Regular vs Deep vs Move-Out Cleaning: What's Different

Regular keeps a clean home clean. Deep thoroughly cleans a lived-in home. Move-in/out fully prepares an empty home for the next person. That's the whole difference in three sentences — here it is line by line, with the prices.

Regular cleaning

Upkeep. Everything you see and touch gets cleaned from the outside; the insides of appliances and cabinets are not part of it (except the microwave, which is small enough to just do).

• Dust on reachable surfaces
• Vacuum carpets and floors, mop hard floors
• Kitchen counters, sink and faucet, stovetop outside, microwave inside and out
• Appliances outside, cabinet fronts
• Shower and tub, toilet, bathroom sinks, mirrors
• Windowsills, beds made, trash taken out

Deep cleaning

Everything in a regular clean, plus the details that build up between cleans and that nobody does on a Tuesday evening:

• Baseboards, doors and door frames
• Blinds, ceiling fans, light fixtures within reach, light switches
• Vent covers outside, corners and hard-to-reach spots
• A deeper kitchen clean and a deeper shower and tub clean
• Heavy dust and grime build-up

Good first clean for a home that hasn't had one in a while; after it, a regular clean is enough to keep it there.

Move-in/out cleaning

Everything in a deep clean, plus the insides — the things that only make sense to open when the home is empty:

• Inside kitchen cabinets and drawers, inside bathroom cabinets
• Inside the oven, inside the refrigerator
• Empty closets and shelves
• Spots normally hidden by furniture

Move-out cleaning and the deposit checklist

Add-ons

On a regular or deep clean you can add the inside of the oven, the fridge or the cabinets as separate items, plus interior windows, laundry, blinds or a basement. On a move-in/out the oven, fridge and cabinets are already in — the calculator greys them out so you don't pay twice.

What each one costs

Flat price by bedrooms and bathrooms. A two-bedroom, two-bath home, today, for the three types:

• Regular, 2 bed / 2 bath$200
• Deep, 2 bed / 2 bath$340
• Move-in/out, 2 bed / 2 bath$395

Each bedroom count includes a normal amount of square footage for that size of home; a much larger home adds a small amount per extra block of space, and the calculator only asks about size when it matters. Every two weeks on a regular plan is cheaper per visit than a one-off — the calculator shows the biweekly price under the total; say you want repeats when you book and we set the visits up.

Which one to pick

• Home is basically clean and you want it kept that way: Regular, every two weeks.
• Home hasn't been properly cleaned in months, or you're about to host: Deep, then Regular after.
• Home is empty, or about to be: Move-in/out.
• Not sure: pick Deep. If we get there and it's clearly a Regular, we'll say so.