The deep cleaning checklist, room by room
Kitchen
- Cabinet fronts, handles and the toe kicks beneath them washed
- Backsplash scrubbed along the grout lines
- Range hood and its filter degreased; burner grates, drip pans and knobs cleaned
- Outside of every appliance, and the inside of the microwave down to the door seal
- Small appliances lifted and the counter cleaned beneath them
- Baseboards, chair legs and the floor edges done by hand
Bathrooms
- Soap scum and hard-water film taken off shower glass, tile and fixtures
- Tub and shower grout scrubbed; drain covers and the soap ledge cleaned
- Toilet inside and out, the base, the seat hinges and the floor behind it
- Vanity fronts, handles, the medicine cabinet mirror and the light bar
- Exhaust fan cover dusted; towel bars and hooks wiped
- Baseboards and floor edges washed by hand
Bedrooms
- Ceiling fan blades and light fixtures within reach dusted
- Doors, door frames and closet doors wiped, tops included
- Blinds dusted slat by slat; window sills and tracks wiped
- Under the bed vacuumed where it can be reached
- Light switches, outlet covers, baseboards and vent covers
Living and dining rooms
- Couch and chair cushions lifted, crumbs and hair vacuumed beneath them
- Floors vacuumed under furniture that can be moved
- Shelves, picture frames, lamps and decor dusted piece by piece
- Cobwebs cleared from corners and ceiling lines
- Table legs, chair rungs and the underside of the table edge wiped
Halls, stairs and entry
- Stair spindles, railings and the edges of each tread
- Return grilles, thermostats and hallway light fixtures
- Front door inside, the threshold and the coat closet floor
Inside the oven, inside the fridge and inside the kitchen cabinets can be attached to a deep cleaning as add-ons. Grout that stays dark after a scrub, or stone that has gone dull, is a job for tile and grout cleaning, and glass beyond mirrors and doors is window cleaning.
Deep cleaning vs regular cleaning
| Area | Regular visit | Deep cleaning |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Holds a clean home at the same level | Brings a home back to a clean starting point |
| Kitchen | Counters, sink, stovetop, appliance fronts, floor | Adds cabinet fronts, backsplash grout, hood and filter, toe kicks, under the small appliances |
| Bathrooms | Toilet, tub, shower, sink, mirror, floor | Adds soap scum and hard-water film, grout, fan cover, seat hinges, edges by hand |
| Dusting | Surfaces you can see and reach | Adds baseboards, door frames, fans, fixtures, blinds, vents, decor piece by piece |
| Furniture | Cleaned around | Cushions lifted, movable pieces shifted, the floor beneath vacuumed |
| Time | The shortest visit | The longest visit to the same home |
| When | On a weekly, biweekly or monthly schedule | First as a reset, then whenever build-up comes back; spring for many homes |
A home with regular visits rarely needs a full deep cleaning again. A home that has gone months without one needs it first, because a regular visit does not have the time to reach the build-up. The guide to deep cleaning vs regular cleaning sets the two side by side and helps you decide which to book.
How a deep cleaning visit goes
- You tell us the bedrooms, the bathrooms, when the home was last professionally cleaned and the rooms that bother you most. The quote sets aside time for exactly that.
- On arrival we walk through with you, or follow your notes, and flag any surface that needs care: marble, unsealed wood, antique finishes, painted cabinets.
- Each room is worked from the ceiling down: cobwebs and fans first, then fixtures and frames, then furniture and surfaces, then the floor.
- The kitchen and the bathrooms get the most time, because grease, soap scum and grout are the slow parts.
- Furniture that can be moved is shifted and the floor beneath it cleaned; cushions come off and the frame underneath gets vacuumed.
- Floors are the last pass in every room, and we leave the way we came in, with lights and locks as we found them.
Who books a deep cleaning
- A family before a baby arrives, wanting the nursery, the bathrooms and the dust on every high surface dealt with while there is still time.
- A homeowner whose regular cleaner stopped coming months ago, starting over with a reset before a new schedule begins.
- A seller in Scarsdale or Westport a week before listing photos, when every fixture and baseboard ends up in the pictures.
- A host before Thanksgiving with a guest bathroom nobody has used since spring.
- Anyone doing spring cleaning who would rather spend the first warm weekend outside than on the baseboards.
- A son or daughter arranging a first cleaning for an older relative's home, before switching to lighter regular visits through cleaning for seniors.
When to book: spring, late summer and before the holidays
Spring is the traditional time, and the searches agree. In Google Trends data for the New York metro area, "spring cleaning" searches hit their yearly high in March in each of the five years 2021 to 2025, with April and May filling out the top three every year. Searches for "deep cleaning" keep a different calendar: August was among the three busiest months in four of those five years, with July and June close behind, and February sat in the bottom three in four of the five. In the Hartford and New Haven metro area, April was the strongest month for "deep cleaning" on average, then September and June. So there are three natural windows: early spring before the windows open, late summer after a season of guests and sand, and early fall ahead of the holidays. For a March or April date, ask for your quote in February.
Two situations look like a deep cleaning but have their own pages: an empty home before a move is a move-in or move-out cleaning, and a home full of drywall dust is an after-construction cleanup.
Before we arrive
A deep cleaning reaches more when the surfaces are clear. Worth doing:
- Clear counters, tabletops and floors of loose items
- Move valuables and papers off the surfaces you want cleaned
- Point out delicate finishes and anything not to be touched
- Take the bottles out of the shower, and tell us about pets
Not worth doing: cleaning ahead of us, or scrubbing the shower yourself the night before. The preparation guide covers keys, parking and what to tell us before a first visit.
What changes the time and the quote
- Bedrooms, bathrooms and how many floors
- Months since the last professional cleaning
- Grease, soap scum and hard-water build-up
- Pets and pet hair on furniture and floors
- Loose items on counters, shelves and floors
- Add-ons such as inside the oven or fridge
None of that fits on a rate card, so each home is quoted from its own details; how we quote lists what to send. Deep cleanings run in all five of our service counties in New York and Connecticut.
Common questions about deep cleaning
What is included in a deep house cleaning?
Everything a regular visit covers, plus the detail work: baseboards, doors and door frames, vent covers, ceiling fans and light fixtures within reach, blinds, cabinet fronts, the range hood and its filter, cushions lifted, and the soap scum, hard-water film and grout in the bathrooms. The room-by-room checklist above is the full list. Inside the oven, fridge and cabinets can be added. If one thing bothers you most, a stained shower or a greasy hood, put it in the quote form so the time is planned for it.
How long does a deep cleaning take?
Longer than a regular visit would take in the same house; the exact time depends on size, the number of bathrooms and how much has built up, so there is no single figure. Kitchens and bathrooms take the largest share, because grease, soap scum and grout lines are slow, careful work. Send the bedrooms, bathrooms and when it was last cleaned professionally, and the quote will reflect the time your home needs.
How much should I expect to pay for a deep clean?
We quote each home instead of posting one price, because the time a deep cleaning takes varies so much from house to house. The factors are size, bathrooms, months since the last professional cleaning, pets, clutter and any add-ons. It costs more than the same home's regular visit because it takes longer and reaches more. Quotes are free; how we quote explains what to include, and the sales tax that applies in your county.
Is a deep cleaning really necessary?
It is when you can see the build-up: a filmed-over shower door, a tacky range hood, dusty baseboards, fans and vents, or dark grout lines. It is also the sensible first step before a regular schedule, because every visit after it is shorter. It is usually not needed in a home that already gets a cleaning every week or two. If you are unsure, describe the home in the quote form and we will say which one fits.
What is the best month to deep clean a house?
Spring and late summer, going by the searches, and early fall if you want a quieter date. In Google Trends, the New York metro area's spring cleaning searches peak in March and its deep cleaning searches run highest in late summer; in the Hartford and New Haven area, April led on average. Early fall is the quieter choice: windows have been open all summer and holiday guests are weeks away. The section above has the year-by-year detail.
Can I book a deep cleaning for just the kitchen, the bathrooms or an apartment?
Yes. Many people want the two hardest rooms done properly and can keep up with the rest themselves. Name the rooms in the quote form and describe their condition, and the quote covers only those rooms at deep-cleaning depth. Apartments get the same checklist with fewer rooms; see apartment and condo cleaning for doormen and elevator rules.
