How does a kitchen deep clean differ to a regular clean?

[LookOutsideTheRain]

I thought I’d buy myself the gift of time by getting a cleaner in for a few hours.

The one I’ve messaged has said that if I want the front doors of cupboards and skirting boards wiped in the kitchen, it’s considered a deep clean, and so is more expensive.

To me those jobs take a minute and I do them regularly.

I’d have thought a deep clean would be the cleaning the inside of a fridge, an oven clean, taking out things from cupboards, cleaning them and re-stacking the tins/packets etc.

AIBU?! Should I just save myself the money if they’re not going to do it to the level I would? (Which I didn’t think was especially high!)

For me a deep clean is inside kitchen cupboard, pull out white goods and clean behind, inside fridge, window ledges and windows as well as kick boards and any light fittings.

I used to be a professional cleaner.

Everyone has different views on what constitutes a deep clean vs a normal clean. I think the language is irrelevant. What's more important is to find a cleaner who will do the things YOU want done, and do it at a price you consider acceptable.

I don't actually label different cleaning in my kitchen but thinking about it, I probably have 3 layers:

layer 1: basic day to day cleaning up. Washing up, wiping down all surfaces including sink, washing/rinsing cloths and sponges, possible swipe of front of cupboard for obvious spills. Quick sweep of obvious detritus on floor. This is daily. Sometimes more than once a day.

Layer 2: MOving all appliances to wipe down properly underneath (and appliances themselves), proper wipe down/clean of fronts of cupboards/oven etc. Vacuum/mop. This is done by my cleaners fortnightly and I do bits of it as and when needed most notably the vacuuming and cupboard wipe downs.

Layer 3: cleaning fridge inside/out, cleaning oven, cleaning inside cupboards or on top of cupboards. Cleaning glassware that's left out all the time (I have some lamps for example, and some vases). Proper cleaning of things like spice rack or jars for utensils. This is a non-regular option, seldom done all at once. I might clean the spice rack and utensils and lamps while doing a layer 2 clean on a weekend then the next week ask the cleaners to do the fridge. The following time they might start working their way round the insides of my cupboards over a few sessions.

What type of kitchen doors do you have? Sometimes the fingerprint free ones take longer to clean and require a deep clean with washing up liquid and numerous E Cloths! That could be one of the differences they are meaning?

Gosh, this is making me feel very slovenly. The only time I've ever pulled out my white goods and cleaned behind them, is when they've broken down and needed to be replaced!

I would hope to get as deep a clean as I wanted but remembering that deeper cleans obviously take more time and will therefore be more expensive. On a normal clean day I would expect hoover, wipe all surfaces eg. Every surface in all rooms. Bathroom. Floor mop of kitchen/ bathroom. 2 hours. If I wanted a deep clean of kitchen ...all cupboards emptied, cleaned put back. Fridge emptied and cleaned. Light fittings, doors washed down (I have 3 ...lounge to kitchen, kitchen to utility, utility to outside) I would consider this a type of Spring clean. and would expect it to take the full two hours if done properly so I would have the choice of asking for this and doing without my normal 2 hour clean or asking if she can do extra hours to do both.

I don't understand why cleaners charge more £ per hour for deep cleaning. Surely for a deep clean it just takes longer and hence they are paid more overall rather than it is more difficult and skilled?

My cleaner is happy to deep clean: inside the fridge; behind cupboards etc. She stays longer hours when she does this and hence gets more £.

Cleaners who charge a higher hourly rate and the job takes longer - that doesn't sit right with me.

Exactly @roses2!
Every once in a while I'd ask my cleaner to do the fridge or the oven. If it took longer I paid, but usually she'd just to less elsewhere. Wiping down the cupboards was part of a normal clean.
I did have one amazing woman (who trained at a hotel) who not only was able to do the whole house but also take out and clean a couple cupboards every week, pick some flowers from the garden and put in a vase, she even did my chest of drawers once!

Thanks all. Apparently to do a regular clean is £18/hr but to do a deep clean which would be cupboards and skirting boards is £25/hr! I don’t understand why! Normal Howdens cupboards!

Think I’ll do it myself and maybe pay myself an hourly rate 😂

I do agree with @roses2 it's more about time. I mean, maybe cleaning the oven as a really heavy job is a different fee schedule. But wiping down cupboards or moving the toaster is just an extra bit of time vs what I do every day and I would not be willing to pay extra.