Ever wonder what’s included in a standard house cleaning? It typically covers dusting, vacuuming, mopping, wiping kitchen surfaces, sanitizing bathrooms, and emptying trash, while a deep clean goes further by tackling built-up grime and hard-to-reach areas.
This checklist helps maintain your home’s cleanliness week after week. In this guide, we’ll walk through the exact tasks cleaners handle in each room, highlight the difference between a standard clean and a deep clean, and outline common add-ons so you know exactly what’s covered and what’s not.
What’s the Difference Between a Standard and Deep House Cleaning?
A standard house cleaning covers routine upkeep like dusting, vacuuming, mopping, and sanitizing bathrooms and kitchens. A deep cleaning goes further, tackling hidden grime, soap scum, grease, and buildup in areas not included in a regular service go.
| Feature | Standard House Cleaning | Deep House Cleaning |
| Purpose | Routine upkeep and maintenance | Intensive, detailed cleaning |
| Frequency | Weekly or bi-weekly | Occasional or seasonal |
| Tasks Included | Dusting, vacuuming, mopping, sanitizing surfaces | Scrubbing grime, soap scum, grease, baseboards, grout, behind appliances |
| Best For | Busy families, regular home upkeep | First-time cleans, spring cleaning, move-in/move-out |
| Time Required | 2–4 hours on average | Several hours or more |
What’s Included in a Standard House Cleaning Checklist?
A professional cleaning service follows a structured process to ensure every room receives the attention it needs. Here is exactly what to expect from a cleaner during a standard service, broken down by area.
Let’s break down what a standard clean includes in each part of your home.
What Cleaners Cover
These are the foundational tasks performed throughout your home to ensure a consistent level of cleanliness in every room.
- Dusting All Accessible Surfaces: Cleaners will wipe down all reachable surfaces to remove dust, cobwebs, and allergens. This includes furniture like tables and stands, shelves, picture frames, mantels, and window sills, which immediately brighten a room and improve air quality.
- Wiping Down Light Switches and Door Knobs: These high-touch areas are magnets for germs. Wiping them down with a disinfectant helps reduce the spread of bacteria and viruses, keeping your family healthier.
- Vacuuming All Carpets, Rugs, and Stairs: A thorough vacuuming removes dirt, crumbs, and pet hair from all carpeted surfaces. This not only improves the appearance of your floors but also extends the life of your carpets.
- Vacuuming and Mopping All Hard Floors: After vacuuming to remove loose debris, all hard floors (like wood, tile, or laminate) are mopped to remove grime and leave them sparkling. This complete process ensures no dirt is left behind.
- Emptying Trash Bins: All trash from the kitchen, bathrooms, and other rooms is collected and disposed of. Liners are replaced, which is a simple but essential part of complete trash removal.
What’s Included in Standard Cleaning
The kitchen is a high-traffic area that requires special attention. A standard clean focuses on sanitizing surfaces and cleaning the exterior of appliances to maintain a hygienic space for cooking and eating.
- Wiping Down Countertops and Kitchen Surfaces: All countertops are cleared and wiped to remove crumbs, spills, and bacteria. This sanitation is crucial for food safety and makes the entire kitchen feel cleaner.
- Wiping the Exterior of Appliances: The outside of the stove top, oven, refrigerator, and dishwasher is wiped down to remove fingerprints, splatters, and smudges, giving the kitchen a polished look.
- Cleaning the Sink and Faucet: The sink is scrubbed to remove food residue and stains, and the faucet is polished to a shine. A clean sink is central to a clean kitchen.
- Cleaning the Outside of the Microwave: The microwave exterior is wiped clean of smudges and spills.
What’s Covered During Standard Cleaning
Complete bathroom sanitization is a core component of standard cleaning. The focus is on disinfecting high-germ areas to create a fresh and hygienic environment.
- Scrubbing and Disinfecting the Toilet: The entire toilet, including the interior bowl, exterior, base, and behind the seat, is thoroughly cleaned and disinfected.
- Cleaning the Shower, Tub, and Glass Doors: The shower walls, tub, and fixtures are scrubbed to remove soap scum and water spots. Glass doors are cleaned to be streak-free.
- Wiping Down the Vanity, Sink, and Mirrors: The vanity countertop and sink are cleaned and disinfected. Mirrors are cleaned and polished for a spotless, clear reflection.
- Polishing Chrome Fixtures: Faucets, showerheads, and handles are polished to remove water spots and restore their shine.
Bedrooms & Living Areas
In the spaces where you relax and unwind, the focus is on dusting, tidying, and creating a peaceful, orderly environment.
- Dusting All Furniture: All bedroom and living area furniture is dusted, including dressers, nightstands, coffee tables, end tables, and bookshelves. This keeps dust from circulating in the air.
- Making Beds: If fresh linens are left out, the cleaner will make the beds. A neatly made bed instantly makes a bedroom look more put-together and inviting.
- General Tidying: Light tidying is performed to restore order. This includes straightening pillows on couches and chairs and neatly folding any throw blankets.
What’s Not Included in a Standard House Cleaning?
To keep standard cleanings efficient and affordable, certain time-consuming or intensive tasks are not included. These are available as add-on services, allowing you to customize your cleaning to your home’s specific needs.
Understanding these distinctions helps manage expectations.
Common add-on services include:
- Doing laundry or washing dishes
- Cleaning inside appliances like the oven or refrigerator
- Washing interior windows
- Cleaning inside cabinets and drawers
- Detailed organization or decluttering
- Washing walls and baseboards
Get the Most from Your Standard House Cleaning
Understanding what’s included in standard cleaning services is the key to maintaining a beautiful and hygienic home week after week. When you know exactly what to expect, you can ensure you get the most value from the service. At Katie’s Cleaning Service, our goal is to deliver a consistent, high-quality clean that gives you a great experience every time.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is included in a basic house cleaning?
A basic, or standard, house cleaning includes all the essential tasks needed to maintain a tidy home. This covers dusting surfaces, vacuuming and mopping floors, cleaning kitchen surfaces, and full bathroom sanitization, as detailed in our cleaning checklist above.
How long does a standard cleaning take?
While the time depends on your home’s size and current condition, a standard cleaning for a typical 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom house usually takes a professional team between 2 and 4 hours.
Do house cleaners clean inside the oven?
Cleaning inside the oven is not part of a standard clean because of the time and specific products it requires. However, it is a popular ‘add-on’ service that you can easily request when booking.
Will cleaners do my laundry or dishes?
To ensure our teams can focus on providing a thorough cleaning of your home’s surfaces, laundry and washing dishes are not included in our standard service.
What is generally not included in a standard clean?
A standard clean focuses on essential maintenance tasks. It generally does not include deep-cleaning tasks like washing walls, cleaning inside cabinets, or washing interior windows, which are available as add-on services.
