Deep Cleaning vs Regular Cleaning: What’s the Difference?

Regular cleaning and deep cleaning are often treated as the same thing, but they cover different jobs. Knowing the difference helps you decide what your home needs and how often to book each one.

This guide explains what each type of clean includes, how often most Lagos homes need them, and the signs that a deep clean is overdue.

What regular cleaning includes

Regular cleaning keeps a home in good order from week to week. It focuses on the rooms and surfaces you use every day:

• Sweeping, mopping and vacuuming floors.
• Wiping kitchen counters, tables and other everyday surfaces.
• Cleaning sinks, toilets and showers.
• Dusting surfaces you can see and reach easily.
• Emptying bins and putting things back in their place.

It doesn’t take long and it stops everyday dirt from building up. What it usually misses are the places where dirt collects slowly, out of sight.

What deep cleaning includes

A deep clean is a thorough, top-to-bottom clean of the whole home. It covers everything in a regular clean, plus the areas a routine clean skips:

• Behind and under furniture and appliances.
• Skirting boards, door frames, light switches and handles.
• Window frames, tracks and sills.
• Built-up grime on tiles and grout.
• Limescale and residue on taps, showers and sinks.
• Ceiling corners, light fittings and fans.
• Inside cupboards and wardrobes.

Because it goes into so much more detail, a deep clean takes considerably longer than a regular clean.

How often should you deep clean your home?

As a rough guide, most homes do well with regular cleaning every week or two and a deep clean every three to six months.

You may need deep cleans more often if you have young children or pets, cook at home a lot, have frequent visitors or live near a busy road where dust finds its way indoors.

When to book a deep clean in Lagos

Some times of year and some life events make a deep clean especially worthwhile:

• When you move into a new home, or before you hand back the keys to an old one.
• Before or after Christmas, Easter or Sallah, when you are hosting family and friends.
• Once the harmattan season ends and fine dust has settled into every corner.
• Towards the end of the rainy season, when damp can leave bathrooms and kitchens smelling musty.
• After someone in the home has been ill.

Signs your home needs a deep clean

• Dust returns almost as soon as you wipe it away.
• Grout lines are darker than they used to be.
• A smell lingers in the kitchen or bathroom even after cleaning.
• Taps and shower screens have a cloudy film.
• Nobody can remember the last time anyone cleaned behind the fridge or under the beds.

Which one does your home need?

In most cases, both. A deep clean brings your home back to a properly clean baseline, and regular cleaning keeps it there for longer. Regular cleaning on its own leaves dirt to build up in the places it doesn’t reach, while occasional deep cleans on their own let everyday mess return quickly in between.

A sensible approach is to start with one deep clean, then follow it with regular cleaning on a schedule that suits your household.

Chinova Cleaning Services offers both house cleaning and residential deep cleaning in Lagos. For tips on looking after fabrics between cleans, read our guide to keeping your sofa and carpets clean.