Home › House cleaners › Deep clean checklist

Guide · House cleaners

Deep clean checklist, room by room

A deep clean is everything in a standard clean plus the build-up areas that only get done occasionally. Clients often don't know the difference, so a written checklist sets expectations and justifies the higher price.

Standard clean vs deep clean

Area	Standard clean	Deep clean adds
Kitchen	Counters, sink, stovetop, appliance fronts, floor	Inside oven and fridge, cabinet interiors, range hood filter, behind/under appliances
Bathrooms	Toilet, tub/shower, sink, mirror, floor	Grout scrub, exhaust fan cover, shower door tracks, cabinet interiors, behind toilet
Whole home	Dusting reachable surfaces, vacuum, mop	Baseboards washed, door frames and switches, window sills and tracks, blinds, vents, ceiling fans, light fixtures
Bedrooms & living	Make beds, dust, vacuum	Under furniture, closet floors, upholstery and mattress vacuumed

Kitchen

• Empty and wipe inside the fridge (ask the client to clear it first)
• Inside the oven: racks soaked, interior degreased
• Range hood and filter degreased
• Cabinet and drawer interiors wiped (emptied by the client or agreed in advance)
• Dishwasher filter cleaned, door seal wiped
• Pull out appliances where safe and clean behind/under
• Backsplash grout and outlet covers
• Then everything in the standard kitchen list

Bathrooms

• Grout scrubbed with a brush, not just wiped
• Shower door tracks and caulk lines
• Exhaust fan cover dusted/washed
• Cabinet and medicine cabinet interiors
• Behind and around the toilet base and bolts
• Light fixtures and mirror edges
• Then the standard bathroom list

Every room

• Baseboards hand-washed
• Door frames, doors and light switches
• Window sills and tracks (vacuum, then wipe)
• Blinds dusted slat by slat
• Air vents and returns
• Ceiling fan blades (top side too)
• Light fixtures (power off, cool bulbs)
• Spot-clean walls and scuffs (test first)

Bedrooms and living areas

• Move light furniture; vacuum underneath
• Closet floors and shelves
• Vacuum upholstery and under cushions
• Vacuum mattress surface (if agreed)
• Lamp shades and picture frames

How long does a deep clean take?

There's no honest universal number. It depends on size, build-up, pets, and clutter. The reliable method is to time a walkthrough: go room by room, rate the condition from 1 to 5, and estimate the minutes for each room. Add travel and setup, then price on those honest minutes at your target hourly rate, rather than by square footage alone. After the job, compare your estimate to the real time and adjust your notes for next time.

Worked example: if your walkthrough adds up to 300 minutes on site with 2 cleaners, plus 30 minutes of round-trip travel, at a target of $45 per person-hour: (300×2 + 30) ÷ 60 × $45 = $472.50 labor. Add supplies and extras for the quote. (Your rate and times will differ; use your own.)

Set expectations in writing

• Say what's not included (e.g. exterior windows, moving heavy furniture, biohazards).
• Ask clients to clear fridges, counters and cabinets they want cleaned inside.
• Do a final walkthrough with the checklist and get initials.

Going further

The Cleaning Business Tracker does the quote math above automatically and shows your real $/hour on every recurring home. The Client Forms Pack includes the walkthrough estimate worksheet and service terms.

Disclosure: the templates linked here are made and sold by this site's shop. Follow product labels and safety data sheets for all chemicals.