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Hi everyone! Susie Duncan here, owner of Two Ladies & A Bucket in St. Louis.
I get this question constantly, and I understand why. There’s a lot of confusion out there about what “standard cleaning” actually means, because every company defines it a little differently. Some homeowners assume it covers everything top to bottom, then feel let down when it doesn’t. Others assume it’s basically a light dusting, and they’re pleasantly surprised by how thorough it actually is. So let me lay out exactly what you’re getting, no guessing involved.
A standard cleaning is built around the rooms and surfaces that need attention every single time we visit, the ones that accumulate dust, grime, and clutter the fastest in a lived in home. In the kitchen, that means wiping down countertops, the outsides of appliances, the stovetop, and the sink. We clean the microwave inside and out, empty the trash, and sweep and mop the floors. In your bathrooms, we scrub the toilets, tubs, showers, and sinks, wipe down mirrors, and handle the floors as well. Bedrooms and living areas get dusted from top to bottom, including furniture surfaces, and we vacuum carpets and rugs while mopping any hard flooring. Beds get made if the linens are already on them, and we take a pass through the whole home checking for cobwebs in corners and along ceiling lines.
We also handle the things people forget to think about until they notice them missing. Light switches and door handles get wiped down, since those are some of the most touched surfaces in any home and the ones that build up grime the fastest without anyone noticing. Baseboards get a general wipe in the rooms we’re cleaning, though a deeper baseboard scrub is part of what separates a deep clean from a standard visit.
Here’s where I want to be honest with you, because I’d rather you know upfront than feel surprised later. A standard cleaning does not include things like the inside of your oven, inside your refrigerator, inside kitchen cabinets, or washing walls and windows. It also doesn’t include laundry, dishes, or organizing clutter that’s sitting out on counters or floors. Those tasks fall under a deep cleaning or a specific add on, because they take significantly more time and aren’t something every home needs on every visit. If your home has a lot of stuff sitting out, we do our best around it, but moving piles of mail or clearing off a cluttered counter isn’t part of a standard visit.
I bring this up because I think the value of a standard cleaning gets misunderstood when people expect it to be a deep clean every time. It’s not meant to be. It’s meant to maintain a home that’s already in decent shape, so the buildup never gets bad enough to need that deep clean in the first place. Think of it less like an occasional deep reset and more like the routine maintenance that keeps your home from ever sliding backward. That’s actually where the real time savings come in. You’re not just getting a clean house for one afternoon. You’re staying ahead of the mess permanently, instead of letting it pile up until a weekend gets swallowed whole trying to catch up.
If you’re ever unsure whether something falls inside a standard visit, ask us directly before we arrive. We’d rather set clear expectations than have you wondering what you’re paying for.
Until next time, this is Susie Duncan, reminding you that at Two Ladies & A Bucket, we’re creating free time for busy people. So, call 314-229-1736.
