A deep clean is priced differently from a regular cleaning visit, and that is where most of the confusion starts. A regular cleaner charges by the hour for a job they can predict. A deep clean is a one-off, and nobody knows how long it will take until they have seen the property. So cleaners use one of two pricing models, and the quote you get depends on which one they use and what they saw.
This guide explains both models, how long a deep clean takes for different sizes of London home, what is included, what costs extra and how to get a quote you can rely on. Any figures here are indicative, the sort of ranges cleaners commonly quote in London, not averages. The live source is the rate each cleaner publishes on their KleanTouch profile, and the cleaner will confirm the price once they know what the job involves.
The two ways deep cleans are priced
By the hour
Many independent cleaners quote an hourly rate and an estimate of hours. The rate is sometimes the same as their regular rate and sometimes a few pounds higher, because the work is heavier and they usually bring their own equipment. The estimate is the part that matters, and a cleaner who has seen photos of your kitchen will estimate differently from one who has not.
The risk with hourly pricing is a job that runs over. Ask whether the estimate is a cap, and what happens if the property takes longer than expected. Most cleaners will message before going beyond the agreed hours rather than presenting a surprise at the end.
A fixed quote after seeing the property
Small cleaning firms and some independents prefer to quote a fixed price for the job. They will usually ask for photos or a short video of each room, or visit in person, and then price the whole clean by property size and condition. The quote should list what is included and excluded, and say whether the price changes if the condition on the day is worse than the photos showed.
A fixed quote is easier to budget with. Hourly pricing is often better value if the property is in decent shape and you only need certain areas brought back to standard.
Per cleaner or per team
Companies often send two or three cleaners and finish in a few hours rather than a full day. That does not make the job cheaper: three cleaners for three hours is nine cleaner-hours, roughly the same as one cleaner for a day. Ask for the total price of the visit, not the hourly rate per person.
How long a deep clean takes
Hours are what you are really paying for, so the time estimate drives the price under either model. The figures below are working figures cleaners commonly use to plan a job, not guarantees. Condition changes everything: a two-bed flat that has been cleaned fortnightly is a different job from the same flat after two years without a proper clean.
| Property | One cleaner | Team of two | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio or 1-bed flat | Half a day to a full day | 3 to 4 hours | Kitchen and bathroom take most of the time |
| 2-bed flat | A full day | Half a day | The most common London deep clean |
| 3-bed house | More than a day, often split over two | A full day | Stairs, extra bathroom and more floors add hours |
| 4-bed house or larger | Two days | One to two days | Usually a fixed quote with a walk-through first |
A "full day" here means roughly seven to eight working hours. If a cleaner quotes three hours for a full deep clean of a two-bed flat, they are either describing a lighter clean than you had in mind or they have not understood the scope. Either way, ask what the hours cover.
Turning hours into a price
Independent domestic cleaners in London commonly quote in the region of £15 to £25 an hour for regular work, and deep-clean rates often sit at or above the top of that range. As an illustration only, not a quoted rate: one cleaner at £20 an hour for an eight-hour day is £160, and the same day at £25 an hour is £200. A fixed quote for the same flat will usually land in a similar place once condition and extras are taken into account, because the cleaner is working from the same estimate of hours.
For how cleaners build their hourly rates and minimum visits in the first place, see the guide to what a regular cleaner costs in London.
What you are paying for
A regular clean maintains a home. A deep clean goes into the places a regular visit does not have time for: inside cupboards and appliances, limescale and grout, skirting boards, doors and frames, light fittings, inside windows, and the floor under and behind furniture. The exact list varies by cleaner, which is why it must be written into the quote. For the full room-by-room comparison of what each type of clean covers, read the guide to the difference between a deep clean and a regular clean. This guide stays on the money: how those hours are priced and what moves the total.
Common extras and how they are priced
Several jobs sit on the edge of a deep clean. Some cleaners include them, most quote them separately, and a few do not offer them at all because they need specialist equipment.
| Extra | Usually included? | How it is typically priced |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the oven | Sometimes; confirm | Often a separate fixed price, as it takes an hour or more on its own |
| Inside the fridge and freezer | Often, if emptied and defrosted beforehand | Within the hours, or a small addition |
| Carpet and upholstery cleaning | Rarely; needs a machine | Separate quote, sometimes from a different business |
| Exterior windows | Rarely | Separate quote; often a window cleaner's job |
| Washing walls | Rarely; spot marks only | Added hours, and only where the paint allows it |
| Mould treatment | No | Not a cleaning job; a damp or mould specialist |
If you want any of these, say so when you ask for the quote. Adding them on the day means the estimate is wrong before the cleaner starts.
What pushes the price up
- Condition. Heavy grease, built-up limescale, pet hair and a long gap since the last proper clean all add hours.
- Clutter. Cleaners cannot clean surfaces they cannot reach. Clearing floors and worktops before they arrive saves paid time.
- Access and parking. Deep cleans usually mean the cleaner brings equipment, so a fourth-floor flat with no lift, or a street with no parking, takes longer. Some cleaners pass on a parking charge.
- Short notice. Same-day and next-day deep cleans are possible but limit your choice of cleaner and often cost more.
- Weekends and evenings. Some cleaners charge more for these, and some do not work them.
- Layout. Extra bathrooms, staircases and separate WCs add time out of proportion to their floor area.
When a deep clean is worth paying for
A deep clean is expensive relative to a regular visit, so it makes sense at specific moments rather than as a habit.
- Moving in. Even a property that looks clean has someone else's grease in the extractor and limescale on the shower screen. A deep clean before the furniture arrives is the easiest one you will ever have done.
- Before a regular cleaner starts. Most cleaners prefer to begin from a properly cleaned baseline, then maintain it in a weekly or fortnightly slot.
- After building work. Fine dust settles everywhere for weeks. Some cleaners treat post-builder cleaning as its own service, so mention it.
- After illness, or a long period without cleaning. A reset that a regular visit cannot achieve in two or three hours.
- Before guests, a sale or a let. Viewings and visitors notice grout and skirting boards even if they cannot say why.
- Twice a year. Many households with a regular cleaner book a deep clean each spring and autumn to catch what the regular visits do not.
One thing a deep clean is not: an end of tenancy clean. That is a deep clean of an empty property to the standard an inventory clerk expects, usually sold as a separate fixed-price service, often with a re-clean guarantee. If you are moving out, ask for it by name.
How to get an accurate quote
The more the cleaner knows, the closer the quote will be to the final price. Send the following in one message.
- Photos of every room, including inside the oven, the bathroom and under the sink. Do not tidy first; the cleaner needs to see the real job.
- The size: bedrooms, bathrooms and floors, and whether there is a lift.
- What you want included, using the lists above, and what you do not need.
- Extras such as the oven, fridge or carpets.
- Equipment: whether the cleaner should bring everything. For deep cleans, most do.
- Parking and access, including any restrictions.
- Dates, and how flexible you are. Flexibility usually gets a better price.
Then ask for either an hourly rate with an estimate and a cap, or a fixed price with the scope listed. Ask what happens if it takes longer, and whether the cleaner holds public liability insurance. KleanTouch does not check insurance, qualifications or the quality of work; "Contact verified" on a profile means only that we confirmed the contact details reach the business.
Find deep cleaners in your area
Cleaners on KleanTouch who offer deep cleaning list the London neighbourhoods they cover and, where they choose to, a from-price or hourly rate; treat that figure as the start of the conversation, because deep cleans depend so much on the property. Browse deep cleaning across London, or the area pages for the pilot neighbourhoods, pick a cleaner who covers your area, send your photos and details, and agree the price directly with them. KleanTouch takes no booking and no commission. You deal with the cleaner and pay them.