Free Guide
The Standard, Deep, and Move-Out Cleaning Checklist
"A cleaning" is not one thing. It is three different jobs at three different prices, and mixing them up is how cleaners lose money and clients get surprised. Here is exactly what each one includes, when to book it, and what it really costs. No opt-in, no email, just the checklist.
More surface in play → more time → a higher price
Standard maintains a home, deep resets it, and a move-out cleans an empty one top to bottom.
The three cleans at a glance
Real one-time prices from our pricing model, shown as honest ranges. Every home size is on the cost pages, and the full pricing method is in the Cleaning Pricing Playbook.
| Home | Standard | Deep | Move-out |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 bed / 1 bath / 1,000 sq ft | $180–$200 | $225–$255 | $240–$270 |
| 3 bed / 2 bath / 1,800 sq ft | $265–$300 | $335–$375 | $355–$400 |
| 4 bed / 3 bath / 2,800 sq ft | $380–$425 | $475–$535 | $505–$570 |
Deep runs about a quarter more than standard for the detail work. Move-out runs higher still, since the home is empty and every surface is in play. Condition moves every real job, which is why we quote after a walkthrough.
What each clean actually includes
Standard clean: the upkeep
Recurring maintenance, weekly, every two weeks, or monthly. Your bread and butter, and the most affordable, because the home is already being kept up.
- Dust furniture, fixtures, shelves, and mirrors
- Kitchen: counters, stovetop, sink, microwave inside and out, and appliance exteriors
- Bathrooms: sinks, counters, showers and tubs, toilets, mirrors, and faucets
- Vacuum and mop all floors
- Make unmade beds, general tidy, and take out the trash
Deep clean: the reset
Everything in a standard clean, plus the detail work that builds up over months. This is the usual first visit for a new recurring client, so the home starts at a true baseline.
- Everything in a standard clean, plus:
- Baseboards, window sills, and door frames
- Blinds and reachable window treatments
- Light switches, outlet covers, and air vents
- Ceiling fans
- Cabinet and drawer fronts
- Refrigerator and oven exteriors detailed
- Reachable interior windows
Move-out clean: the empty home
The most thorough service, built around an empty home. With no furniture in the way, everything is in play. The goal is a space that is genuinely ready for the next person.
- Everything in a deep clean, plus:
- Inside all cabinets and drawers
- Inside the refrigerator and inside the oven
- Walls, trim, and doors wiped down
- Closets and shelving cleaned out
- Baseboards throughout the empty home
- Every reachable surface, since nothing is in the way
Which clean does this home need?
Match the service to the home in front of you, not to the words the client used. This is how we decide.
| The situation | What we recommend |
|---|---|
| New recurring client, home in normal shape | Deep clean first, then standard on the schedule |
| Home already maintained on a rhythm | Standard clean |
| Home not properly cleaned in 6+ months | Deep clean |
| Moving out or moving in, home is empty | Move-out clean |
| Fresh renovation or construction dust | Custom quote, not a standard price |
The last row matters. We once took a post-construction job with no experience and no proper equipment, trying to help a client, and did a poor job for money we should not have quoted. Fresh construction dust is its own service. Quote it custom or pass on it.
How to scope and price it
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1. Name the three services out loud
Standard, deep, and move-out are three different jobs at three different prices. If you sell one vague "cleaning," clients pick the scope and you eat the difference. Put the three names in front of every client before they book.
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2. Match the clean to the home, not the request
Almost every new recurring client should start with a deep clean. You cannot maintain a baseline that was never set. Deep clean first to reset the home, then hold it there with standard visits. Skip that and you overwork the first visit for standard-clean money.
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3. Do a walkthrough before you quote
Deep cleans are the hardest to price, because two homes of the same square footage can be worlds apart inside. We do a walkthrough first, almost always virtually over FaceTime or Google Meet, so we see what we are walking into before we quote. Skip it and you find surprises or you undercharge.
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4. Build the price from time, then adjust for the service
Estimate the labor time for the home and multiply by your hourly rate (a floor of at least $60 per cleaner, per hour). A deep clean runs about a quarter more than standard for the detail work. A move-out runs higher still, because the home is empty and every surface is in play.
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5. Set your add-on list and your boundaries
Decide ahead of time what is included and what costs extra, and put a price on each add-on. Then decide what you will not do at all. We stopped cleaning the inside of ovens entirely: they eat time and you can ruin an expensive appliance. That is allowed. It is your business, you make the rules, just make them clear up front.
Add-ons and boundaries
Whatever level a client books, decide ahead of time what is included and what is an add-on, and put a price on each. These come up constantly, usually as the famous morning line, "Hey, I forgot to mention, can you also do..." If you have a set list ready, you just quote it and move on.
- Inside the oven
- Inside the refrigerator
- Interior windows
- Changing bed linens
- Wet-wiping blinds
You are also allowed to say no. We stopped cleaning the inside of ovens entirely, because they eat time and you can ruin an expensive appliance. Set your add-on prices, set your boundaries, and send both with the quote. More on that in handling add-ons and scope creep.
The mistakes that cost you most
- Assuming the client knows the difference. A booking once came in expecting a full deep clean, baseboards and blinds and all, for a standard price. Three cleaners showed up to a job that did not match the money. Spell out standard versus deep before anyone books. See the full breakdown.
- Skipping the walkthrough. We skipped one for a last-minute job and found thick sludge coating a shower nobody warned us about. When you skip the walkthrough, you find surprises or you undercharge. Why we walk through every clean.
- Underscoping a move-out. A move-out where the client never mentioned the whole home was coated in construction dust turned into wiping every surface multiple times. Empty homes hide the most, so scope and quote them carefully.
- One flat "cleaning" price. Charge one price and let clients pick the level of work and you lose money on the deep cleans and move-outs every time. Name the three services and price them separately. Stop wasting time on quotes.
Common questions
What is the difference between a standard and a deep clean?
A standard clean is recurring upkeep: dusting, surfaces, floors, kitchen, and bathrooms to keep a home maintained. A deep clean adds the detail work that builds up over months, like baseboards, blinds, vents, ceiling fans, light switches, and appliance exteriors. A deep clean usually costs about a quarter more.
Do I need a deep clean before recurring service?
Usually yes. Most cleaning companies start a new client with a deep clean, then maintain the home with standard cleans after that. It resets the home to a baseline so the recurring visits can keep it there.
What is included in a move-out clean?
A move-out clean is for an empty home and is the most thorough service. It includes everything in a deep clean plus inside cabinets and drawers, walls, trim, and doors, and the interior of appliances, so the space is ready for the next occupant.
Which clean is the most expensive?
Move-out cleans cost the most because the home is empty and every surface, cabinet, and appliance is in play. Deep cleans are next, and standard cleans are the most affordable since the home is already maintained.
Do I have to give my email to get this checklist?
No. The whole checklist is on this page, free, with no opt-in. If you want the prices done for you by home size and service, the pricing calculator handles that in seconds.
Quote all three in seconds
Price standard, deep, and move-out the same way every time.
The pricing calculator runs this exact method on your numbers, so every quote is consistent by service, size, and frequency, whether you send it or your team does.
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