A general clean maintains what you see: surfaces, floors, kitchen and bathrooms, about eight points of work. A deep clean removes what has built up: grout, hard-water film, kitchen grease, baseboards, vents and behind appliances, about twenty points. If the home was professionally cleaned within the last three months, a general clean is enough. Past six months, book the deep clean.
People book the wrong service constantly, in both directions. Some pay for a deep clean on a home that only needed maintenance. Others book a general clean on a home that has not been touched in a year and are disappointed when the shower still looks tired. Here is how to tell them apart.
What is the difference between a deep clean and a general clean?
A general clean cleans what you see. A deep clean removes what has built up.
What does a general clean include?
Eight points, focused on maintenance: surfaces dusted and wiped, kitchen counters and appliance exteriors, bathrooms sanitised, floors vacuumed and mopped, beds made, trash out. It is the service that keeps a home at a steady baseline, and it is what almost every recurring visit should be.
A general clean assumes there is nothing to excavate. It wipes a shower; it does not resurface one.
What does a deep clean include?
Twenty points instead of eight. Everything above, plus the work that takes real time:
- Grout scrubbed rather than wiped over
- Hard-water and soap scum removal from glass and fixtures
- Kitchen degreasing, including the range hood and backsplash
- Baseboards, door frames, and switch plates
- Interior window sills and tracks
- Vents, radiator covers, and light fixtures
- Pet hair extraction from soft surfaces and edges
- Behind and under movable furniture and appliances
The distinguishing feature is that most of these need dwell time. A product has to sit on grout and actually work before anything comes off. That is why a deep clean takes two to three times as long, and why it costs more.
How do you know which one you need?
Three honest questions.
When was the last professional clean?
Inside three months, a general clean is almost certainly enough. Beyond six months, you are looking at a deep clean whether you want to be or not. Beyond a year, book the deep clean and skip the debate.
Run a finger along a baseboard
If it comes back grey, the buildup is systemic rather than surface, and wiping the visible areas will not change how the home feels.
Look at the shower glass at an angle
Head-on, hard-water film is nearly invisible. At a low angle against the light, it is obvious. Chicago tap water is hard enough that this accumulates faster here than in a lot of cities. If the glass is hazy, you need scrubbing, not wiping.
What is the cheapest pattern over time?
One deep clean to reset the home, then recurring general cleans to hold it there. Buildup is exponential: it compounds quietly and then requires a large intervention. Maintaining a baseline is consistently cheaper than repeatedly rescuing a home from the same buildup.
Most of our recurring clients start with a Deep Clean and move to biweekly or monthly General Cleans afterwards. That is not an upsell. The recurring rate is lower per visit precisely because the home never gets far from where it started.
When is a deep clean not worth it?
If your home is cleaned regularly and you are booking ahead of guests, a general clean plus a couple of targeted add-ons will get you further than a full deep clean. Adding inside-the-fridge and interior windows to a general clean costs less than upgrading the whole service, and it addresses the things visitors actually notice.
Not sure which applies to you? Compare the two on the pricing page, or tell us the last time the home was cleaned and we will tell you honestly which one it needs.
Common questions
How often do you need a deep clean?
Usually once, to reset the home, followed by recurring general cleans. A home cleaned less often than every three months generally needs a deep clean again.
Is a deep clean worth it before guests arrive?
Often not. A general clean plus targeted add-ons such as inside the fridge and interior windows costs less and addresses what visitors actually notice.
How much longer does a deep clean take?
Two to three times as long as a general clean, because grout and hard-water treatments need time to sit and work before anything lifts off.