June 16, 2024
What’s included in a recurring, deep, and move-out clean
A clear, room-by-room breakdown of Cedarline’s three core service tiers — and exactly how to pick the right one for your home.
Not all house cleaning is the same — and the difference between a recurring visit, a deep clean, and a move-out clean isn’t just price. Each one is built for a different job, and choosing the wrong tier either leaves your home less clean than you expected or has you paying for work you didn’t need. If you’ve ever wondered “what’s actually included in a house cleaning?” this is the straight answer.
Below is a plain-language breakdown of all three Cedarline service tiers — what each covers, how the rooms differ, which tasks count as optional add-ons, and the questions to ask yourself when choosing. If you already know what you need, the live price calculator gives you a flat upfront number in under a minute.
The three tiers at a glance
Think of the three tiers as a ladder. A recurring clean maintains a home that’s already in good shape. A deep clean resets one that hasn’t had detailed attention in a while. A move-out clean is a full empty-home reset built to survive a landlord inspection. Each tier includes everything below it, plus more — in time, detail, and scope.
- Recurring clean — upkeep for a home in good condition; weekly, biweekly, or monthly
- Deep clean — a top-to-bottom reset; recommended as a starting point for new service
- Move-out clean — the most thorough tier; inside every cabinet, appliance, and closet, on an empty home
Recurring clean: what’s included
A recurring visit is built for a home that’s maintained between cleans. Because the baseline is already solid, the crew focuses on the surfaces that get dirty fastest — the ones that keep the whole home feeling fresh week to week. Every visit, you can expect:
Kitchen
- Wipe and disinfect countertops, backsplash, and sink
- Clean the exterior of appliances — stovetop, microwave outside, refrigerator outside
- Scrub the sink and polish fixtures
- Wipe cabinet faces and handles
- Empty trash and replace the liner
Bathrooms
- Clean and sanitize toilets — bowl, seat, lid, tank, and base
- Scrub the tub and shower — surfaces, fixtures, and glass
- Wipe the vanity, countertop, and mirror
- Sweep and mop the floor
Bedrooms and living areas
- Dust reachable surfaces, shelves, furniture tops, and decor
- Vacuum carpets, rugs, and upholstered furniture
- Mop hard floors
- Wipe mirrors and glass
- Make beds (fresh linens swapped on request as an add-on)
Because recurring visits stay ahead of the buildup, they’re also the most cost-efficient clean per visit. The more consistently you maintain the home, the less each visit costs — and the faster it goes. See our house cleaning cost guide for how frequency affects your per-visit price on the Eastside.
Deep clean: what’s included
A deep clean contains everything in a recurring visit, then goes further — into the places that everyday cleaning never quite reaches. It’s slower, more detailed, and thorough in a way that’s genuinely visible: grout lines, baseboards, the buildup behind the stovetop, the dust on the ceiling fan you’ve stopped seeing.
Most new Cedarline clients start with a deep clean. It brings the whole home to a consistent baseline, after which recurring visits keep it there with far less time and effort. It’s also the right call after a long stretch without detailed cleaning, after a renovation, or any time you want the house genuinely reset rather than just maintained.
Kitchen (deep)
- Everything in a recurring visit, plus:
- Degrease the range hood and filter
- Scrub the stovetop grates and burner rings
- Clean the interior of the microwave
- Wipe down cabinet interiors — available as an add-on
- Clean inside the oven and refrigerator — available as add-ons
Bathrooms (deep)
- Everything in a recurring visit, plus:
- Scrub tile grout and remove soap scum and hard-water buildup
- Descale glass shower doors and showerheads
- Detail the exhaust-fan vent
- Clean window sills and tracks
Bedrooms and living areas (deep)
- Everything in a recurring visit, plus:
- Dust ceiling fans, light fixtures, and vents
- Hand-wipe baseboards, trim, door frames, and switch plates
- Move accessible furniture to clean underneath and behind
- Detail window sills, tracks, and interior glass
- Spot-clean walls and door handles
For a fuller comparison of what separates these two tiers, see our deep clean vs. standard clean guide — it goes room by room in more detail and covers how often most Eastside homes actually need the deeper treatment.
Move-out clean: what’s included
A move-out clean is the most thorough tier we offer, and it’s built for one specific job: resetting an empty home to a standard a landlord will inspect against. With no furniture in the way, every surface is exposed — inside cabinets, the interior of every appliance, closets, corners where dust has lived undisturbed for years. Nothing gets skipped.
The key difference from a deep clean is scope: a move-out clean is an exhaustive whole-home reset. Inside the oven, inside the refrigerator, inside every cabinet and drawer, and inside every closet are all included in the base price — not add-ons. It’s priced accordingly.
Kitchen (move-out)
- Inside and outside of the oven, including racks and the glass door
- Refrigerator emptied and fully wiped — shelves, drawers, door seals, and the top
- Inside every cabinet and drawer
- Degreased range hood, backsplash, and countertops
- Sink descaled and fixtures polished to a show-ready finish
Bathrooms (move-out)
- Grout scrubbed; soap scum and hard-water buildup fully removed
- Toilet disinfected inside and out, including the base and the wall behind it
- Vanity, mirror, and inside any medicine cabinets
- Exhaust-fan vent cleaned; floors mopped into every corner
Throughout the home (move-out)
- Inside every closet — shelves, rods, and floors
- Baseboards, window sills, tracks, and interior glass throughout
- Light fixtures, ceiling fans, vents, and all switch plates
- Floors vacuumed and mopped edge to edge, including where furniture and appliances stood
Optional add-ons: what’s not in the base price
For recurring and deep cleans, a handful of tasks sit outside the base price as optional add-ons — so you only pay for what you actually need. These are included automatically in a move-out clean.
- Inside the oven — grease buildup inside the oven takes significant extra time
- Inside the refrigerator — shelves, drawers, and door seals
- Interior windows — cleaning the inside surfaces and tracks
- Inside cabinets and drawers — emptied and wiped down
- Laundry (wash and fold) and changing bed linens
All add-ons are priced transparently and can be toggled in the price calculator before you book — the number updates live as you adjust.
Which tier is right for you?
If your home is already in decent shape and you’re booking recurring service, a recurring clean is exactly right — and most clients who start with a deep clean move to recurring visits from there. If the home hasn’t had a detailed clean in six months or more, or you’re starting a new cleaning relationship, a deep clean is the right foundation. If you’re vacating a rental and want your deposit back, book the move-out.
A few quick rules of thumb:
- First visit with any new service — deep clean
- Returning after 3–6 months without professional cleaning — deep clean
- After a renovation or construction — deep clean (post-construction cleaning is a specialty we handle)
- Vacating a rental — move-out clean
- Regularly maintained home on a standing schedule — recurring clean
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to start with a deep clean?
For most homes, yes — we recommend it. A deep clean establishes a consistent baseline that makes every recurring visit faster, more thorough, and better value. If your home has had regular professional cleaning recently and is in excellent shape, we can discuss whether a recurring visit to start makes sense.
How long does each type of clean take?
A recurring clean on a maintained home typically takes 1.5–3 hours for a two-person team. A deep clean runs 3–5 hours depending on home size and condition. A move-out clean on a large home can run 5–8 hours — the empty space means every surface is accessible and gets cleaned. All Cedarline visits are flat-priced, so you’re never watching the clock.
What if I’m not happy with the result?
Every Cedarline clean is backed by a 24-hour re-clean guarantee: if something isn’t right, tell us within a day and we come back to fix it at no charge. That’s a standing promise, not fine print.
Ready to see your exact price? The live price calculator gives you a flat, upfront number for any tier in about a minute — adjust your home size, clean type, frequency, and add-ons and the number updates live. Or if you’d rather talk it through, get a free quote and we’ll find the right fit for your home.