The Ranking
Our top 5 cleaning companies in San Antonio
San Antonio has hundreds of people offering house cleaning, and most of them work from home with a phone number and a Facebook page. This list is narrower on purpose. Every company here runs from a commercial office inside the city, has its own Google profile with real customer photos, and holds at least 4.5 stars from at least 50 reviews. We checked addresses against Bexar County parcel records and skipped booking apps, coworking suites and listings with a city name stuffed into the business name.
What drives the price. Cleaners here price mostly by square footage and by how often you book. Lupe's publishes recurring visits from $115 and a first deep clean from $424 for a 1,000 square foot home, and Molly Maid's northwest office lists weekly cleaning from $115 for homes up to 1,500 square feet. Expect the first visit to cost two to four times a regular one, because baseboards, ceiling fans, blinds and built-up soap scum take hours the first time. Maids on a Mission, for one, starts every recurring plan with a deep clean. Pets, clutter and large homes push the price up, and Lupe's says heavy clutter or pests can raise its hourly rate to as much as $160.
Employees or contractors. Ask this before anything else. When a cleaner is a W-2 employee, the company carries workers compensation or similar coverage, withholds taxes and is responsible for training and supervision. When a cleaner is a contractor, liability for an injury in your home can be murkier. All five companies here say their cleaners are employees or say they are bonded and insured. White Glove and Maids on a Mission are the most explicit about it.
Licensing in Texas. Texas does not issue a state licence for house cleaning, so a licence number is not something to look for. Ask instead for a certificate of general liability insurance and proof of bonding, and ask whether the crew has passed background checks. A bond helps if something goes missing. Insurance helps if something gets broken.
Supplies, pets and keys. Every company here brings its own supplies and equipment. Maids on a Mission and Mom Needs A Break offer green products, and most will use a product you leave on the counter. Put anxious or protective pets in a closed room. If you will not be home, ask how keys or door codes are stored, who can see them, and whether the same cleaner or team comes each time. Maids on a Mission and White Glove usually assign one regular cleaner, while Lupe's and Molly Maid send teams.
Guarantees, cancellations and tipping. Re-clean windows are short. Lupe's, White Glove and Maids on a Mission give you 24 hours to report a miss, and Molly Maid's promise runs to the next business day. Cancellation fees are real money here: White Glove charges $50 for less than 24 hours notice and $100 for a lockout, and Maids on a Mission can charge up to half the visit inside 48 hours. Tipping is not required at any of these companies, but White Glove notes that its maids appreciate it after a good job.
Moving out of a rental. If you are cleaning to get a deposit back, book an empty-home move-out clean rather than a standard visit, and walk through with the crew before they leave. Texas law gives your landlord 30 days to return the deposit and bars deductions for normal wear and tear, so a documented professional clean is worth having.
