When I talk to new clients, I get asked what I usually do in someone’s home. It will 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 performed depends on your home and other factors, like when it was cleaned last 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 tasks 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 each type of cleaning includes, what else a house cleaner will do or not do, and what to expect from them.
What Does a House Cleaner Do 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 the cleaning, dusting, sanitizing, wiping, vacuuming, and/ or mopping in them.
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 the 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 televisions 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 cleaning is a cleaning you would get weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly.
Deep house cleanings are less frequent. Let’s discuss them next.
What Does a House Cleaner Do 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 not normally included in the basic cleaning.
The cleaner may also break deep cleanings 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 will depend on your home, how dirty it is, 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 and ceilings cleaned
- All furniture like couches and recliners cleaned
- Inside of closets cleaned
House cleaners can perform deep cleanings up to four times a year.
So far, you know what a basic and deep clean are. 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 the previous lists 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 Does a House Cleaner 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 Does 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 maintenance 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 whether 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 do.
If you want to learn how a dirty or messy house can affect your health, read our articles –
Can a Dirty House Make You Sick?
Can a Messy House Make You Sick?
If you are not ready to hire a professional house cleaner but are a busy parent trying to keep your house clean? Check out our post – 10 Secrets to Keeping a Clean House as a Working Parent, to learn what to do.
