Deep Cleaning Checklist for Professional Cleaners
A deep clean isn't a regular clean done slowly. It's a different job: you're resetting a property to a standard it hasn't been at for months, working on the surfaces that never get touched weekly.
This checklist is what separates a deep clean the client happily pays a premium for from a long regular clean they feel overcharged for.
How to use this checklist
- Quote deep cleans only after seeing the property or photos, condition, not size, drives the hours.
- Take before and after photos of the worst areas. They justify the price and protect you if standards are questioned later.
- Start chemical dwell jobs (oven, limescale, grout) in the first ten minutes so they work while you do everything else.
The checklist
Kitchen deep tasks
- Oven interior, racks, trays and door glass
- Extractor hood, grease filters and canopy
- Inside and behind the fridge, including seals
- Inside cupboards and drawers (if emptied by the client)
- Behind and beside the cooker and washing machine where movable
- Degrease tiles, grout and splashbacks
- Descale sink, taps and kettle
Bathroom deep tasks
- Full limescale removal from screen, tiles, taps and shower head
- Grout scrub and mould treatment
- Behind and beneath the toilet, including the cistern and pipework
- Extractor fan cover cleaned
- Plugholes cleared and deodorised
Throughout the property
- High-level dusting: coving, picture rails, tops of doors and wardrobes
- Light fittings and lampshades removed and cleaned where safe
- Skirting boards washed, not just dusted
- Internal windows, frames, sills and tracks
- Doors, frames and architraves washed
- Radiators cleaned, including between fins where accessible
- Hoover under and behind movable furniture
- Upholstery and mattresses hoovered
- Floors mopped or machine cleaned, edges included
Pro tips
- Two cleaners on a deep clean beats one cleaner for twice as long, quality drops sharply after four hours of detail work.
- Anything you can't complete (fixed mould, damaged grout, appliance faults) should be reported in writing on the day, with a photo.
Frequently asked questions
What is included in a deep clean?
Everything in a regular clean plus oven interior, extractor filters, limescale removal, grout, skirting boards, doors and frames, internal windows, high-level dusting, radiators and behind movable appliances and furniture.
How is a deep clean different from a regular clean?
A regular clean maintains a property; a deep clean resets it. Deep cleans target build-up on surfaces that weekly cleans never touch, and typically take two to three times as long.
How often should a house be deep cleaned?
Most homes benefit from a deep clean once or twice a year, or before and after events like moving, letting a property or hosting.
Should deep cleans be priced hourly or fixed?
Quote per job after viewing, because condition varies enormously. If you can't view first, give a range and confirm on arrival.
How CleanFlow helps with this
- Time Tracking , Cleaners clock in and out of each job from their phone. You get accurate hours for payroll, billing and profitability.
- Quotes , Professional, branded quotes that convert, with reusable templates for every service you offer.
Related guides
- How To Quote A Cleaning Job (Win More, Lose Less) , How to quote cleaning jobs confidently, without underpricing or losing the work. Real formulas, examples and templates.
- How To Price Cleaning Jobs , Most cleaners undercharge themselves. Here's a clear framework for pricing jobs profitably, by hour, by job and by square metre.
More templates and checklists
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