Deep Cleaning vs Regular Cleaning: What Is the Difference?

Deep Cleaning vs Regular Cleaning: Understanding the Difference

You’ve likely seen “regular cleaning” and “deep cleaning” listed on service menus and wondered if there is actually a difference. We get asked this question almost every day by homeowners in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor. Choosing the right option matters because one maintains your home, while the other completely resets it.

In this guide, we will break down exactly what each service covers, compare the costs, and help you decide which one your home needs right now.

What Is Regular Cleaning?

Regular cleaning is what we often call “maintenance cleaning.” It is designed to keep your home tidy, hygienic, and presentable on a day-to-day basis. Think of this as the routine upkeep you might do yourself on a Saturday morning, but handled by a professional to save you time.

The Goal: To maintain a baseline level of cleanliness and keep pests like ants away.

Regular Cleaning Includes:

• Dusting: Wiping visible surfaces, tables, and shelves.
• Floors: Vacuuming carpets and mopping hard floors.
• Bathrooms: Washing the toilet, sink, shower area, and wiping mirrors.
• Kitchen: Wiping down countertops, stovetops, and exterior cabinet fronts.
• General: Emptying trash bins, making beds, and general tidying.

Regular Cleaning Does NOT Include:

• Moving heavy furniture to clean behind or underneath.
• Scrubbing stubborn mold from bathroom grout.
• Degreasing the inside of the oven or range hood.
• Wiping down individual blades of ceiling fans.
• Cleaning the interior of cabinets or the refrigerator.
• Scrubbing window tracks or sliding door rails.

What Is Deep Cleaning?

Deep cleaning is a comprehensive “reset” for your home. It targets the hidden dirt, grime, and allergens that regular cleaning naturally misses. We recommend this service for homes that haven’t been professionally cleaned in over three months or for specific occasions like moving in or out.

The Goal: To remove deep-seated grime, eliminate mold caused by Malaysia’s humidity, and sanitize neglected areas.

Deep Cleaning Includes: All regular cleaning tasks PLUS:

• Hidden Areas: Cleaning under and behind furniture (sofas, beds, cabinets).
• Appliances: Scrubbing the inside of the oven, microwave, and refrigerator.
• Detailing: Hand-wiping baseboards, door frames, and light switches.
• High Points: Scrubbing ceiling fan blades and light fixtures.
• Kitchen Grease: Deep degreasing of the range hood and backsplash.
• Bathroom Intensive: Scrubbing tile grout to remove mold and limescale buildup.
• Tracks: Clearing dust and debris from window and sliding door tracks.

Side-by-Side Comparison

To help you visualize the difference, here is how the two services stack up against each other.

Aspect	Regular Cleaning	Deep Cleaning
Primary Goal	Maintenance & Hygiene	Restoration & Sanitation
Frequency	Weekly or Bi-weekly	Every 3-6 months
Time Required	2-4 hours	4-8 hours (often more staff)
Cost (Est.)	Starts from ~RM100	Starts from ~RM250-RM400+
Key Focus	Visible surfaces	Hidden dirt, grout, & grease

Room-by-Room Differences

The difference becomes clearest when you look at specific rooms. Here is what our teams focus on in the most critical areas of your home.

Kitchen

Regular: We wipe the counters, clean the sink, mop the floor, and wipe the exterior of the cabinets. It keeps the kitchen functional and tidy.

Deep: Our team tackles the heavy grease buildup common in Malaysian kitchens, especially after heavy cooking. We clean inside the oven and microwave, scrub the range hood filters, and wipe out the inside of every cabinet and drawer to remove food crumbs that attract cockroaches.

Bathroom

Regular: We wash the toilet bowl, wipe the sink and mirror, and scrub the shower floor.

Deep: We focus on the effects of humidity. This means scrubbing the grout lines to remove pink or black mold, removing limescale from the showerhead and taps, and cleaning the exhaust fan that often gets clogged with dust.

Bedroom & Living Area

Regular: We dust the TV console, vacuum the floor, make the bed, and empty the bin.

Deep: We go high and low. This involves wiping down every blade of the ceiling fan (where thick dust accumulates), vacuuming the mattress, cleaning under the bed, and scrubbing the sliding door tracks leading to the balcony.

When You Need Regular Cleaning

Regular cleaning is the best choice for keeping a consistent standard of living.

• Busy Schedule: You need your weekends back and want a tidy home without the effort.
• Maintenance: Your home was deep cleaned recently, and you want to keep it that way.
• Frequency: You are looking for a weekly or bi-weekly service.

When You Need Deep Cleaning

There are specific times when a surface clean simply isn’t enough.

Seasonal & Cultural Occasions

• Pre-Festival Prep: Before Chinese New Year, Hari Raya, or Deepavali, a deep clean ensures your home is ready for open house guests.
• Post-Haze Season: After a bad haze season, fine dust settles everywhere, requiring a thorough wipe-down of walls and fans.

Situational Needs

• Moving In/Out: Ensure you get your security deposit back or start fresh in a sanitized new home.
• Post-Renovation: If you have done any drilling or painting, fine construction dust will be on every surface.
• New Baby: Preparing a sterile, dust-free environment for a newborn.
• Lapse in Service: If you haven’t had a professional cleaner in 3-4 months, grime has likely built up in hidden spots.

Starting Fresh: The Deep Clean Foundation

If you are hiring us for the first time, we almost always recommend starting with a deep clean. Think of it like servicing a car. You cannot just top up the oil if the engine is full of sludge.

Regular cleaning maintains a clean home, but it struggles to remove months of accumulated grease or dust. Once we perform a deep clean reset, regular maintenance becomes faster, cheaper, and more effective.

Cost Considerations

You might notice that deep cleaning costs significantly more than a regular session. This price difference reflects the intensity of the work.

• Time & Labor: A deep clean often takes 2-3 times longer or requires a larger team.
• Supplies: We use more specialized products for degreasing, descaling, and mold removal.
• Effort: Scrubbing grout and climbing ladders to clean fans is physically demanding work compared to standard dusting.

While the upfront cost is higher, doing this 2-3 times a year protects your property’s value. It prevents permanent staining on tiles and keeps appliances running efficiently.

Conclusion

Both services are essential for a healthy home, but they serve different purposes. Regular cleaning is your weekly maintenance to keep things looking good. Deep cleaning is your periodic restoration to ensure things are actually clean, safe, and functional.

At 22 Cleaning, we specialize in both. Our deep cleaning services start from RM250, providing a comprehensive reset for your home, while our regular house cleaning packages start from RM100 to help you maintain it. Contact us today to discuss your home’s specific needs and get a quote.