You’re just having one of those weeks where everything that can go wrong does go wrong. There was a huge mess up at work; your toddler got sick, and then you dropped your phone and broke the screen.
It’s just too much.
Cleaning is off the list of things you want to do in the midst of this chaos. But does that mean your home should stay disorganized? Not really.
Professional cleaning services can be lifesavers in such situations. But if you’ve never hired one before, you might wonder: what is included in a basic house cleaning? Let’s find out.
Table Of Content
What Is Basic House Cleaning?
Basic house cleaning is exactly how it sounds. It’s basic.
It’s not as extensive as spring cleaning or as time-consuming as moving-in or moving-out cleaning. Instead, it focuses on keeping your home neat and tidy.
Who Performs Basic House Cleaning?
Most people do it themselves.
Think of the clean-up you give your home every other day (or every day if you have mischievous little ones!). You dust the countertops, vacuum the floors, clean the kitchen, and mop the bathrooms. That’s basic house cleaning.
However, a cleaning service can do that for you, too. If you want to give yourself a break or simply don’t have the time or energy for it, you can hire a cleaner to take care of your basic house cleaning tasks.
What Is Included In a Basic House Cleaning Service?
Before you hire a professional company, it’s important to know what’s included in a basic house cleaning because you don’t want to end up with an unfinished job.
Generally, a basic house cleaning includes the following sections.
Bedrooms and Living Room
Most cleaners will start with the living room since it’s the first and main room in most homes. Then, they move on to the bedrooms.
At EliteMaids, we perform the following cleaning tasks in the bedrooms and the living room:
- Making the bed
- Removing and disposing of the trash
- Mopping the floors
- Vacuuming the carpets
- Dusting and wiping down the furniture
- Wiping down window sills and ledges
If you have any special requests, we cater to those, too.
Kitchen
A residential house basic cleaning also involves tackling the kitchen. When it comes to cleaning the kitchen, it’s not limited to the stove. If you have a dishwasher and other appliances, those get cleaned, too.
Do note that cleaning behind or inside the refrigerator is not a part of basic cleaning. EliteMaids provides the following services in kitchen cleaning:
- Loading/unloading the dishwasher
- Polishing and wiping the surfaces
- Cleaning appliances such as the stove, microwave oven, and refrigerator
- Wiping the countertops and sinks
Bathrooms
Part of the reason many people hire cleaning services is that they dread cleaning their bathrooms. If you don’t keep up with bathroom cleaning regularly, it can quickly become a concern.
In a basic cleaning, the cleaners will do the following:
- Cleaning the toilets and bathtubs
- Cleaning the mirrors
- Scrubbing off any lime, scale, and rust buildup in the shower head and faucet
- Vacuuming or mopping the floors
Again, if you have fixtures in the bathroom, they get wiped, too. Some people have additional requests like using special cleaning solutions or even detailing the grouts in their bathrooms. These incur additional charges, though.
Customizing Your Basic House Cleaning
Each home is different, and so are your cleaning needs. That’s why many cleaning services offer customized options. Need green cleaning products, flexible scheduling, or special care for specific areas? You can tailor your cleaning plan to fit your lifestyle. Special request? Let your cleaners know in advance; they’ll do their best to make it happen. Customized cleaning services guarantee that your house receives the necessary attention without going beyond basic house cleaning.
What’s Not Included in a Basic House Cleaning?
While regular house cleaning includes duties like dusting, vacuuming, and surface wiping, other areas necessitate specialized expertise. Usually excluded are tasks include carpet shampooing, deep cleaning neglected areas, window washing, and interior appliance cleaning—that of ovens and refrigerators. Hard-to-reach areas and intensive cleaning procedures are typically classified as deep cleaning or one-time intensive services. Knowing these exclusions guarantees you choose the appropriate service for the demands of your house and helps define clear expectations. You might want to look at a deep cleaning package for a more complete clean.
Basic Cleaning vs Deep Cleaning House
By now, you know what is included in a basic house cleaning. But how does that differ from a deep clean?
Deep cleaning involves the following additional services:
- Cleaning and washing the ceiling fan blades
- Dusting the doors and cabinets
- Cleaning the lampshades
- Washing walls and baseboards
- Vacuuming and cleaning the upholstery
- Cleaning windows, window sills, and frames
- Scrubbing the bathroom tiles
- Cleaning the stairs (wood washing and vacuuming)
Check out the table for more differences between basic and deep cleaning.
Features | Basic Cleaning | Deep Cleaning |
Charging Rate | Per Hour | Per Size |
Cleaning Supplies | Basic | Specialized |
Suitable For | Regular cleaning and maintenance | Post-renovation, spring cleaning, and move-in or move-out purposes |
Time Taken | 3 to 4 hours | 8 hours to full day |
Number of Cleaners | 1 to 2 | Full team (4 to 6 cleaners) |
When to Choose Deep Cleaning Over Basic Cleaning
A regular house cleaning suffices in most cases. If you think your home isn’t in the best shape, you can hire a cleaner to deal with the mess.
Sometimes, a simple basic cleaning won’t cut it.
Let’s say you were away for a three-week vacation. Now that you’re back, there are cobwebs on the walls, dust bunnies in the corners, and grime everywhere.
In this case, you’d want to opt for deep cleaning. It also helps to get your home deep-cleaned before every season. You can then start every season with a clean slate.
Preparation for Cleaning Services: How to Prepare For a Basic House Cleaning?
You’ve hired a team of professional cleaners, and they’re arriving this afternoon. How do you prepare for it? Here are some pointers.
Declutter the Floors
We’re not saying you should start cleaning the floors yourself. What we mean is that you should get rid of the clutter on them, like clothes, toys, shoes, electronics, random items, etc.
Doing so will make it easier for the cleaners to do their job without tripping over and injuring themselves.
Put the Valuables Away
At EliteMaids, we do rigorous background checks to ensure the safety of your home. Even so, it’s best to store away any valuable items lying around – jewelry, money, important documents, etc.
Besides money, if you have any other valuable item you don’t want to part with, like a vase or painting, put it in a safe place. We recommend doing this before the cleaners arrive and not while they’re inside the house, because it will make things chaotic.
You know that candle you made with your best friend at a workshop in Paris? Or that vintage vase your great-grandmother gave you for your wedding? Keep them in a safe place before the cleaner arrives.
Move Fragile Items
If you have glass ornaments lying around, move them away from the cleaner’s reach. The same applies to lamps, vases, and other breakable items.
Keep Your Pets Out of the Way
At EliteMaids, we absolutely love our furry friends. But we don’t want them tripping over the cleaners while they’re doing their jobs. The last thing we need is your pet getting hurt or scared!
We advise keeping your four-legged buddies out of the way while we work. You can take them out for a walk or put them in a separate room with food and water.
Leave Special Instructions
No two homes or homeowners are the same. Every house has its quirks, and every homeowner has their preferences.
EliteMaids prefers hearing about both.
If there’s a problematic faucet in the bathroom or the blinds need some special treatment, feel free to leave a note for the cleaners. Similarly, if you have personal preferences, like a certain type of cleaning product or dusting technique, let your cleaners know.
Provide a Pleasant Cleaning Experience
When someone comes into your home to do you a service, it’s good to be courteous.
For example, leave the air conditioner or heating on, depending on the weather. The cleaner may be too shy to ask, so you can help by setting it to a pleasant temperature.
If possible, put some snacks and drinks for the cleaners. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy — just something nice and refreshing.
Also, don’t forget to thank your cleaners for their hard work. They might repay you with basic house cleaning and organization tips you can use in the future.
How Much Is a Basic House Cleaning?
When people learn what is included in a basic house cleaning, the next thing they want to know is how much it would cost them.
The pricing will differ based on where you live, the size of your home, the number of cleaners required, and special instructions.
According to Angi, a professional cleaner charges $25 to $50 per hour . Forbes reports that if your living space is about 999 square feet, the total basic cleaning cost will range from $150 to $250 . For larger homes, it can go up to $400 per cleaning session.
HomeGuide’s estimates are also along the same lines. They estimate that a one-time basic cleaning will cost you between $120 and $280. If you break it down to a per-hour rate, it will be between $25 and $75 per cleaner.
Keeping this in mind, you can guess that if you have more rooms, you’ll require more cleaners. The more the cleaners, the higher the cost.
At EliteMaids, we charge $50 per cleaner per hour for homes under 1,000 square feet and $60 per cleaner per hour for larger spaces. Our cost includes one bathroom, all bedrooms, a kitchen, and shared spaces. You can add more bathrooms for $30 each. Reach out to us for more information.
Takeaway
Every once in a while, it’s good to treat yourself to a clean house without lifting a finger. If that’s not every homeowner’s dream, we don’t know what is.
At EliteMaids, we have the skills, knowledge, equipment, and staff to get your home sparkling clean. The best part? We do it at competitive pricing that you’d rarely find elsewhere in an expensive area like New York.
Book your basic house cleaning today to see our expertise in action.
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