Deep house cleaning, what is it and when do you need one?
We do a lot of cleanings and have seen many different types of homes in different states of cleanliness. Home owners have various ideas of what “clean” means. To some, just picking up around the house and wiping surfaces every once in a while constitutes clean. Others are more disciplined and get in between cracks, under furniture, into the bathtub two times a week! Whether you are a regular cleaner that gets into the nooks and crannies or someone who does the bare minimum, there is another level of cleaning that livens up your home and will inevitably put a smile on your face. The deep cleaning!
So what is a deep house cleaning?
For us, a deep cleaning means that we go beyond the surface and into the areas not often seen or touched by soap and water. Deep house cleanings generally include the following items in a home:
KITCHEN
• Stovetop and stove door cleaning
• Cleaning inside of the oven and oven door
• Cleaning the countertops
• Cleaning the sink
• Cleaning the microwave outside and inside
• Cleaning the dishwasher exterior
• Cleaning the kitchen floor
• Clean inside / outside and top of the fridge
• Cleaning underneath the fridge and oven
• Wipe kitchen cabinets
• Empty and cleaning trash cans
BATHROOM
• Clean countertops
• Clean toilet
• Clean sink
• Clean mirrors
• Extra attention scrub cleaning of bathtub / shower
• Empty bathroom garbage
• Clean bathroom floor
BEDROOM
• Vacuum carpet and rugs
• Dusting
• Clean mirrors
• Wipe bedside tables, chest of drawers
• Dust windows, sills, and ledges
• Clean under side tables and beds
• Dust ceiling fans
LIVING ROOM & COMMON AREAS
• Sweep and mop floors
• Vacuum carpet and rugs
• Dusting
• Clean mirrors
• Wipe door handles & light switches
• Dust windows, sills, and ledges
• Strip and make bed
• Clean walls
• Dust ceiling fans
• Dusting crown molding
EXTRAS
• Hand wiping baseboards
• Inside windows
• Window blinds
• Pet hair cleaning
• Knocking out cobwebs in basement areas
How long does this take?
Deep house cleanings are deliberately meant to take longer than a Standard regular clean. A 1 bedroom 1 bathroom home Standard regular cleaning could take one person 2 hours to thoroughly clean. The same home would take 3-3.5 hours to deep clean properly. Why?
In order to remove months of dirt, grease, finger smudges, dust, animal dander, and grime, cleaners put in an aggressive effort around the home. In the kitchen, the iron grates should be removed from the stove top and left to soak (to be cleaned after the rest of the kitchen is done). The stove surface may have burnt on food that requires attention to remove. The oven interior should be scrubbed of any hardened food stains. The oven door and glass area always has grease splatter stains and should be scrubbed. We use an organic mix of vinegar and baking soda to cut through this type of tough grease (an blog post to follow!). Cabinets should be emptied and the interiors wiped. The refrigerator should be emptied, items wiped off (isn’t it crazy how many condiments we all accumulate and how dirty they get????). The refrigerator shelves will be cleaned with a microfiber cloth. All of the kitchen fixtures need to be wiped. Tea kettles, coffee makers, any appliances showing in the kitchen will be cleaned and made to look new and happy (can appliances look happy? Yes, when they are cleaned!!). And finally, the floors will be vacuumed and mopped.
That’s just the kitchen!!!
Time, effort, and attention to detail. Getting under the surfaces or on top of the appliaces. Giving shelves the love they haven’t seen in months. Using magic organic cleaning compounds to make grease disappear. Spit shining stainless steal surfaces because we all love stainless steal appliances when they are shiny!
How much do Deep House Cleanings Cost?
When you compare a Standard Cleaning to a Deep Cleaning the differences aren’t only in the types of effort and time it takes to do. Pricing is higher for Deep Cleanings, obviously. We believe a home should be Deep Cleaned at least twice a year, if not quarterly. The prices for these types of cleanings are 25% more expensive than Standard Cleanings. There may be additional costs for interior oven and refrigerator scrubbing, or windows as well.
Expensive perhaps, but your home will be your happy place again and you will have set a baseline for cleanliness that can be maintained on a weekly or bi-weekly basis!
When was the last time your home was intensively scrubbed and deep cleaned? Book now, we got this!!!
