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PHILADELPHIA — In the Point Breeze neighborhood, 35-year-old Angela Sultan has relied on professional home cleaning services on and off for most of her adult life.

“It’s a game changer,” Sultan said. “For me, it’s a luxury. If I need to save money, I might skip it or spread it out.”

But home cleaning was not always optional. During her pregnancy and when her children were newborns, Sultan described hiring professional home cleaners as “a necessity for my mental health.”

Story Highlights:

Surge in demand for Philadelphia home cleaning services since the pandemic.
Millennial clients, dual-income households, and parents with young children are driving growth.
Regular visits cost $150-$300; deep cleans can exceed $500.
Pandemic and hybrid work schedules have increased awareness and need for residential cleaning.
Professional home cleaners are now considered a necessity rather than a luxury in urban households.

Most recently, she has employed the services of Fabiana Pons, owner of Fabi’s Cleaning Services.

“People are working so hard,” Pons said. “They have no time or energy. And some people just don’t like cleaning.”

Pons and her crew typically clean more than a dozen homes a day. The demand is so high that they frequently have to turn down requests. Even the summer months, traditionally slower for residential cleaning, have been unusually busy this year.

Millennial Clients Fueling a Home Cleaning Boom

Several Philadelphia-area home cleaners say millennial clients are driving the surge in demand for residential cleaning services.

“Back when I started Scrub! Cleaning in 2008, young people hardly ever considered using our services,” said Warren Weiss, founder of Scrub! Cleaning. “People would tell me, ‘I have a wealthy aunt who might need help.’ It wasn’t something young adults thought about themselves.”

Now, Weiss says, professional home cleaning has become a standard part of city living.

“Almost everyone has a house cleaner, especially in the city,” he said.

The trend reflects broader changes in household priorities. Families, dual-income couples, and young professionals with busy schedules increasingly see professional home cleaners as a necessity rather than a luxury.

Pandemic and Hygiene Awareness Increase Cleaning Demand

The COVID-19 pandemic played a significant role in increasing awareness around hygiene and cleanliness, according to local cleaners. Hybrid work schedules also mean people spend more time at home than they did a decade ago, noticing dust and clutter that might have gone overlooked before.

Giana Dennin, owner of Dog Mom Cleaning Co., which offers pet-friendly home cleaning services, said, “A lot of my clients are parents with newborns, pregnant women, and people working from home, ages 25-35. Since the pandemic, everyone values cleaning and cleanliness more. They are home all the time, making coffee and noticing dusty fixtures.”

Sultan, who runs her own professional organizing business, Angie Organizes, added that many of her clients feel embarrassed about hiring home cleaning services.

“Some don’t even tell their spouses,” she said. “It comes from unrealistic expectations about how much modern parents, especially mothers, can juggle.”

How Much Does Professional Home Cleaning Cost?

Regular residential cleaning typically occurs once or twice a month, costing between $150 and $300 per visit, depending on home size and services. Deep cleans, sometimes required before establishing recurring appointments, can cost $500 or more.

Still, many clients view the expense as worthwhile, especially when considering how much time it would take to achieve the same level of cleanliness themselves.

Jessica McQuilkin, owner of Cleaning with a Meaning Philly, said first-time clients are often surprised at the results.

“They walk back into their spotless homes and say, ‘I can’t believe I waited so long to do this,’” McQuilkin said.

For Sultan, professional home cleaning provides peace of mind that far outweighs the cost.

“Sometimes,” she said, “you have to throw money at a problem.”

Though she is pausing her cleaning services this fall to tighten her budget, she plans to resume before the holidays.

Residential Cleaning Industry Expected to Grow

The professional home cleaning industry is expected to continue its growth, with the residential sector seeing the most significant increase over the next five years, according to Grand View Research. Older customers and young professionals with busy lifestyles are fueling this growth.

Sultan pointed out, “Families are really overwhelmed. We weren’t all taught how to keep a house properly. Hiring professional home cleaners has become a practical solution for many.”

The combination of career pressures, hybrid work schedules, and pandemic-driven hygiene awareness has positioned Philadelphia home cleaning services as an essential part of modern urban life, especially for households balancing work, parenting, and personal wellness.

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Hollywood actor Aubrey Plaza has spoken candidly about the death of her husband, filmmaker Jeff Baena, who died by suicide in January. In an emotional conversation with longtime friend and co-star Amy Poehler, Plaza described the past months as a period marked by both pain and resilience.

Story Highlights

Aubrey Plaza husband Jeff Baena death confirmed in January
Baena, 47, died by suicide at his Los Angeles home
Plaza says grief feels “like an ocean of awfulness”
Couple married in 2021 after meeting in 2011
Baena directed Life After Beth, The Little Hours; co-wrote I Heart Huckabees

“I Feel Grateful, But It’s a Daily Struggle”

During her appearance on Amy Poehler’s podcast Good Hang, Plaza was asked how she was coping during what Poehler called “a terrible, terrible, tragic year.”

Plaza responded:
“Right in this very, very present moment, I feel happy to be with you. Overall, I’m here and I’m functioning. I feel really grateful to be moving through the world. I think I’m OK, but it’s like a daily struggle, obviously.”

Remembering Jeff Baena

Jeff Baena, 47, was found dead at his Los Angeles home earlier this year. His death was later confirmed as suicide. At the time, Aubrey Plaza and Baena’s family issued a joint statement, describing the loss as “an unimaginable tragedy.”

Baena was widely recognized for his offbeat comedies. He directed Life After Beth and The Little Hours, both starring Plaza, and co-wrote the acclaimed I Heart Huckabees with David O. Russell. His final film, Spin Me Round, featured Plaza alongside Alison Brie.

In a Guardian obituary, critic Ryan Gilbey praised Baena’s work as “enjoyably twisted,” highlighting his unique voice in independent cinema.

“Grief Feels Like a Gorge Filled with Monsters”

Plaza shared a metaphor inspired by the Apple sci-fi horror film The Gorge, starring Miles Teller, to explain how grief has felt since Baena’s passing.

“It’s like an alien movie with Miles Teller,” Plaza said. “In the movie, there’s a cliff on one side and a cliff on the other side and there’s a gorge in between and it’s filled with all these monster people that are trying to get them. I swear when I watched it, I was like, ‘That’s what this feels like, what my grief is like.’”

She continued:
“At all times there’s a giant ocean of awfulness that’s right there. Sometimes I just want to dive into it, sometimes I just look at it, and sometimes I’m just trying to get away from it. But it’s always there. And the monster people are trying to get me like Miles Teller.”

A Relationship Spanning a Decade

Aubrey Plaza and Jeff Baena first met in 2011, developing both a personal and professional partnership. They worked together on several projects before marrying in 2021.

Plaza’s openness about her grief highlights the challenges faced by those coping with sudden loss. Her remarks also show how art and film can sometimes provide unexpected ways to describe emotions that are otherwise difficult to express.

Plaza’s Career Continues Amid Personal Loss

Despite the tragedy, Plaza remains active in her career. Known for her roles in Parks and Recreation, Ingrid Goes West, and Emily the Criminal, she will next appear in Ethan Coen’s upcoming comedy Honey Don’t.

For Plaza, continuing to work is part of moving forward, even as the memory of Baena remains constant.

The death of Jeff Baena has left a lasting impact on Aubrey Plaza, who continues to navigate life after tragedy with honesty and resilience. Her reflections on grief reveal both the depth of her loss and her determination to keep moving forward. While Plaza acknowledges that the pain is “always there,” she remains focused on her work and the creative legacy she shared with her husband. As she steps into new projects, Plaza carries Baena’s memory with her, reminding audiences that behind her success is a story of love, partnership, and profound loss.