A deep clean is a different job from a regular clean, and firms use the phrase for different things. This is what it covers when Spark Clean Professional does one, so you know what you are booking.
The difference from a regular clean
A regular clean maintains surfaces: it wipes, vacuums, mops and keeps a home presentable. A deep clean goes after everything the regular routine skips because it takes too long or needs the wrong tools: the inside of the oven, the extractor filter, the limescale in the shower head, the dust on top of the wardrobe, the grime along the skirting behind the sofa, and the dirt inside the carpet rather than on top of it.
The other difference is order. A deep clean works from the top of each room down, so dust from the cornice and the light fitting is not knocked onto a surface that has already been done.
Room by room
Kitchen. Oven stripped and degreased including racks, trays and the door glass. Hob and extractor hood, with the filter soaked. Fridge and freezer inside. Microwave, dishwasher filter, washing machine seal. Every cupboard and drawer emptied of crumbs and wiped inside and out. Tiles, grout, sink, taps, bin.
Bathrooms. Limescale dissolved from taps, shower screens, tiles and around the toilet base rather than scratched off. Grout scrubbed back to colour. Sealant checked. Toilet inside and out including hinges. Mirror, extractor cover, window.
Bedrooms and living rooms. Cornices and light fittings, tops of furniture, walls spot-cleaned, switches and sockets, door frames and doors, radiators front and back, inside windows and sills, skirting boards, then floors.
Hallway and stairs. Banisters, spindles, the stairs carpet, the front door.
The soft furnishings
This is the part most general cleaning companies leave out, because they do not have the equipment. A deep clean from a carpet and upholstery firm can include the carpets and rugs steam cleaned with an industrial extraction machine, the sofas and armchairs extracted, the curtains cleaned hanging in place, and the mattresses done. That is the difference between a home that looks clean and one that is clean all the way through, including the smells.
What it does not include
Clearing rubbish or belongings, repairs, decorating, exterior work, and anything that needs a specialist trade such as chimney sweeping or duct cleaning. If the surfaces are buried under clutter, the result is limited by what can be reached, so clear as much as you can before the day.
When to book one
Before moving in, after building work, after a long illness, after a winter with the windows shut, before a house goes on the market, or once a year. Say what state the property is in when you book so enough time is allowed; a neglected property is planned as a longer day or two operators.
