What should deep cleaning include?

What a deep clean covers, room by room

Routine cleaning looks after the surfaces you use every day. A deep clean goes further: inside cabinets and drawers, behind and under furniture, into grout and window tracks, and up to fans and light fittings.

Each company defines its own scope, so two services both called deep cleaning can cover different things. For deep cleaning, what is included should be written in the quote, item by item. Use the room lists below to ask questions before you book. You can see companies that offer this work on the deep cleaning services page.

For regular upkeep, see the routine home cleaning checklist. For a seasonal clean, see the spring cleaning checklist.

Kitchen

In the kitchen, the focus is grease and the places behind cupboard doors. Ask whether the scope includes:

• The cooker hood and its filters
• The hob and the wall tiles behind it
• Inside cabinets and drawers (ask whether you need to empty them first)
• Wall and floor tiles, with the grout scrubbed
• The sink, tap and sink strainer
• The outside of appliances such as the fridge and oven

Cleaning inside the oven or fridge can be an add-on. If you want either done, ask for it by name and check that it appears on the quote.

Bathrooms

Ask whether the bathroom scope includes:

• Wall and floor tiles, with the grout scrubbed
• Silicone joints around the basin and shower
• Shower screens, mirrors and other glass
• Taps, shower heads and other fittings
• Floor traps and their gratings
• The toilet bowl, seat and base

NEA's guidelines for cleaning and disinfecting residences say to clean bathrooms from high to low (wall to floor) and from cleaner to dirtier areas (shower to toilet bowl). NEA also recommends ventilating the home, especially during and after cleaning and disinfection, to reduce the concentration of disinfection products in the air.

HDB advises using non-corrosive detergents in toilets and bathrooms, so ask which products the team brings. If a bathroom ceiling has a damp patch, mention it before the clean. HDB says ceiling leaks happen when water from the flat above seeps through the floor slab, and its ceiling leak guide starts with talking to your upstairs neighbour.

Bedrooms and living areas

Ask whether the scope includes:

• Ceiling fan blades and light fittings
• Above wardrobes and shelves
• Skirting along the walls
• Window tracks, frames and grilles
• Under beds and sofas, and behind furniture
• Light switches, door handles and doors

Ask whether the team moves heavy furniture or only cleans around and under it.

Aircon servicing is a separate service. A cleaner may wipe the outside of the indoor unit or wash its filters only if the company says so, so check the quote.

Published deep cleaning rates

11 companies publish a deep or spring cleaning rate. 7 of them price per job, from S$190 to S$600 per job as printed, with S$280 in the middle. That middle figure is one company's actual published rate, not an average.

The other four are printed without a unit: S$198 (under 600 sqft, 1 cleaner, 4 hrs), S$350 to S$420 from one company (under 501 sqft), S$350 (under 500 sqft) and from S$550. For a whole home, each rate is usually for the smallest size the company prices, so ask which rate applies to your home.

FROM THE HOMEZYPRO DIRECTORY

Published deep cleaning rates

For the most common unit (per job), the lowest published deep cleaning rates from 7 companies run from S$190 to S$600 per job (middle rate S$280), for a whole home, usually the smallest size the company prices. The middle figure is a real published rate, not an average. Each figure is one company's own advertised rate with its conditions, not a quote.

See 11 published deep cleaning rates and sources

Lowest matching advertised rate per company, in SGD as published. "From" marks a starting price and ranges are shown in full. Check the source for minimums, GST and inclusions.

Company	Service as listed	Rate	Source
Detail Freak	Deep Clean	From S$190 per job	detail-freak.com
Auntie Cleaner Pte Ltd	Spring cleaning, home under 600 sqft (1 cleaner, 4 hrs)	S$198	auntiecleaner.com.sg
Cleatra Pte Ltd	Deep Cleaning (Occupied Homes): 500sqft & Below	S$240 per job	getcleatra.com
Natural Clean	Deep Cleaning - Studio / 2-Room	From S$280 per job	naturalclean.com.sg
RitzHelper	Deep Cleaning - Thorough cleaning of your space	From S$280 per job	ritzhelper.com
Tidy Homes Cleaning	Deep Cleaning	From S$333 per job	tidyhomes.com.sg
Clean Off	Spring cleaning, less than 501 sqft	S$350 to S$420	cleanoff.com.sg
Hybee Singapore	Deep cleaning, property less than 500 sqft	S$350	hybee.sg
1 Plus Private Limited	Deep Cleaning Services Singapore	S$378 per job	whissh.com.sg
Kimbert Services Pte Ltd	Deep cleaning	From S$550	kimbert.sg
Sureclean	Professional spring cleaning	From S$600 per job	sureclean.com.sg

Each figure is quoted as printed and links to its source, where you can check the scope. For more on pricing, read the deep cleaning cost guide or see home cleaning prices.

The full deep cleaning checklist

Use this table when you compare quotes and again before the team leaves.

The last three rows come from NEA's mozzie-free checklist. NEA also suggests removing water from plant pot plates and changing vase water every other day, and clearing fallen leaves and stagnant water in scupper drains once a week.

Questions