Cleaning services are professional services that clean and maintain homes, offices, rental properties, hotels, schools, healthcare facilities and other buildings. The work usually falls into 2 broad areas: routine maintenance and more detailed or specialized cleaning.
The exact work depends on the company and the package you choose. A standard cleaning handles regular upkeep, while deep cleaning and specialty services focus on heavier dirt, buildup, difficult areas or specific materials.
Cleaning Services at a Glance
| Service type | Typical work |
|---|---|
| Standard cleaning | Dusting, vacuuming, mopping, wiping surfaces, cleaning bathrooms and removing trash |
| Deep cleaning | Cleaning baseboards, appliances, grout, fixtures, doors and hard-to-reach areas |
| Move-in or move-out cleaning | Preparing a property for new occupants or cleaning it after a tenant leaves |
| Commercial cleaning | Maintaining offices, retail spaces, schools, medical facilities and other workplaces |
| Specialty cleaning | Carpet, upholstery, windows, floors, post-construction debris, mold remediation or biohazard cleanup |
What Do Cleaners Do During a Standard Service?
A standard residential or commercial cleaning service usually handles routine tasks such as:
- Dusting furniture, shelves, ledges and accessible surfaces
- Vacuuming carpets, rugs and upholstered furniture
- Sweeping and mopping hard floors
- Cleaning sinks, counters, toilets, showers and tubs
- Wiping high-touch surfaces such as handles, switches and shared equipment
- Cleaning kitchen counters, appliance exteriors and backsplashes
- Emptying wastebaskets and replacing liners
- Removing visible cobwebs
- Straightening rooms without reorganizing personal belongings
- Restocking agreed supplies, such as toilet paper or paper towels
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics describes housekeeping and cleaning work as a combination of duties that keeps private homes and commercial establishments clean and orderly.
What Is Included in a Deep Cleaning Service?
Deep cleaning covers areas that may not be part of a regular maintenance visit. Depending on the company, the service may include:
- Cleaning baseboards, trim and doors
- Removing buildup from bathroom tile and grout
- Cleaning behind or underneath movable furniture
- Wiping cabinet fronts and selected cabinet interiors
- Cleaning light fixtures, vents and ceiling fans
- Washing interior windows or window tracks
- Cleaning appliance interiors, such as ovens or refrigerators
- Removing grease from kitchen surfaces
- Detailing staircases, banisters and other overlooked areas
Deep cleaning usually takes longer and costs more than recurring maintenance cleaning. The cleaner spends more time on buildup and areas that are cleaned less often.
What Do Commercial Cleaning Services Do?
Commercial cleaning companies maintain workplaces and public or shared buildings. Their services may include:
- Office cleaning
- Restroom cleaning and restocking
- Floor care and carpet vacuuming
- Breakroom and kitchen cleaning
- Trash and recycling removal
- Cleaning conference rooms and reception areas
- Disinfecting high-touch surfaces when requested
- Cleaning schools, day care facilities, retail stores and industrial spaces
- Day porter services, including daytime spill cleanup and restroom checks
- Periodic floor stripping, waxing or machine scrubbing
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration identifies commercial cleaning as an industry serving offices, schools, hospitals, day care centers, food-service operations and other facilities.
Do Cleaning Services Sanitize or Disinfect?
A standard cleaning visit usually removes dirt and debris. Sanitizing or disinfecting may be available, but it should be listed in the service scope or confirmed before booking.
The terms describe different processes:
- Cleaning removes dirt, dust and organic matter with water, soap or detergent.
- Sanitizing reduces bacteria on a surface to a specified level.
- Disinfecting uses chemicals to kill viruses and bacteria that remain on a surface.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency states that cleaning removes dirt and organic matter, while sanitizing and disinfecting use regulated antimicrobial products.
A cleaning company may disinfect bathrooms, kitchens, medical areas or high-touch surfaces. Confirm which areas are included and which products the company will use. Disinfectants also need to remain wet for the contact time stated on the product label.
What Do Specialty Cleaning Services Include?
Some cleaning work requires specialized equipment, training or products.
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning
Carpet and upholstery services remove embedded dirt, stains and odors from carpets, rugs, sofas and other fabric surfaces. Methods may include hot-water extraction, low-moisture cleaning or spot treatment.
Window Cleaning
Window cleaners may wash interior and exterior glass, frames, sills, screens and tracks. High windows may require ladders, lifts or water-fed pole systems.
Floor Care
Floor-care services may include:
- Machine scrubbing
- Buffing and polishing
- Stripping and refinishing
- Waxing
- Sealing stone or concrete
- Cleaning grout and tile
Post-Construction Cleaning
Post-construction cleaners remove dust, packaging, paint residue, sawdust and construction debris after renovation or building work. This service is usually more intensive than ordinary house cleaning.
Move-In and Move-Out Cleaning
Move-out cleaning prepares a property for inspection, sale or a new tenant. It often covers empty cabinets, appliances, closets, bathrooms, floors and interior windows.
Biohazard and Hazardous Cleanup
Blood, bodily fluids, sewage, mold and chemical contamination may require a specialized remediation company rather than a standard house cleaner. Ask whether the provider is trained and equipped to handle the specific hazard before hiring.
What Do Cleaning Services Usually Not Include?
A standard cleaning appointment often excludes work that requires extra time, equipment, licensing or trade expertise. Common exclusions include:
- Moving heavy furniture
- Exterior pressure washing
- High exterior windows
- Pest control
- Plumbing or electrical repairs
- Extensive mold remediation
- Removing hazardous waste
- Cleaning heavily damaged or unsafe areas
- Washing personal clothing or dishes, unless specifically included
- Organizing clutter or disposing of personal possessions
Each company defines its scope differently. The written checklist matters more than the phrase "full cleaning."
How Often Should a Cleaning Service Visit?
The right schedule depends on the property, number of occupants, pets, traffic and budget.
- Weekly cleaning: Often suits busy households, families, homes with pets or high-use offices
- Every two weeks: A common maintenance schedule for many homes
- Monthly cleaning: Useful when occupants handle most routine cleaning themselves
- One-time cleaning: Suitable before an event, after a gathering, during a move or before listing a property
- Daily or several-times-per-week cleaning: Common for offices, restaurants, medical facilities and other high-traffic buildings
Recurring service works best when the space is already reasonably clean. A first visit may need deep cleaning before the regular schedule begins.
What Should You Confirm Before Hiring a Cleaning Service?
Ask the company to specify:
- Which rooms and tasks are included
- Whether supplies and equipment are provided
- Whether the service includes the inside of ovens, refrigerators and cabinets
- Whether pets, clutter or fragile items affect the price
- Whether the company offers sanitizing or disinfecting
- How cancellations, breakage and missed appointments are handled
- Whether the cleaners are employees or independent contractors
- Whether the company carries liability insurance
- Whether the quote is hourly, flat-rate or based on property size
- Whether specialty work requires a separate estimate
Cleaning chemicals can create risks through skin contact or inhalation. OSHA recommends training, labeling, ventilation and protective equipment for workers who use hazardous products.
Bottom Line
Before booking, get a room-by-room checklist that states what the company will clean, what it excludes and whether sanitizing or disinfecting is part of the service. That checklist gives you a clearer basis for comparing quotes than a label such as "full cleaning."