Quiz
Deep Clean Quiz
This quiz is a 60-second sort, not a sales tool. It can tell you that a cheaper standard clean is the right call for your home right now - and that is a useful answer worth knowing before you book. Six questions cover the factors that actually drive the standard-vs-deep decision: how long since the last professional clean, where buildup has accumulated, and whether there is any external pressure like a move-out inspection.
Answer each question based on your home as it actually is today, not how you would like it to look. The questions that sting a little are the ones that matter most.
How the scoring works
Each question targets a dimension that drives cleaning scope and effort: time elapsed since the last professional clean, surface-level buildup in the two hardest-to-maintain areas (kitchen and bathrooms), dust accumulation in the places cleaners most often skip on a standard visit (baseboards, vents, behind furniture), external pressure that raises the stakes, and air-quality factors that make thorough cleaning more consequential. These dimensions map directly to the scope differences we document in the deep clean vs standard clean guide.
Scores 0-3 indicate a home in routine maintenance range: a standard clean addresses it fully. Scores 4-7 indicate accumulated buildup in one or more areas that standard cleaning is not designed to handle - the deep-then-maintain pattern is the right approach. Scores 8-12 indicate a home that needs a full deep clean, and if a move-out inspection is involved, a move-out-specific service with a landlord checklist. Pricing context for each outcome is in the deep cleaning cost guide and the move-out cleaning cost guide.
Where this quiz has limits
The quiz scores based on your own description of your home's condition - it cannot see the actual state of the surfaces. If you are unsure how to score a question, lean toward the higher option; cleaners prefer to find a home in better condition than described rather than the reverse. Hoarding-level situations, smoke or fire damage, biohazard conditions, or homes with significant pest activity are outside the scope of standard residential cleaning services entirely - those situations need specialty remediation companies. The quiz results do not change that, and a standard or deep-clean booking is not the right path for those situations.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a house cleaner cost per visit?
A standard clean for a typical 3-bed / 2-bath home runs $150 to $250 per visit at the national average, based on HomeAdvisor / Angi cost survey data. A deep clean for the same home typically runs $200 to $400. One-time visits price higher than recurring visits for the same scope.
Should my first cleaning be a deep clean?
For most homes that have not been professionally cleaned recently, yes. Standard cleans are designed for maintenance, not for resetting a home that has accumulated buildup. Many cleaning services price the first visit as a deep clean regardless of what you book, because that is the work the home actually needs.
How much do you tip house cleaners?
Ten to twenty percent of the visit price is the customary range. For a first deep clean or move-out clean, tipping at the higher end is common. For recurring service, many clients tip 10 to 15 percent per visit or save a larger amount for a holiday tip. See the tipping guide for more detail.
What is the difference between a deep clean and a move-out clean?
A deep clean adds detailed scrubbing of surfaces, inside appliances, baseboards, and vents to the standard scope. A move-out clean goes further: inside all cabinets and drawers, behind and under appliances, and every surface a landlord is likely to inspect. Move-out cleans are priced as a separate service, typically 1.8 to 2x the standard rate.
Can I skip the deep clean and just book a standard clean?
You can book it that way, but if your home has significant buildup, the cleaner will run out of time and either leave areas unfinished or rush through them. Most cleaners will tell you upfront if they think a deep clean is needed. If your quiz score came back low, a standard clean is genuinely the right call and you will not be underselling the scope.