Angie's List: Deep Cleaning Your Home

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- When was the last time you pulled out the furniture or broke out the scouring pads to clean your home?

If you can't remember, it may be time for a deep clean and you may need some help.

Tabbetha Sells has been cleaning houses for six years. Every day, she dusts, disinfects and vacuums--all part of a standard job. When a client wants more, she and her crew go after the dirt, dust and grime you can't see without really looking for it.

"We'll open the cabinet doors and clean the inside of the cabinet doors and that ledge where stuff collects over time. We clean the inside of all the appliances - refrigerator, oven, microwave. We clean the baseboards thoroughly and we polish them afterwards," she said.

"Spring is a great time to consider having your house deeply cleaned, and usually you should be doing that every two to three months, especially if you're getting ready to sell your house – that's a time you want to make sure you have it done," said Angie's List founder Angie Hicks.

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Cleaning deep also means cleaning high where things can be hard, or even dangerous, to reach.

"We do anything up high and it doesn't matter how high it is, we will clean it – exhaust fans, ceiling fans, vents in the walls," Sells said.

Most companies don't charge by the hour, but by the job. Make sure to get a listing of everything you want done at the agreed upon price.

"You should always require a detailed estimate so that you know what to expect," Sells said.

"On average, our members have reported spending about 230 dollars for a deep clean, and that's about a hundred dollars more than a standard clean. And if you're looking to hire a house cleaner for the first time, you shouldn't be surprised if they recommend a deep cleaning as your first visit," Hicks said.

Before hiring anyone to clean your home, Angie's List advises to look for a company that's bonded and insured. Make sure to ask specifically how they handle replacing anything that may be broken during a cleaning. The service should provide all the supplies needed, but if you want environmentally friendly products used exclusively, you may need to supply those yourself. And if you want a specific person to do the cleanings, ask for that to be written into the contract.