Ongoing Clean vs. End of Lease Clean: What’s the Difference?
When it comes to keeping a home tidy, not all cleaning is created equal. While you might have a regular routine to keep things presentable, there’s a world of difference between your weekly spruce-up and the intensive deep-cleaning required at the end of a tenancy.
Purpose and Timing :
Ongoing Clean: This is your regular, routine cleaning. It’s about maintenance, hygiene, and day-to-day comfort. The goal is to keep dirt, dust, and clutter in check so your home remains a pleasant place to live. Ongoing cleaning can be done daily, weekly, or bi-weekly, depending on your needs and preferences.
End of Lease Clean: This is a one-time, comprehensive cleaning performed at the end of a tenancy. Its sole purpose is to restore the property to the condition it was in when you first moved in, often as a requirement to get your full security deposit back. It’s a job with a strict deadline and a specific objective: to satisfy your landlord or real estate agent’s inspection.
Scope of Work :
Ongoing Clean: This typically covers the basics. Think about your regular chores: vacuuming carpets, mopping floors, wiping down kitchen and bathroom surfaces, dusting visible areas, and tidying up. It’s about addressing the grime that accumulates with daily use.
Tools and Effort :
Ongoing Clean: You can typically handle these tasks with standard household cleaning supplies: a vacuum cleaner, a mop, general-purpose cleaners, and clothes. The effort is consistent and manageable.
End of Lease Clean: This is a labor-intensive job that often requires specialized, heavy-duty equipment not found in an average home. Professional cleaners will use tools like steam cleaners, industrial-grade vacuums, and powerful degreasers to get the job done to a high standard.
Stakes :
Ongoing Clean: If you miss a spot, it’s not a big deal. You can clean it the next day or week. The stakes are low, mainly about personal comfort.
End of Lease Clean: The stakes are high. Missing a single detail, like a greasy oven tray or a dusty blind, could result in your landlord withholding part of your security deposit to hire their own cleaners. This is why many people opt for a professional service with a “bond back guarantee,” which means they’ll return to fix anything the landlord finds unsatisfactory at no extra cost.
In conclusion, while regular cleaning is about maintaining a habitable space, an end-of-lease clean is about achieving perfection to meet a contractual obligation.