What's included in a deep cleaning?

A standard cleaning keeps a home clean. A deep cleaning gets a home clean when it has fallen behind. The two sound similar, but they are different jobs, and knowing the difference keeps you from paying for the wrong one.

This guide walks through what a deep cleaning covers, room by room, what stays outside it, and when it is worth booking.

Standard versus deep: the difference in one sentence

A standard cleaning handles the surfaces you see and use every day. A deep cleaning adds the detail work: baseboards, edges, corners, built-up grime and the places that only get attention a few times a year.

A standard cleaning includes the kitchen (countertops, sink, the outside of appliances, floors and cabinet fronts), the bathrooms (toilets, sinks, mirrors, showers and tubs, floors) and the bedrooms (dusting, vacuuming, floors and trash). A deep cleaning does all of that more thoroughly and adds baseboards throughout.

What a deep cleaning covers, room by room

Kitchen

• Countertops, sink and backsplash scrubbed rather than just wiped
• Cabinet fronts cleaned, including the grease film near the stove
• The outside of every appliance, with the edges and handles detailed
• Range hood exterior and stovetop degreased
• Floors vacuumed and mopped, including corners and along the baseboards
• Baseboards hand-wiped

Bathrooms

• Showers and tubs scrubbed, with extra time on soap scum
• Hard water scale worked on faucets, fixtures and glass
• Toilets cleaned inside, outside and around the base
• Sinks, vanities and mirrors polished
• Floors scrubbed, with attention to the grout lines and behind the toilet
• Baseboards hand-wiped

Bedrooms and living areas

• Dusting of reachable surfaces, including ledges, frames and shelves
• Ceiling fan blades and light fixtures within reach
• Vacuuming, including along edges and under furniture that can be moved easily
• Floors cleaned throughout
• Baseboards hand-wiped in every room
• Trash emptied

What is still not included

Even a deep cleaning has a boundary. The following are not part of the base service, and each is available as an add-on so you can pay for only what you need:

• Inside the fridge, oven or cabinets
• Interior and exterior windows
• Laundry
• Wall washing
• The garage
• Hauling

Some things are outside what we do at all: biohazards, mold remediation, pest waste, lifting items over 25 pounds, and exterior or yard work. If you have a mold problem, it needs a remediation specialist, and we will tell you so honestly rather than wipe over it.

We also do not offer pest control, including scorpion treatment. We can clean the corners and edges where cobwebs and dust collect, but sealing a home against pests is a different trade.

Why a deep cleaning matters more in Tucson

A few local conditions make a deep cleaning more useful here than in many other places.

Hard water scale. Tucson water leaves behind calcium and mineral deposits. On faucets and shower glass, it looks like a white or cloudy film. A standard visit keeps new buildup in check, but old scale needs the extra time and scrubbing a deep cleaning provides.

Fine desert dust. Dust storms and the monsoon season push fine particles into the house. They collect on window tracks, blinds, baseboards and the top of door frames. They stack up on ceiling fans, and swamp cooler vents draw them in and spread them around.

Tile and grout. Many homes here have tile floors. Grout lines trap dust and soil, and mopping alone does not clear them.

When to book a deep cleaning

You do not need one every month. These are the moments when it pays off:

1. Before starting a recurring service. A deep cleaning resets the house so every later standard visit is lighter and quicker.
2. After a long gap. If it has been six months or more since a professional cleaning, a standard visit will not finish the job.
3. Before or after hosting. Holidays, a graduation party or relatives staying for a week.
4. After monsoon season. Months of dust and humidity leave a film that standard cleaning only dents.
5. When you move in. Even a clean-looking house deserves a fresh start. A move-in cleaning goes further, and also includes the inside of the oven, fridge and cabinets.
6. After a renovation. Light work only. Heavy construction dust needs a post-construction cleaning.

What a deep cleaning costs

A deep cleaning costs about 50 percent more than a standard one because it takes about that much more time. For a three-bedroom, two-bath house of 1,600 square feet, expect $270 to $345. A standard one-time cleaning of the same house runs $180 to $230. Our cost guide shows more examples.

Because baseboards come with the deep cleaning, you are not charged the separate baseboard add-on. Add-ons you do want, like the inside of the oven at $35, are added on top.

A deep cleaning is always priced as a one-time job. If you want to keep the house up afterward, ask about a recurring standard schedule, which gets a discount of up to 20 percent.

How to get the most from it

• Clear the surfaces. The crew cleans, they do not organize. Put away loose items so they can reach every counter and floor. Our preparation guide covers this in detail.
• Say what bothers you. If one shower has bothered you for a year, tell us. We would rather spend the time where it matters to you.
• Mention pets and allergies. It helps us plan the time and the products.
• Consider add-ons that fit. The oven or the interior windows are the two most commonly picked.

If you want a number for your own home, the instant quote takes under a minute. Pick deep cleaning, enter your details, and you see a range right away.