extra cost of $30 to $50 for kitchen wall cleaning.

Many wall cleaning services include the cost of moving large furniture pieces out of the way. However, some companies charge a flat fee of $100 on top of the cleaning charge. While the cleaning service will likely move large furniture as they clean, you will be expected to remove any wall hangings, pictures, or other small items off the wall before they arrive.

You may also see an increase in cost if you are cleaning walls after removing wallpaper. Most wallpaper leaves residue from the adhesive once removed, which can be more difficult and take longer to remove.

Cleaning Mold Off Walls

If you notice mold on your walls, that could signal a problem with wall cleaning. While some cleaners may remove a small amount of mildew in areas like the bathroom, any mold on the walls will need to be inspected. The average price for a mold inspection is $500. If it is determined to be mold, you will need to have it cleaned by a mold remediation professional before the cleaning service begins. You can expect to pay anywhere between $500 and $7,000 for mold remediation, depending on the extent of the problem. Once the walls have been cleared of mold, your cleaning service will be able to complete the job.

One Time Professional Wall Cleaning Service vs Recurring Service

While wall cleaning services are often deep cleaning services done on request, you can set up regular wall cleaning services with your cleaning company. By setting up recurring wall cleaning, you can save between 15% and 20% off of the services. You can expect to pay between $20 and $30 per hour for recurrent cleanings. Your service may choose to quote you a flat rate for cleaning the walls in your home and apply the discount. For a 1,200 sq. ft. home, this could be around $522. Most homes will need wall cleaning on an annual basis, but for households with children, you may want to consider cleaning quarterly or bi-annually. Below you can see what it will cost per year for a 1,500 sq. ft. home depending on whether you choose on-call cleaning services or recurring services.

Cleaning vs Repainting Walls

Many homeowners think that they need to repaint a room to give it a fresh and clean appearance, when, in fact, they may only need to have them professionally cleaned. Professionally cleaned walls will often look the same as if they had just been painted, often eliminating the need to paint them. Cleaning the walls will run you between $25 and $35 an hour, while repainting can cost between $40 and $60 per hour.

But if you choose to paint your walls, you should clean the interior walls before painting. You may think that since you are covering the walls with paint, there is no need to clean them. But, proper cleaning allows the paint to adhere better and ensures that stains on the wall do not show through after being painted. Painting over dusty, dirty walls can lead to streaking and uneven paint coverage.

Enhancement and Improvement Costs

Ceiling Fan Cleaning

Ceiling fan cleaning can often be added to your wall cleaning services. This service typically costs $70 to $90 per fan. Ceiling fans are well-known for accumulating dust, which can build up over time and become hard to remove. Additionally, failure to keep your ceiling fan clean can lead to additional dust and allergens traveling around the room, triggering asthma and allergy symptoms. Your professional cleaner will make sure that all the dust and buildup are removed, allowing it to operate more efficiently.

Additional Considerations and Costs

• Wall cleaning is an enhancement service. Since it does not alter the structure or design of your home, there are no licenses or permits required to complete the work.
• Some cleaning services use natural, environmentally-friendly, non-toxic products by default, but others may charge an extra fee of $50 to $60 if you request them. Many homeowners prefer to use such products because they eliminate the risk of having harmful fumes in the air and on the wall surfaces.
• It’s advised to get written estimates from the wall cleaning service before the cleaning begins. This gives you a reference point if the cleaners decide that they need to charge extra for things during the cleaning process.
• Wall cleaning can be a DIY project, but it requires a considerable amount of time and effort. You should keep in mind that professional wall cleaning services usually deliver better results in less time. It isn’t recommended that you clean ceilings yourself, as the extended use of ladders is dangerous.
• Steam cleaning walls is a DIY method that some homeowners may try to remove built-up dirt and grime on their walls. You will first need to remove all loose dirt and then use the steam cleaner over sections of the walls until it is cleaned. The process can be time-consuming. It is likely a quicker process to retain the services of a professional.
• If your walls need cleaning due to a disaster like a fire or a broken water pipe, your homeowner’s insurance might cover the cost. For example, house fires may require soot removal on the walls, whereas broken water pipes may require mold removal. If you have experienced either of these issues, you will need to contact professional recovery and restoration specialists to fix the damage before wall cleaning can take place.