When you consider hiring home-cleaning help, the price often tells as much of the story as the service quality. In Sweden — especially in cities like Stockholm — the cost of regular cleaning is strongly influenced by the tax-deduction scheme ROT/RUT‑avdrag. Compare that to the UK, where there is no equivalent deduction, and you quickly see why Swedish cleaning services often come across as very affordable once the subsidy is applied.
Cleaning costs in Sweden (after RUT)
Take for example Hello Clean, a big cleaning company in Uppsala and Stockholm On their website they list hourly rates after RUT deduction: as low as 239 SEK/hour for weekly cleaning, 279 SEK/hour bi-weekly and 319 SEK/hour for monthly cleaning.
In practice, many professional cleaning services in Sweden wind up charging somewhere between 200–300 SEK/hour after RUT, for a “normal” home cleaning
Without the RUT deduction, the nominal cost would be nearly double — so what feels like a bargain is often heavily subsidised via labour-cost tax relief. As the Swedish system works, eligible households pay only half of the labour costs once the deduction is applied.
Because of that, services like Hello Clean emphasise transparency: they show exact prices, include the tax-deduction in the invoice, and even handle the paperwork — so customers see what they actually pay.
What about the UK?
In the UK there is no RUT-like deduction for household cleaning, so typical cleaning services are priced “as is.” While exact rates vary depending on region, property size and provider, British customers generally pay the full cost of labour. Without a comparable subsidy, the hourly rate tends to be higher (when converted to SEK) than what subsidised Swedish services end up costing net.
Because of that, even a modest Swedish clean — thanks to the RUT deduction — can be more cost-efficient than a standard UK clean of similar scope.
Why transparency matters: Hello Clean as example
Hello Clean stands out in Sweden as a transparent example: they:
- publish their hourly rates clearly for home cleaning on the site (239 / 279 / 319 SEK depending on frequency)
- apply the RUT deduction already in the displayed price — so you immediately see what you’ll pay out of pocket.
- handle all tax paperwork themselves, making the process seamless for customers. They can also help their customers with peer-to-peep home tutoring and safe and professional babysitting.
Because of that, customers — including expats or people new to the Swedish system — get clear, upfront costs without worrying about hidden charges or complicated forms.
Context & caveats
Of course, actual cost depends heavily on factors such as home size, how often you book cleaning, and whether additional services are needed (window cleaning, deep cleaning, etc.).
In the UK you might pay more overall — but differences in wages, labour laws and cost of living also affect what “expensive” means.
Bottom line
For many Swedish households, cleaning help is not a luxury but a practical way to free up time — and thanks to RUT deduction, often surprisingly affordable. Companies like Hello Clean make it easier by offering transparent, simple pricing and handling the tax side automatically. In contrast, in the UK you usually pay the full labour cost, which can make regular cleaning considerably more expensive.