Guide · Comparison
Deep cleaning vs regular cleaning: what is the difference?
A regular clean keeps a home at its standard. A deep clean takes it back to one. The difference is not more effort on the same list; it is a longer list: the places a routine visit has no time for.
By Core Cleaning Ontario · Updated
The short answer.
Regular
Standard Cleaning
from $165+ HST, one bedroom
The everyday clean: kitchen, bathrooms, floors and living space, done properly.
Best for: Households who want the living space kept to a consistent standard.
Standard CleaningDeep
Deep Cleaning
from $250+ HST, one bedroom
A top-to-bottom reset that reaches what a regular visit passes over.
Best for: First visits, spring resets, and homes that have been left a while.
Deep CleaningRoom by room, what changes.
A deep clean includes everything in the regular column, then adds the second. Both come from the Core Cleaning Ontario Standard.
The Kitchen
On a regular clean
- Counters and backsplash cleared, wiped and dried
- Sink and taps scrubbed, rinsed and polished dry
- Cooktop and control knobs degreased
- Exterior of cabinets and drawer fronts wiped
- Exterior of the fridge, oven, dishwasher and microwave
- Microwave interior wiped out
- Bins emptied, relined, and the lid wiped
- Floor vacuumed and mopped, including under a movable island
A deep clean adds
- Range hood filter area and the wall behind the cooktop
- Behind and beneath the fridge and the range
The Bathrooms
On a regular clean
- Toilet cleaned inside and out, including the base and behind it
- Shower, tub and surround scrubbed and rinsed
- Glass screens cleared of soap film and dried off
- Basin, counter and taps descaled and polished
- Mirrors cleaned to no streaks
- Exterior of vanity and cabinet fronts wiped
- Towels straightened or replaced with fresh ones you leave out
- Bin emptied, floor vacuumed and mopped, edges included
A deep clean adds
- Grout lines and tile worked in detail
- Shower track, door runners and drain covers
- Extractor fan cover wiped
The Bedrooms
On a regular clean
- Beds made, or linens changed with the set you leave out
- All reachable surfaces dusted, including lamps and shades
- Accessible wardrobe tops dusted
- Mirrors and glass wiped
- Window sills wiped
- Floors vacuumed, including along the baseboards
- Hard floors mopped
A deep clean adds
- Under the bed and behind movable furniture
- Window tracks and interior glass
Living Areas
On a regular clean
- Surfaces cleared, wiped and put back as they were
- Coffee tables, side tables and shelving dusted
- Upholstery vacuumed, cushions straightened
- Screens and electronics dusted dry, never sprayed
- Mirrors and interior glass wiped
- Floors vacuumed and hard floors mopped
A deep clean adds
- Under and behind the sofa and movable furniture
- Picture rails, the tops of door frames and the baseboards behind furniture
- Air vents and ceiling fan blades
Floors and Stairs
On a regular clean
- Every floor vacuumed, carpet and hard surface alike
- Hard floors mopped with a product suited to the surface
- Edges, corners and the perimeter along the baseboards
- Stairs vacuumed tread by tread, including the risers
- Entry mats lifted, floor cleaned beneath them
A deep clean adds
- Baseboards wiped along their length
- Under furniture that can be moved safely by one person
- Grout on tiled floors worked in detail
High-Touch Points
On a regular clean
Caught in passing, not worked deliberately.
A deep clean adds
- Door handles and door edges
- Light switches and switch plates
- Stair rails and banisters
- Appliance handles and control panels
- Taps and flush handles
- Remote controls and phone handsets, wiped dry
Not on a deep clean by default: inside the cabinets and drawers, emptied and wiped; oven interior; fridge interior; inside wardrobes and closets, emptied and wiped. These are add-ons: select them on the quote form with a deep clean, or with a move-in or move-out clean, and your quote lists them.
What each one costs.
Our published starting prices, before HST. Starting prices are set by bedroom count. Bathrooms, square footage, condition, frequency and add-ons can move the final number, which is why we confirm it with you before booking, never after.
| Bedrooms | Regular | Deep | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $165 | $250 | +$85 |
| 2 | $205 | $305 | +$100 |
| 3 | $259 | $365 | +$106 |
| 4 | $299 | $425 | +$126 |
| 5 | $349 | $500 | +$151 |
| 6+ | $399 | $600 | +$201 |
All prices + HST.
Which one does your home need?
Choose a regular clean if
- The home has been cleaned properly in the last few weeks and you want it kept there.
- You are setting up, or already on, a schedule of weekly, every 2 weeks or every 4 weeks visits.
- You want a single visit before guests arrive or after a busy week, and the place is not far behind.
Choose a deep clean if
- It is the first professional clean in a long while, or ever.
- Grout, window tracks, baseboards or the tops of door frames have visibly built up.
- You are about to start a recurring schedule and want it to start from a clean baseline.
- It is a spring reset, or the house has been left while life got busy.
Not sure? Pick the one you think on the quote form and describe the condition honestly. If the house needs more than you picked, or less, we say so before we quote rather than after.
A common pattern is a deep clean first, then a recurring schedule at the recurring rate, so the regular visits start from a clean baseline. Say on the form that you want both and we quote them together.
More guides
Before you book
Hiring a cleaning companyChecklist
Preparing for a cleaningPrintable checklist
Move-out cleaning checklist
Need cleaning help?
Tell us what type of property you have, where it is and what needs cleaning. We will help you work out the right service and give you a straightforward quote, in writing, before anything is booked.
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