A move-out clean is the last cleaning a home gets under your name. It happens after the truck is loaded, before a landlord, a buyer or a new tenant walks through, and it is the one cleaning where somebody else is going to inspect the work.
What is a move-out clean?
It is the whole house cleaned with nothing in it, which is why the corners, baseboards and the sides of the range and refrigerator get reached at all. We work through it in our guide to what is covered in a move-out clean.
What does a move-out clean include?
A move-out clean is an empty-house clean: floors, baseboards, trim, doors, switch plates, closet interiors, cabinet exteriors, bathrooms and kitchen surfaces, with the gaps furniture normally hides. The full answer is in our guide to what a move-out clean includes, room by room.
What is not included in a move-out clean?
A move-out clean does not include carpet or steam cleaning, wall washing, debris or trash removal, exterior windows, or anything above the second step of a step ladder. The full answer is in our guide to what is not included in a move-out clean.
How much does a move-out clean cost?
A move-out clean is priced by the time it takes, not by a flat rate. Happy Maids charges move-in, move-out, deep and post-remodel cleaning hourly and pro-rates every ten minutes, so the total follows the size of the home, the condition it is in, and which add-ons you choose.
That is the honest structure, and it is different from recurring service. A weekly or bi-weekly plan is a flat, predictable rate set by home size and the services chosen, because the office already knows what it is walking into. Nobody knows what a move-out looks like until the furniture is out of it.
Four things drive the number more than anything else:
- Size. Not square footage alone - the count of bathrooms and kitchens matters more, because those two rooms take longer than every other room combined.
- Condition. A home that was cleaned regularly and a home that was not are two different jobs at the same square footage. Grease film above a range and soap film in a shower are both measured in hours.
- Add-ons. Inside the oven, inside the refrigerator, inside emptied cabinets, interior windows and a finished basement each add real time.
- What is still in the house. Boxes, leftover furniture and bagged trash all slow the work down, because everything has to be cleaned around instead of straight through.
Anyone quoting a move-out from a square-footage number alone is guessing, and you generally find out which direction they guessed on the invoice. The way to get a real number is a short conversation: call 847-382-0082, describe the home and its condition, and the office will give you an estimate and a realistic window.
How much should a cleaning company charge for a move-out clean?
Cleaning companies price move-outs hourly rather than flat because the condition of an empty home cannot be known before somebody is standing in it. A flat quote on an unseen move-out either overcharges the tidy client or loses money on the difficult one, which is why the trade prices the time instead.
The practical version, for anyone pricing this work: quote the hourly structure, quote the add-ons separately, and pro-rate in small increments so the client pays for the home they actually have. Happy Maids pro-rates every ten minutes for exactly that reason.
How long does a move-out clean take?
Most move-outs run several hours with a team, and an empty house is slower per square foot than a lived-in one because everything is reachable. The full answer is in our guide to how long a move-out clean takes.
How do you keep a move-out clean from taking longer than it needs to?
Get everything out first, including the refrigerator. An empty home cleans faster than a nearly empty one, and the difference is measured in billable time. Happy Maids asks that refrigerators be emptied before the interior is cleaned, and that a self-cleaning oven cycle be finished at least 24 hours before the visit.
A short list that genuinely shortens the day:
- Have the trash and any debris hauled off before the team arrives - debris removal is not a cleaning service
- Empty and defrost the refrigerator, and take out the shelves if you can
- Book the add-ons at least one business day ahead, not on the morning of
- Schedule after the movers, not the same morning - two crews in one house slows both
- Leave utilities on; hot water and lighting matter more than people expect
Do you have to clean the carpets when you move out?
Many leases require professional carpet cleaning with a receipt, and that is a carpet cleaner's job rather than a maid service's. Happy Maids vacuums carpets thoroughly with sealed-HEPA machines on a move-out but does not do carpet or steam cleaning, so book a carpet company separately if your lease calls for it.
Read the lease before you assume. Some landlords require the receipt, some deduct a flat carpet fee regardless, and some only ask for it if there are stains. Sorting that out early is cheaper than arguing about it after the deposit is already short.
When should you book a move-out clean?
Book the clean for after the move truck is loaded and before the landlord or buyer walks through, and call several weeks ahead - end of month and end of summer are the two busiest windows in this trade. A clean that happens after the walk-through is a clean that did not do its job.
If a deposit is riding on it, the calendar matters. Under the Illinois Security Deposit Return Act, a landlord who intends to deduct for damage has to furnish an itemized statement within 30 days of the tenant vacating, and must return the deposit within 45 days if that statement is not provided. Coverage depends on the property and any local ordinance, so read your lease - Happy Maids cleans homes and does not give legal advice.
If something was missed, Happy Maids re-cleans that area at no charge - let the office know within two business days of the visit and it gets scheduled. That matters more on a move-out than on any other visit, because the inspection is not yours.
Is a move-out clean the same as a deep clean?
A move-out clean and a deep clean are held to the same standard, and both are billed hourly. The difference is access: a deep clean works around your furniture and your belongings, while a move-out works in an empty shell and therefore reaches inside and behind everything.
If you are staying in the home, you want the deep clean. If you are handing the keys to someone else, you want the move-out. If you are doing both ends of a move, the move-in side has its own set of priorities, and most people are surprised to learn it is usually the bigger job.
Renters who are deciding whether to do the work themselves should read whether you actually have to clean an apartment before you move out first - the answer depends on your lease, and there is a version of this job you can do yourself.
Happy Maids cleans move-outs across Barrington, Lake Zurich, Palatine, Inverness, Long Grove and the surrounding towns; the full list is on the service areas page. To get an estimate for your home, call 847-382-0082 and describe what you are handing over.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a move-out clean cost?
A move-out clean is priced by the time it takes rather than as a flat rate. Happy Maids bills move-in, move-out, deep and post-remodel cleaning hourly and pro-rates every ten minutes, so the total follows the size of the home, its condition, and the add-ons chosen. Call 847-382-0082 for an estimate.
How long does a move-out clean take?
Longer than any routine visit to the same home, because every cabinet, drawer and closet is opened, baseboards and doors are hand-washed rather than dusted, and floors are done wall to wall. A standard visit is a team of two, so cleaner-hours run to roughly half that on the clock; homes over about 3,500 square feet get a team of three.
What is included in a move-out cleaning?
Every room hand-washed rather than dusted: cobwebs, vents, light fixtures, switch plates, blinds, sills, trim, doors, frames, baseboards, showers, toilets, counters, sinks, and floors vacuumed then mopped edge to edge. Inside the oven, inside the refrigerator and inside emptied cabinets are add-ons that nearly everyone takes on a move.
How much should a cleaning company charge for a move-out clean?
The trade prices move-outs hourly rather than flat, because the condition of an empty home cannot be judged before someone is standing in it. Quote the hourly structure, price add-ons separately, and pro-rate in small increments so a tidy home is not billed like a neglected one.
Do you have to clean the carpets when you move out?
Only if the lease says so, and many leases require a receipt from a professional carpet cleaner. That is a separate trade. Happy Maids vacuums carpets thoroughly with sealed-HEPA machines on a move-out but does not do carpet or steam cleaning, so book a carpet company as well if your lease requires it.
Will a move-out clean remove hard-water stains from the shower glass?
No. Happy Maids does not promise to remove hard-water or mineral buildup, and will not use an abrasive pad or an aggressive acid, because both etch glass and dull tile permanently. Cleaners work at it with standard supplies and it comes off a layer at a time over several visits.
Is a move-out clean the same as a deep clean?
They are held to the same standard and both are billed hourly. The difference is access. A deep clean works around your furniture and belongings; a move-out works in an empty home, so it reaches closets, cabinet fronts and the gaps behind the appliances.