The standard cleaning, room by room
The list below is what most cleaning companies mean by a standard, regular or basic cleaning. The names vary; the work does not vary much. Our own visit list is on the weekly and biweekly cleaning page.
Kitchen
- Counters and backsplash wiped and dried
- Sink scrubbed, drain area and faucet cleaned
- Stovetop cleaned, knobs and control panel wiped
- Outside of the fridge, oven, dishwasher and microwave wiped
- Inside of the microwave wiped
- Table and chairs wiped
- Cabinet fronts spot-cleaned where hands touch them
- Trash and recycling emptied, liners replaced
- Floor vacuumed or swept, then mopped
Bathrooms
- Toilet cleaned inside and out, including the seat hinges and the base
- Tub and shower scrubbed, glass doors cleaned
- Sink, vanity top and faucet cleaned and dried
- Mirror cleaned without streaks
- Towel bars, paper holder and light switch wiped
- Trash emptied
- Floor cleaned, including behind the toilet
Bedrooms and living areas
- Surfaces you can reach dusted: tables, dressers, shelves, lamps, picture frames, window sills
- Mirrors and glass tabletops cleaned
- Beds made, and sheets changed when fresh ones are left out
- Cushions straightened, throws folded
- Carpets and rugs vacuumed, including the edges
- Hard floors vacuumed or swept, then mopped
Everywhere
- Light switches, door handles and railings wiped
- Hallways and stairs vacuumed
- Trash gathered from every room
- Cobwebs removed where they can be reached from the floor
What a deep cleaning adds
A deep cleaning starts with everything above and then goes after what builds up over months. It takes longer because each of these is slow, careful work.
- Baseboards, doors and door frames wiped by hand
- Light switch plates and outlet covers
- Vent covers, return grilles and ceiling fan blades
- Light fixtures within reach
- Blinds dusted, window sills and tracks wiped
- Cabinet fronts washed from top to bottom, not just spot-cleaned
- Backsplash grout scrubbed, range hood and filter degreased
- Soap scum and hard-water film taken off tile, glass and fixtures
- Grout in the tub and shower scrubbed
- Floor edges and corners washed by hand
- Furniture that can be moved pulled out, and the floor under it cleaned
Our full list is on the deep cleaning page; the two visits are compared in deep cleaning vs regular cleaning. Inside the oven, fridge and cabinets, and laundry, are usually sold as add-ons, because each takes a block of time on its own.
What is not included
Every company draws the line a little differently, so ask before you book. These are outside a house cleaning at most companies, and some are outside what we offer at all.
Hazards
Blood, bodily fluids, animal waste beyond a litter box or a pet accident, needles, mold on or inside walls, sewage, and anything left by a pest problem. These need trained crews with different equipment. Mold remediation and water or fire cleanup are not services we offer.
The outside of the house
Gutters, siding, decks, roofs, and the outside of windows above the first floor. We do not offer pressure washing or chimney and duct cleaning. Window cleaning is its own visit with its own list.
Heavy lifting and high work
Most cleaning companies will not move heavy furniture, appliances or pianos, and will not clean from tall ladders. A sofa on glides gets pulled out in a deep cleaning; a full bookcase does not. To have the floor under a heavy piece cleaned, move it before the visit.
Other jobs that look like cleaning
- Clearing clutter, sorting papers or organizing closets: organizing, not cleaning
- Hauling junk, old furniture or construction debris, which we do not offer
- Hoarding-level cleanouts and estates, which need a specialist
- Dishes piled in the sink, and laundry unless it is booked as an add-on
- Walls washed end to end, wallpaper and painted ceilings
- Repairs, even a loose hinge
What house cleaners do during a visit
A cleaner works one room at a time, top to bottom, and dry before wet: dust first so it can be vacuumed up, then wipe surfaces, then scrub fixtures, then the floor last on the way out. Kitchens and bathrooms take the most time in any home, because they have the most fixtures and the most build-up. Bedrooms go quickly unless the floor is covered.
Teams split a home by room or by task: one person takes the bathrooms while another takes the kitchen, and both meet for the floors. What gets done in two or three hours depends on the home: a small, tidy apartment can be finished in that time; a large house that has gone months cannot. That is why we quote the visit rather than the hour, as the pricing page explains.
A checklist you can print
Print this page from your browser and mark the rooms and items that matter most, or the ones you want skipped. Then put the same notes in the quote form. The table condenses the lists above into one place.
| Room | Standard cleaning | Deep cleaning adds |
|---|---|---|
| Kitchen | Counters, backsplash, sink, stovetop, outside of appliances, inside of the microwave, cabinet fronts spot-cleaned, trash, floor | Cabinet fronts washed, backsplash grout, range hood and filter, burner grates, toe kicks, baseboards |
| Bathrooms | Toilet, tub, shower, glass, sink, vanity, mirror, fixtures, trash, floor | Soap scum and hard-water film, grout, exhaust fan cover, vanity fronts, floor edges by hand |
| Bedrooms | Dusting, mirrors, beds made, floors | Baseboards, door frames, fans, blinds, sills, switch plates, under movable furniture |
| Living areas | Dusting, glass, cushions, floors | Baseboards, vents, fixtures, blinds, high cobwebs, upholstery vacuumed |
| Halls and stairs | Switches, handles, railings, floors, trash | Baseboards, door frames, spindles |
| Add-ons, any visit | Inside the oven, inside the fridge, inside cabinets and drawers, laundry, windows | The same list, booked as extras on either kind of visit |
Telling us what matters
The lists above are the default; your visit should fit your home. Put three things in the quote form: the rooms that bother you most, anything delicate (marble, unsealed wood, a stovetop that scratches), and anything you would rather we leave alone. If you want a particular product used or avoided, say so, and ask us what we bring. The preparation guide covers the rest; the guides index lists the others.
Common questions about what a cleaning includes
What does a basic house cleaning include?
The kitchen, bathrooms, bedrooms, living areas and floors, as listed above: surfaces wiped, sinks and fixtures scrubbed, toilets and showers cleaned, mirrors done, dusting, vacuuming and mopping, and trash out. It does not reach baseboards, vents, the inside of appliances or heavy build-up; those belong to a deep cleaning or an add-on. Ask any company for its own list before you book. Ours is on the weekly and biweekly cleaning page.
What do house cleaners not do?
At most companies: hazards such as bodily fluids, mold and pest waste; the outside of the house; moving heavy furniture and appliances; work from tall ladders; organizing and junk removal; repairs. Dishes and laundry are add-ons where offered at all. We also do not offer pressure washing, chimney or duct cleaning, remediation or hauling. If you are unsure, ask in the quote form and we will answer plainly.
Do house cleaners do dishes and laundry?
Not as part of a standard cleaning. Laundry is on our add-ons list, so you can put it on any visit. A sink full of dishes takes real time, so tell us in the quote form if you want it handled and we will say whether it fits the visit. Either way, clearing the sink before the visit gives the cleaner the counters and the sink itself to work on.
What will a cleaner get done in two or three hours?
It depends on the size and state of the home. In a small apartment that is cleaned regularly, a standard cleaning can be finished in that time. In a large house that has gone months, it covers the kitchen and bathrooms and not much else. That is why we do not sell blocks of hours: tell us the bedrooms, bathrooms and how long since the last cleaning, and the quote covers the whole visit.
Do I need to provide the cleaning supplies?
Companies differ. Some bring everything, some bring products and use your vacuum, and some use whatever you leave out. Ask us when you book, and tell us if you want particular products used or avoided, for example on marble or on a stovetop that scratches. If you would rather your own supplies were used, leave them together in one place with a note.
