What Does a Standard House Cleaning Include?
A standard house cleaning is a one time, whole home clean for a house that is already in reasonable shape and just needs a reset. It works room by room through the kitchen, bathrooms, bedrooms, and living areas, and every visit follows the same written checklist. This guide explains exactly what a standard cleaning includes at Easy Living Cleaners, what it leaves for a deep clean, how long it takes, and how to get ready for it.
Prefer to watch? This quick video shows what a standard clean covers, how long it takes, and how it compares with a deep clean.
In this video
- The standard clean checklist, room by room
- How long a standard clean takes
- What a deep clean adds
- How long a deep clean takes
- Standard vs deep, side by side
- How to choose
What is included in a standard house cleaning?
A standard cleaning covers the rooms your household actually uses, from top to bottom. Surfaces are dusted and wiped, floors are vacuumed and mopped, bathrooms are cleaned and disinfected, and the trash is emptied. Here is the checklist, room by room. You can see the same list on our standard cleaning page.
Kitchen
- Exterior of all appliances cleaned
- Countertops and backsplash
- Sink and faucet
- Cabinet exteriors (fingerprints) and fixtures
- Dishwasher loaded
- Floors vacuumed and mopped
- Trash emptied
Bathrooms
- Tub and shower tile cleaned
- Toilets cleaned and disinfected
- Countertops, cabinet doors, and fixtures
- Sink, faucet, and mirror
- Floors swept and mopped
- Trash emptied
Bedrooms
- Beds made
- Lamps, picture frames, and exposed surfaces dusted
- Mirrors cleaned
- A light tidy up of under five minutes
- Floors vacuumed
- Trash emptied
Living areas
- Cushions arranged, décor and tabletops dusted
- Mirrors cleaned
- A light tidy up
- Floors vacuumed and mopped
- Trash emptied
Tell us your priorities when you request your estimate and the team focuses there first.
How long does a standard cleaning take?
Most homes take two to four hours with a small team, depending on the size of the home and its condition. A larger home, several bathrooms, or a house that has gone a while between cleanings sits toward the long end. Your written estimate includes a time estimate, so there are no surprises on the day.
What is not included in a standard cleaning?
A standard clean keeps a maintained home fresh. It does not dig into built up grime. These items belong to a deep clean, and most can be added to a standard visit as extras:
- The inside of the oven, refrigerator, and microwave
- The inside of cabinets
- Baseboards
- Doors and handles, outlets and switches
- Detailed dusting
- A sink full of dishes or several loads of laundry (add on time)
If you are not sure whether your home needs more than a standard clean, say so when you request the estimate and we recommend the right one.
Standard clean or deep clean: which do you need?
- Choose a standard clean if the home is already maintained, the oven, fridge, and baseboards are not holding built up grime, and you want a reset before guests, after a busy stretch, or as your first visit with us.
- Choose a deep clean if it has been a while since the last professional clean, if you are new to a house, or if there is built up grime in the oven, refrigerator, or on baseboards. A deep clean often takes four to eight hours.
- Choose a move out or move in clean if the home is empty. Our move out cleaning is built for an empty home from the first cabinet to the last baseboard.
A common path is a deep clean first to reset the home, then a recurring plan to keep it there.
Is a standard clean a one time service or a regular cleaning?
A standard clean is a single visit with no commitment. If you like the result, moving to a recurring schedule (weekly, biweekly, or monthly) uses the same checklist at a lower rate per visit, with the same small team in your home each time. Our guide on the benefits of recurring house cleaning covers how to pick a frequency.
How do you prepare for a standard cleaning?
- Pick up clutter and personal items from floors and surfaces so the team can spend its time cleaning.
- Tell us about pets, alarm codes, and any rooms or items to skip when you request your estimate.
- Mention your priorities, such as the kitchen or the bathrooms, so we start there.
- If you want the inside of the oven or refrigerator done, ask for it as an extra.
How much does a standard cleaning cost?
A standard cleaning is priced per visit, not by the hour. The price depends on the size of the home, the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, its current condition, and how often you book. Easy Living Cleaners gives a free written estimate before any work begins, and nothing is scheduled until you approve it.
Who does the cleaning?
Every cleaner is background checked and trained before working in a client’s home, teams are small and local, and the company is insured. Easy Living Cleaners is a family run business and a Google Verified business, serving homes across Georgia, South Carolina, Florida, and North Carolina.
How do you book a standard cleaning?
Request a free estimate by form, chat, or phone from the contact page. Tell us the size of the home, bedrooms and bathrooms, its condition, and any date you need. We send a written estimate per visit, you approve it, a deposit holds the date, and your team arrives on schedule. We book visits in advance, so the earlier you ask, the more choice you have.
Frequently asked questions
What is included in a standard house cleaning?
A standard cleaning covers the kitchen, bathrooms, bedrooms, and living areas room by room: surfaces dusted and wiped, floors vacuumed and mopped, bathrooms cleaned and disinfected, mirrors cleaned, and trash emptied. Every visit follows a written checklist.
How long does a standard cleaning take?
Most homes take two to four hours with a small team, depending on size and condition. Your written estimate includes a time estimate.
Does a standard cleaning include the inside of the oven and refrigerator?
No. The inside of the oven, refrigerator, and microwave, plus the inside of cabinets and baseboards, are part of a deep clean. They can also be added to a standard clean as extras.
Is a standard clean the same as a regular cleaning?
The checklist is the same. A standard clean is a one time visit. A regular or recurring cleaning uses the same checklist on a weekly, biweekly, or monthly schedule, at a lower rate per visit.
Do you wash dishes or do laundry during a standard clean?
We load the dishwasher and can start a load of laundry on request. A sink full of dishes or several loads of laundry is add on time, so mention it when you book.
How should I prepare for a standard cleaning?
Pick up clutter and personal items from floors and surfaces so the team can spend its time cleaning. Tell us about pets, alarm codes, and any rooms or items to skip when you request your estimate.
How much does a standard cleaning cost?
It is priced per visit, based on home size, bedrooms and bathrooms, current condition, and how often you book. Easy Living Cleaners gives a free written estimate before any work begins, and nothing is scheduled until you approve it.
Are your cleaners background checked and insured?
Yes. Every cleaner is background checked and trained before working in a client’s home, and the company is insured. We are a Google Verified business.
Related reading
- House cleaning services explained
- Standard and move out cleaning services compared
- The benefits of a recurring house cleaning service
- Cleaning before you sell your home
Ready to book a standard cleaning? Get a free, written estimate from Easy Living Cleaners.