Booking a cleaner online: how modern home cleaning works in Germany
The days of looking for a cleaner via notices on a bulletin board are over. Today, online cleaning platforms such as Helpling or Wecasa arrange insured cleaners within minutes – conveniently via smartphone or computer.
The home cleaning market in Germany has been growing rapidly for years. According to the German Economic Institute (IW), more than four million households employ a household helper. The online platforms make access easier, more transparent and above all legally safer than traditional undeclared work.
Did you know?
According to the German Economic Institute (IW, 2025 study based on 2023 data), around nine out of ten household helpers are not registered – only about 275,000 were registered with the Minijob-Zentrale. Online cleaning platforms offer a legal, insured alternative and also make the costs tax-deductible.
Agency vs. marketplace: two models compared
Basically, there are two models on the market:
Agencies such as Helpling and Wecasa offer a fixed hourly rate, take care of insurance and handle payment. You book online, choose a cleaner and pay after the work is done. Advantage: everything from a single source, insured and tax-deductible.
Marketplaces such as online classified and helper portals put you in direct contact with household helpers. There is no fixed hourly rate – you agree it yourself. In return you pay a platform fee (premium subscription). You arrange insurance and payment yourself.
The best cleaning platforms in detail
Helpling: large choice of profiles (from €16.90/hour)
Helpling from Berlin is a platform on which self-employed cleaners set their own hourly rate – according to Helpling's price calculator between €16.90 and €35; in major cities the average is around €21 (Hamburg) to €27 (Munich). On top comes a service fee of €2.99 per booking. Helpling's own liability insurance covers damage from €500 up to €5 million. Cancellation is free up to 48 hours in advance; after that a fee of up to 25%, 50% or 100% of the price applies depending on how short the notice is. Every cleaner has their own profile with ratings.
Wecasa: all inclusive (€24.90/hour)
Wecasa is a French provider that arranges cleaners in Germany for regular and one-off cleaning, deep cleaning and ironing. Regular cleaning costs €24.90 per hour, one-off cleaning €26.90 and deep cleaning €29.90. The hourly rate is higher than Helpling's, but it is all-inclusive: no service fee, the professionals are vetted and insured, everything is officially invoiced – and you are only charged after the job. Wecasa is available in most major cities, from Berlin, Hamburg and Munich to the Ruhr area.
Costs & prices: what does a cleaner really cost?
The actual cost of a cleaner via online platforms is often higher than the advertised starting price. Here are the real prices at a glance:
| Provider | Model | Hourly rate | Service fee | Cost/month (4h/week) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Helpling | Agency | from €16.90 | €2.99/booking | approx. €282 * |
| Wecasa | Agency | €24.90 | None | approx. €398 |
| Marketplaces | Marketplace | individual | Premium subscription | Price + subscription |
* Helpling: €16.90 × 4h × 4 weeks + 4 × €2.99 service fee = approx. €282/month (at the lowest hourly rate; at the big-city average of around €22/hour it is approx. €364)
For comparison: a cleaner found by word of mouth often costs €14–20/hour – but frequently without insurance or taxes. Via the platforms you pay the same or slightly higher prices, but you get insurance cover and can deduct the costs from your taxes.
Deducting a cleaner from your taxes
Use the tax benefit!
In Germany, the cost of a cleaner is tax-deductible as a household-related service. You can deduct 20% of the labour costs directly from your tax liability (Section 35a EStG) – up to a maximum tax reduction of €4,000 a year, reached at €20,000 in labour costs. If you employ a helper yourself as a minijobber in a private household, the cap is €510 a year.
- Only labour costs are deductible (not service fees or material costs)
- Payment must be made by bank transfer (not cash)
- Helpling and Wecasa automatically issue compliant invoices
- On marketplaces you have to make sure the invoices are correct yourself
Tips for booking a cleaner
Important to note
- Check insurance: automatically included with Helpling and Wecasa. On marketplaces you have to arrange it yourself
- Calculate the total cost: the hourly rate alone is not enough – factor in service fees, platform costs and minimum bookings
- Book regularly: at Wecasa, regular bookings are €2/hour cheaper than one-off appointments
- Communicate expectations: create a clear list of cleaning priorities
- Cancellation periods: Helpling 48h in advance, Wecasa 8h in advance (15% fee for shorter notice)
Last updated: October 2026. All prices researched directly on the providers' websites.