Deep Cleaning or Routine Cleaning? Differences, Intervals and Costs in Graz

What is routine cleaning?

Routine cleaning is the regular cleaning of a building in everyday use. It follows a fixed specification: which rooms, which tasks, how often. The aim is to maintain a well-kept condition, so it never has to be restored from scratch.

Typical tasks in offices, practices and stairwells are:

• Vacuuming and damp-mopping floors
• Cleaning and disinfecting washrooms, refilling soap and paper
• Emptying bins and separating waste
• Wiping work surfaces, door handles, light switches and handrails
• Cleaning the kitchenette and interior glass doors

pH-neutral cleaners and wipe-care products are usually enough. They lift everyday dirt and protect the floor covering. A written cleaning schedule is essential, so every cleaner knows what to do in which room, even when covering for a colleague on holiday.

How we organise this is described on our page about routine cleaning in Graz.

What is deep cleaning?

Deep cleaning removes stubborn, ingrained dirt right down to the surface. It needs stronger cleaning agents, machines and much more time. It also covers areas that are skipped in daily cleaning. Afterwards the building is back to a standard that routine cleaning can maintain.

Resilient floors such as PVC or linoleum are a good example. Over time, wipe-care products build up a layer that traps dirt. The floor looks grey and patchy. In a deep clean this layer is stripped with an alkaline floor stripper and a single-disc machine. The dirty solution is vacuumed up and the floor is rinsed with clean water. Depending on the covering, a new coating or protective finish follows.

In washrooms, acidic cleaners dissolve limescale and urine scale. They must never be used on marble or other calcareous natural stone, because acid etches the surface. Suitable specialist cleaners are used there instead. Radiators, skirting boards, door frames, joints and the areas under and behind furniture are also included.

What we cover in detail is listed on our page about deep cleaning in Graz.

What is the difference at a glance?

In short: routine cleaning is ongoing care, deep cleaning resets the condition of the building. The table shows the main differences.

How often do you need each type of cleaning?

Routine cleaning depends on how the building is used. Offices are usually cleaned two to five times a week, busy washrooms daily. Stairwells need cleaning once or twice a week. A deep clean makes sense once or twice a year in most buildings, more often for heavily used floors.

These guide values have proven themselves in practice:

• Office with few visitors: routine cleaning two to three times a week, deep cleaning once a year
• Medical practice or law firm with client traffic: routine cleaning daily, deep cleaning once or twice a year
• Stairwell in an apartment building: routine cleaning once or twice a week, deep cleaning once a year
• Restaurants and kitchens: routine cleaning daily, deep cleaning several times a year depending on grease build-up

For stairwells, spring is a good time. By then winter has carried grit, road salt and moisture into the entrance area. If you have to clear snow yourself, our article on snow clearing duties in Graz explains the rules. In offices, company holidays work well, for example in summer or between Christmas and New Year.

What does deep cleaning or routine cleaning cost in Graz?

With us, routine cleaning for offices and businesses costs from €0.50 per m², minimum order €90. For private households the rate is from €0.95 per m², minimum order €90. A deep clean costs from €2 per m², minimum order €120. All prices are plus VAT.

The final price depends mainly on these points:

• Area and layout: many small rooms take longer than an open-plan office.
• Floor covering: a linoleum floor with a new coating needs more steps than tiles.
• Level of soiling: if there has been no deep clean for years, several passes are needed.
• Furniture and access: anything cleared beforehand saves time.
• Interval: for routine cleaning, frequency and scope determine the monthly amount.

We give you a binding fixed price after a free on-site inspection. All starting prices are listed on our prices page.

Good routine cleaning does not make deep cleaning unnecessary. It does stretch the intervals between them. Removing dirt continuously stops it from settling into floor coverings and joints.

How does a deep clean work and what do you need to prepare?

A deep clean has four steps: inspection, quote, cleaning and a joint final check. Your main job is to clear space and arrange access. The clearer the surfaces, the more thorough and faster the work.

This helps before the appointment:

• Clear desks and shelves, lock away personal documents
• Lift small furniture, plants and cables off the floor where possible
• Arrange keys, alarm system and a contact person on site
• Make power and water connections accessible for the machines
• If a new floor coating is applied, allow for drying time when nobody walks on it

As a guide, a 60 to 80 m² flat takes about 4 to 6 hours. An office of 150 to 200 m² takes about 8 to 12 hours. The exact time depends on the condition and is fixed after the inspection.

After cleaning we walk through the areas with you. If a spot isn't right, we clean it again free of charge.

Do I need both, or is one enough?

For offices, practices and stairwells the combination is the most economical: ongoing routine cleaning plus one planned deep clean a year. Deep cleaning alone means the building is dirty most of the time. Routine cleaning alone lets floors turn grey and dull over time.

After building work or a renovation, a deep clean is often not the right choice. Then the job is construction dust, paint splashes and adhesive residue. That is what post-construction cleaning is for.

For offices we also have a dedicated page on office cleaning in Graz with scope and process.