Does Homeaglow Really Only Cost $19?

Homeaglow advertises a low cost of $19 for your first house cleaning service visit, but if you read the fine print, a $19 cleaning requires a 6-month “ForeverClean” membership.

Depending on continued use, the legitimate cost of Homeaglow can easily exceed $1,105 with fees.

To unlock the “voucher” that brings your first cleaning down to $19 for 3 hours, you’ll need to pay a $49 monthly membership fee for 6 months, or $294 total, plus costs of recurring cleanings.

If you cancel before 6 months, some customer reviews online mention a $200 cancellation fee for early termination.

Is Homeaglow Legit?

Yes, Homeaglow is a legitimate digital platform where you can find independent cleaners to clean your home. It is similar to Craigslist but with additional measures like background checks. The platform is a real company based in San Francisco, CA.

All Homeaglow membership fees are outlined in the fine print of their terms and conditions, but are not easily found on their deal or checkout pages.

Also, Homeaglow’s terms of service state that it’s not responsible for the work performed in your home and doesn’t offer any insurance coverage.

This pricing model differs from traditional local cleaning companies like Sophia’s Cleaning Service, where we provide transparent, contract-free estimates and take full responsibility for services with full insurance coverage. 

As you’ll see below, transparent pricing is one way Sophia’s Cleaning Service differs from companies like Homeaglow. Read on for a complete comparison.

Transparent Pricing vs. How Homeaglow Costs Work

At Sophia’s Cleaning, we offer upfront quotes with no recurring membership or long-term commitment required. If you love our work, you can book recurring visits on your terms.

We believe in clear, honest pricing and building trust through consistency.

To help consumers, we explain how Homeaglow’s cost structure works, real-world customer reviews, and how each compares to our traditional, locally owned cleaning service.

Want that true clean feeling? Start by cleaning your kitchen and bathroom drains regularly to keep clogs and smells away.

Homeaglow Prices Vs Real Cleaning Services

If you continue Homeaglow cleaning services every 2 weeks over 6 months, you’ll pay:

• $19 (initial voucher)
• $294 (6 months of ForeverClean membership at $49/month)
• $792 (12 cleanings x 3 hours x $22/hr)

Total = $1,105, not including fees for overages or early cancellation.

They also now seem to offer one-time cleanings without memberships. However, their one-time cleanings may cost as much or more than traditional cleaning services like Sophia’s Cleaning.

Their site includes these details in the service terms, but many new users may miss them if they don’t review the fine print, as detailed in Homeaglow reviews online.

In contrast, Sophia’s provides one-time or recurring cleaning quotes that include all charges upfront with no membership needed.

Comparing Real-World Costs of Each Subscription Offer

In addition to their $19 for 3-hour cleanings deal, they offer the following vouchers for new customers, but again, the real costs require you to read the fine print. 

I’ve done the heavy lifting for you and outlined the total cost of Homeaglow subscriptions if you continue their home cleaning services bi-weekly.

• $9 for 2 hours: total cost is $831 (continuing 2 hr cleanings every 2 weeks for 6 months)
• $19 for 3 hours: total cost is $1,105 (continuing 3 hr cleanings every 2 weeks for 6 months)
• $39 for 4 hours: total cost is $1,389 (continuing 4 hr cleanings every 2 weeks for 6 months)
• $79 for 6 hours: total cost is $1,957 (continuing 6 hr cleanings every 2 weeks for 6 months)

When calculating the average hourly cost of the $19 deal, you only pay around $28 per hour as a bulk discount rate for a pack of 39 labor hours of cleaning.

If you are willing to commit to 6 months of recurring service and find the right cleaner, that deal can look attractive. Just remember that you’ll need to pay a monthly fee for 6 months to qualify for each voucher deal along with any additional fees outlined in the fine print.

Does Homeaglow Insure Cleaners or Take Responsibility for Work Quality?

Homeaglow reviews are mixed, with some customers praising the company and others mentioning a lack of transparency in their advertising and disappointment with service quality.

According to their help documentation, Homeaglow doesn’t insure its cleaners or back the job done at your home, regardless of whether or not you are happy with the service.

I cannot think of anything more frustrating than being locked into a contract that offers disappointing service.

That is why Sophia’s Cleaning Service offers upfront flat-rate quotes or hourly rates without a long-term contract.

Hence, our professional home cleaning and maid service customers know the full cost of a one-time or recurring cleaning without membership fees, and a satisfaction guarantee.

Homeaglow’s Customer Service vs a Local Cleaning Company’s

Homeaglow uses online-only ticketing systems, with no public-facing phone number listed at the time of writing.

However, this consumer protection website reports that they’ve found a Homeaglow phone number that works. 

In contrast, at Sophia’s Cleaning Service:

• You can reach a real person by calling (708) 485-8100.
• We respond to issues promptly and personally in person if it is helpful in a given situation.

This personalized support is what sets traditional companies apart from larger tech platforms.

Cancellation Fees Compared

According to its online reviews, if you cancel Homeaglow before 6 months, you may be charged $200. If you cancel a cleaning visit, you may be charged $40.

Booking a $19 cleaning means you’ve already provided them with your credit card information and agreed to the terms of their 6-month membership.

Unsurprisingly, Homeaglow customer reviews complain about the difficulty of attempting to reverse cancellation fees or unexpected charges on their card.

Compare this to Sophia’s Cleaning Service, which requires zero commitment or contracts beyond an initial cleaning.

The only fees you’ll incur are if you cancel a cleaning at the last minute, which hurts our cleaners’ ability to earn a full day’s pay.

These are all outlined clearly on our pricing page and pictured in the above snapshot.

Reputable home cleaning companies across the United States typically charge a last-minute cancellation fee. However, any unexpected fees are rare, as pricing transparency is key to maintaining an excellent reputation for cleaning companies nationwide.

Have a Homeaglow Complaint?

Have you signed up for their 6-month plan and have a Homeaglow complaint or a cleaner who wasn’t there? What happens if something goes missing or is damaged during a visit?

Unfortunately, when I published this original article, Home a glow didn’t list a public phone number you can call to complain. However, you can contact them online via a complaint ticket.

The company primarily uses online support tickets through email rather than a public customer service line. This can be frustrating for customers who want immediate assistance, especially when issues arise with a cleaner in their home.

In contrast, you can reach Sophia’s Cleaning by calling (708) 485-8100 or emailing us directly.

Being easy to contact as a home cleaning service is essential to building trust.

True Pricing and Fees

Homeaglow advertises rates as low as $22 per hour, but its detailed pricing page shows rates starting at $25 per hour—and that’s only with a “ForeverClean” membership discount.

They also add extra fees, such as a 15% processing fee, a $20 premium cleaner fee, and a $30 priority cleaning fee for bookings within 48 hours.

By comparison, Sophia’s Cleaning Service will always provide transparent, straightforward pricing and realistic time frames.

Who Owns Homeaglow?

According to public sources, Aaron Cheung is listed as the co-founder. He previously founded Homejoy, which closed following class-action lawsuits.

At the time of writing, Homeaglow’s website does not include an About page or information about ownership or leadership.

Public filings and news reports have referenced Homeaglow lawsuits for misclassifying cleaners as independent contractors, non-payment to cleaners, and overtime and break violations.

That, in addition to class action lawsuits about robocalling customers and consumer protection violations.

According to these filings, plaintiffs accuse the company of inadequately disclosing their fees, particularly the automatic renewal of the “Forever Clean Membership,” leading to unexpected monthly charges.

Sophia’s Cleaning Service has nothing to hide:

• I, Andre Kazimierski, own Sophia’s Cleaning Service with my wife, Carolina.
• Our business has been family-owned and operated for over 40 years.
• Visit our about us page here (by the way, we donate a portion of each cleaning to cancer research in our late founders name)

We pay our cleaning teams a livable wage so they can take care of their loved ones. This also increases our company’s cleaner retention rates, ensuring the highest-quality cleaning professionals stay with us long-term.

Homeaglow Reviews

Homeaglow has thousands of customer reviews online, and consumers share mixed experiences with the company.

Many Homeaglow reviews on sites like Yelp and the Better Business Bureau (BBB) are negative. Common complaints include last-minute cancellations by cleaners, no-shows, and dissatisfaction with cleaning quality or customer service.

Remember that large gig-economy platforms often struggle with these things, as you compare their positive and negative reviews, so perhaps allow them some grace.

Here are the links to each of the company’s customer review profiles:

• Better Business Bureau (BBB) Profile
• Yelp Profile Reviews
• Homeaglow Reviews on Google

For example, Homeaglow’s average rating on Google is around 3.2 out of 5, based on over 5,000 reviews, which is below average for a national service.

As of today, the platform’s Google profile fails to disclose a phone number customers can call. Additional Homeaglow reviews can be found on Trustpilot or the homeaglow.com website.

By contrast, Sophia’s Cleaning Service has over 260 reviews and a 4.9-star out of 5-star rating on Google.

We’ve earned hundreds of positive reviews and are well established as one of the highest-rated cleaning companies in our service area.

We’re proud of our public, non-biased review profiles and display them prominently across our website. This includes being a BBB accredited cleaning service with an A+ rating, as pictured above.

Working As a Cleaner for Homeaglow

According to many Homeaglow cleaner reviews (on Indeed, Glassdoor, and a Facebook group for its contractors), cleaners often report taking home around $15–$17 per hour after platform fees and unpaid tasks.

They also mention issues like unpaid time for last-minute client cancellations or having to do free re-cleans to keep clients happy. 

Several Homeaglow Reddit posts describe mixed experiences working there, including this one.

Homeaglow cleaners rate it 2.7 out of 5 stars on Indeed, and employees who have worked at the company rate it 2.5 out of 5 stars on Glassdoor.

In contrast, cleaners rate Sophia’s Cleaning Service a 4.5 out of 5 stars on Glassdoor. While no business is perfect, one review mentions that they are proud to work for an “Amazing Company with Strong Values and a Supportive Team”.

Traditional companies Like Sophia’s Cleaning are a better alternative

Sophia’s Cleaning Service is local and family-owned. It promises transparent pricing, reliable crews, and consistent quality. You won’t have to deal with call centers or unexpected fees buried in the fine print. Ready to give Sophia’s Cleaning Service a try?

Call our publicly available phone number (708) 485-8100 today! You’ll talk to a locally-based cleaning expert who’ll give you a transparent cost to clean your home professionally. Zero risk of being ripped off, like if you found a bad cleaner off Craigslist.

Local Cleaning Services Vs Homeaglow FAQs

Here are some of the most frequently asked questions we’ve received from potential customers who compare us to Homeaglow’s cleaning provider service platform.

Can you match Homeaglow’s $19 initial cleaning deal?

No, it is impossible for us as a professional cleaning service to legitimately charge only $19 for 3 hours of home cleaning without a catch or additional subscription fee.

This offer, often cited by online reviews as too good to be true, would pay cleaners $6.30 per hour, well below the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour.

We charge $50 per hour for first-time deep cleaning appointments, comparable to local rates charged by cleaners on platforms like Homeaglow in the areas we serve.

Is Homeaglow a real company or a scam?

Homeaglow is a real company, but many customers report misleading pricing, hard-to-reach customer service, and unreliable cleaners. It’s more of a gig platform that connects you with independent contractors, like Uber, but for house cleaning.

Similar or related companies with introductory offers like $19 cleaning deals include Dazzling Cleaning, Fly Maids, and Bubbly Cleaning. It is not immediately clear to consumers whether these companies are separate entities from Homeaglow.

How do gig platforms compare to traditional cleaning services?

Digital platforms like Homeaglow are an intermediary where you can book locally-based independent cleaners to legitimately clean your home.

Most of these tech platforms conduct background checks and verify employment status as part of their professional cleaner vetting process.

As stated in Homeaglow’s terms of service, it is not a cleaning service provider. It outlines that third parties provide the cleaning services and have no responsibility or liability for any cleaning services provided to you by such third parties.

Comparing it to real cleaning services near you

In contrast, traditional cleaning services like Sophia’s Cleaning Service often provide more comprehensive screening and vetting procedures, such as interviewing each cleaner in person.

Moreover, traditional maid services like Sophia’s offer comprehensive insurance and bonding for their cleaning services.

And unlike gig platforms, they take full responsibility for the work performed at your home.

Do house cleaning companies typically include cleaning supplies?

Yes, most reputable house cleaning companies include cleaning supplies in their price quotes. This includes home services companies that charge a full price flat fee or by the hour.

Learn more about the average cost to clean a home in our homeowner help guide!