Standard cleaning and deep cleaning is one of the most common questions new clients ask, and it makes sense, since the names alone do not fully explain the difference. Here is a clear, room-by-room breakdown of what each service actually includes, so you can pick the right one for your home.
The short version
Standard cleaning covers the surfaces you interact with daily: countertops, floors, bathroom fixtures, and general tidying, done on a recurring schedule. Deep cleaning includes everything in a standard clean, plus a layer of detail work that builds up slowly over time: baseboards, door frames, light switches, outlet covers, cabinet exteriors, inside the microwave, window sills, and corners that get missed in everyday cleaning.
Standard cleaning checklist
Kitchen
Counters, appliance exteriors, stovetop, microwave (inside and out), cabinet fronts, sink and faucet, trash, sweep and mop floors.
Bathrooms
Toilets, showers and tubs, sinks and counters, mirrors, fixtures, trash, sweep and mop floors.
Bedrooms & living areas
Dust furniture and decor, make beds, wipe down surfaces, vacuum, sweep and mop floors.
What deep cleaning adds on top
- Detailed dusting: baseboards, door frames, light switches, and outlet covers
- Heavier buildup removal: soap scum and grime that accumulates over time in bathrooms and kitchens
- Detailed kitchen: exterior of all cabinets and inside the microwave
- Window sills, tracks, and hard-to-reach corners throughout the home
None of this is exotic or unusual work, it is simply the layer that a standard, time-boxed visit is not built to cover every single time. Deep cleaning is where that layer gets addressed.
Why the price is different
Deep cleaning takes meaningfully longer per room, since baseboards, cabinet exteriors, and window tracks all add real time on top of the standard checklist. That is reflected in the pricing: standard cleaning starts at $80 for a studio, while deep cleaning starts at $200 for a small home. The gap reflects the extra time and detail work, not a difference in how carefully either visit is done.
Which one should you book first?
If this is your first time booking with us, or it has been a long time since your last professional clean, start with a deep clean. It covers everything a standard clean does, so you are not leaving anything out, and it resets the home to a genuine clean baseline before you move into a recurring schedule. Booking a standard clean on a home that has not been professionally cleaned in months often means the visit runs long or cannot fully catch up in the allotted time, since standard visits assume a reasonably maintained starting point.
Using both together
The two services work best as a pair rather than a choice you make once. A deep clean resets the detail layer, and a recurring standard cleaning schedule (weekly, biweekly, or monthly) keeps the day-to-day surfaces in shape in between. Most of our long-term clients follow this pattern: an initial deep clean, then standard visits on a schedule, with an occasional deep clean once or twice a year to reset the detail work again.
Still not sure which to book?
If you are unsure which service fits your situation, reach out and describe your home and when it was last professionally cleaned. We are happy to recommend a starting point, and if a deep clean turns out to be the better fit, our current Grand Opening Special takes $30 off your first one.