Regular cleaning maintains
A regular or standard clean is a maintenance visit. It keeps a home that is already in good shape at that level: surfaces, floors, bathrooms and kitchen, done on a schedule. It assumes there is no build-up to remove.
- Counters, stovetop, sink, appliance exteriors
- Bathrooms: toilet, tub or shower, vanity, mirror, floor
- Dusting of reachable surfaces
- Vacuum and mop floors
- Beds made, bins emptied
Deep cleaning restores
A deep clean goes after everything a regular visit skips, and takes two to four times as long. It is a one-time job, or the first visit before starting a recurring schedule.
- Inside oven, fridge, microwave and dishwasher seal
- Inside cabinets and drawers
- Grout, tile and soap scum on glass
- Baseboards, trim, vents, door frames
- Ceiling fans, light fixtures, tops of cabinets
- Interior windows, sills and tracks
- Behind and under movable furniture
Time and cost
In Ontario, a standard clean of a three-bedroom house runs roughly $280 to $360 and a deep clean of the same house $460 to $590, per the 2026 Hellamaid index. The difference is almost entirely labour hours: a deep clean of that house is a full day for two people; a standard clean is a few hours.
Which one to book
If the home has not had a thorough clean in months, or you are starting a recurring schedule, book a deep clean first. Starting recurring visits on a home with build-up means paying for a standard clean that cannot reach standard.
If the home is already kept up and you want it to stay that way, book recurring. If the home is empty and about to be inspected, that is a move-out clean, which is a deep clean to an inspection standard.
