For many homeowners, hiring a professional cleaning service regularly helps keep their home sparkling clean. But sometimes your home needs more than the standard cleaning routine. That’s a special occasion when a one-time cleaning service can be an excellent way to get your home ready for special events, handle seasonal cleaning, or deal with moving in or out.
When To Consider One-Time Cleaning Services
According to The Spruce, a home services website, one-time or spring cleans are when a cleaning service comes in for one-time house cleaning or a more thorough top-to-bottom cleaning. These intensive cleans tackle dirt, soap scum, and grime buildup throughout the home.
Several factors may make hiring a professional cleaning company for a one-time service worthwhile:
Move-In or Move-Out Cleaning
Moving is already stressful enough. Let the professionals handle the deep cleaning before you move into a new home or as you prepare your current home for new owners or renters.
One-time cleaning services can clean every nook and cranny and get the home ready for its new residents. This includes tasks like cleaning appliances, windows, cabinets, carpets and floors.
Preparing for Special Events or Occasions
If you’re hosting holiday gatherings, having lots of out-of-town guests, or preparing for a big event like a wedding or anniversary party at your home, consider booking a one-time cleaning. A sparkling clean home helps you focus on event preparations instead of worrying about dusting and scrubbing.
Seasonal Deep Cleaning
Do a thorough deep cleaning on a seasonal basis to freshen up your home. For example, tackle spring cleaning to wash windows, clean out cabinets, launder linens, and declutter before summer. Or do some fall cleaning before the busy holiday season arrives.
General Decluttering and Detail Cleaning
Maybe you just feel like your home needs more than the standard cleaning routine. Stains have accumulated, clutter has built up, and dust bunnies are multiplying.
A comprehensive one-time-only cleaning schedule gives you a fresh start with a spotless home.
Benefits of One-Time Cleaning Service
Beyond the deep cleaning power of professional house cleaners, one-time home cleaning services provide other advantages:
Flexible scheduling – Book a one-time cleaning on your schedule. Fits your availability rather than a set recurring service day.
Customized to your needs – Tell the cleaning company your deep cleaning priorities and special requests. Tailor the service to fit your home.
No commitment – Unlike a recurring service, a one-time cleaning requires no long-term contract. Use it on an as-needed basis.
Save your time – Enjoy a clean home without spending your valuable personal time scrubbing and dusting. Focus on other priorities while the cleaners handle the hard work.
Upfront pricing – Know the expected cost upfront rather than variable monthly bills. Submit requests for quotes to compare costs.
Focus on the whole home – Cleaners tackle the entire home in a single thorough cleaning session rather than room by room.
How One-Time Cleaning Services Work
Here’s an overview of the process if you hire professional cleaners for a one-time cleaning appointment:
Contact cleaning companies for quotes and availability based on your home size.
Book your cleaning session specifying the date, time, and any special requests.
The cleaning company sends a team of professional cleaners equipped with all the tools and supplies needed.
Cleaners work quickly and thoroughly to deep clean your whole home in a single visit.
You either pre-pay a set quote or pay at the end when the work is complete.
Enjoy your sparkling clean home now that all surfaces have been sanitized!
Key Areas to Clean with One-Time Services
When hiring house cleaning services for a one-time deep cleaning, it’s important to have a comprehensive cleaning across all areas of the home to get a thorough sparkling clean.
Here are some key areas professional cleaners will focus save time:
Kitchen – Clean inside refrigerators, ovens, and microwaves. Sanitize sink, and countertops. Wash cabinets, drawers, and floors.
Bathrooms – Scrub showers/tubs, toilets, and sinks. Disinfect all surfaces. Clean mirrors and glass.
Living Spaces – Dust furniture, launder linens, and sanitize surfaces. Vacuum/mop floors. Window and ceiling fan cleaning.
Bedrooms – Change sheets, sanitize mattresses, wash bedding. Dust and clean all furniture and lamps. Vacuum carpets.
Other Rooms – Basements, mud rooms, playrooms. Remove clutter and thoroughly clean.
Electronics – Carefully wipe down TVs, computers, other screens and devices.
Appliances – Interior and exterior cleaning of refrigerators, microwaves, and ovens. Limescale removal.
Windows – Interior and exterior window washing. Sills, casings, and window treatments too.
Flooring – Scrub/mop tile, vacuum and steam clean carpets, hardwood floor washing.
Furniture – Upholstery cleaning and conditioning. Wood polish. Leather/granite sanitizing.
Walls – Spot clean walls and baseboards, ceiling fan blades, and light fixtures.
The right cleaning company will take care of all the painstaking cleaning tasks to make your entire home sparkle. Be sure to get a free estimate comprehensive whole home one-time cleaning quote upfront so there are no surprises.
Pricing for One-Time Cleaning Services
The cost will vary depending on factors like:
Size of your home and number of rooms – logically, larger homes with more rooms, bathrooms, and larger living spaces will take more time and work to clean comprehensively. A studio apartment vs a five-bedroom house will have hugely different cleaning costs. Give the exact square footage and room count when requesting quotes.
Desired services – basic cleaning like dusting, vacuuming, mopping, and bathroom/kitchen surface sanitizing will be far less expensive than “deep cleaning” services. Deep cleaning includes extras like scrubbing floors/walls on hands and knees, washing windows inside and out, cleaning ceiling fans, air duct cleaning, and appliance descaling. Define which services you want so quotes match.
Geographical location and local rates – cleaner hourly rates and service costs can vary based on where you live and typical rates in that region. Big cities like New York City or San Francisco will likely have higher rates than suburban or rural areas. Provide your exact location when contacting cleaning companies.
Additional tasks beyond standard cleaning – extras like deep stain treatment, hauling large trash/donations, indoor plant trimming, garage organization, and cleaning add hours/costs. Detail special projects when asking for quotes.
Recurring service discounts – many cleaning companies offer lower rates for regular customers signing up for recurring services compared to one-time appointments. Inquire about any first-time or recurring service deals.
To estimate one-time cleaning costs here, expect to pay approximately $100-200 for a basic cleaning of a 1000 sq ft home. Deep cleaning with extras may run closer to $250-400.
High-end services can run even higher for larger luxury homes. Compare quotes from a few cleaning companies before booking.
While not cheap, the cost of one-time cleaning is usually less expensive than recurring service given a single visit. And considering the hours of work saved and the benefit of a spotless home, many customers find the investment in exceptional service worthwhile for special circumstances.
Finding the Best Professional Cleaners for One-Time Services
Look for an established cleaning company with these markers of quality:
Strong customer reviews – Read feedback from past clients about their experiences.
Experienced cleaners – Look for years of professional cleaning experience. Vetted staff is key.
Upfront pricing – Ask for quotes based on your home details so you can compare rates.
Transparent processes – They should explain their methods, tools, products, and scheduling system.
Attention to detail – The best cleaners are meticulous and thorough. Review sample checklists.
Quality supplies & equipment– They should provide their professional-grade cleaning tools and products.
Guaranteed satisfaction – Many offer guarantees and will address any issues after your cleaning.
DIY or Hire a Professional Cleaning Service?
When your home needs a deep cleaning, you have two options: take on the big cleaning job yourself or hire professional cleaners. There are pros and cons to each approach.
DIY Cleaning
Tackling a one-time deep clean yourself costs nothing but your time and effort. You don’t need to schedule visits or have strangers in your home. You can focus on the areas most important to you.
However, DIY cleaning requires you to invest significant time and elbow grease scouring, scrubbing, and sanitizing every nook and cranny. You need to supply all your tools and cleaning products too. Areas like ceilings and windows can be challenging for the average homeowner to properly clean.
Professional Cleaning Service
Hiring a cleaning service costs money, but saves you time. Cleaners bring extensive experience and can access hard-to-reach areas. They supply industrial equipment and commercial-grade cleaning products to-do list you may not have access to.
The service is customized to your home and cleaning needs and priorities. And a team of cleaners can complete the work far faster than a single homeowner. Just be prepared to pay several hundred dollars depending on home size and services desired.
Which is Best?
If you can invest in a professional cleaning service for a one-time intensive deep clean, it’s often worth the cost to free up your time and benefit from meticulous cleaning results. But if you’re a one-time clean and on a tight budget, doing it yourself may be the better route. Evaluate your priorities in terms of time, money, and quality of cleaning.
Be Clear About Your Specific Needs
Before your one-time cleaning, specify:
Rooms to focus on
Problem areas that need extra attention
preferred products and tools to be used
Any special cleaning requests
Provide a list and walk the cleaners through your home and priorities. This sets them up for success.
Enjoy a Deep Cleaned Home!
While a regular professional cleaning service is ideal for routine maintenance, one-time cleaning services fill a unique niche. When your home needs a comprehensive deep cleaning, decluttering, seasonal refresh, move-in/out preparation, or pre-event sparkle, consider booking the pros.
Just be sure to select an established cleaning company that offers the experience, supplies, scheduling flexibility, and attention to detail that your home deserves. With their help, you can sit back and enjoy a spotless space.