Deep cleaning • UK guide
Deep cleaning: costs, checklist and quotes
Give your home a thorough refresh, from built-up kitchen grease to detailed bathroom and room cleaning. Use our checklist to plan the work and request free quotes from local professionals through MyJobQuote.
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Indicative rate
About £20–£35 per cleaner per hour
Typical quote basis
Time estimate or fixed price after scope review
Main price drivers
Size, condition, detail level and agreed extras
Understand the service
What is deep cleaning?
Deep cleaning is a more detailed one-off clean intended to address built-up dirt and areas that are not normally covered during a routine maintenance visit. It can be booked for an occupied home, a seasonal reset, preparation for guests or a property that has not been cleaned thoroughly for some time.
Build your checklist around your priorities. Ask for appliance and cupboard interiors, carpet cleaning or exterior windows as part of the quote when you need them.
A clear checklist makes quotes easier to compare and helps your cleaner plan the time and equipment for your home.
When can it be useful?
- After a long gap between thorough cleans
- Before hosting visitors or a special occasion
- For a seasonal whole-home reset
- Before starting regular maintenance visits
- When kitchens and bathrooms need extra detail
Choose the correct level
Regular cleaning vs deep cleaning
Regular cleaning
Purpose: maintain a home that is already at a manageable standard.
- Repeat weekly or fortnightly routine
- Accessible dusting and surface cleaning
- Kitchen and bathroom maintenance
- Vacuuming and hard-floor mopping
- Usually excludes heavy build-up and detailed appliance interiors
Deep cleaning
Purpose: reset areas that need more time, products and detailed attention.
- Normally a longer one-off visit
- More work on edges, fittings and build-up
- Detailed kitchen and bathroom treatment
- Skirting, frames, switches and less frequent tasks
- Optional interiors and specialist services by agreement
A regular cleaner may recommend an initial deep clean before starting maintenance visits, but this depends on the home’s condition and the ongoing priorities.
Choose the right service
Which cleaning service fits the job?
These services can share individual tasks, but they solve different problems. Start with the reason for the visit, then confirm the exact written scope and any separately priced extras.
| Service | Best fit | Main scope | How to describe the quote | Check separately |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| One-off cleaning | A single flexible visit, selected rooms or move-in preparation | A priority list completed within the booked time or agreed fixed scope | List the must-do tasks first, then lower priorities if time remains | Appliance interiors, carpets, windows and specialist stains |
| Deep cleaning | Built-up dirt, a seasonal reset or more detail than routine cleaning | Edges, fittings, kitchen and bathroom build-up, plus agreed less-frequent tasks | Identify rooms, condition, detail level and every requested interior | Oven, fridge, cupboards, carpet extraction and exterior windows |
| End of tenancy cleaning | A rental check-out, property handover or inventory-based clean | A whole-property checklist linked to the agreed handover condition | Share the inventory, property size, condition, access and deadline | Carpet extraction, appliance interiors, parking and re-clean terms |
| After builders cleaning | Completed building, renovation or installation work | Fine construction dust, labels and agreed light residue removal | Describe the work completed, affected areas, surfaces and remaining residue | Rubble, hazardous waste, heavy paint or cement, and high-level access |
Four quick questions
- Is the property being handed back under a tenancy or inventory? Start with end of tenancy cleaning.
- Have building or renovation works just finished? Start with after builders cleaning.
- Is the main problem built-up dirt and detailed work? Start with deep cleaning.
- Do you need one flexible visit around a personal priority list? Start with one-off cleaning.
Give providers the same scope
For comparable quotations, send each provider the same property size, occupancy status, photographs, priority rooms, condition notes, access information and deadline. List oven interiors, cupboards, carpets, windows, waste and specialist residue separately instead of assuming they are included.
Agree a written checklist and total price with your chosen professional before the visit.
Scope guide
What is commonly included in a deep clean?
Use this checklist to set your priorities and compare the work included in your quotes.
Kitchen
- Worktops, sink, taps and splashbacks
- Cupboard fronts, handles and kickboards
- Hob, extractor exterior and appliance exteriors
- Grease build-up on reachable surfaces
- Floor edges and accessible areas beneath movable items
Bathrooms
- Bath, shower, basin, toilet and fittings
- General limescale and soap-residue treatment
- Tiles, mirrors and accessible surfaces
- Vents, radiators and reachable fittings
- Floor edges, skirting and door areas
Rooms and finishing
- Detailed dusting of reachable surfaces
- Skirting boards, doors, frames and switches
- Radiators, sills and accessible light fittings
- Cobweb removal and reachable high dusting
- Vacuuming and hard-floor mopping
Optional extras and specialist tasks
- Inside ovens, fridges, freezers and other appliances
- Inside cupboards and drawers that have not been emptied
- Professional carpet and upholstery extraction
- Exterior windows and specialist high-level access
- Mould remediation, pests, biohazards or hazardous waste
- Heavy decluttering, rubbish removal and moving large furniture
Confirm these details in writing
Appliances: Which interiors, shelves, racks and trays are included?
Windows: Does “inside windows” include frames, tracks or only accessible glass?
Carpets: Is the quote for vacuuming or a professional wet-cleaning method?
Access: What can be moved safely and what must be cleared before arrival?
Budget guide
How much does deep cleaning cost in the UK?
About £20–£35 per cleaner per hour is a useful broad planning range for many deep-cleaning services.
Some providers price by time; others give a fixed quote after reviewing property size, photographs and the requested checklist. A whole-home total can vary widely, so an hourly figure alone does not show the final cost.
Prices can be higher in London and some high-cost areas. VAT, minimum hours, parking, travel, products, equipment and specialist extras may be separate.
What changes the total?
- Floor area, rooms and bathrooms
- Current condition and build-up
- Furnished versus empty property
- Appliance and cupboard interiors
- Carpets, upholstery and windows
- Parking, access and short notice
Price note: These are indicative September 2026 planning figures, not a quotation. Confirm the complete written scope and total with the chosen provider.
How long can a deep clean take?
A small, reasonably clear home may need several hours. A larger furnished property with kitchen grease, bathroom limescale and detailed interiors may need a team for most of a day or longer.
Elapsed time and labour hours are different. Three cleaners working for four hours represent twelve labour hours. Ask whether an estimate describes one cleaner, a team or a fixed completion window.
Time estimates are more reliable when the provider receives accurate photographs and a detailed task list before the booking.
Practical MV Cleaning insight
The details that most often change the result
From hands-on cleaning work, the largest misunderstandings usually involve tasks that sound small but take significant time: old grease around cooker fittings, limescale on screens and taps, cupboard interiors that are still full, pet hair in edges and upholstery, and marks that are damage rather than removable dirt.
Products need dwell time and some surfaces require cautious methods. “Use something stronger” is not always safe. A realistic provider should distinguish cleaning from restoration and explain when a permanent stain, worn sealant or damaged finish may remain.
Useful photographs to send
- A wide view of each room
- Kitchen hob, oven and extractor
- Bathroom screens, taps and grout
- Any heavy build-up, stains or access limits
Prepare before the cleaners arrive
Clear surfaces
Put away personal items and remove rubbish so paid cleaning time is not lost to organising possessions.
Empty agreed interiors
Empty cupboards, drawers, fridge or freezer only when their interiors are confirmed in the scope.
Provide safe access
Confirm parking, keys, pets, alarms and access to electricity, hot water and adequate lighting.
Identify delicate materials, damaged fittings and areas that must not be moved or treated before work begins.
How to compare deep-cleaning providers
- Ask for a written checklist and explicit exclusions.
- Confirm whether the price is hourly, estimated or fixed.
- Check VAT, minimum hours, parking and travel charges.
- Ask who supplies products and specialist equipment.
- Check insurance and the process for reporting a problem.
- Understand what happens if the condition differs on arrival.
A useful quote should state
- The agreed property and service date
- The tasks and separately priced extras
- The expected total or charging basis
- Access, cancellation and complaint terms
- The business responsible for the work
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Deep cleaning FAQs
Is deep cleaning the same as end of tenancy cleaning?
They overlap, but end of tenancy cleaning is normally structured around an empty-property handover and an inventory-style checklist. A deep clean can be tailored to an occupied home without a tenancy check-out.
Is oven cleaning included?
Not automatically. Confirm the oven cavity, racks, trays, hob and extractor separately. A specialist oven service may use different equipment and pricing.
Can a deep clean remove every stain and mark?
No. Permanent staining, worn grout, damaged sealant, scratches, corrosion and altered surface finishes may not be removable through cleaning.
Do I need to leave the property?
Not always, but fewer people, pets and possessions in the working areas can make access easier. Agree keys, security and occupied rooms with the provider.
Do cleaners bring products and equipment?
Policies differ. Confirm whether the provider supplies products, cloths, vacuum, steam equipment, ladders or any specialist machinery needed for the agreed scope.
Can I compare quotes for this service?
Yes. Select the MyJobQuote button, enter your postcode and describe your cleaning priorities. Your request is free and you can compare up to 3 local quotes, with no obligation to book.
Free Cleaning Help
Trying to solve one bathroom problem first?
If the wider property does not need a deep clean, start with the actual surface and problem. Shower glass, protective coatings, metal finishes, seals and nearby stone can all need different care.
Limescale on shower glass
Check whether the glass is coated before using acidic or abrasive treatment, and protect nearby frames, seals and stone.
More practical cleaning problems
Use the Cleaning Problem Solver for researched household cleaning guidance, material warnings and clear points where DIY should stop.