Cleaning Consumables Cost: How to Budget and Calculate
Calculate your real cleaning consumables budget, apply a personalised method, and cut an average spend of 120 to 180 euros a year.
Jonathan Lalinec
The average household spends between 120 and 180 euros a year on cleaning products, but the real figure depends mainly on how often you clean, the pack size you buy, and how much you use per application. The method below gives you a personalised number, whether you manage a home, a short-term rental, or commercial premises.
In brief:
- Annual spending on cleaning products ranges from 70 to 220 euros depending on household size and frequency of use.
- Monthly spend for a typical household is around 12 to 13 euros, or roughly 150 euros a year for a couple, once all recurring consumables are counted.
- Overdosing products, pack size choices, and product quality all have a strong effect on real cost, which can rise sharply when consumption is poorly managed.
- Using concentrates, buying in bulk, and making simple products at home can cut the budget by 30 to 70 % without any loss of effectiveness.
- Accurate tracking through software such as CleanClac helps you avoid stockouts and keep costs under control across multiple properties or commercial premises.
Table of contents
- Which consumables to include in the budget
- How to calculate your monthly and annual cost
- What different profiles actually spend
- Why real costs vary so much from one household to another
- How to cut this budget without losing effectiveness
- What environmental labels say about dosing
- Tracking and forecasting consumables without spending hours on it
- Author's perspective: what to keep in mind before you start
- CleanClac for automating consumables tracking
- Sources
- Frequently asked questions
Which consumables to include in the budget
Before calculating anything, you need to list what actually falls under "cleaning consumables". Many households underestimate their budget by overlooking certain recurring items.
- Cleaning products: multi-purpose cleaner, degreaser, washing-up liquid, laundry detergent, descaler.
- Paper and disposables: toilet paper, paper towels, bin bags, wipes.
- Accessories: sponges, microfibre cloths, gloves, broom, mop, brushes.
- Cleaning linen: tea towels, rags, protective covers that need regular washing.
Some items are replenished every month (paper, liquid products), while others are one-off purchases spread over several months or years, such as a scrubbing brush or a handheld vacuum. Keeping these two types of spend separate avoids artificially inflating the monthly budget with costs that are, in reality, spread over a longer period.
How to calculate your monthly and annual cost
The calculation is based on a simple formula you can apply to each category of consumable and then add up.
- Note the quantity you use per month for each product (litres of cleaner, rolls of paper, and so on).
- Multiply that quantity by the unit price from your last receipt.
- Add up all the items to get a total monthly cost, then multiply by twelve for the year.
- Break that total down by room, by square metre, or by occupant, depending on what you need to compare.
- Add the depreciation of linen and accessories by dividing their purchase price by their estimated lifespan in months.
Here is a concrete example. A couple buys a multi-purpose cleaner for 3 euros that lasts six weeks, spends 8 euros a month on toilet paper, and replaces sponges at 4 euros every two months. Monthly cost works out at around 12 to 13 euros, or roughly 150 euros a year. That sits comfortably within the typical range for a two-person household. A studio occupied by one person will come in closer to 70 to 90 euros a year, simply because there is less to clean.
What different profiles actually spend
Spend varies significantly depending on the type of household or activity. For private households, annual figures sit between 70 and 220 euros depending on household composition: a single person naturally uses less than a large family. For a short-term rental, the most useful benchmark is not annual but per turnover. Add up the consumables used between two cleans, then divide by the number of bookings over the period. For commercial premises, the calculation is often done per square metre or per workstation.
| Profile | Basis | Indicative range |
|---|---|---|
| Single person | Per year | 70 to 90 euros |
| Couple | Per year | 120 to 150 euros |
| Family | Per year | 180 to 220 euros |
| Short-term rental | Per turnover | Variable by size and frequency |
These figures are rough guides. A poorly insulated property that needs more frequent cleaning, or a very busy office, will push costs beyond these ranges.
Why real costs vary so much from one household to another
Two households of the same size can show very different budgets, and the reason rarely comes down to which brand they buy.
- Overdosing is the leading cause of waste. Using twice the recommended dose does not improve results and doubles the real cost.
- Pack size has a direct impact. A concentrate or a refill almost always costs less per litre than a ready-to-use bottle.
- Product quality matters too. Some high-performing cleaners that work at a low dose offset a higher purchase price.
- Cleaning frequency, driven by lifestyle (children, pets, heavy footfall), mechanically increases consumption.
Overdosing is not just a financial waste. It leaves residues that require more rinsing, extending the use cycle and the hidden costs that come with it.
Pro tip: use a dosing cap or a graduated spray bottle for every liquid product. That alone is often enough to cut consumption without switching brands.
How to cut this budget without losing effectiveness
Cutting costs does not mean cutting corners on cleanliness. A few simple adjustments are enough to bring the bill down for good.
- Switch to concentrates and refills. Always compare the price per litre once diluted, not the shelf price of the bottle.
- Buy in larger formats or in bulk when possible. The unit cost is almost always lower.
- Reduce the range of products you use. A multi-purpose cleaner often replaces three or four specialist products.
- Make simple products yourself for certain tasks (white vinegar, bicarbonate of soda) rather than buying expensive dedicated ranges.
- Invest in microfibre cloths and washable sponges. Over their lifespan they replace hundreds of disposable wipes.
- Log your monthly consumption for a few weeks to spot redundant or impulse purchases.
By combining bulk buying and reusable accessories, potential savings reach 30 to 70 % depending on current habits.
Pro tip: keep just one multi-purpose cleaner and one degreaser. Most everyday cleaning tasks do not need anything more.
What environmental labels say about dosing
Labels such as the EU Ecolabel and Sustainable cleaning set requirements that affect your wallet directly, not just the environment.
- Proven performance at a low dose: some specifications require demonstrated effectiveness at as little as 12 millilitres per litre.
- Clear dosing information on the packaging, often an integrated dosing cap.
- Limits on over-packaging, which indirectly reduces the logistics cost passed on in the price.
These requirements reduce overdosing at source. When the product clearly states the dose needed, users mechanically consume less. For homemade mixtures or concentrates, remember to ventilate the room during and after use. Regional health authorities consistently recommend this precaution.
Tracking and forecasting consumables without spending hours on it
Keeping a consumables budget up to date manually quickly becomes tedious, especially once several properties or several cleaners are involved. A dedicated Airbnb cleaning software keeps things clear without requiring a spreadsheet update every month.
- Real-time reports show stock levels property by property.
- Stock alerts warn you before a stockout, avoiding last-minute purchases at a higher price.
- Cost-per-turnover tracking helps short-term rental managers compare performance across their properties.
Some consumables management apps offer individual mobile access for each cleaner, with pricing that scales by number of properties and reports that include photos and videos to verify the actual condition of each property after every visit.
Author's perspective: what to keep in mind before you start
Test the calculation method for one month before automating anything. Favour concentrates and reusable accessories over a growing list of specialist products, and keep an eye on labels when low-dose performance genuinely matters.
, Jonathan
CleanClac for automating consumables tracking
For a single household, a spreadsheet is enough. For anyone managing several short-term rentals, the tracking workload grows fast, and that is where CleanClac makes a real difference to a manager's day-to-day life.
Each cleaner has their own mobile access, which removes the need to manage everything manually by text message or shared spreadsheet.
- Stock tracking and alerts to avoid running out mid-season.
- Reports with photos and videos to check the condition of consumables after each clean.
- Compatibility with the main PMS platforms already used by property managers.
Pricing varies by number of properties managed. For up-to-date rates, check the provider's pricing page.
Visit the CleanClac pricing page to choose the plan that fits the number of properties you manage.
Sources
INSEE tracks the price trends of cleaning products, ADEME details the requirements of environmental labels, and Radins provides household spending benchmarks.
- ADEME · Sustainable cleaning (2025)
- Radins · savings and costs of cleaning products (2024)
- ARS Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes · risks and best practices (2023)
Frequently asked questions
What does one hour of cleaning cost for a private household?
It is best to request quotes from several local companies and compare them.
What is the average annual cost of household cleaning?
For consumables alone, the average household spends 120 to 180 euros a year, with a range of 70 to 220 euros depending on household size. This figure does not include any paid cleaning service.
What is the average price of a professional cleaning service?
The price of a professional cleaning service depends on the surface area, frequency and region, and there is no published fixed rate. A personalised quote from a provider is the only reliable way to get a precise figure.
What can a cleaner do in two hours?
In two hours, a cleaner can generally cover the main rooms of a small property: kitchen, bathroom, vacuuming and dusting in the living areas. The exact scope depends on the floor area and how tidy the property is before they start.
