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Professional House Cleaning Checklist

This house cleaning checklist shows what Bay Area Best Maids cleans in each room, how standard, deep, move-in, move-out and hourly cleaning differ, and which tasks are add-ons you approve in your quote. Use it as a DIY guide for your own home, or to choose the right service before you book in San Francisco and the surrounding Bay Area.

65+ point checklist5 services comparedClear add-on labelsGeneral guide · Your quote and booking confirmation set your exact scope

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Kitchen, bathrooms, bedrooms and living areas
Deep, move and hourly scope side by side
Add-ons and exclusions labeled
Printable general checklist

Room by Room
Tasks for every space
Service Matrix
Standard to hourly
Add-Ons Labeled
No surprise charges
Printable
A plain list to keep

The short answer

How to Use This Cleaning Checklist

A professional house cleaning checklist lists the tasks a cleaning team completes in each room. Ours has two jobs: it is a practical room-by-room guide you can follow yourself, and it shows how Bay Area Best Maids services usually differ. The exact scope of your appointment is always the one in your quote and booking confirmation.

Every Bay Area Best Maids visit follows a 65+ point checklist so results stay consistent across every room and surface. The sections below show the highlights for each service, taken from our standard, deep, move-out, move-in and hourly service pages.

Cleaning it yourself? Work through each room list in order, top to bottom, and finish with the floors.
Booking a service? Find the tasks that matter most to you in the comparison matrix, then mention any add-ons in your quote request.
Already booked? Use the preparation list so the team can reach every surface.

Standard and deep house cleaning checklist tasks compared in a Bay Area home — The same rooms, cleaned to a different depth depending on the service.

How to Read the Status Labels

Every cell in our comparison uses one of these labels, so you can tell at a glance what is part of a service and what needs a conversation first.

Label	What it means
Included	Listed on that service’s published checklist
Add-on / ask in quote	Available on request, priced separately and added only with your approval
Confirm in your quote	Depends on your package or home; list it in your quote request so it is confirmed before you book
By priority and time	Hourly bookings: done in your ranked order while booked time remains
Not offered	Specialist work, not part of standard house cleaning; ask us

General guide, not a contract. Your quote and booking confirmation describe your booked service. Our satisfaction guarantee applies to flat-rate cleaning only; eligibility and how to report a concern are confirmed in your service terms.

Room by room

Standard House Cleaning Checklist

Standard cleaning is routine, maintenance-level cleaning for homes that are already reasonably kept. This standard house cleaning checklist shows the highlights our team follows on every standard visit, whether it is a one-time clean or part of recurring weekly, bi-weekly or monthly service.

Most-used room

Kitchen

Countertops and backsplash wiped down
Sink scrubbed and fixtures shined
Outside of the fridge, oven, dishwasher and microwave wiped
Cabinet fronts wiped
Floors swept, vacuumed and mopped
Trash and recycling emptied

Bathrooms

Toilets fully scrubbed
Showers and tubs cleaned
Sinks and countertops polished
Mirrors cleaned streak-free
Cabinet exteriors wiped, light fixtures dusted
Floors and baseboards swept and mopped

Bedrooms

Reachable surfaces and baseboards dusted
Floors swept, mopped or vacuumed
Area rugs vacuumed
Beds made, with fresh linens if you leave them out
Trash emptied

Living and Common Areas

Floors and area rugs vacuumed and mopped
Shelves, surfaces and baseboards dusted
Upholstered furniture vacuumed
Common areas tidied
Trash bins emptied

Throughout the Home

Reachable light fixtures and ceiling fans dusted
Light switches and door handles wiped
Light organization of surfaces
A final walk-through before the team leaves

Standard visits cover reachable surfaces. Inside the oven or refrigerator, deep grout scrubbing, interior window glass, laundry, moving heavy furniture and outdoor areas sit outside the base visit; several can be added, as shown in add-ons.

Kitchen counters and appliance exteriors after a house cleaning checklist visit in San Francisco — Kitchens and bathrooms anchor every checklist.

DIY tip: clean each room from high to low, dusting fixtures and shelves before wiping counters, and finish with the floors so dust that falls is picked up last. Products: if you prefer cleaners certified under EPA Safer Choice, follow each label’s directions and never mix products.

More detail, more time

Deep Cleaning Checklist

A deep cleaning includes everything in standard cleaning, plus detail work where buildup collects. It suits a first visit, a seasonal reset, or a home that has fallen behind.

Kitchen

Countertops and backsplash degreased
Stovetop and range hood exterior detailed
Appliance exteriors and cabinet fronts wiped
Sink and faucet scrubbed
Inside the microwave cleaned

Bathrooms

Shower, tub and glass cleaned of soap scum
Grout lines and tile scrubbed
Toilet cleaned inside, outside and at the base
Sink and fixtures descaled where possible

Bedrooms and Living Spaces

Baseboards and door frames hand-wiped
Under light furniture where accessible
Window sills and blinds dusted
Upholstery vacuumed, pet hair removed

Floors

Hard floors vacuumed, then mopped
Edges and corners detailed by hand
Area rugs and stairs vacuumed
Methods matched to wood, tile or stone

Detail Work

Baseboards, trim and doors throughout
Ceiling corners, fans and vents dusted
Switches, outlets and door handles wiped
Lamps and reachable fixtures dusted

On Request

Oven and refrigerator interiors
Interior cabinets
Interior windows

Priced in your quote when requested, so you know what is included and what is an add-on.

Deep cleaning limits: a deep clean addresses soap scum and surface buildup, but it is not mold remediation. Widespread mold, stains in porous materials and etched hard-water damage on glass or stone may be permanent or need a specialist. On delicate or older finishes we avoid aggressive scrubbing, so some old stains may remain. Compare both services in our guide to deep cleaning vs. standard cleaning.

Empty-home scope

Move-In and Move-Out Checklist

Both services clean a vacant or nearly vacant home in detail, so the team can reach storage interiors and full floor areas that furniture usually hides. The difference is who the home is being cleaned for.

Before handover

Move-Out Cleaning

Inside empty cabinets and drawers wiped
Inside bathroom vanity cabinets and drawers
Closet shelves, rods and floors cleaned
Appliance exteriors and range hood wiped
Baseboards, doors, switch plates and window sills
Spots where furniture stood cleaned
Walls spot-cleaned where possible
A final room-by-room walk-through

Oven and refrigerator interiors, interior windows, window tracks, balconies and heavier wall spot-cleaning vary by package and are confirmed in your quote. A certificate of completion is available on request. See move-out cleaning.

Before you unpack

Move-In Cleaning

Cabinet interiors and exteriors wiped
Refrigerator interior, shelves and drawers
Oven interior and racks degreased
Dishwasher interior, door seal and filter
Shower, tub, grout, caulking and glass detailed
Window sills and tracks, blinds, fans and fixtures
Walls spot-cleaned for marks and scuffs
Balcony or patio swept, garage swept, if applicable

Interior window glass is an add-on on request. See move-in cleaning.

San Francisco Move-Out Cleaning Checklist Notes

Many Bay Area moves happen in managed buildings, so logistics belong on the checklist too. These are examples of what to plan for; contact us to confirm availability for your address.

Timing: clean after the movers and before the final key handover, with a buffer for anything a landlord points out.
Building rules: elevator reservations, service entrances and move-out hours apply to cleaners as well as movers.
Paperwork: tell us if your HOA or high-rise requires a Certificate of Insurance.
Utilities: keep water, power and lights on through the cleaning.

A thorough clean can help with legitimate cleaning concerns, but it does not guarantee a security-deposit refund. The California Courts guide to security deposits explains what landlords may deduct.

Empty kitchen cabinets cleaned during a San Francisco move-out cleaning — Empty rooms expose the cabinets, tracks and corners furniture used to hide.

Your list, your order

Hourly Cleaning Checklist

With hourly house cleaning you book cleaner time rather than a fixed checklist. You choose the number of cleaners and hours, rank your rooms and tasks, and the cleaner works through them in order until the booked time ends.

That means an hourly visit does not guarantee every task is finished. Anything that doesn’t fit stays on your list for next time. Time is counted in cleaner-hours: two cleaners for three hours is six cleaner-hours of work, but about three hours at your home. Your rate per cleaner and whether a minimum applies are confirmed in your quote.

Want the whole home finished to a defined scope instead? Flat-rate standard or deep cleaning includes everything on its checklist for one agreed price.

Kitchen firstCounters, backsplash and sink, stovetop and appliance exteriors, cabinet fronts spot-cleaned.
Bathrooms nextToilet, tub and shower, sink, counters and mirrors, floors mopped.
FloorsHard floors vacuumed and mopped, rugs and carpets vacuumed, entry and hallway.
BedroomsReachable surfaces dusted, beds made when linens are left out, floors vacuumed.
Surfaces and detailShelves and décor dusted, switches and handles wiped, reachable baseboards dusted.

Priority tip: put the rooms you use daily at the top, and detail tasks like baseboards near the end, where they can be dropped if time runs short. Approved extras such as inside the oven or refrigerator, interior cabinets or interior windows are added only if you approve them.

Service matrix

Compare Our Cleaning Services

This is our house cleaning checklist side by side. Each cell shows the status of a task in that service, based on the checklists published on our service pages. Recurring weekly, bi-weekly and monthly visits follow the standard checklist.

Task	Standard	Deep	Move-out	Move-in	Hourly
Countertops, backsplash and sink	Included	Included	Included	Included	By priority and time
Appliance exteriors	Included	Included	Included	Included	By priority and time
Inside the microwave	Confirm in your quote	Included	Confirm in your quote	Included	By priority and time
Oven interior	Add-on / ask in quote	Add-on / ask in quote	Confirm in your quote	Included	Add-on / ask in quote
Refrigerator interior	Add-on / ask in quote	Add-on / ask in quote	Confirm in your quote	Included	Add-on / ask in quote
Dishwasher interior and filter	Confirm in your quote	Confirm in your quote	Confirm in your quote	Included	Confirm in your quote
Cabinet and drawer interiors	Add-on / ask in quote	Add-on / ask in quote	Included	Included	Add-on / ask in quote
Toilets, showers, tubs, sinks, mirrors	Included	Included	Included	Included	By priority and time
Grout scrubbing	Confirm in your quote	Included	Confirm in your quote	Included	By priority and time
Baseboards (dusted on standard, hand-wiped on deep)	Included	Included	Included	Included	By priority and time
Reachable light fixtures and ceiling fans	Included	Included	Included	Included	By priority and time
Switches and door handles	Included	Included	Included	Included	By priority and time
Blinds detailed	Confirm in your quote	Included	Confirm in your quote	Included	By priority and time
Window sills	Confirm in your quote	Included	Included	Included	By priority and time
Window tracks	Confirm in your quote	Confirm in your quote	Add-on / ask in quote	Included	Confirm in your quote
Interior window glass	Add-on / ask in quote	Add-on / ask in quote	Add-on / ask in quote	Add-on / ask in quote	Add-on / ask in quote
Exterior or high windows	Confirm in your quote	Confirm in your quote	Confirm in your quote	Confirm in your quote	Confirm in your quote
Walls spot-cleaned for marks	Confirm in your quote	Confirm in your quote	Included	Included	Confirm in your quote
Behind and under light furniture	Confirm in your quote	Included	Included	Confirm in your quote	By priority and time
Closet shelves and floors	Confirm in your quote	Confirm in your quote	Included	Included	By priority and time
Upholstery vacuumed	Included	Included	Confirm in your quote	Confirm in your quote	By priority and time
Beds made with linens you leave out	Included	Confirm in your quote	Confirm in your quote	Confirm in your quote	By priority and time
Floors vacuumed and mopped	Included	Included	Included	Included	By priority and time
Balcony or patio sweep	Add-on / ask in quote	Add-on / ask in quote	Add-on / ask in quote	Included	Add-on / ask in quote
Laundry wash and fold	Add-on / ask in quote	Confirm in your quote	Confirm in your quote	Confirm in your quote	Add-on / ask in quote
Pet hair deep treatment	Add-on / ask in quote	Add-on / ask in quote	Add-on / ask in quote	Add-on / ask in quote	Add-on / ask in quote
Full decluttering and organization	Confirm in your quote	Confirm in your quote	Confirm in your quote	Confirm in your quote	By priority and time
Carpet steam extraction	Confirm in your quote	Confirm in your quote	Confirm in your quote	Confirm in your quote	Confirm in your quote
Mold, asbestos or biohazard cleanup	Not offered	Not offered	Not offered	Not offered	Not offered

Laundry wash and fold is offered on recurring and hourly bookings. Organization and decluttering is booked by the hour or through our home organization service. “Not offered” means specialist work, not part of standard house cleaning; ask us. Final inclusions are listed in your quote before you book.

Priced separately

Tasks That Require Additional Charges

These add-ons are priced separately and included in your custom quote. Mention them when you request a quote; nothing is added without your approval, so there are no surprise charges on cleaning day.

Add-on	Available for	Where you see the price
Oven interior deep clean	All service types, on request	Your custom quote
Refrigerator interior clean	All service types, on request	Your custom quote
Interior window cleaning	All service types, on request	Your custom quote
Interior cabinet cleaning	Standard and deep, on request	Your custom quote
Balcony or patio sweep	All service types, on request	Your custom quote
Pet hair deep treatment	All service types, on request	Your custom quote
Green / eco-friendly products	All service types, on request	Your custom quote
Laundry wash and fold	Recurring or hourly bookings	Your custom quote
Organization and decluttering	Hourly rate only	Your custom quote
Post-construction cleanup	Deep cleaning only	Your custom quote

Not sure what you need? Request a free quote and we’ll recommend the right package. For how prices are set, see our pricing page.

Flat-rate visits

Flat rate is a fixed price for the full checklist, however long it takes. Add-ons you approve are listed in the same quote.

Hourly visits

Billed per hour per cleaner. Extras are added only if you approve them, and extensions depend on the team’s schedule that day.

Condition and access

Heavy buildup, leftover belongings or building access can change what fits in a visit. Describe them in your quote request.

Safety and specialty

Tasks We Do Not Perform

House cleaning is cleaning, not property restoration or hazardous cleanup. Listing these limits up front helps you book the right specialist for the rest of the job.

Specialist work, not house cleaning

Mold remediation
Asbestos or lead-contaminated dust
Biohazards and bodily-fluid cleanup
Pest treatment or pest-infested areas
Painting, wall touch-ups and repairs of any kind
Hauling away furniture, junk or abandoned items

This is specialist work, not part of standard house cleaning; ask us if you are unsure. The EPA has guidance on mold and lead-safe work practices.

Ask before you book

High or hard-to-reach areas: our checklists cover reachable surfaces and fixtures
Heavy furniture: moving it is not part of a standard visit
Exterior windows and outdoor areas: not on our published checklists
Carpet steam extraction: confirm in your quote
Delicate surfaces: flag natural stone, unfinished wood, antiques and specialty finishes
Your own products: leave them out and tell us which surfaces they are for

Cleaning is not disinfecting: the EPA explains that cleaning, sanitizing and disinfecting are different. Routine house cleaning removes dirt from surfaces. Ask in your quote request rather than assuming specialized sanitizing is included.

Before the team arrives

How to Prepare for a Cleaning

You don’t need to pre-clean. A few minutes of preparation lets the team spend the visit cleaning instead of moving belongings, and you don’t need to be home. Many clients provide access through a lockbox, spare key, concierge or building code.

On standard visits our team arrives with cleaning supplies and equipment. Eco-friendly products are available on request, and we are happy to use your own products on certain surfaces if you leave them out. For hourly bookings, ask about supply terms in your quote request.

Bay Area home with clear counters and floors ready for a professional cleaning — Clear surfaces let the team reach everything on the checklist.

Arrange accessShare how the team gets in: lockbox, spare key, concierge or building code.
Plan for petsTell us who lives with you, and keep anxious pets in a closed room.
Put away valuablesStore jewelry, cash, important papers and fragile keepsakes before the visit.
Pick up clutterClear floors, counters and tables of personal items.
Leave linens outFresh sheets on or near the bed if you want beds changed.
Empty the fridge if requestedRemove food if you added refrigerator interior cleaning.
Keep utilities onRunning water and electricity are needed, especially for move cleanings.
Share building notesBuzzer codes, elevator rules, stairs, parking and priorities.

Keep a copy

Download or Print a Cleaning Checklist

Want a house cleaning checklist printable for your fridge or your cleaning closet? To print this page or save it as a PDF, use your browser’s print command (Ctrl+P on Windows, Cmd+P on Mac) and choose your printer or “Save as PDF.”

This printable list is a general guide, not a binding description of a booked service. Your quote and booking confirmation set the scope of your appointment.

Printable Room-by-Room House Cleaning Checklist

Kitchen: ☐ Countertops and backsplash ☐ Sink and fixtures ☐ Appliance exteriors ☐ Cabinet fronts ☐ Inside microwave ☐ Trash and recycling ☐ Floors swept and mopped

Bathrooms: ☐ Toilet, including the base ☐ Shower, tub and glass ☐ Sink and countertop ☐ Mirrors ☐ Cabinet exteriors ☐ Floors and baseboards

Bedrooms: ☐ Reachable surfaces dusted ☐ Baseboards ☐ Beds made with fresh linens ☐ Area rugs vacuumed ☐ Floors ☐ Trash emptied

Living and common areas: ☐ Shelves and surfaces dusted ☐ Upholstery vacuumed ☐ Switches and door handles ☐ Floors and rugs ☐ Trash bins emptied

Throughout the home: ☐ Reachable light fixtures and ceiling fans ☐ Door frames ☐ Window sills ☐ Final walk-through

Move-out extras: ☐ Inside cabinets and drawers ☐ Closet shelves, rods and floors ☐ Spots where furniture stood ☐ Walls spot-cleaned ☐ Dated photos after the clean

FAQ

Cleaning Checklist FAQs

What does a professional house cleaning include?

A professional standard cleaning covers the kitchen, bathrooms, bedrooms, living areas and floors: countertops, sinks, appliance exteriors and cabinet fronts, toilets, showers, tubs and mirrors, dusting of reachable surfaces and baseboards, vacuuming and mopping, made beds and emptied trash. At Bay Area Best Maids every visit follows a 65+ point checklist. See the service comparison for deep, move and hourly scope.

Is the inside of the oven included in a house cleaning?

Not in a standard or deep cleaning. Oven and refrigerator interiors are add-ons available on request, priced in your quote. Our move-in checklist includes the oven interior and racks and the refrigerator interior. For move-out cleaning, appliance interiors depend on your package and are confirmed in your quote. Empty the refrigerator first if you add it.

Do deep cleaners clean baseboards?

Yes. Our deep cleaning includes baseboards, trim and doors throughout, with baseboards and door frames hand-wiped. Standard visits also include baseboards, but as dusting of reachable baseboards rather than detailed hand-wiping. If baseboards have visible buildup, a deep clean is the better fit.

Does move-out cleaning include inside cabinets?

Yes. Inside empty cabinets and drawers are a main focus of move-out cleaning, because the home is empty and every shelf can be reached. Kitchen cabinets, bathroom vanity cabinets and closet shelves are part of the checklist. Oven and refrigerator interiors are confirmed in your quote.

Do house cleaners wash windows?

Interior window glass is an add-on available for every service type on request, priced in your quote. Window sills are wiped on deep, move-out and move-in cleanings, and move-in cleaning also covers window tracks. Exterior, high or hard-to-reach windows are not part of our published checklists, so ask us before booking.

Does hourly cleaning include everything on the checklist?

No. An hourly booking buys cleaner time, not a fixed checklist. You rank rooms and tasks, the cleaner works through them in order, and the visit ends at the booked time. Anything that doesn’t fit stays on the list for next time. For a whole home finished to a defined scope, choose flat-rate standard or deep cleaning.

Do house cleaners clean walls?

Spot cleaning, yes, on the right service. Our move-in and move-out checklists include walls spot-cleaned for marks and scuffs where possible. Heavier wall spot-cleaning varies by package on move-outs. Full wall washing, painting and touch-ups are not part of our published checklists; ask us if you need more than spot cleaning.

Do I need to remove clutter before the cleaners come?

You don’t need to pre-clean, but please pick up personal items from floors, counters and tables so every surface can be reached. Light organization of surfaces is part of a standard visit. Full decluttering and organizing is a separate service booked by the hour or through our home organization service.

What is the difference between deep cleaning and standard cleaning?

Standard cleaning maintains a home that is already reasonably clean. Deep cleaning adds detail where buildup collects: hand-wiped baseboards and door frames, grout scrubbing, inside the microwave, detailed blinds, sills and light fixtures, and cleaning behind and under light furniture. Choose deep cleaning for a first visit or a home that has fallen behind.

Is this cleaning checklist a binding description of my service?

No. This page is a general guide to how our services usually differ. The scope that applies to your appointment is the one in your quote and booking confirmation, including any add-ons you approve. If a task matters to you, list it in your quote request so it is confirmed before you book.

Next step

Choose the Right Cleaning Service

Match the house cleaning checklist to your situation, then request a quote with the add-ons you want so your scope and price are confirmed before you book.

Home already maintained

Routine upkeep on a schedule or once.

Standard cleaning →

Visible buildup or a first visit

Detail work on baseboards, grout and fixtures.

Deep cleaning →

Moving out

Empty-home clean before the walkthrough.

Move-out cleaning →

Moving in

Inside cabinets and appliances before you unpack.

Move-in cleaning →

Only certain rooms

Book time and set the priorities.

Hourly cleaning →

Ongoing upkeep

Weekly, bi-weekly or monthly visits.

Recurring cleaning →

More answers are in our cleaning FAQs. Your quote shows the booking terms that apply to your booking; questions go through our contact page.

Get started

Know exactly what your cleaning includes.

A clear checklist, add-ons you approve, no hidden fees.

Tell us your ZIP code, service type, bedrooms, bathrooms and any special instructions, and we’ll send your quote. Ready to pick a date? Book online. Learn more about Bay Area Best Maids.

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