Deep Cleaning vs. Spring Cleaning: What is The Difference?
One of the popular commercial cleaning services is deep cleaning and spring cleaning. Both spring cleaning and deep cleaning are, to some extent, similar. However, there are some differences and, on top of that, there are several differences between the spring cleaning we undertake at home and the spring cleaning that commercial cleaning companies offer.
In this article, we’ll explore the main differences between deep cleaning and spring cleaning.
Deep Cleaning vs. Spring Cleaning
To understand the differences between deep and spring cleaning, first, we have to define these terms, as their meaning might differ in the commercial cleaning industry from what people think.
What is Deep Cleaning?
Deep cleaning is a type of commercial cleaning service that involves thorough and intensive cleaning of every place in a house, office, school, store or other premises. Deep cleaning has several benefits as its tasks include addressing sanitation and hygiene from top to bottom.

Tasks you commonly find on a commercial deep cleaning checklist are:
- Cleaning & sanitising high-touch surfaces (door knobs, lift button panel, stairway handlebars, etc.)
- Vacuuming carpets and mopping floors
- Cleaning & sanitising hard-to-reach areas (wall fittings, behind sanitaryware, narrow gaps between furniture and walls, etc.)
- Detailed cleaning of items, furniture and equipment in the area
- Sanitising high-risk areas (toilets, kitchens, etc.)
- Removing clutter and rubbish
- Cleaning and sanitising any surface (kitchen counter, shelves, desks, etc.)
- Sanitising and descaling sanitaryware
- Cleaning carpets and soft upholstery (spot cleaning or hot-steam extraction)
The right frequency for deep cleaning depends on the setup of the premises. For example, high-foot traffic areas require more frequent deep cleaning while a small office with a few employees requires deep cleaning once or twice a year.
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What is Spring Cleaning?

On the other hand, spring cleaning is a more generalised cleaning of space but includes more tasks, especially tasks that are generally performed once a week or once a month. Spring cleaning is also a more recognised word as it is a general cleaning that many people undertake at home at the beginning of the spring.
Tasks included in a typical spring clean are almost similar to deep cleaning. However, they are often less thorough and less intensive and may not include the use of certain disinfection and sanitisation solutions.
Here’s a list of tasks you may find on common spring cleaning checklists:
- Cleaning & sanitising all surfaces including high-touch areas
- Cleaning & sanitising hard-to-reach areas (light fixtures, wall fittings, etc.)
- Sanitising toilets, kitchens and other areas
- Descaling toilets, seats and other sanitaryware
- Vacuuming carpets and mopping floors
- Removing clutter and rubbish
- cleaning ovens, polishing the kitchen sink and cleaning other appliances
Spring cleaning frequency depends on the person performing it. For most households, spring cleaning is commonly done once a year. However, businesses and properties hiring commercial cleaning companies may require more frequent spring cleans during the year.
The Difference?
Looking at the definition of deep and spring cleaning as well as the checklists of each type of cleaning, you raise that there are some differences between them:
- Deep cleaning involves intensive cleaning compared to spring cleaning.
- Spring cleaning is usually done with commercially available cleaning solutions while in deep cleaning, more specialised cleaners and disinfectant are used.
- Deep cleaning almost always involves carpet cleaning and upholstery cleaning, unlike spring cleaning which stops at vacuuming carpets or dusting the soft upholstery.
- Deep cleaning tasks are more detailed and may require more skills and expertise compared to spring cleaning.
- Spring cleaning is easier and faster than deep cleaning and anyone can do it at home without the help of commercial cleaning contractors.
- In most cases, spring cleaning is less frequent than deep cleaning. However, this highly depends on the size and the setup of the property.
- Spring cleaning is a kind of seasonal cleaning task but deep cleaning is on-demand.
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There’s Also Specialised Cleaning!
Apart from deep cleaning and spring cleaning, in the commercial cleaning industry, there is another term called specialised cleaning. Specialised cleaning is a term given to a wide range of commercial cleaning services that are tailored toward the specific needs of a property or premises.
Tasks included in specialised cleaning depend on several factors. The most important ones are the property setup and cleaning requirements. While office cleaning and school cleaning services are straightforward, certain premises require more “specialised” cleaning tasks like medical centres, nurseries, large storage units, etc.
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Conclusion
Deep cleaning and spring cleaning are among the most popular commercial cleaning services available for all businesses and households. While many people know the meaning of spring cleaning, it is different from what commercial cleaning companies refer to as spring cleaning. Also, there are several similarities between deep cleaning and spring cleaning and just a few details make them different. In this article, we defined the meaning of both deep cleaning and spring cleaning and discussed their checklists and differences in detail.
The information in this article can help you understand the difference between deep cleaning and spring cleaning and make the right decisions next time you are looking for a thorough and intensive cleaning service for your premises.
