What's included in a deep clean, room by room
A deep clean includes everything in a standard visit, then goes after the buildup that a standard visit doesn't have time for. Here's the breakdown we work from. For a printable version you can use yourself, see the deep cleaning checklist.
Kitchen
Grease is the enemy here. The stovetop gets degreased down to the drip pans or grates, the range hood and its filter get cleaned, and the sides of the stove and fridge get wiped where they face the counter gap. Cabinet fronts and handles get washed, not just spot-cleaned. The backsplash, light switches and outlet covers get scrubbed. The microwave gets cleaned inside and out, the sink and faucet get descaled, and the floor gets hand-detailed along the edges and under the toe kick.
Bathrooms
Tile and grout get scrubbed, including the corners where mildew settles. Glass shower doors get descaled so the cloudy film from soap and water spots comes off. Toilets get cleaned down to the base and the bolts, the exhaust fan cover gets dusted, and the vanity gets cleaned inside the drawers if you empty them first.
Bedrooms and living areas
- Baseboards, door frames, doors and trim wiped by hand
- Ceiling fans, light fixtures and vent covers dusted
- Window sills and the reachable parts of window tracks cleaned
- Blinds dusted slat by slat
- Floors vacuumed under beds and movable furniture
The details older Albany homes add
Many Albany houses are a century old or more, especially in Center Square, Pine Hills and the Helderberg neighborhood. That means cast-iron radiators that trap dust between every fin, plaster walls with picture rail, original hardwood that shouldn't be soaked, and tall double-hung windows with sills that catch grit all winter. A deep clean in one of these homes takes longer than the same square footage in a newer build, and it should.
Deep clean vs. standard clean
A standard clean keeps up a home that's already in good shape: counters, appliance exteriors, bathrooms, dusting reachable surfaces, floors and trash. A deep clean adds the buildup underneath: baseboards, trim, vents, fixtures, grout, grease on the range hood and the dust behind and under furniture. Book a deep clean first, then standard visits to keep it there.
If your home has had regular professional cleaning in the last month or two, you probably don't need a deep clean. Regular house cleaning services will do. If it's been six months, or never, start deep. A standard visit on a neglected house just runs out of time.
How long a deep clean takes by home size
These are rough on-site ranges in cleaner-hours, assuming a home in average condition with no add-ons. A team of two cuts the clock time roughly in half.
| Home size | Typical cleaner-hours |
|---|---|
| Studio or 1-bedroom apartment | 3 to 5 |
| 2-bedroom apartment or small house | 4 to 7 |
| 3-bedroom, 2-bath house | 6 to 10 |
| 4-bedroom or larger | 9 to 14 or more |
What stretches the time: heavy grease, pets that shed, clutter on surfaces, lots of bathrooms, tall ceilings, and add-ons. What shortens it: a home that's been picked up the night before and a clear list of priorities.
When to book a deep clean in Albany
Spring is the big one. After a Capital Region winter of closed windows, radiator heat, and salt and sand tracked through the front hall, every surface has a film on it. A deep clean in April or May clears it out before the windows open.
Before and after hosting is the second. Thanksgiving, a graduation party, or family coming in for a long weekend all justify one, either to get ready or to recover. Book the after-clean when you book the before, because holiday weeks fill up.
The third is the first visit before recurring service. A recurring plan only works if it starts from a clean baseline, so most recurring house cleaning clients begin with a deep clean and then switch to standard visits.
Other good times: before listing a house for sale, after a long illness or a new baby, or when you've just bought a home and want it reset before you unpack. If the home is empty because you're moving, book move-out cleaning instead, since that service is built around an empty home and the inspection that follows.
Add-ons worth considering
A few jobs take enough time that they're priced and scheduled separately. They're worth it in the right situation and a waste in the wrong one.
- Inside the oven: worth it if you can't remember the last time, or before hosting. Skip it if you run self-clean regularly.
- Inside the fridge: best right before a big grocery run, when it's nearly empty anyway.
- Inside cabinets and drawers: only makes sense if you empty them first, so it pairs well with a move or a kitchen reorganization.
- Interior windows: a good spring add-on, especially for older double-hung windows.
- Wall washing: for kitchens, hallways and kids' rooms where hands and scuffs collect.
We clean homes across Albany and the surrounding towns, including Loudonville and Delmar. Tell us your home size, bathrooms, pets, and which add-ons you want, and we'll put together a quote.