Is a "standard clean" the same everywhere?

Broadly, yes, at the core. The room-by-room list above is close to universal. Where companies differ is the borderline items and how deep each core item goes — how thoroughly a shower is scrubbed, whether baseboards get a look, whether under-furniture is attempted.

Will you clean rooms I do not use?

Only if you want us to. A spare room used for storage, a home office nobody is allowed into, a nursery during a nap — say which rooms to leave and they come off the scope and off the time.

Spot-cleaning marks on doors, frames and around switches is standard. Washing a wall from top to bottom is a deep-clean item that needs the time booked in.

What about the garage or the patio?

Interior doors, thresholds and reachable cobwebs, yes. A full garage floor clean-down or patio pressure washing are different jobs with different equipment.

Can I add things to the standard list?

Some things, if the visit is scheduled with the extra time. Inside the oven and inside the refrigerator are the two most requested and both need advance notice — asking on the day usually is not possible, because the day is already planned.

Scope

What is included in professional house cleaning?

Two quotes for "a house clean" can describe genuinely different amounts of work. This is the industry-standard scope, the common exclusions, and the specific lines worth checking before you compare anything.

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A bright kitchen with a breakfast nook, wooden bar stools and a round dining table

There is a standard, and it is narrower than people assume

Most reputable companies include roughly the same things in a maintenance-level house clean. The differences are at the edges, and the edges are where disappointment lives.

The core is consistent: every room dusted and floors done; kitchens and bathrooms cleaned properly; beds made; trash out. What varies is how deep each of those goes, and which of the borderline items are in or out.

The borderline items are always the same handful — inside the oven, inside the refrigerator, interior windows, baseboards, laundry, dishes, blinds and cabinet interiors. If a quote does not mention them, assume they are excluded and ask.

What a maintenance clean includes, room by room

This is the standard scope on this site, and it is representative of what the term means across the industry.

Kitchen

Counters, island and backsplash
Cooktop and range front
Microwave inside and out
Exteriors of refrigerator, oven and dishwasher
Sink scrubbed, fixtures polished
Cabinet fronts spot-cleaned
Table and chairs
Trash out, liner replaced
Floor vacuumed then mopped

Bathrooms

Toilet inside, outside, base and behind
Tub and shower scrubbed
Glass and chrome
Vanity, sink and fixtures
Mirror polished
Towels straightened
Trash out
Floor to the edges

Bedrooms and living areas

Beds made
Dusting worked high to low
Surfaces, shelving and decor
Mirrors and glass
Under furniture that moves easily
Cushions and throws reset
Floors vacuumed or mopped

Throughout

Light switch plates
Door handles and door faces
Interior door glass
Baseboards spot-checked
Reachable cobwebs
Stairs and landings

The borderline items, and where they usually sit

These are the lines to check in any quote. Our position is in the last column.

Item	Common industry position	On this site
Inside the oven	Usually an add-on	Available, needs advance notice so the visit is timed for it
Inside the refrigerator	Usually an add-on	Available, needs advance notice
Interior windows	Often excluded	Available within reach; deep clean covers sills and tracks
Baseboards full length	Deep clean only	Deep clean. Standard visits spot-check them
Blinds	Usually excluded	Dusted at reach height; detailed cleaning is not in scope
Laundry	Usually excluded	Fresh linens fitted if left out; washing cycles are not in scope
Dishes	Varies widely	A few loaded so the sink can be cleaned; a full sink is not in scope
Inside cabinets	Move-in/out only	Move-in, move-out and rental turnover scopes
Moving heavy furniture	Excluded almost everywhere	Excluded. We clean around and under what moves easily

What is excluded almost everywhere, and why

These are not companies being unhelpful. Each one is either a different licensed trade, a genuine safety issue, or a task where attempting it does more harm than leaving it.

Carpet extraction and shampooing — different equipment, different trade, and a wet carpet done badly is worse than a dirty one.
Exterior windows above ground level — ladder work above reach height is a safety and insurance question.
Pest control and mold remediation — both are licensed specialisms with legal obligations attached.
Repairs, painting and hauling — not cleaning, and usually needs doing before a clean rather than after.
Moving heavy furniture and appliances — risk of damage to the item, the floor and the person.
Biohazard and hoarding situations — specialist remediation with its own protocols and protective equipment.

The questions worth asking any company

Six questions that separate a comparable quote from an incomparable one.

Is this a maintenance clean or a deep clean, and what specifically is the difference on your list?
Which of the borderline items above are included, and which are add-ons?
Do you bring supplies and equipment, and will you use mine if I prefer?
How many people come, and roughly how long will it take?
Are your cleaners background checked, and are you bonded and insured?
If something is missed, what happens and what is the time limit for telling you?

A company that answers all six clearly is quoting the same job as another company that does. One that is vague about two or three of them is not necessarily bad — but you are not comparing like with like.

Scope questions

Is a "standard clean" the same everywhere?: Broadly, yes, at the core. The room-by-room list above is close to universal. Where companies differ is the borderline items and how deep each core item goes — how thoroughly a shower is scrubbed, whether baseboards get a look, whether under-furniture is attempted.
Will you clean rooms I do not use?: Only if you want us to. A spare room used for storage, a home office nobody is allowed into, a nursery during a nap — say which rooms to leave and they come off the scope and off the time.
Do you clean walls?: Spot-cleaning marks on doors, frames and around switches is standard. Washing a wall from top to bottom is a deep-clean item that needs the time booked in.
What about the garage or the patio?: Interior doors, thresholds and reachable cobwebs, yes. A full garage floor clean-down or patio pressure washing are different jobs with different equipment.
Can I add things to the standard list?: Some things, if the visit is scheduled with the extra time. Inside the oven and inside the refrigerator are the two most requested and both need advance notice — asking on the day usually is not possible, because the day is already planned.

See the price for your house

The booking flow shows exactly what is included for the service you pick, and prices it before anything is confirmed.