Move-in / move-out cleaning in San Francisco: what’s included

A move-out clean is the most thorough clean there is — a full top-to-bottom, inside-and-out clean of an empty home. As a rule it includes just about everything. Two things are usually handled as add-ons: heavy wall washing and carpet cleaning. Here’s what that looks like and why.

The short version

Included

The whole empty home, inside and out — kitchen and bath, inside cabinets and appliances, baseboards, windows, and floors.

Usually add-ons

Heavy wall washing and carpet cleaning — bigger, specialized jobs that not every home needs.

Independent cleaners do the work and set their own prices, and scope can vary slightly — always confirm what’s included when you book.

What a move-out clean covers

Because the home is empty, a move-out clean reaches the places a normal clean can’t. The standard scope generally covers all of this:

Kitchen, degreased

Counters, backsplash, sink, and cabinet faces — plus inside the oven, inside the fridge, and the range hood.

Bathrooms, sanitized

Tubs, showers, glass, tile, toilets, sinks, mirrors, and fixtures scrubbed and disinfected.

Inside everything

Empty cabinets, drawers, closets, and shelves wiped out inside and not just on the surface.

Detail work

Baseboards, door frames, light switches, outlets, vents, and handles — the spots a routine clean skips.

Windows & fixtures

Interior windows, sills and tracks, light fixtures, and ceiling fans.

Floors throughout

Vacuumed and mopped across the whole home, corner to corner, now that it's empty.

The two common add-ons

Almost everything is included in the base clean. These two are kept separate because they’re bigger, specialized jobs — and not every home needs them:

Add-on

Heavy wall washing

Wiping scuffs and spot-cleaning marks is normally part of the clean. But washing entire walls across a home is a different job — and here's the honest part: if walls are heavily marked or stained, they usually need repainting, not washing. So extensive wall washing is treated as a separate add-on rather than assumed in every move-out clean.

Add-on

Carpet cleaning

Carpet shampoo or steam cleaning is its own specialized, time-intensive process with real drying time — and not every home even has carpet. Keeping it as an add-on is what lets the base move-out clean stay consistent whether a place is all hardwood or fully carpeted.

Why move-out cleans are a bigger job

A move-out clean takes more time than standard upkeep because nothing is skipped: every cabinet and closet is done inside, appliances are cleaned out, and detail spots like baseboards and tracks all get attention. In San Francisco that often matters most around a lease ending — leaving the place spotless for the next tenant, an inspection, or a security-deposit return. Deposit decisions are between you and your landlord, but a thorough clean is one of the most common things they look for.

Book a move-out clean in SF

Compare independent cleaners near you on SanCrew, see their prices and reviews, and add wall washing or carpet cleaning if your place needs it — all before you book.

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Frequently asked questions

What's included in a move-out clean?

Essentially everything in the empty home, top to bottom and inside out: the kitchen (including inside the oven and fridge), bathrooms, the inside of all cabinets, drawers, and closets, baseboards, doors, switches, interior windows, and floors throughout. It's the most thorough clean there is.

Is wall washing included?

Spot-cleaning marks and scuffs is normally part of the clean. Washing entire walls across the home is usually a separate add-on. And if walls are heavily marked or stained, they often need repainting rather than washing — at that point it's a paint job, not a cleaning one.

Is carpet cleaning included?

Carpet shampoo or steam cleaning is typically a separate add-on, not part of the base move-out clean. It's a longer, specialized process with drying time, and since not every home has carpet, keeping it separate keeps the standard clean consistent for everyone.

How is a move-out clean different from a standard or deep clean?

It's the most thorough option and it's done on an empty home, so cleaners can reach inside cabinets and closets and behind where furniture used to be. It includes the inside-everything detail that a standard upkeep clean skips, with the goal of leaving the place spotless for the next occupant.

Should the home be empty before the clean?

Ideally yes — empty or nearly so. Move-out cleaning is about reaching every surface, including the insides of cabinets and closets and the floors under where furniture stood, so the more cleared out the space is, the more complete the result.

Does SanCrew set the price for a move-out clean?

No. Independent cleaners on SanCrew set their own prices, including for move-out cleans and any add-ons like wall washing or carpet cleaning. Scope can also vary slightly from one cleaner to the next, so it's always worth confirming exactly what's included when you book.