Cleaning Prices in Portland, Maine (2026): What Affects the Cost

“How much does a cleaner cost in Portland?” sounds like a simple question, but in Maine the answer depends on whether you mean a Munjoy Hill apartment, a family cape in Scarborough, a beach cottage in Ogunquit between guests or a camp on Sebago that has been closed since October. This guide explains how our prices are built, starting from the published prices below, and what makes a Maine quote go up or down, so you can compare companies fairly and know what you are paying for.

Where prices start

We publish a starting price for every service, and it is the same in Maine as everywhere we work. It covers the smallest home for that service. Your quote adds the size, condition and extras of yours, and is confirmed in writing before you book.

Published starting prices, the same in Maine as everywhere we work

Service	Starts at
Vacation rental turnover	$90 a turnover
Regular house cleaning	$160 a visit
Move-out or move-in cleaning	$190
Deep cleaning	$200
Pre-sale cleaning	$220
Post-construction cleaning	$250
Pressure washing	$150
Inside an appliance (oven, fridge)	$40 each
Carpet cleaning	$45 a room

We are new to Maine, so this guide does not quote local averages. The factors below explain almost every difference between one quote and another, here or anywhere.

Size, and bathrooms above all

A bathroom takes far longer than a bedroom: tile, grout, glass, toilet, vanity and fixtures all need scrubbing and sanitizing. Two three-bedroom homes can be priced quite differently if one has a single bathroom and the other has two and a half plus a finished basement. When you ask for a quote, give the number of full and half bathrooms and say which floors are included.

The kind of home

• Portland, South Portland and Lewiston apartments: many are in older triple-deckers and brick buildings with radiators, deep sills and stairs; compact, but detailed
• Capes, colonials and ranches in the suburbs: Scarborough, Falmouth, Gorham, Windham, Yarmouth and Brunswick homes often have a mudroom, a basement and a woodstove or heat pumps
• New construction: the first clean after the builder is a post-construction job, with drywall dust in every vent
• Beach cottages and condos: from York to Old Orchard Beach, usually cleaned as turnovers between guests, with sand in everything
• Lake camps: around Sebago, Long Lake and the smaller lakes, often cleaned at opening, between guests and at closing
• Island homes: on Peaks, Chebeague and Long Island, where the ferry schedule shapes the visit

Condition and the season

A home cleaned regularly is quick to clean again; a home that has not been thoroughly cleaned in months takes longer. In Maine, the season changes the condition too. After a winter with a woodstove, fine ash sits on every shelf. Mud season, in March and April, brings dirt in on every boot. In late May and June, pine pollen coats sills, screens and decks in yellow. In summer, beach sand gets into every rug and sofa. A camp or cottage opened after a winter closed up has dust, dead insects and sometimes signs of mice. Photos with your quote request let us price the real condition the first time.

Extras

• Inside the oven, fridge, microwave or dishwasher, from $40 each
• Carpet extraction from $45 a room, offered in every Maine town we cover
• Walls wiped, blinds, inside windows, inside cabinets
• Basement, garage, porch, deck or mudroom
• Linens and laundry for rentals
• Iron or mineral stains from well water in sinks, tubs and toilets

Well water

Many Maine homes outside the cities, and most camps, run on private wells. Iron and manganese leave orange, brown or black stains in toilets, tubs and sinks, and hard water leaves white scale on glass and fixtures. These need their own products and more time than ordinary soap scum, and bleach can set iron stains. Maine’s public health agency recommends that well owners test their water regularly, including for arsenic, which cannot be seen or cleaned away. Mention stains when you book so the time is in the quote.

How turnover pricing works

Vacation rental turnovers start at $90 and are priced by the size of the rental, the number of beds to change, laundry and restocking. A one-bedroom condo in Old Orchard Beach turns over much faster than a four-bedroom cottage in Kennebunkport that sleeps ten. Back-to-back Saturday changeovers in July and August are the busiest slots of the year, so hosts usually set a standing schedule for the season. Island turnovers include ferry time.

Choosing the right service

A regular clean (from $160) keeps a tidy home tidy. A deep clean (from $200) resets a home after winter or before guests. A move-out or move-in clean (from $190) is for an empty home, with the inside of cabinets, closets and drawers included. A turnover (from $90) resets a rental between guests. If you are not sure which you need, describe the home and what you want and we will suggest one.

Timing and availability

Prices do not jump in busy weeks, but availability tightens. May is busy with camp and cottage openings and spring deep cleans. July and August weekends are busy with turnovers along the coast and at the lakes. Late September and October bring closing cleans. The end of each month is busy with move-outs in Portland and Lewiston. Book a week or two ahead for those times.

Access, parking and ferries

Portland’s Old Port, Munjoy Hill and West End have tight parking, camp roads can be soft in mud season, and island homes depend on the ferry. Tell us how the team gets in, where to park and how keys are handled, especially for second homes where nobody will be there.

Recurring plans cost less per visit

A home cleaned every week or two never builds up the grime that makes a one-off clean long, so recurring visits cost less each. Most households choose bi-weekly; families with pets and young children often choose weekly. Second-home owners often book a visit before each stay and a turnover after, so the place is always ready when they arrive.

What every quote includes

Every quote includes vetted, insured cleaners, supplies and equipment, a written checklist for the service and our 36-hour re-clean promise: if something on the checklist is missed, tell us within 36 hours and we come back to put it right.

Move-out cleans in Portland and Lewiston

Move-out cleaning starts at $190 for a small apartment. In older Portland and Lewiston buildings, radiators, deep sills, steep stairs and limited parking add time, so mention them when you ask. Inside the oven and fridge are the extras most worth adding before a landlord’s walk-through.

How to compare quotes

• Is the price fixed, or hourly with no cap?
• Which rooms and extras are included, line by line?
• Are cleaners vetted and insured, and are supplies included?
• For rentals: is laundry included, and is there a photo report?
• What happens if something is missed? Ours is a re-clean if you tell us within 36 hours

What to do next

Get a free quote or book online. See the Maine towns we cover, including Portland, South Portland, Scarborough, Biddeford and Brunswick.