Housecleaners are cleaning up — they get the biggest holiday tips.
Consumer Reports asked 1,844 people whether they gave money or gifts, or nothing, to 10 types of service providers for the holidays last year.
The list also included teachers, hairdressers, manicurists, barbers, newspaper carriers, pet-care providers, lawn-care crews, mail carriers and garbage collectors.
Housecleaners received tips the most often — and got the biggest gratuities, the survey found. Sixty-four percent of respondents who employed housecleaners gave them money or a gift, with a median value of $50.
They were followed by teachers, with 35 percent of respondents offering gifts and 16 percent giving cash, checks or gift cards with a total median value of $20.
“People need to be aware of the gift-giving policies in their school district, because they may discourage monetary or individual tipping,’’ said senior editor Tobie Stanger.
Hairdressers and manicurists did well, with nearly half of respondents tipping them $20.
The least tipped were garbage collectors, who got money or gifts from just 10 percent of respondents.
A rule of thumb is to give someone who provides a personal service a tip equal to one-week service or one session’s value, Stanger said.