Regular clean vs deep clean: what's the difference?

A regular clean keeps a home that's already in good shape looking that way. A deep clean is a one-off reset that gets into the build-up a regular clean isn't designed to reach, like grout, skirting boards, window tracks and the inside of appliances. Most homes need a deep clean first, then a regular clean to hold that standard.

That's the short version of the regular clean vs deep clean question. It's also one of the things we get asked most by people booking a cleaner for the first time, so here's the longer answer, including what each one costs with us.

What a regular clean covers

A regular clean is maintenance. It happens weekly, fortnightly or monthly, and it covers the same things every visit so nothing gets the chance to build up.

Ours follows our 110 touch-point checklist. In practice that means:

• Kitchen: benches, splashback, stovetop and grates, a wipe over the rangehood, appliance and cupboard fronts, handles, the sink and tapware.
• Bathrooms: toilet (cistern, seat and base too), shower tiles, screen, frame and taps, the bath, vanity, mirror.
• Laundry, living areas and bedrooms: benches, appliance fronts and the laundry sink; hard surfaces, shelving and dining chairs dusted and wiped; mirrors cleaned, beds and cushions straightened.
• Throughout the house: light switches, door handles and power points, light fittings, ceiling fans, plantation shutter blades, windowsills, then every floor vacuumed and mopped.

Notice the words "wipe over" and "fronts". A regular clean looks after the surfaces you see and touch every day. It keeps them hygienic and keeps the house feeling calm. It doesn't pull the fridge apart or scrub every grout line, and it doesn't need to if those jobs are being done a few times a year.

The other half of a regular clean is who does it. Where we can, you get the same people each visit, so they learn your home and how you like it. That's hard to get from a one-off booking.

What a deep clean adds

A deep clean does everything on the regular list, then goes into the detail that builds up slowly and gets missed in a normal week. These are the corners routine cleaning skips:

• Skirting boards, properly cleaned rather than dusted
• Grout, shower screens and tapware brought back from dull
• Window tracks and internal windows
• Inside the oven
• Inside the fridge and microwave
• Cobwebs in the high corners
• Marks on walls and doors
• Air-con filters and ducted vents

It takes longer and it costs more, because there's simply more to do. It's also not something most homes need every fortnight.

Side by side

Regular clean

• How often: weekly, fortnightly or monthly
• What it's for: keeping a clean home clean
• What it reaches: everyday surfaces and high touch-points
• Ascend price: from $180 a clean

Deep clean

• How often: a one-off, or a few times a year
• What it's for: resetting a home that's fallen behind
• What it reaches: build-up, grout, skirtings, tracks, inside the oven and appliances
• Ascend price: from $290 one-off

Both prices include GST and are a starting guide. Your exact price depends on your home's size, layout and condition, and we confirm it in writing before we start. It isn't based on how long we're there or how many cleaners turn up, so a tricky spot doesn't blow out your bill. See full pricing.

Which one do you need?

Book a deep clean if:

• You've never had a cleaner, or it's been a while since the house had a proper going-over
• You're moving in or out
• You've got guests coming, or you're hosting something that matters
• The bathroom glass or grout has gone cloudy and a normal wipe won't shift it
• You've cleaned a room and it still doesn't feel clean

A regular clean is enough if:

• The house is mostly on top of things and you want to keep it there
• You'd rather hand the weekly jobs over and get your weekends back
• You had a deep clean recently and don't want to slide back

Honestly, most people fall into both camps. They need the reset first, then the regular visits to hold it.

Why new clients start with a deep clean

When you start recurring cleaning with us, the first visit is a deep clean. It brings your home up to our ongoing standard, and it's priced as a deep clean. If your home's already in good shape and doesn't need the extra work, it's charged at the regular rate instead. After that, your regular rate applies.

There's a good reason for doing it this way. A regular clean is built to maintain a standard, and it works best when it's starting from one. If we tried to catch up on months of build-up inside a fortnightly visit, something would get rushed.

Some things take more than one visit to lift, too. Heavy soap scum or old marks on a wall don't always come good first go. When that happens, we'll tell you straight and keep working on it over the next few visits, rather than pretend it's done.

How the two work together

The homes that stay easiest to look after usually run on a simple rhythm: a regular clean every week or fortnight for the day-to-day, then a deep clean a few times a year for the jobs that only need doing now and then.

You don't always need a full deep clean to catch up on one thing, either. Inside the oven, fridge or microwave, internal windows and tracks, cobwebs, wall marks, A/C filters and a deep clean of the skirting boards can all be added to a regular visit as an extra.

Common questions

Is a spring clean the same as a deep clean?

For us, yes. A spring clean is a deep clean with a seasonal excuse. We quote them the same way.

Can I add deep-clean jobs to my regular clean?

Yes. The oven, inside the fridge, internal windows and tracks, skirting boards and wall spot-cleans can all be added to any visit. Just let us know when you book, and give us a call for current pricing.

Do I need to be home?

No. Plenty of our clients are out while we clean. If you give us a key, it's kept in a locked key box at our office, labelled with a code rather than your name or address.

Not sure which one your home needs?

Tell us about your place and we'll come back with a fixed, no-obligation quote, in writing, before any work starts. Or get an instant price estimate in under a minute.

Prefer to talk it through? Call us on 0435 348 434. You can also read more about our recurring home cleaning and deep cleans across the Hawkesbury.