What this covers
House cleaning, often called maid service, is routine cleaning of a lived-in home: kitchens and bathrooms scrubbed and disinfected, dusting, wiping surfaces and fixtures, vacuuming and mopping, emptying trash and making beds. Recurring visits keep a home at a steady standard on a weekly or biweekly schedule. A deep clean goes further, into baseboards, inside appliances, cabinet fronts and grout lines, and a move-in or move-out clean covers an empty home top to bottom. A good company agrees on a checklist with you and sends the same trained crew where it can.
When to call
- A busy household that wants a steady weekly or biweekly clean.
- A home that needs a thorough deep clean before guests, a sale or a new season.
- An empty house or apartment to be cleaned before move-in or after move-out.
- A home to clean once repairs are finished and the dust has been removed.
What to expect
- Walk-throughThe company sees the home, the rooms you want cleaned and any surfaces that need special care.
- ChecklistYou agree on the tasks for each room and how often the crew comes.
- CleanThe crew works room by room, top to bottom, with supplies suited to your finishes.
- ReviewYou check the result, and the checklist is adjusted for the next visit.
Get a certified company
Look up a certified company by ZIP code. Every company's license, insurance and trades are verified before it is listed, and placement is never paid.
Questions people ask
What is the difference between a regular and a deep clean?
A regular clean keeps up the main surfaces. A deep clean reaches what a regular visit skips, such as baseboards, inside the oven and fridge, cabinet fronts and grout, and usually comes first.
Do I need to be home?
No. Many households give the company a key or an entry code. A careful company explains how it handles keys and access before the first visit.
Is this the same as post-construction cleaning?
No. Post-construction cleaning removes the fine dust and debris a project leaves, with HEPA equipment. House cleaning maintains a home that is already lived in.
Related: Post-construction cleaning · Carpet cleaning · Window washing · All cleaning, demolition and hauling
This page describes what the service involves. The company you hire sets the scope, the schedule and the price, and your contract is with that company. We verify credentials and collect reviews from real jobs. We do not guarantee any company's workmanship. Safety steps are general guidance. When in doubt, leave the home and call 911.