How to Deep Clean an Apartment: Room-by-Room Guide

Deep cleaning an apartment takes 3 to 5 hours to do yourself, or from $248 if you hire a professional for a 1-bedroom unit. This guide covers the room-by-room process for a thorough apartment deep clean, a checklist for move-in prep, and how to decide when professional service is worth booking.

Deep Clean vs. Regular Clean — What's the Difference for Apartments?

A regular clean covers surfaces, floors, and fixtures on a maintenance schedule. A deep clean goes further — inside appliances, grout, baseboards, window tracks, exhaust fans, and areas that accumulate build-up over months rather than weeks.

How to Deep Clean an Apartment — Room by Room

Kitchen

1. Remove everything from cabinets; wipe shelves and cabinet interiors
2. Clean inside the oven — remove racks, scrub interior, replace
3. Clean inside the microwave — damp cloth on all interior surfaces
4. Deep clean fridge: remove all shelves, scrub interior, replace
5. Scrub stovetop burners and grates
6. Degrease backsplash and hood vent filter
7. Sweep, then mop floor; wipe baseboards

Bathroom

1. Apply toilet bowl cleaner; let dwell
2. Scrub tile grout with a grout brush or old toothbrush
3. Clean shower doors or curtain track — remove and wash if detachable
4. Scrub tub and tile walls
5. Clean exhaust fan cover — remove and wash (condo bathrooms rely on vents; neglected covers trap mildew)
6. Scrub toilet, sink, and faucet
7. Mop floor; clean baseboards

Bedroom

1. Wipe baseboards throughout
2. Clean window sill and track
3. Dust all surfaces including tops of wardrobes
4. Vacuum mattress if applicable
5. Vacuum floor, then mop if hard surface

Living Area

1. Dust ceiling fan blades and light fixtures
2. Wipe all shelves, TV unit, and hard surfaces
3. Clean window sills, tracks, and blinds
4. Vacuum upholstery and all floor surfaces
5. Mop hard floors

Often Missed in Apartments

• HVAC vents and air return covers — dust accumulates; affects air quality
• Behind and under the fridge — tight galley kitchens are a high grime zone
• Balcony floor and railing if applicable
• Inside closet floors and shelving

How to Deep Clean an Apartment Before Moving In

Previous tenants leave build-up in appliances, cabinets, and bathroom grout that a regular clean won't fully address. Clean the unit before furniture arrives — an empty space lets you reach everything.

1. Clean HVAC vents and air returns first — air quality before anything else
2. Wipe down all surfaces top to bottom before bringing furniture in
3. Deep clean inside all kitchen appliances — oven, fridge, microwave
4. Scrub all bathroom surfaces including grout and behind fixtures
5. Clean inside every cabinet and drawer
6. Wash all windows, sills, and tracks
7. Mop all floors; scrub any grout on tile floors
8. Clean balcony floor and railing if applicable

Book the deep clean 1 to 2 days before your move-in date to allow the unit to air out before furniture arrives.

When to Hire a Pro for Apartment Deep Cleaning

For a studio or 1-bedroom, DIY is manageable in 3 to 4 hours. Professional service is worth booking when:

• Move-in or move-out: unknown grime, time pressure, and lease-end inspection requirements. Professional service ensures nothing is missed.
• 2-bedroom or larger: a professional saves 4 to 6 hours and reaches areas that are easy to overlook.
• First deep clean after standard-only cleaning: hire once to establish a clean baseline; standard recurring cleaning maintains from there.
• Seasonal resets: spring or fall, or before a long-term guest.

Every cleaner is background-checked, ID-verified, and carries $2M commercial liability insurance — backed by Houmse's own $2M policy on every booking.