When hiring a professional cleaning service, understanding industry-specific terminology can help ensure clear communication and set realistic expectations. Below is a guide to commonly used cleaning terms and their meanings to help you navigate your cleaning service options confidently.
Move-Out Cleanings
A move-out cleaning is for homes that are completely empty of furnishings, personal items, and all but small trash that fits into a dustpan. This is a deep cleaning designed to prepare the home for the next tenant or to help you retrieve cleaning-related security deposits.
Key Points:
- Focuses on making the home as clean as possible, not restoring worn or damaged items.
- Includes cleaning the interiors of major kitchen appliances, cabinets, drawers, closets, etc.
- Windows can be included or excluded as needed.
- Labor-intensive and time-consuming.
Move-In Cleanings
Move-in cleanings are performed on empty homes assumed to have been lightly cleaned by the previous tenant. It focuses on re-cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting to ensure a spotless environment before moving in.
Key Points:
- Designed for homes with light soil from showings or prior cleaning.
- If heavy soil is discovered, the job converts to a move-out cleaning.
- Guarantees a clean, sanitized space.
Post-Construction Cleaning
Post-construction cleaning addresses the dust, paint overspray, and other debris left behind after construction or renovation.
Key Points:
- Removes as much construction soil as possible.
- Due to airborne dust resettling, a second cleaning may be needed.
- Often done in three phases: rough clean, light clean, and final clean, billed separately.
Maintenance Cleaning
Maintenance cleaning follows an initial deep cleaning and involves regularly scheduled cleanings to maintain the home's cleanliness.
Key Points:
- Scheduled weekly, biweekly, or every four weeks.
- Can include additional deep-clean tasks for an extra fee if planned in advance.
Basic Cleaning
Basic cleaning is similar to maintenance cleaning but for homes that don’t require deep cleaning.
Key Points:
- Does not address heavy soils, soap scum, grease, mold, or mildew.
- Heavily soiled areas will require a deep cleaning.
Rotational Cleaning
Rotational cleaning involves alternating tasks during each visit.
Example:
- Week 1: Clean kitchen and bathrooms.
- Week 2: Clean the entire home.
This method helps balance workload and cost over time.
Labor Hour
A labor hour refers to the work completed by one person in one hour.
Example:
- Two people working 1.5 hours each equals three labor hours.
Estimate or Estimated Cost
An estimate is an approximation of the job’s cost based on the provided information. Actual costs may change after an in-person assessment or during cleaning as hidden soils become visible.
Capped Cost
A capped cost is a customer’s maximum budget for a cleaning job.
Key Points:
- The customer provides a prioritized task list.
- Tasks are completed in order until the capped cost is reached.
- Additional time requires prior approval.
Draft/Quote
A draft or quote is a preliminary work order that becomes binding upon acceptance, which involves providing payment details and signing acknowledgment of policies.
Fixed Rate
Fixed-rate services have a set price for an agreed list of tasks, regardless of the time required to complete them.
Key Points:
- No substitutions allowed for tasks.
- Consistent scheduling is necessary to maintain the rate.
Wet Work
Wet work refers to cleaning kitchens and bathrooms, which are the most time-intensive rooms to clean due to their detailed requirements.
Dry Work
Dry work covers the cleaning of less intensive areas such as bedrooms, living rooms, and dining rooms. These rooms generally take less time to clean.
Minimum Fee
The minimum fee is the least amount a customer can pay to cover travel and preparation time for a job. Any work under the minimum will still incur this charge.
By understanding these terms, you’ll be better equipped to communicate your needs, set appropriate expectations, and appreciate the effort involved in professional cleaning services.
Call Quality Cleaning Maid to Order today at 510-623-0557 to discuss your needs and get an estimate of cost.
