Regular Cleaning Vs. Deep Cleaning: Understanding The Real Difference

Maintaining a tidy and organised home promotes good health, hygiene and a harmonious indoor environment. However, performing housekeeping chores like dusting, vacuuming or scrubbing grease can be tedious. But not all cleaning is created equal. While regular cleaning focuses on everyday messes and clutter, deep cleaning goes beyond dusting and vacuuming. It is more intense and requires a lot of time and energy to tackle buildup grime, hidden spots and overlooked areas for high cleanliness results.

Whether you’re maintaining a studio apartment or a rental property in Melbourne, understanding the difference between regular and deep cleaning can help you choose the most suitable approach to combat dirt, grime and grease. You can easily create routines, set timelines and arrange necessary supplies to achieve desired outcomes.

In today's guide, we'll understand the key difference between deep cleaning vs regular cleaning. From time to approach and method, it includes everything to help clear your doubts and create a better strategy for a healthy and spotless home environment.

Let’s Get Started!

1. Difference in Purpose & Intensity

The main objective of regular cleaning is to tackle everyday dirt and maintain general cleanliness. This can prevent the dirt and grime buildup, which promotes a healthy and hygienic space. As a responsible homemaker, you’ll need to focus on tasks like dusting hard surfaces, vacuuming, doing dishes, taking out the trash, clearing the floor, etc. It is designed to maintain the basic cleanliness level to ensure comfort.

Deep cleaning, on the other hand, is more intricate and detailed. The main purpose is to clean areas overlooked during routine clean-up sessions. It may require intensive scrubbing of surfaces, meticulous sweeping, mopping, and sanitising every nook and cranny. It is usually performed every one or two months or as required – like before moving into a new house, post construction, seasonal change etc.

However, if you are at the end of your tenancy, book a cheap end of lease cleaning Melbourne service. It is more detailed and requires a pre-approved cleaning checklist to meet the landlord's standards for hassle-free bond retrieval.

2. Cleaning Frequency

Regular cleaning is usually performed daily or weekly, depending on the size and condition of your home. It is good to create a daily or 7-day cleaning routine to keep dirt, dust, accidental spills, splatters and grime at bay. As a busy working professional, ensure you manage day to day household chores to achieve a basic cleaning standard in all rooms, including kitchen and bathrooms.

Unlike regular cleaning, deep cleaning is performed monthly or seasonally, depending on the occasion and specific requirements. Take your time to meticulously spruce up every nook and cranny, including air vents, window sills, door tracks, behind the heavy furniture, inside kitchen appliances and much more. Deep cleaning a home every month, according to the customised checklist, can make a world of difference.

3. Regular Vs. Deep: Level of Cleanliness

Regular cleaning focuses on a surface level to keep hard surfaces, floors and kitchen counters clutter-free and clean. It doesn't include cleaning hidden spots or difficult to reach areas, such as behind appliances, ceilings and mouldings. Instead, it is about removing visible clutter and mess from floors, counters, showers and sinks.

Deep cleaning, on the contrary, involves a top to bottom cleaning. The process begins from decluttering the space to dusting ceiling fans, light fixtures, vents, washing windows, and scrubbing bathroom tiles. Every nook and cranny will be addressed in the session. A proper deep cleaning checklist usually includes:

• Living rooms: Dusting ceiling fans, air vents, light fixtures, fittings, shelves, cupboards, windows, blinds, carpets, rugs, door tracks, baseboards and skirting boards, floors.
• Bedrooms: Washing bed linens, vacuuming mattresses, cleaning carpets, dusting side tables and lamps, cleaning inside, outside and top of cabinets, mopping floors.
• Kitchen: Degreasing kitchen cabinets, cooktops, ovens, microwaves and countertops, behind appliances, emptying and deep cleaning fridge, rangehood and filter cleaning, cleaning and disinfecting sinks and faucets, and unclogging garbage disposal.
• Bathrooms: Descaling showerheads, grouts, tiles, shower glass doors and bathtubs, cleaning and disinfecting toilet bowls, sinks and counters. Ensure you remove mould and mildew using hydrogen peroxide.
• Other areas: Clean laundry room, patio furniture, garage walls and driveways.

4. Time and Energy Involved in The Process

There is no denying that regular cleaning is comparatively quick, easy and requires no elbow grease if done consistently. A standard clean up section can take 30 to 60 minutes, depending on your home’s size and condition. It is good to set a timer and wipe down hard surfaces properly using microfiber cloths, extendable dusters and smart cleaning tools.

However, deep cleaning requires a lot of time, energy and patience. It is a labour-intensive job that may take several hours or an entire day, depending on various crucial factors. You must prepare your mind in advance, stock up on all the necessary cleaning supplies and delegate age-appropriate tasks to streamline the process.

A professional end of lease cleaning Melbourne service can make a huge difference for large and neglected rental properties. They follow a proper checklist to save you time, energy and the chances of bond deductions.

5. Cleaning Supplies Required

Regular house cleaning session often requires basic cleaning supplies for dusting, sweeping and mopping. Ensure you have eco friendly all-purpose cleaning spray, microfiber cloths, a vacuum cleaner with brush attachments, a toilet brush, mops and disinfectant spray.

Detailed cleaning, however, requires a comprehensive stock of cleaning supplies. This includes mops, dusters, steam cleaners, mould and grease removers, grout brushes, sponges, etc. It is good to prepare DIY cleaning products at home using pantry ingredients. You can use baking soda, vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, lemon, salt, warm water, etc, to achieve a spotless home all year round. 6. Hiring Professionals: Pricing Considerations

If you plan to hire cleaning professionals, regular house cleaning is more cost-effective,  as it doesn’t involve intensive tasks. You can hire recurring house cleaning Melbourne services to maintain a tidy home without stress.

Deep cleaning is often priced at a high rate due to the time, effort and energy required to complete the job. However, it is worth the investment when it comes to protecting your family from lethal germs and allergies indoors. You can hire one-time deep cleaning service whenever required and enjoy a healthy and hygienic abode.

What is the Difference between Regular vs. Deep House Cleaning?

Wrapping up

Regular and deep cleaning are crucial for maintaining a meticulous, harmonious, germ-free indoor space. However, each type requires a different approach and strategies to achieve the desired results. It is good to regularly clean  your home to remove surface-level dust and debris. If preparing your home for guests, parties or routine inspections, deep cleaning can meet your specific requirements. By understanding the real difference, you can make informed decisions and keep your home clean and shiny all year-round.