House cleaning services in Cairo: an expat guide to choosing the right company
Moving to Cairo comes with a lot of new habits, and finding reliable house cleaning services in Cairo is one of the first. The offer is large: independent cleaners, agencies, specialists for sofas or carpets, and companies that do a bit of everything. This guide explains the main types of cleaning, how prices usually work, and the questions worth asking before you let anyone into your home.
1. Know what kind of cleaning you need
Most frustrations come from booking the wrong service. In Cairo, cleaning offers usually fall into four families:
- Regular cleaning by the hour: a cleaner comes for one, two or more hours to dust, clean the kitchen and bathrooms and mop the floors. This is the everyday service.
- Deep cleaning of an empty home: before moving in, after moving out or after renovation works. The home is unfurnished and the price usually depends on the surface.
- Textile cleaning: sofas, armchairs, chairs, mattresses, rugs and pillows, cleaned with machines such as injection-extraction. This is specialised work that an hourly cleaner does not do.
- Window cleaning: glass inside and out, bay windows, mirrors, shower glass. High windows need specific tools.
A good company tells you clearly which service fits your situation. If your sofa has stains, an hourly cleaner will not solve it; if your apartment just needs a weekly refresh, a deep clean is more than you need.
2. Understand how prices are set
Prices in Cairo are rarely a single number. They usually combine three elements:
- The service itself, priced per hour (regular cleaning), per surface (empty home), per item (sofa, rug, mattress, window) or on quote for unusual jobs.
- The condition: an old stain or a very dusty home takes longer. That is why many prices are shown as "from".
- The travel fee, which depends on your area. Cairo is huge: going from Nasr City to Sheikh Zayed or 6th of October is a long trip in traffic, and companies charge for it.
The most transparent approach is to see the service price and the travel fee separately before you confirm. On Al-Rayhan, the price list and the calculator show both, and the final price is confirmed on WhatsApp before the visit.
3. Questions to ask before booking
- What exactly is included? For a deep clean: inside cupboards, tiles, window tracks? For a sofa: both sides of the cushions, the back, the arms?
- Who brings the equipment and products? For textile cleaning, the company must bring its machines.
- How is the final price confirmed? A written confirmation on WhatsApp avoids surprises on the day.
- What happens with stains that do not come out? An honest company tells you before starting what is realistic.
- Which areas do they cover, and at what travel fee? Especially if you live in New Cairo, Rehab, Madinaty, Sheikh Zayed or October.
4. Practical tips for expats
Book through a channel you can keep: a WhatsApp conversation gives you a written record of the price, date and address. Send photos when something is unusual, such as a large rug, a delicate fabric or a high window. And plan around the seasons: demand rises before Ramadan and Eid, when many families do a full clean of the home.
If you are moving into a new apartment, start with an empty home deep cleaning, then switch to regular cleaning by the hour once you are settled. Add sofa cleaning or carpet cleaning when the textiles need it.
Frequently asked questions
How much do house cleaning services cost in Cairo?
It depends on the type of service: regular cleaning is usually priced per hour, empty homes per surface, and sofas, rugs or windows per item. Add the travel fee for your area. Al-Rayhan shows all prices online.
Is a deep clean necessary when moving into a rented apartment?
It is strongly recommended if the apartment was empty or freshly renovated: dust settles everywhere, including inside cupboards and window tracks.
Can I book cleaning in English?
Yes. The Al-Rayhan website and WhatsApp booking work in English and Arabic.
