What Does a House Cleaner Do in Your Home?

When I talk to new clients I get asked what do I usually do in someone’s home? This will usually also result in them asking about all the services that I offer. And you are probably wondering the same thing – what does a house cleaner do in my home? 

They clean of course! But there are different types of cleaning that a house cleaner will typically do. The two main types of cleanings are basic and deep. The type of cleaning that is performed depends on your home and other factors like when it was last cleaned or if you have pets.

Each room has a list of areas that get cleaned when a basic cleaning is done compared to a deep cleaning. Some house cleaners will also clean other areas or perform other tasks that are not included in a basic or deep clean. 

Now that you know there are different types of cleanings a professional house cleaner will do in your home. Let’s check out what is included in each type of cleaning, what else a house cleaner will do or not do, and what to expect from them.

What Is Included in a Basic House Cleaning?

A basic house cleaning can also be called a general, regular, routine, or maintenance cleaning and will most likely include all the rooms in your home. Below is a list of the most common rooms in a house and a list of what is cleaned, dusted, sanitized, wiped, vacuumed, and/ or mopped.

Bathrooms

• Toilets cleaned
• Showers/ bathtubs cleaned and sanitized
• Sinks/ vanities cleaned and sanitized
• Trash removed
• Mirrors cleaned
• Floors vacuumed and/ or mopped

Bedrooms

• Furniture, nightstands, pictures, lamps, baseboards, windowsills, etc dusted
• Floors vacuumed and/ or mopped
• Trash removed

Kitchen

• Stovetops and counters cleaned
• Microwave cleaned in and out
• Outside of cupboard and appliances cleaned
• Pictures, baseboards, windowsills, light fixtures, etc dusted
• Trash removed
• Floors vacuumed and/ or mopped

Dining room

• Furniture, pictures, lamps, baseboards, windowsills, etc dusted
• Walls and windows spot cleaned
• Furniture polished
• Trash removed
• Floors vacuumed and/ or mopped

Living Room or Family room

• Furniture, pictures, lamps, baseboards, windowsills, etc dusted
• Walls and windows spot cleaned
• Large electronics and television dusted and wiped downed
• Trash removed
• Floors vacuumed and/ or mopped

Home Office

• Furniture, pictures, lamps, baseboards, windowsills, etc dusted
• Polish furniture
• Trash removed
• Floors vacuumed and/ or mopped

Stairways

• Pictures, light fixtures, baseboards, windowsills, etc dusted
• Trash removed
• Floors vacuumed and/ or mopped

Home entrances

• Furniture, pictures, lamps and light fixtures, baseboards, windowsills, etc dusted
• Trash removed
• Floors vacuumed and/ or mopped

High touch areas may also be sanitized or disinfected throughout the house

The basic clean is a cleaning that you would get on a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly basis. 

Deep house cleanings are less frequent.  Let’s discuss them next. 

What Is Included in a Deep House Cleaning?

A deep cleaning of your house can include some of the basic cleaning areas but also a much more detailed cleaning of that area. And also areas that are not normally included in the basic cleaning. 

Deep cleanings can also be broken up into special house cleaning projects. Below is a breakdown of deep house cleaning areas and special projects. 

One other note is that a deep cleaning of your home normally depends on your home and when certain areas were last cleaned or if you have pets.

Instead of just dusting these areas they would be wiped down or scrubbed if they need it

• Blinds
• Baseboards
• Picture frames or other items that hang on the wall

Some areas that are up high and need a ladder would be also included in the deep clean

• Ceiling fans and some lights
• Corners of the ceiling of a room
• High ledges

Some special house cleaning projects

• All the doors (both sides) cleaned
• All the cupboard doors cleaned
• Inside of the cupboards cleaned
• All the walls or ceilings cleaned
• All furniture like couches and recliners cleaned
• Inside of closets cleaned

Deep house cleanings can be performed up to four times a year.

So far you know what is included in a basic and deep clean. But you can also ask a house cleaner to perform other tasks not listed so far. 

What Else to Ask a House Cleaner to Do?

Outside of what has been listed in the basic and deep cleaning areas, you can also ask a house cleaner to do the tasks below:

• Wash or load dishes into a dishwasher
• Wash clothes and sheets
• Change sheets and make beds 
• Clean carpets/ steam floors (if they have the equipment to do so)
• Clean patio furniture
• Perform house move in or out cleaning and packing/ unpacking
• Some will organize your home
• Clean and organize the garage
• Disinfect all surfaces in your home (if they have the equipment to do so)

What a House Cleaner Will Not Do

The lists so far have encompassed cleaning most of the house but there are certain things that a house cleaner will not perform. Here are some of them below.

• Outside chores like gardening, mowing the lawn, cleaning the gutters, etc
• Painting 
• Dog walking or sitting
• Babysitting
• Making dinner
• Washing the car
• Cleaning of bodily fluids

What Should You Expect from a House Cleaner?

No matter what the task is, a house cleaner should clean and perform the task thoroughly and efficiently. 

Bonus – What Can a House Cleaner Do in 2 Hours?

A common question asked – What can a house cleaner do in 2 hours? This would pertain to one house cleaner as opposed to a team of house cleaners. 

If you live in a one-bedroom apartment, most of the tasks on the basic cleaning list should be able to get completed. 

But for a three-bedroom house with 2 bathrooms, a kitchen, dining room, family room, etc. some of the tasks and areas may need removed from the list of rooms (like one or two of the bedrooms) or not cleaned for the house cleaner to finish in 2 hours.

Conclusion

Although each house cleaner is different, this guide should give you a good idea of what a house cleaner will do in your home. Of course, it will depend on if they are performing a basic house clean, a deep house clean, or a special house cleaning project. 

Don’t hesitate to ask them to perform other tasks but be aware that there are some tasks they will not perform.

Not ready to hire a professional house cleaner yet? You can still clean your house like one this spring by following our spring house cleaning guides.

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